In The Stars - Russell and Suzzie

When Russell Harvey and Suzzie Johnstone met four years ago at a Brisbane Lions AFL match and after an instant connection but a "rough start" to their relationship the two have never looked back.

Suzzie's 23rd birthday was a special one, when Russell took her to the Barossa Valley in Adelaide for a week then onto Glenelg for a few days. When a proposal didn't happen in the Barossa Valley, Suzzie was resigned to it not happening at all. So when Russell took her out onto a freezing cold balcony in Glenelg, got down on one knee and nervously proposed, the surprise was understandable. Of course she said yes!

Originally, when planning their wedding, they thought they would have a bright coloured theme, full of purples, oranges and reds. But as planning evolved, their colour palette was toned down to two colours, purple and yellow. There was no particular reason for these choices other than they both thought they would be nice colours for their wedding, subtle and not too over the top.

Suzzie's flowers were a simple but elegant teardrop bouquet consisting of phalaenopsis orchids of white and purple with purple wiring and beading throughout the bouquet. Her bridesmaid had a posie of the same orchid except with yellow beading and wiring. Flowers were provided by international award winning German florist, Katja Bohme from Floral Initials.

Suzzie's dress was a couture gown with inbuilt corseting, extremely detailed hand beading and lacing and about 12 layers of silk and tulle in the skirt. After two hours of standing in the dress at the shop, she just knew she had to have it. The bridesmaids dress was done in a beautiful silver and was found in Garfunkle.

The choice of venue for the wedding and the reception was a personal one. Having practically grown up on North Stradbroke Island, and the fact that Suzzie's parents own a holiday house with a 270 degree view of Moreton Bay and Brisbane City, they decided it would be lovely to have a beach wedding ceremony with their reception at the holiday house.

Suzzie reflects on the location of the ceremony as being one of the most beautiful places on North Stradbroke Island. The ceremony was held at South Gorge Beach where they set up chairs for their immediate family and older guests as well as bali flags on either side of the bridal party.

Tables at the reception were simply decorated with purple runners hand made by Suzzie's mum, and alternate centrepieces, one made up of 3 different sized candle holders with sand in each and the other being purple hydrangeas immersed in water filled hurricane vases. The place cards were double sided, one side with the guests name and the other with a photo of the bride and groom.

The mood of the reception was set with an abundance of fairy lights and lanterns. A lot of family helped to set up the reception which led to extra loving touches that were not planned, but just happened as everyone added their own ideas in the process.

The cake was a split level affair, with the top layer, a fruit cake, made by Suzzie's mum and iced by her uncle. Underneath, vanilla Bailey's and chocolate Cointreau mud cupcakes were served as a delicious and meaningful desert for all the guests.

Photographs were superbly taken by Russell's brother Brett who owns his own photography business, Brett Parnell Photography. The stunning photos show the uniqueness of the setting and they explore the personal feeling of the day beautifully.

Suzzie believes that listening to the speeches, her wedding dance and the vow exchange were all very special parts of her wedding day. Ones that she will cherish forever.

One of the most unique and memorable things about this wedding was that as Russell does not wear any jewellery whatsoever, Suzzie surprised him by officially naming a star after them and dating it with the wedding date. This element was integrated into their vows and Russell received a crystal star on the day as a replacement to the wedding ring, to symbolise the star that holds their name in the sky. This delightful touch proves that this charmed couple is truly in the stars.

Until next time...

Lea
xxx

Location, Location, Location

Why do people choose the wedding locations they do? It used to be that we got married in our local church. But today, people seem to get married in a variety of settings.

Shorncliffe, Upper Moora Park

For instance, a good friend of mine held a beautiful ceremony just under the cliffs of Shorncliffe overlooking the whole of Bramble Bay and Moreton Island. She chose this setting because it meant something personal to her and she didn't believe in getting married in a church. The wedding was performed by a civil celebrant.

Another friend of mine had their wedding on the lawn outside the Officer's Mess, Bulimba Barracks, right on the river. Following this, they held their reception in the mess itself.

"From memory I think I was inclined initially to get married in a church because that's how I'd been brought up and thought it the 'right thing to do'. In the end we decided to get married by the Army Chaplain at the barracks BUT as it turned out, he was not allowed to marry us (an order from an Archbishop) because the ceremony wasn't taking place on consecrated ground. The Chaplain was a great fella and was pretty annoyed by all this so instead just did what he could, which was to offer a blessing after the ceremony."

There have also been some big church weddings amongst my friends and family;

All Saints Anglican Church

Abbey Museum Church, Ningi

These have all been popular for a variety of reasons including location, faith, beauty of the building and personal ties to the church.

More non traditional settings can include beaches, wineries, the zoo, museums, gardens, farms and even a hot air balloon!

Botanic Gardens, Toowong

I personally was married at the Botanic Gardens, Toowong. For me, the choice was a personal one as I simply believed that getting married in a church wasn't for either of us. That and it was a beautiful place to get married.

