Our Wedding - part 2: bride and bridal party details
Hello Beauties,
Here is the second part of our wedding day blog aka the best day of my life. In this blog I will go through all the details of our wedding day such as dresses, hair, accessories, bridesmaids etc with links and a tonne of unseen images shot by our brilliant photographer, Lily Red
As there is so much to cover and I don’t want to skip a detail, there will also be a Part 3 coming soon, which will contain all of the details of the event itself (ceremony & reception).
If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below and I will get back to you.
with love… The Watsons xx
PART 1
Bride Credits
Well I thought I’d begin with all the details of what I wore on my wedding day, my bridesmaids plus the groom + groomsmen… before getting stuck into the styling/planning/catering/entertainment and all the other bits and pieces in the next blog!
Bridal Gowns -
Ceremony - Rue De Seine Luca Gown
When I tried on the Luca Gown by Rue De Seine, I knew right away it was THE ONE. The dainty lace details, intricate beading, long soft and sheer sleeves, ultra low back and the way it highlighted my curves in a really soft feminine way. SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL. I had the train on this gown altered to be longer as I wanted it to be a little more dramatic since I would be walking down the aisle in this gown. I had my first fitting at The Bridal Atelier in Sydney when Michele Corty, the talented designer behind Rue De Seine was visiting. I tried on 5 different gowns, all so different and unique and ALL so beautiful! The Luca Gown was the first that I tried on and instantly I knew it was the one. I had a second fitting with Michele in Bali, where I was living at the time, while they were there to shoot the new collection. This dress is really special to me and one that I will never be able to part with (I’ve had many emails/DM’s from ladies wanting to purchase her second hand from me but sorry ladies, I’m keeping her forever!)
Ps. Rue de Seine is a New Zealand based bridal brand, if you’re after a chic modern bohemian gown then be sure to check out their collections! Such a dream! They also recently opened up their flagship in Auckland, New Zealand.
Reception - Grace Loves Lace Coco Gown
I never thought I would be that ‘extra’ bride and wear two gowns on my wedding day. However, after a visit to Grace Loves Lace Boutique on the Gold Coast, I found my second dress who was the PERFECT reception dress. The Coco Gown was yet to be released when I went for a fitting at GLL, and the girls were so kind to give me to preview of the new collection (it was meant to be!). I tried the Coco Gown on first and yet again it was the ONE! I was completely obsessed with it. I loved the fitted off shoulder bodice (soo flattering on my itty bitty titties!) and the A-line skirt handmade with tiers of luxurious stretch laces and exotic trims. This gown made me feel edgy, bold, yet also fun and sexy! The PERFECT dancing and party dress for our reception. I also fell in love with the star lace detailing since I wanted to incorporate some stars and moons into our styling (you’ll see in the next post!) so I paired it with a star lace choker around my neck.
Grace Loves Lace is an Australian boutique bridal brand based on the Gold Coast. Their gowns are handmade in Australia, and a trip to their studio is nothing short of amazing, a beautiful experience with your bridal party.
Bride Getting Ready Robe - Spell Bride
The girls surprised me with this gorgeous Spell Bride Kimono to get ready in. It was such a special gift! I can’t find this particular robe on their website right now but you may be able to find something similar on their website, Spell is forever bringing out the most stunning kimonos and if you want to save a little (weddings are expensive! then have a look on eBay or the Spell buy & sell Facebook page as you may be able to score a secondhand one).
Bridal Shoes - custom made by The Bali Tailor
Shopping for my shoes for the day was actually one of the biggest challenges! Since our ceremony and reception was on grass I wanted something chunky heeled and also with some height. At last I found THE shoe, The Zimmermann Goldentime Wedge Heel (image below) only to my horror it was completely sold out everywhere online and I could not find any second hand pairs, I even turned to my Instagram to see if anyone had a second hand pair to sell me. I kept checking David Jones and whenever stock in my sized popped up I ordered but the order was cancelled all 3 times!! (stock errors apparently) I made a last minute call to the lovely Leah from The Bali Tailor to see if she could have a pair similar made for me.
The outcome was absolutely perfect and I paired them with some gorgeous pearl ‘Venus’ anklets from Grace Loves Lace. I actually think the simplicity of my pair made by the Bali Tailor was even better than the original. If you have a chance to visit Bali, I highly recommend you visit her shop and get some custom shoes/bags/belts made. She offers a good selection of vegan leathers & suedes too! THANK YOU LEAH!
PAIRED WITH ANKLETS FOR ADDED DETAIL
Bridal Jewellery - YCL Jewels + Hunter X Hunter + Lane & Lanae
3 of my favourite jewellery labels and all 3 are different price ranges so worth checking out all 3 depending on your budget for jewels.
