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From the English-inspired gardens filled with colourful blooms to the arch bridge spanning the lake and highland cattle roaming the property, it’s easy to understand Gerrie and Michael’s attraction to the historic Mona Farm for their wedding venue. Located in Braidwood in rural NSW, the couple created a whimsical garden party, with romantic floral dreamscapes, jazz music, Negroni cocktails and dancing under the stars to round off the day.
With golden hair, blue eyes and red lips, Gerrie’s beauty was further elevated with her unique wedding-day styling. Her dress featured sheer, voluminous sleeves and delicate floral lace embellishments. Tania Maras worked with Gerrie to create a bespoke veil to complement her ethereal dress, along with a golden hair comb to adorn her low-set bun.
Gerrie and Michael decided to have a long weekend destination wedding, with plenty of time to enjoy the picturesque surroundings with their guests.
“We fell in love with the stunning grounds and English-inspired gardens, as well as the luxury accommodation, artwork and sculptures,” Gerrie enthuses. “Mona Farm does away with some of the hassles of a fully DIY wedding, but still allows a very bespoke experience, and the events management team there are first class.”
The ceremony was filled with memorable and personal elements, with one of Gerrie’s oldest friends, Nicci, as celebrant, a reading of a favourite poem by Gerrie’s brother and a rendition of The Lark Ascending by the Brioso String Quartet in memory of Michael’s Dad.
Instagram, The Lane and Wedshed were Gerrie’s go-to sources for wedding dress inspiration, before deciding on the Cecilia dress from Liz Martinez.
“I fell in love with the voluminous sleeve trend early on but wanted to find something that was still elegant and timeless,” she says. “The intricate and delicate floral lace appliqué on Liz Martinez designs is just breathtaking, and I chose a nude lining for the dress to accentuate the white lace detail.”
Gerrie chose the AUDREY veil, for its light and modern design, which wouldn’t distract from the intricacy and volume of her bridal gown.
“I wanted the back of the dress to be visible and the delicate nature of AUDREY means it streams out narrowly behind you and also catches the wind beautifully,” she says.
Instead of a metal comb, the Tania Maras team attached metal loops, to allow Gerrie’s veil to sit seamlessly under her low-set bun.
“I wanted to wear the veil attaching underneath my hair bun rather than over the top,” explains Gerrie. “Tania and the team came up with a different attachment to a comb so it was easier for my hair stylist to secure the veil. They were also incredibly helpful with explaining the difference between all the veil styles and helping me to achieve the look I was after.”
The abundance of shimmering crystals, pearls and floral elements in the MARION headpiece beautifully complemented the embellishments on Gerrie’s dress.
“Do away with any traditions that don’t resonate with you and your partner, and invest in those aspects of the day that are most important to you,” advises Gerrie. “Think about your guests’ comfort throughout the day when planning – is there enough seating, heating, food, bathrooms, etc. We would also really recommend investing in a photographer, videographer and photo-booth – it’s not something we initially planned, having all three, but we’ve really enjoyed seeing different aspects of the day captured for us to remember and revisit.”
In the last instalment of our ‘Weddings and Pandemics’ feature, we’d like to introduce you to the lovely Claudia. She’s been working in a lab in Munich, Germany, studying the COVID-19 virus, while also navigating a long-distance relationship and planning a wedding! To thank her for the work she is doing, we gifted her with our MARION headpiece and DAHLIA veil, her favourite pieces from our collection. In return, Claudia shares her story with us. From her lab studies, to a very sweet ‘meet-cute’ story and tips for managing a a long distance relationship, Claudia lifts our spirits with her anecdotes and insights.
Claudia and Andres became friends in high school, initially bonding over a shared interest in the cello.
“I used to play the cello back then, so I carried my instrument around during classes. Most of my classmates were making jokes on what I had inside my instrument case, most of them going for an abnormal guitar,” says Claudia. “One day, in the middle of the hall, I heard someone yelling “look! A cello!” and I couldn’t hide my smile. It was Andres, a guy from my class that I hadn’t talked to before. He rushed over and started walking with me to our next course. He added me on messenger “for school purposes”, but we ended up spending all afternoons talking about whatever came into our minds. We became best friends in no time. One year later, he told me he liked me. As my parents were not happy with the idea of me having a boyfriend in high school, we remained friends but very much in love. Two years later, once we were in our bachelors, he officially asked me to be his girlfriend.”
In total, Claudia and Andres have been in a long-distance relationship for almost 6 years. They have lived in 12 different cities, in Mexico, Germany, Sweden, Russia, USA and the Netherlands. Andres is currently a paediatrician in Saalfeld, Germany, while Claudia is four hours away, in Munich, Germany.
“We are very lucky that Germany allows visiting couples that live apart, so we have continued to see each other a couple of times during the lockdown. Nonetheless, traveling imposes a risk for ourselves and everyone in contact with us, so when we do not see each other as frequent as we want to,” says Claudia.
The couple have found many ways to stay positive and connected during this time a part.
“We talk over the phone, schedule video calls and watch series or movies online (we are masters on synchronizing screens, way before Netflix party!). We make sure we include each other in our daily activities and projects, and use the other as our accountability partner for long term projects, including exercising,” explains Claudia. “We share our post-workout stats from Fitbit, and challenge each other to beat the mark. We are also re-reading the Harry Potter series, which brings back old childhood memories and I am thrilled to share that with him. On days when everything feels overwhelming, we focus on a ‘post COVID-19’ bucket list, talking about the places we want to visit, and the people we want to meet again. Lastly, we plan our days together. Our wedding will celebrate the beginning of no more long travels to see each other, and we can’t wait for that!”
Andres had organised a special getaway to celebrate their anniversary. He asked her to leave work on time for the their special weekend, however Claudia had to stay back late.
“He picked me up and I noticed he was stressed, but I assumed it was because I was late,” says Claudia. “I spent the whole ride talking about work, without realising we were arriving to the Nymphenburg Palace, a gorgeous baroque palace in Munich. We walked through the gardens until we came to an old-looking bench and we sat down. He started recounting our previous anniversaries, each one on a different city, at different stages in our career, and asked me what I would think if in our next anniversary we were soon-to-be husband and wife. At that point, I saw swan on a nearby lake sinking its head under water, and started rambling on how I don’t know what swans, nor ducks, eat. After some laughs, Andres got us back to the conversation, pulled the ring box out, and asked me if I wanted to marry him. We hugged and laugh, and he made me promise that I will not be asking what different birds eat during our wedding ceremony!”
Claudia is drawn to ethereal, flowy fabrics and natural makeup. In line with this aesthetic, she plans on wearing our chapel length DAHLIA veil, featuring soft and floaty fine netting, paired with our intricate MARION headpiece, to her wedding.
“Shortly after the engagement, I created a Pinterest board to explore ideas for our wedding. I was captivated by a headpiece that was very soft and delicate, and saved different pieces similar to that. After looking for more details, I realised all these pieces came from Tania Maras, so I looked for more of their products (the first headpiece I fell in love was the MARION!). I soon followed their Instagram account and started reading their blog. I love how soft and delicate their pieces look!”
Bespoke and ready-to-wear bridal accessories and veils. Designed and handcrafted in Canberra, Australia. Our online store is open 24/7 with worldwide delivery available including express options. The Fyshwick showroom is by appointment only. Virtual appointments are available for interstate and international brides.