It can be a big decision deciding on a wedding ceremony venue, so here are my 5 top tips to help you find the perfect location:

1. Stick to your budget. It's really easy to get carried away and spend a small (or large) fortune on a venue, but don't forget that you will have other expenses that also need to be paid for. So set your wedding budget and stick to it!
2. Book well in advance. Some of the big places and even the smaller places can be booked up well in advance, so give yourself plenty of time (6-12 months) to book your venue and if you can, be flexible with your date.
3. Choose a place that is meaningful to you. This is a day that you will remember for the rest of your life, so don't be afraid to let your personality shine through!
4. Consider the weather. While you might enjoy being at the beach in winter with wild wind blowing, your guests might not. Also check for rain and storm patterns that happen at different times of the year, as this will affect what sort of shelter, if any you will want to put up.
5. Make sure the space is big enough to accommodate your guest list.

Wherever you choose make sure to enjoy and have fun!

Until next time...

Lea

xxx

It's All About Family - Kate and Isaac

After meeting at a charity committee meeting and a subsequent six year relationship, Isaac and Kate were engaged and then married on the 20th March 2010 at the picturesque Coriole Vineyards in McLaren Vale, South Australia.

The proposal was anything but predictable when Isaac gave Kate a gift on their six year anniversary. Kate could see from the way the gift was wrapped that it was a book and so felt a little disappointed. However, little did she know what Isaac had in store. The book was a Lonely Planet guide to New York with a message inside saying "Happy Anniversary...the tickets are booked!" Four weeks later they left for New York and Isaac proposed in Central Park!

When planning their wedding, Isaac and Kate opted for something simple and classic. A black and white palette was used to highlight this theme. Flowers were kept to a minimum as the gardens at Coriole provided beautiful blossoms in abundance. Kate and her bridesmaids carried Lisianthus and Singapore Orchids and had a couple of arrangements provided by The Wedding and Flower Room.

The simplistic theme was also reflected in Kate's stunning dress which she found at Jenny and Gerry's Bridal Centre in Adelaide. Kate chose the material for her bridesmaids dresses, who were then able to choose any style of dress they wanted to compliment their figures. The boys got their suits from Myer.

Family was a huge part of Kate and Isaac's day with all of their immediate families involved in some way. Kate was given away by three sets of parents; her parents, her step-parents and Isaac's parents. Isaac's brother was his best man, his sister gave a reading, Kate's sister's were her bridesmaids, her step-brother and his girlfriend sang a song and her other step-brother, Peter, made the cakes as his wedding present to the happy couple. The cakes were spectacular fruit tarts and the photos look amazing. Her youngest step-brother wasn't involved in an official role and only arrived from Tasmania on the wedding day so slipped into the role of "gentleman dance host" very easily.

Photographing the wedding was Ben McGee, a first time wedding photographer who originally came from a travel photography background. The proof is definitely in the pictures with these stunning and candid photos showcasing Ben's talent. Kate and Isaac used some creative thinking by having an original 1960's vintage photo booth. The guests took as many photos as they wanted and these provided the wedding keepsakes. Kate loved the original black and white photos from the photo booth.

Kate and Isaac's day really reflected their personalities from their non-traditional vows to not having an MC at the reception which was a deliberate choice that really worked. Things just "happened" they didn't need to be announced or fan fared although Kate says her step-father did wander around ringing a bell when it was time to sit down for dinner! They were even joined by one of the dogs that lives at the winery, Lentil! He walked down the aisle with the bridesmaids and sat at Kate's feet when she arrived at the top of the aisle. How cute!

All in all a gorgeous day that was drawn together by love and romance. Kate and Isaac reflect that their favourite part of the day was having all of the people they love in one place. The wedding ended with the pair catching the bus they had hired from McLaren Vale to Adelaide with their friends. They hopped off the bus two blocks from their newly built home and walked hand in hand together in their wedding regalia to open the door to their new lives awaiting them.

Until next time...

Lea

xxx

Being Compatible with your Partner - It's In The Stars!

Do you read your stars every Sunday? Trying to get an idea on what the week ahead holds for you romantically, financially or socially. How many of you used to do compatibility tests in high school with the person that you had a crush on?

Have you ever considered getting a compatibility report between you and your partner or perhaps an astrology report on your child to discover their possible life potential?

Let me introduce Elizabeth Ball founder of It's In the Stars.

Elizabeth's grandmother first introduced her to astrology when she was 12 years old, letting her read her 1940's-era books and within a couple of years she was checking how compatible her friends were with the boys they liked.

Elizabeth started writing fun astrology articles in the university newspaper, later writing the monthly horoscope column for The Nippon View magazine for ex-pats in Japan for three years. She worked in publishing and marketing but continued to do study and write about astrology, never considering it was possible to turn her passion into a business.

When a good friend became engaged, Elizabeth created a compatibility report as a wedding gift. The bride and groom were thrilled, showing it to their friends and family. One couple asked her to create one for their anniversary, and a report for each of their two children. She then realised that beautiful astrology reports would make unique gifts for most gift-giving occasions.

