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Wedding Style Profile - Eileen and Joshua

Dec 28, 2011  | Comments:

A few days before we reign in the new year, Gavin and I find ourselves vegetating at a cafe in Kuala Lumpur consuming free wi-fi and lattes, his eyes fixated on the new iPad2 I gave him for Christmas, and mine on the laptop. I look back at an exhausting year, but ultimately one I am immeasurably grateful for. The nature of my work is to oversee one of the most important days in people’s lives, and for this I often put others’ needs ahead of my own. I’m therefore making a concerted effort over this break to recharge my batteries in preparation for what is already looking like a busy year. 2012 kicks off with a bridal expo in January, as well as a line-up of meetings and weddings before the Summer/Autumn season ends.

But you know how they say - find a job you love and you’ll never work again? When I look at this Wedding Style Profile I’m about to share with you, those words are the first to come to mind. With twenty-five photo montages laden with images individually hand-picked as my all-time favourite, this will be One Wedding Wish’s largest and most comprehensive Wedding Style Profile to date.

Put the kettle on, get the biccies and gather ‘round - we can’t wait to share all the delicious details with you!

Mansion Hotel and Spa at Werribee Park has got to be one of my most favourite venues in Melbourne, so naturally it was hard to contain my excitement when Eileen and Joshua came on board and told me the good news! We hit it off straight away, particularly when their gorgeous colour scheme was established. I’ll admit I’m a bit of a greenie at heart, and this is reflected in One Wedding Wish’s love for all things natural. Eileen and Joshua’s white and green palette was a fresh and intuitive complement to the Mansion’s lush surrounds.

Eileen and Joshua is the loveliest, and I mean, loveliest couple you could ever meet. They are the first I know to ask - “Would suppliers be hungry/tired/need a break during the day? Should we organise some platters of sandwiches, perhaps? Their day is just as long as ours...” While I did say this wasn’t necessary, their comment made me smile. This is just how they are - genuine, thoughtful and down-to-earth.

I delight in how attentive Joshua is to Eileen, and how united as a team they are in making decisions. From the outset, I sensed their shared love for the little details, quiet intricacies that invite you to come closer rather than elements that scream ‘look at me!’. Elegance without pretension - love it!

Tough decisions are made easier when there are so many beautiful options at Werribee Mansion to hold your ceremony. The Parterre Garden had a good run in October with glorious petunias full bloom in all colours. Early December however proved a little too soon for new seedlings to sprout, so we chose the oasis in front of the glasshouse as a backdrop. I love that it was open yet private, and offered a spectacular view of the Mansion’s clock tower.

I have always endeared to the idea of bringing flowers and fresh foliage a little closer to guests to evoke a sense of being surrounded by nature. Karina helped us create arrangements of white hydrangea and trailing ivy for each of our four white market umbrellas. On the aisle chairs, mason jars filled with white lisianthus and white/green hydrangea were suspended by organza ribbon for elegant simplicity and elegance. These jars would be reused on coffee tables later in the day, as you will soon see. A woven basket of personalised wedding bubbles and letterpress order of service booklets finished with twine awaited guests as they arrived for the ceremony.

Eileen walked down the aisle in dad’s arm, dressed in an absolutely stunning wedding gown from Brides of Armadale and carrying a posy-style bouquet of David Austin roses, hydrangea and succulents. I’m so thankful to Santo, Ferry and the team from Paper Cranes for capturing Joshua’s look of pure contentment as he watched his beautiful bride come down the aisle to stand by his side. Their heartfelt ceremony was witnessed by eighty of their closest family and friends.



Following the ceremony, guests retreated to the Mansion Hotel’s Library for two hours of pre-reception entertainment! Family and friends enjoyed the eclectic sounds of a live acoustic guitar trio while indulging in a generous spread styled by One Wedding Wish including mini green tea cupcakes, pistachio macarons, apple lollipops, smoked salmon and roast beef hors d’oeuvres and fresh fruity beverages from a styled drink station.




Eileen and Joshua loved the idea of having their friends and family help to complete a photo puzzle of themselves - a momento of their wedding to cherish in their new home.



Other classic boardgames were scattered around the room, a great way for guests to get to know each other and have a bit of fun at the same time!



When the puzzle was done, we framed and displayed it at the reception!



One Wedding Wish’s signature Wishing Tree makes a grand presence once again, this time in perfect harmony with our theme. The vase, filled with fluffy white and green hydrangea was surrounded with gorgeous rustic elements, including birch log candle holders, provincial instructions frame, and two delicate love birds. Personalised Wishing Tags finished with moss green twine were filled with happy wishes and words of wisdom for Eileen and Joshua as they begin their journey together as husband and wife.



We’re so excited to show you this next collection of photos!

One Wedding Wish styled the back of the Pavilion for pre-dinner drinks and canapes, and then transformed the space again for an incredible surprise the couple had in store, to be revealed only after dark. The only clue guests had of what was to come was this poster as soon as they turned the corner.:)



Mason jars from the ceremony made a comeback, placed underneath our coffee tables. We couldn’t resist the glossy green skin of Granny Smith apples for an added splashing of colour, and our obsession with flowers in coffee pots continue!



Succulents make a strong presence at Eileen and Joshua’s wedding. A whimsical twist to the traditional guest seating chart, One Wedding Wish went all out to deck out a provincial timber table with custom-made planter boxes to fit jumbo-sized echeverias, each plant pick a table number showing guest names.





These glass balls lining the ramp into the Pavilion took us some four hours to carefully construct. We’re so pleased with the effect! The log stumps, usually bare, were topped with moss, completing this look.



