It's all coming together, with 34 days and 3 hours to go (thanks to a countdown one of my brothers thought of).
Recently we went to Perth for a week, during this time we found a very nice suit and ring for Ricky, as with getting the alterations done to the dress then picking it up. The suit was bought from Brittons Formalwear with the help from the great staff there, if you are looking for a really good suit and don't mind spending some money I recommend them. We bought a suit (jacket and pants), shirt, cuff-links and tie for $450, that was including the pants being taken up as a service by the store and personal help when fitting and trying the items on.
After walking into many jewellery stores, Ricky found some rings he liked in Koro Fine Australian Jewellery. The ring Ricky is getting made is made out of titanium and white gold, and fits smack in the budget, being $400. I must commend the staff at Koro, compared to the other jewellery shops in Perth, they were the only ones who seemed to understand that Ricky may not choose the design he asked to see or try on. Many others seemed to give off a different attitude as soon as you said that you were unsure on the design still.
The alterations to the dress came to a total of $165, with the bustle for two layers being made and matched so we can hook it up, and taking in the side seams to fit after being laced up. Dion for Brides were a great help from start to finish with the dress shopping process, for anyone who plans to shop there later Shirley was the one that helped me choose which dress and she is great to work with. The lady who did the alterations, Felicia, was also very nice and was a great help in understanding the dress.
While in Perth we also went to IKEA for the first time, we would of gotten more if we hadn't already filled the car with a suit and dress, though we managed to get the napkins and tealight candles for the night.
Most of the invitations have been sent out, and with help from Mum the caterer is booked. The bouquets which were mentioned in the last post have long since arrived and look absolutely gorgeous thanks to Margaret at Special Occasions.
Recently I had the make-up and hair trial at Hot Locs Hair Body & Soul. The make-up will be slightly different, as with the hair, though here are some pictures that we took (with the image from the back brightened to see the curls in the lighting):
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| Make-Up and Hair by Hot Locs Hair Body & Soul |
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| Make-Up and Hair by Hot Locs Hair Body & Soul |
Last Thursday and Friday we visited a selection of bridal shops. During the fittings my sister (bridesmaid) and Ricky (fiancé) were the voices of opinion, with the ever helpful sale ladies.
We went to Brides Selection first, after taking at least one wrong turn to get there. Here I found out that dresses can be really heavy, and hot for that matter! After trying on many of the beautiful selection of gowns they have, I walked out of the appointment with two possible dresses that I liked from the salon.
Not yet convinced on either of them we proceeded to have a look at their bridesmaid selection before getting some lunch. My sister tried on a couple of dresses and found Courtney by Mr K, which looks absolutely gorgeous on her. After debating the colour choice, being either Regal (sister's choice) or Purple (my choice), we chose purple. Just hoping it looks as beautiful on her as the Cosmos did.
After some lunch we headed over to Dion for Brides and had a look through their selection. Dion for Brides was a lot more formal in their store layout, as with their attitude towards the dresses, though the staff were helpful and understanding.
We had a look through their style book and discussed with the staff what type of dresses I was interested in, even though the style book dresses were out of our budget. After trying on another selection of dresses, during which finding some really beautiful gowns. One of the last dresses I tried on I absolutely loved, with everyone complimenting me and the dress!
Not wanting to buy anything without having time to think on it, and having one more bridal salon to visit the next day, we took down the name of the dress and headed back to our accommodation. That night all I could think and talk about was the dress at Dion for Brides.
On Friday we visited Bridal by Aubrey Rose, who had some beautiful dresses, though none that I felt topped the one from the afternoon beforehand. I tried on approximately five dresses, and spent roughly fifteen minutes at the salon. Feeling bad for spending the sale consultants time, we bid farewell and revisited Dion for Brides.
Upon revisiting I tried on the dress again to ensure it is what I remembered it to be. As soon as I looked in the mirror I knew it was what I definitely wanted and the bridal party agreed. Before leaving I also chose a veil and even a tiara! With my sister's help of course.
I never understood the whole "feel like a princess" in a beautiful dress, until I tried on that dress. Now I can't wait to spend most of a day in it!
