For bride Bronte nothing beats the Aussie countryside, with its sweeping hills, fragrant eucalyptus trees and striking red dirt. While her husband Justin is a water baby, he loves the pristine white sand beaches along the coastline. For their wedding, they found the perfect compromise. A venue located on the NSW Tweed coastline, right in between the ocean and valley.
The scenery, combined with Bronte’s bridal look, made for some truly beautiful photos. She wore a classic white gown and our statement RIVIERA veil. The delicate florals, lace motifs and scattering of pearls cascaded down Bronte’s hair and shoulders and billowed behind her in the breeze. She looked ethereal amongst the native plants and lush woodland. Her bridesmaids beautifully coordinated with her, wearing our ROSA hair pins in their up dos.
Shop this look: STELLAR hair pins, VERSAILLES headpiece, BORDEAUX veil
A barn wedding
The first (and only!) venue Bronte and Justin viewed was Summergrove Estate. The estate has panoramic views of the ocean and valley and is set up for chapel and garden ceremonies and restaurant and barn receptions. The barn in particular, was very special to Bronte and Justin.
“Both Justin and I wanted our reception in a barn, and Summergrove Estate were building our dream barn, almost like it was being built for us! It was white and huge and modelled on the big American style barns, in other words, it was exactly what we were looking for. We both loved the polished concrete floors, exposed beams and hanging Edison globes,” says Bronte. “We also wanted an outdoor ceremony which Summergrove offered and Justin wanted to be married on top of a hill (don’t ask me why) which again Summergrove gave us the opportunity to do.”
It’s clear from the photos alone that Bronte was truly in her element at the Estate.
“I was born in Brisbane and raised in Cairns but if I could convince Justin to move a few hours west into the country I would in a heartbeat. You couldn’t find a vista I loved more than rolling countryside, some Aussie bush and red dirt. The smell, the fresh, crisp air, the fact that you can see all the stars, nothing beats the country! (I sound like a country girl, don’t I?).”
The statement veil
For bridal inspiration, Bronte browsed Hello May, Vogue magazine and photos of her friends weddings. Ivy Road, Tania Maras and Babushka Ballerina Instagram feeds also all helped Bronte narrow down her style. She chose a simple, classic white gown by Daisy Brides.
“One of the biggest factors in choosing my dress and my main reason for keeping my dress so simple and classic was because I knew my head wear would be the star. Whether it was a stunning headband or a veil, I wanted something nobody would have seen before and that was a real ‘wow’ factor. When Tania suggested the RIVIERA veil (I emailed her for some help choosing), I knew this would be my wow factor and dare I say it, I love it more than my dress. It’s so ‘me’!”
The RIVIERA veil features organza flowers with hand beaded pearl and crystal centres, amongst lace details and a scattering of pearls. The veil is textural, sparkly and beautifully completed Bronte’s look.
“The RIVIERA veil was my perfect ‘wow’ accessory. It was long, it was light, but most importantly that stunning flower and pearl detail. My dress needed some details and the veil delivered that. I wanted something that would float behind me and look stunning in pictures and I knew the RIVIERA veil would,” says Bronte.
“My tip would be stay true to yourself, find accessories that show your personality and make your outfit shine with you! I love a simple gown with ‘wow’ accessories, but if you go for a more intricate ‘wow’ gown then make sure your accessories complement that gown and don’t clash.”
Coordinating looks
Bronte selected the ROSA hair pins as accessories for her two bridesmaids, to tie in with her look. The ROSA hair pins feature organza flowers with pearl and crystal details, attached to metal hair pins for styling flexibility and are perfect for adding a flourish to hair styles.
The pins were styled on the bridesmaids in a low set bun and looked striking against their dark hair.
“My tip would be stay true to yourself, find accessories that show your personality and make your outfit shine with you! I love a simple gown with ‘wow’ accessories, but if you go for a more intricate ‘wow’ gown then make sure your accessories complement that gown and don’t clash.”
Best advice
“Have fun with it, try not to let it stress you out (easier said than done). Make compromises with each other. Don’t rush into any choices, take the time to look around and see your options. Stay organised, have some kind of system for tracking vendors, design ideas, payments etc. Most importantly, make the day say ‘you’, pick vendors, venues and outfits that really show you as a couple and your personalities,” says Bronte.
Special thanks to...
- Photographer – Ivy Road Photography
- Bridal shop – Bluebell Bridal
- Bridesmaid dress – Manning Cartell
- Bridesmaid hair accessory – ROSA hair pins
- Cake – Petal + Peach Bespoke Cakery
- Dress designer – Daisy Brides
- Florals – Floral and Mineral
- Hire – The Wedding Shed (charger plates and outside seating)
- MC and DJ – NikNat Entertainment
- Name lights – Event LettersÂ
- Photobooth – Lightpod Photobooths
- Rings – Artisans Bespoke Jewellers
- Stationary – Laura Elizabeth Design
- Suits – M.J. Bale – and R.M.Williams
- Veil – RIVIERA veil
- Venue – Summergrove Estate
- Videographer – Anchored Cinema