I wore the earrings by YCL Jewels which I can no longer find on their website, however they’re pictured below. YCL Jewels is a local (+ ethical) Gold Coast label, they have lots of other stunning styles on their website. All YCL Jewels is Gold Fill, great quality (doesn’t wear off) and in the price range of $70-$200. Their stylist was even lovely enough to put together a mood board of pieces with my dresses to show me how they would look together - amazing service for a stressed and confused bride!
For the reception I changed into earrings by Hunter X Hunter as I felt these were more chunky and fun with the Coco Gown. The were star shaped with pearls. I cannot find them on their store however I have linked the closest style here
I also styled my wrist with the Rock Paper Scissors Wrist Chain by Lane & Lanae. Lane & Lanae was created by a sister duo from California, USA. Their pieces are made of high quality materials, keepsakes that you will treasure forever and then hand down as heirlooms.
Although I am completely obsessed with necklaces, I didn’t wear any on my wedding day as the Luca Gown has a high neckline and I wore a star lace choker with the Coco Gown.
The Style Guide by YCL Jewels
Stationary by Emma Kate Co
Wedding Ring - Stardust Diamond Ring N + A New York
My engagement ring was custom made by a Gold Coast jeweller, unfortunately I cannot share more details about this since Alex surprised me with this ring and design and wishes to keep the details discrete. For me personally, I wanted a dainty ring since all my other rings are dainty and my hands are slender - he did so well!! We also went with gold since this is the jewellery colour I wear. There’s actually a huge funny story about the creation of this ring! I think it was remade 3 times and Alex held onto it, packed in his suitcase for 6 months before asking me to marry him, when the moment was absolutely perfect. It was a total surprise and funny to hear all the secret stories that had been happening unbeknownst to me.
So when it came to selecting my wedding ring, I wanted something that would complement my engagement ring. My friend Jenieka got me onto N + A New York via their retailer - Catbird NYC.
n+a new york is a jewelry line founded by sisters Noriko and Akiko Sugawara, who originally come from Yokohama, Japan. Designing their collections and making all pieces in their studio in Tribeca, New York City, Noriko and Akiko create finely crafted, handmade jewelry. Their designs reflect the subtle beauty of the details of both city life and nature. They make the most stunning fine jewellery and I highly recommend you have a look at their work. I also ordered a second ring from N + A New York because their designs were so exquisite. My wedding band is called the Stardust Diamond Ring and I also ordered this ring
My engagement ring
Rings by: Custom Engagement Ring, N + A New York, Lane & Lanae
Bouquet - Bower Botanicals
Working with Bower Botanicals , an incredible Mother + Daughter duo (Kelley & Jaala) to create my floral designs for the wedding was a dream come true! I had been fanning over their work on IG for quite some time and when a cancellation popped up and they could do our wedding I was so excited.
In the part 3 blog post I will go into more detail about the incredible work they did for our ceremony and reception, but for now I just wanted to share my bouquet details.
I wanted a big but loose, flowing bouquet filled with creamy soft tones from orchids, pampas grass, and roses. I mean, just look how insanely beautiful it is.
After our wedding, I opted not to ‘toss’ my bouquet, too pretty to toss right? and instead I held onto it, and dried the bouquet. I now keep most of the flowers in a pot by my bedside table, a beautiful sight and memory to wake up to each morning.
PART 2
Bridal Party - Getting Ready Location
Located in Nashua (between Clunes and Bangalow)
This was the perfect big and luxurious farm house for us to get ready at.
The day prior to our wedding we invited all of our bridal party out to the Farmhouse for a sunset salads (by The Pressed Pantry) and a platter before kicking the boys out and having a girls night of sheet masks, self-tanning, sipping tea, eating Loco Love choccies and trying on our spanks ;)
The morning of our wedding we woke up around 5:30am to do a coffee run and start getting ready - yep I thought a 6am hair start was ludicrous for a 2pm ceremony but we still managed to be late, fashionably late of course.
The night of the wedding just Alex and I came back to the Farmhouse to stay together.
This location was beautiful enough for us to have even got married at! We also invited all of our close friends and their kids out to the Farmhouse for a recovery pool party the day after our wedding, which was a really amazing way to spend more time with our friends and eat delicious catering by The Topshop Byron and customised cold press juices by The Pressed Pantry. Oh and did I mention we also got to take home the leftover catering by Greenhouse Canteen and share that with our friends on the Sunday.
