Tell us a little about yourselves!
We are both nurses and have been together for four years. Nurses love to date their colleagues so it’s quite funny that we actually met on Tinder (sometimes it works people!). For Robbie, it was love at first sight. Ella not so much, haha. But Robbie won me over and we have been best friends ever since.
We both love to travel and enjoy good food and wine. We are heading off to Tasmania for our honeymoon and can’t wait to enjoy the best that Tassie has to offer!
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We love the city that we live in (Sydney, Australia). We have both lived here our whole lives. Sydney Harbour is simply beautiful and made for the perfect backdrop for our celebration. It’s also close for everyone who attended.
How many guests did you have?
Only 10 guests, our immediate family.
What was your budget?
25k.
To keep within budget we did all the planning ourselves. Ella did her own makeup and we were so lucky to have friends assist us with setting up! We are so grateful for all of the help we received.
Tell us about your outfits.
Ella always knew she wanted a short dress, given it was a small celebration a long dress didn’t feel right. I always wanted something non-traditional and chic. I found my dress in the second shop I visited (Rachel Gilbert). As soon as I tried it on, everyone knew that was the dress. I absolutely love Rachel Gilbert and their designs, so it worked out perfectly. I had a custom veil by La Couturier to bring the bridal element and paired it with a classic pointed heel from Tony Bianco. I had a clear vision of what I wanted and it turned out exactly as I had hoped.
Robbie’s suit was fitted and hired from Ferrari Formal Wear and is a classic tuxedo. I had no idea what Ella was wearing but in my opinion you can’t go wrong with a classic Tuxedo. I think it juxtaposed Ella’s non-traditional dress perfectly.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We always knew we wanted a small and intimate wedding. We wanted it tailored to our personalities and wanted it to feel romantic and personal. The decision to have immediate family only was difficult at first but made the day so much more special. We have no regrets whatsoever. Our photos are so nice with just the two of us.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
We wanted it to be very family orientated, all 12 of us stayed in a beautiful Airbnb in Dawes Point just under the Harbour Bridge for 4 nights and it was really special.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Do what you want to do! No need to conform to the status quo or what your family/friends want/suggest you do – make it uniquely you and you’ll have so much more fun! We didn’t take any advice from anyone and we really loved our day so much.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Damien Milan – where do we start. We were very nervous about photographs and the photographer – we are both naturally awkward people. Damien is so genuinely pleasant and accommodating, not to mention a true expert in his field. He made us feel so at ease whilst we were doing something that was uncomfortable for us. Our photos are just perfect, everyone we have shown are blown away + jealous if they are already married – we can’t wait to make some huge prints and frame them in our home. We are over the moon with our photographer selection.
Petal Pushers – Emily Watters. The flowers were one of the highlights of the day and were exactly what we had envisioned. Emily was also so lovely and helpful to deal with in all of our communications. Her creativity and vision are second to none.
Happily Ever Arthur – Scarlett Arthur. Scarlett was absolutely lovely. It was really important to us to have a celebrant who reflected our personalities and Scarlett was exactly that. She was a pleasure to work with and really listened to what we wanted for our ceremony. Scarlett made us feel so comfortable and was able to bring a relaxed feeling to the day when we were feeling quite nervous!
Photographer: Damien Milan @damienmilan_photographer | Flora: Petal Pushers
@petalpusherssydney | Ceremony Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Rose Garden | Reception Location:
Bennelong Restaurant @bennelong_sydney | Celebrant: Happily Ever Arthur @happily.ever.arthur | Makeup: Ella did her own | Hair: Chad Wijayatilake @chad_wij | Cake: Javi Bakes @javi.bakes | Entertainment: Bower @wearebower | Dress: Rachel Gilbert Viola Mini @rachelgilbertau | Tuxedo Hire:
Ferrari Formal Wear @ferrari_formalwear_and_bridal | Veil: Custom La Couturier | Engagement & Wedding Rings: Monty Adams Jewellers @montyadamsjewellery | Shoes: Tony Bianco @tonybianco | Earrings: Kirstin Ash @kirstinash