After much time between getting planning stages and indecision, it is finally starting to come together.
On the 24th of August we booked the Casa Blanca Function Centre as our reception venue. We chose the intermediate wedding package offered, and due to the amount of people we are inviting the venue operators are throwing some extras from the higher end package into the setup.
In the last 6 months we have looked into many photographers, some that didn't fit in our price bracket, and some that didn't offer what we were looking for.
Recently, through some asking around, we found Kirsty-Anne Purcell Photography who is just starting out in the wedding scene. We have booked our engagement shoot with Kirsty-Anne, as with our wedding, and very much look forward to working with her to create captured memories of this important event in our lives.
To top it all off we will be visiting some bridal studios in the next couple of weeks, here we will have a look at bridal attire for myself (the bride), the bridesmaid, and different suit styles for the men.
Also, keep your eyes peeled on your email inbox and social network inbox in the next week, you may just find a little something for you within.
Since the post in February, we have viewed two venues and looked at the possibility of getting married overseas. The overseas option we aren't too fond of, due to already having such a small amount of people on our guest list and not wanting to miss out the opportunity of having those people attend. Due to this we narrowed down the selections in town and booked some viewings, see the breakdown of the two venues below.
Geraldton Surf Life Saving Club Function Centre
Contact Ph: 08 9921 3403
The hire of the Surf Club includes full use of upstairs function room, upstairs kitchen, upstairs toilet facilities, outdoor balcony area, downstairs toilet facilities, lift and inventory items of the function centre. It is located off of Willcock Drive in Mahomets, Geraldton, has the beach just past the balcony and has a fantastic view in the evening.
The atmosphere of the venue is nice, and the kitchen facilities are great. All set up and set down are all up to the person hiring the venue, and all tablecloths, chair covers, and any other decoration assortments are not provided by the function centre. The cost for the function centre is reasonable, though the added cost of the hire and help for setting up makes up for the difference.
Casa Blanca Function Centre
Contact Ph: 08 9964 2472
The minimum wedding hire of the Casa Blanca Function Centre includes hall hire, wishing well, tablecloths, half chair covers & bows, ceiling decorations (not incl. fairy lights), use of kitchen - heating facilities, hall & table set-up, and basic inventory. It is located on Eighth Street in Wonthella, Geraldton, has a beautiful entrance and a bar facility available.
The atmosphere of the function centre is cozy, and the couple who runs the centre are pleasant and easy to get along with. Depending on which wedding package you choose, you can also have access to a D.J. and full pack down of the venue would be done by the venue operators. The cost for the function centre is reasonable, considering they do the hard work required on the day.
Conclusion
Ricky and I are both fond on the Casa Blanca Function Centre at this point in time, we will give it some thought, though I think it may be our choice of venue.
Now just to decide what we are going to do with our ceremony, and send out save the dates...
The Australian Bridal Industry Academy (ABIA) was founded in 1997 to protect the bridal customer and promote the bridal supplier. They aim to make the selection process of wedding suppliers a little simpler and safer by compiling bridal feedback about suppliers, to help the to-be-weds choices a little easier.
ABIA uses a mathematical calculation, from the feedback the brides and grooms have given, to determine the Winner & Finalists of each wedding category in each state (The Annual State Bridal Industry Awards) and nationally (The Designer of Dreams Awards).
The 2nd WA Annual Bridal Industry Awards, 2012 winners were published online earlier today, many big suppliers of Western Australia were mentioned. Though one I really want to mention is Flowers in Love, which is local business here in Geraldton. Flowers in Love offers a range of services including fresh or silk flower design; unique event hire items; and handmade bridal Swarovski crystal and pearl jewellery.
This year's WA Annual Bridal Industry Awards have recognised Chantelle's fabulous work and have awarded Flowers In Love with the Wedding Hire award, with Finalist positions in Decorator, Flower Design and Jewellery Fashion. Congratulations Flowers In Love!
There are plenty of other really great suppliers that have also been given awards in this years WA ABIA awards, check out the list and make sure to put in the word on your suppliers after your wedding!