PART 3
Beauty/Hair & Make-Up
In the lead-up to our wedding I had pre-planned out a skincare and hair plan. Having my skin feeling amazing, bright and smooth was really important to me, I mean I am sure its important to every bride isn’t it! You can read all about this in my previous wedding blog post.
I had my hair dyed and cut a week out at my hairdresser on the Gold Coast (The Loft, Mermaid Beach). They also cut my clip in hair extensions to suit my length and style.
The day prior to the wedding we had a girls pamper day. Lashes done by my favourite lady, Taylor from Byron Bay Lashes. She does an amazing job at making my lashes feel fuller but still so natural. We all had our nails done at Byron Beauty Bar.
For my wedding day hair and makeup look I wanted to look myself - natural, glowy and bronzed, nothing too heavy. With one of my best-friends, Tiff (@tiffanythurtell) from Alan Buki Hair in Sydney, on our hair. For me she created beautiful voluminous lush waves with my hair and some clip in extensions. Created a dreamy starry design in my hair using my beautiful clips I bought from Tilly Thomas Luxe. For the reception, Tiff turned my waves into an up-do by pinning it all up and adding in those beautiful clips. I felt so comfortable with my hair up.
We had the amazing Luciana Rose (@lucianarose) on makeup. Luciana also did my makeup for my cover shoot for my first cookbook so it was really nice to be able to work with her again. She effortlessly did the most amazing job at making us all look glowy and it stayed on perfectly all day and night.
My gorgeous hair stylist, Tiffany, who is also one of my best friends
PART 4
Bridal Party Credits
Bridesmaid dresses -
When us girls were brainstorming bridesmaid dress ideas it was clear it wasn’t going to be easy for us! We wanted a soft, boho vibe but also luxe and we were really struggling to find the middle ground between wedding dresses and plain dresses. I had always loved the Spell Bride range and whilst looking at them we thought ‘if only they made a range that was for bridesmaids, no train, pastel colours but still absolutely beautiful’. So, the only way to find out if this was possible would be to ask right? And they said yes! The girls each had a custom Spell Bridal gown that had been altered to a midi-length and botanically dyed by their seamstress Anita. She used natural dyes from avocado and onion skins and documented the process, you can read about it on the Spell blog here
Bridesmaid Shoes - Tony Bianco
Bridesmaid Jewels - YCL Jewels
https://www.ycljewels.com/collections/earrings/products/poetry-earrings
Bridesmaid Gifts - Pink Soy Boobie Mugs and Loco Love Chocolate Gift Box
Bridesmaid Getting Ready Robes - Spell
Lauren, shot on Film by Abbie Lengui
PART 5
Groom & Groomsmen
Much surprise to me, finding Alex’s suit was more difficult then my dresses. Since he is tall he kind of fits between sizes. Its either a slim fit but the cuffs are too short or too baggy around the sides. It was pretty difficult for him to find pants or jackets that fit him off the shelf, and with two groomsmen living in Canada and Egypt its safe to say he was feeling pretty stressed. I called him groom-zilla ;) but after all the stressful shopping, Alex & his groomsmen all were looking very ‘dapper’.
Suit Jackets - Suit Supply (online and in Sydney)
Alex wore a textured linen forest green jacket, The Havana Dark Green Pure Linen which he had customised to fit. As we didn’t have enough weeks to have his jacket fully tailored from scratch, plus the difficulty of living in Bali for fittings, he found a jacket in stock and had it custom fitted across his back, sides and sleeves so that it fit perfectly and the sleeves were long enough. His groomsmen all wore matching Havana jackets in a light grey.
Suit Pants - All in matching dark navy slim fit trousers from Politix. Alex had his taken in at the ankles and hem taken down slightly to fit his loooong legs ;)
Shirts - All matching pure white shirts from MJ Bale.
Shoes - All in Urge Tan Anchor Shoe (Universal Store)
Bowties - All bowties were from Otaa. Alex wore a deep red/burgandy coloured bow tie and his groomsmen wore navy bow ties.
Belts - Matching custom made belts by the Bali Tailor in brown leather (to match shoes).
Wedding Band - custom made white gold Tri Band Ring by Cort Jewellery, local GC company that hand make all their jewellery. He had a heart engraved on the face of the ring and our wedding date on the inside. Alex also wears two more of their rings.
PART 6
Wedding Stationary
Our stationary design was by the wonderful Emma Kate Co, and printing by Terrace Letter Press
Emma created the perfect set for us. I especially loved the gold foiling and hand drawn map! See image below.
Well my lovelies that concludes part 2 of my wedding day blog series.
Stay tuned for part 3 containing all the details of the event itself!
xx
Elsa