I cannot get over how gorgeous Eileen’s bouquet was, particularly with the dotting of succulents. Even Joshua had a little one for his boutonniere!



I don’t think there was a single person at the wedding who didn’t fall in love with our bomboniere!

We believe in ideas that are as practical as they are beautiful. The miniature wooden planter boxes were custom-made to fit cute succulents for guests to take home and nurture. We also ensured the box was made with sufficient base drainage such that the plant could thrive until it outgrew its home. We tied a care instructions tag to each box, and laid each one on a patch of premium turf to keep any residual soil away from the white linen.

Succulents flourish in any weather and with a little love, will multiply and grow in any garden - we absolutely love this sentiment. A plant pick inserted at the corner of the box doubled as placecards. Hands up if you love our bomboniere too! :)



Night fell and it was clear something was brewing outside!

By the time guests were invited out onto the lawn at 9.30pm, we had put together a classic Cinema Treats dessert table including popcorn in mini green popcorn boxes, green and white vanilla pound cake pops, mini gelati cones and vintage soda ready with striped straws.



A giant 6 x 4m screen was already erected about 20 metres away, sound and audio tested, signalling the Cinema Under the Stars experience was about to begin!

One Wedding Wish prepared an extra special His and Hers area for the newlyweds - a picnic-style setting complete with a picnic rug, white leather bean bags, a breakfast tray with the couple’s own set of treats, basket of fruit and flowers and wooden lanterns. For a bit of fun, we also added a ‘Just Married’ chalkboard sign at the back!

I had a little surprise of my own for the couple too. On the first day of the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, I queued up with hundreds of others excited about personalising their own names on Coke cans, but what did I do? I asked for Eileen and Joshua’s names! The huge smiles on their faces that evening when they saw their very own Coke cans was more than I could ask for! :)



Eileen and Joshua’s Outdoor Cinema Experience has to be one of the most challenging concepts One Wedding Wish has undertaken so far. I remember presenting this idea at our meeting with the simple intention of testing the waters - the slightest flinch or hint of uncertainty from Eileen and Joshua and I would pull this concept right out. To my surprise, this was one of the very first ideas that they loved without doubt or hesitation!

The next couple of months was ensuring we could pull this off without a hitch. While it was immensely important that everything was seamless and perfect, I had absolute faith in award-winning Sydney-based videography team Paper Cranes and their production of the Same Day Edit {showing 9.00am - 6.00pm of the wedding day}. I caught up with Santo and Mrs Paper Cranes (Dewi) for a very long lunch a few weeks before the wedding and got them up to speed with the running of the entire day. They too were awed by the idea of an Outdoor Cinema Experience and blown away by the sheer extent of the details we were showcasing. Santo made the right call to increase his team to four members just to make sure they captured everything! The SDE was absolutely breathtaking, and since it has been uploaded onto their blog, I’ve watched it over and over again. Thank you so much Santo and team for being so awesome to work with.

To view more beautiful images of the couple, go to Daniel Sheehan’s Facebook page by clicking here.





A Surprise for Joshua’s New Bride
I was so excited to plan with Joshua a very secret and special surprise for Eileen. Immediately following the SDE, Joshua picked up the guitar behind him and together with a friend serenaded Eileen to U2’s Beautiful Day. Then, two members from the band stepped onto the deck and sang Moulin’s Rouge’s Come What May acapella-style as Joshua surprised Eileen with their first dance (Eileen had believed there would not be one, but of course we knew otherwise!) right there on the lawn, under the stars.



As I sat watching them from the wooden steps, I was enveloped in an indescribable moment of surreality. It was just so beautiful to watch.



A really big thank you to Sarah D. and Olivia H. for your help. We make an awesome team! There was a lot of thinking on our feet, chasing the clock, and about a million things happening all at once, but in spite of the pressure, you guys did amazing.:)

Finally, there’s no question that without the support, dedication and utmost professionalism of the team at Mansion Hotel, we cannot do what we do. Chloe, Saurabh and their close-knit team have my highest praise - thank you for being so wonderful to work with and for making wedding day dreams come true.

Dear Eileen and Joshua, what an amazing journey it has been with you both. Your love for each other was just the beginning of everything beautiful. It touched every detail. You show me once again that weddings are not just about the theming and styling, but a celebration of a world made more perfect because two people find happiness in love. I take not for granted this very important role you entrusted to me as your wedding planner and stylist. Through it all, your warmth, humanity, and kindness inspired and filled me with creative energy. For you, I wanted to give more, to do more – nothing but the best would do. Eileen and Joshua, I wish you both endless days of happiness. May your love for each other grow ever more each day. Love, Joanie

Images by Gavin Luu for One Wedding Wish

Tags: Mansion Hotel, Werribee Park, Letterpress Stationery, Paper Straws, Chalkboard Frames, Share a Coke, Coke Cans, Dessert Table, Bomboniere, Cinema treats, Cake Pops, Vintage Soda, Birch Log Candle Holders, Perrier Mineral Water, Succulents, Brides of Armadale, White and Green, Cupcakes, Paper Straws, Green Wedding, Leather Ottomans, Outdoor Cinema, Cinema Under The Stars, Vintage Soda, Cake Pops, Coffee Pots, Eileen and Joshua, Mansion Hotel, Glass Balls, Hydrangea, White Hydrangea, Wishing Tags, Wishing Tree, Birdcage, Love Birds, Drinks Station, Macarons, Garden Ceremony, Daniel Sheehan, Paper Cranes Productions, Melbourne Wedding Planner, Melbourne Wedding Stylist, Real Weddings, Wedding Style Profiles

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