After writing the previous post Photography Considerations, I continued reading up on wedding photography and found some interesting blog articles. All upcoming couples getting married should take a look through these to get a better understanding of the industry they are hiring, photography requires passion, creativity and patience.
Wedding Photographers Deserve Our Respect.
A good read for brides to get a better idea of wedding photography. It make's you realise that even though you have a list, list the non-common or special "must-have" moments and try to keep the list short. The photographers are professionals and have done this many times before. Give the photographer freedom to shoot what they see as unique moments, as photography is an expression of art after all.
Zack gives a great example of the work required doing weddings in his blog entry; "I figure the only harder job in photography is war photography because you have to do your job with bullets whizzing past your head".
As Darren Rowse states in his blog entry 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers; "Weddings are about celebrating – they should be fun." Organising and setting up posed shots all day doesn't encompass the atmosphere of the event, nor does a moment that did not go exactly as planned mean it's ruined.
Take the day as it goes and trust the professional. If the budget allows hire a photography team of two to capture the event, this will lead to a bigger range of shots to tell the story of the day.
My personal favourite are photojournalism style shoots (in colour) with a minimal amount of planned shots. If you have any tips or links to add to this, we'd love to read them in the comments below.
Every wedding has a "must-have" photograph list, whether it's as simple as the 54 Must-Have Wedding Photos For Photographers list, family tradition shots or ones that hold that "extra" meaning to you as a couple.
During the wedding process make sure you and your fiancé look through photographer profiles and sites like Pinterest together to gather shots that will hold special meaning to both of you in many years to come.
In this time it would also be a good idea to discuss the idea of a "first look". It is a new tradition where the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony.
It may be too untraditional for some couples, though the "first look" has many benefits, if only to photograph the special moment between you and your fiancé when you see each other for the first time that day.
Seeing each other before the ceremony leads to a smoother schedule for the day, this opportunity can be used to take some bride and groom shots while the make-up is fresh and the atmosphere is calmer than between the ceremony and reception.
Now you have the photograph types you need for the day set out, time to look for a photographer. When looking for photographers search for those within your region, useful if you want to get them to shoot the engagement shoot as well, and then start narrowing down the list by what style you like.
Once you have a list of photographers, discuss as a couple what you would like to be able to do with the photos once they are taken. This step is essential for the photographer to know so they can work out whether you as a client need to keep copyright on the photographs, or if it is signed over to the photographer, what licencing rights are going to be needed to be organised. More information on copyright can be found on the Australian Copyright Council website.
When meeting your photographer, take a mental note whether you will feel comfortable with them and discuss it as a couple after the initial meeting. The job of the photographer (and videographer) requires them to fit in and to inspire natural shots by both the couple and guests feeling comfortable with their presence. If you as a couple don't feel comfortable with them, be polite when confronting the situation and be mindful of what is the best approach for both you and them.
The important part of working out how to record your wedding day is to have fun, imagine yourself and your fiancé in similar shoots to what you choose, and be mindful of not putting too many expectations on the person who captures your day.
Further Reading:
Wedding Wednesday: Photos Before the Ceremony?
On the weekend just past, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of May, the Midwest Royal Flying Doctors (RFD) Bridal Expo was held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Geraldton. I was only available to go on the Saturday, having missed the fashion show due to the rain and lack of cash in the wallet for entry, one of my bridesmaids and I looked around at what stalls were there.
There were many stalls, and many vendors showing their work off in such a way that I don't think I will forget them easily. There were some stalls we didn't get to see due to lack of time and that we didn't realise they were positioned outside of the hall until closing time.
A list of vendors for the Geraldton and Midwest area that were advertised at the Midwest RFD Bridal Expo include the following, I have also added in vendors I have found during the last few months:
DJ
Sound Trax Mobile Music FB
Midwest Entertainments FB
Small Catering (e.g. Hen's Night, Buck's Night, Rehearsal Dinner)
The Provincial FB
If you have any vendors that operate and cater to the Midwest region, please post them in the comments for future brides and planners. I have many more vendors but they are based online and mostly design/make dresses. For a more in depth list of venues contact your celebrant, they have lists of ideas available.
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