In September 2005, Elizabeth created her LoveStars and BabyStars reports, launching her website in December 2006 at Its in the Stars, and her fun gift news blog, Gifts by the Stars in March 2009.

Customers order LoveStars and BabyStars reports as personalised gifts for anniversaries, babies birthdays, Christmas, christenings, engagements, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and weddings. Today they are bought through more than 25 gift websites in Australia and New Zealand.

Elizabeth loves helping couples to understand each other with their LoveStars report and helping parents to discover the potential and personality of their children.

"Parents are amazed how accurately their BabyStars reports describe their children from a very young age, and love finding out what their children might be like. And the couples are thrilled to get such a fun and fascinating perspective on their relationship, which helps them understand each other better" said Elizabeth.

For more information visit www.itsinthestarsonline.com.

Enter our competition! Willow Tree Creative Services are excited to be giving away one of Elizabeth's BabyStars reports along with an Invitation Design Package for the winner to use on an upcoming party or event provided by Willow Tree Creative Services! Invitations will be customised and tailored to your specific event. Prize includes design and assembly of up to 50 invitations.

All you have to do is enter our Beautiful Birthdays photo competition. Head over and become a fan of the Willow Tree Creative Services face book page for more information. Good Luck!

Until next time...

Lea

xxx

Vows in the Vineyard - Taryn and Jeff

An elegant and modern wedding day set at Oceanview Estates Winery on a gorgeous day in April 2010.

Taryn and Jeff first met at a volleyball competition and then later saw each other again at their local video store where Taryn was working. Taryn said "Jeff was very clever not to propose when I was really expecting it, so he did the very cliché proposal and popped the question on Valentine's Day night over a beautiful seafood feast at home, by candlelight. He totally took me by surprise because I never would have predicted he would do it on Valentine's Day as it was too obvious!"

The gorgeous couple employed the services of Lea from Willow Tree Creative Services as their wedding planner who helped them come up with the timeless and classic black and cream colour scheme. From the two tier black and cream cake from The Icing Place to the gorgeous cream and tulips and black berries in the bride and bridesmaids bouquets supplied by Bouquets with Bling.

When asked why they chose the winery for their ceremony and reception Taryn says "both Jeff and I are wine lovers and a friend of ours owns Oceanview Estates Winery. The natural bush setting and vineyards provided such a romantic setting, and we could have our band BenJam playing and not worry about upsetting neighbours or nearby restaurants. It was perfect and still only half an hour to Brisbane."

Taryn purchased her dress from Exquisite Bridal Wear and Accessories at North Lakes and her bridesmaids dress from Diana Ferrari.

Taryn reminisces that her favourite part of her wedding was "the reception of course! Great wine, great food, great company, great music, lots of dancing and of course her wonderful husband by her side! What more could a girl ask for?" She also has fond memories of the great friends who got up and sang special songs for her and Jeff. Taryn and Jeff's wedding song was Norah Jones "Come Away With Me", one of the couple's favourite songs.

No wedding is complete without a funny memory being made and Taryn and Jeff's groomsman certainly helped the situation by dropping the wedding rings! Because they were married on a rotunda the ring actually fell through the timber decking into the lake! Everything turned out for the best though with the ring being salvaged.

As a keep sake for themselves Taryn and Jeff asked all the guests to sign a large canvas photo of the two of them. They wanted something they could look back on and treasure the memories. They didn't want something that would end up in the cupboard never to be seen again. Their canvas now sits in their lounge room on an easel that Taryn's grandfather made and they love looking at all the beautiful messages people have written.

Thank you Taryn and Jeff for sharing your day. Photos were skilfully taken by Base Photographics. May your married life be all you dream it to be and more.

Until next time...

Lea

xxx

The Rise and Rise of the Wedding Dance Spectacular!

We all know that weddings are steeped in tradition and these traditions have been around since the beginning of time. Whether tying tin cans to the back of the 'getaway car' to ward off evil spirits or the bride wearing something old to assure a happy and fruitful marriage, many age-old traditions have budded from such superstitions.

The tradition of the wedding dance or bridal waltz has always signified the start of the feast or the wedding reception and the start of the happy couples life long union together. Most cultures have some form of dance in their wedding traditions but have you noticed the ever growing trend of making an entire performance out of your wedding dance?

From performing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance at the wedding reception or recreating the last dance from the movie "Dirty Dancing" where nobody puts Baby in the corner, there are so many fabulous performances that go on around the world at weddings every weekend and most of them end up online to entertain us.

Here are just a few to entertain you or perhaps even inspire you for your big day.

Enjoy.

Lea
xxx

5 Ways to go Green on Your Wedding Day

Spring is here, and that means a popular time for weddings which got me thinking, what's really popular with weddings? These days there is a growing trend of going 'Green' for your wedding. So I went looking for ways to make a wedding more eco-friendly- so here are…

5 Ways to go Green on Your Wedding Day

1. Invitations

The invitation is your first impression to all of your guests, so if you’re going for a green wedding, why not ask them in an eco-friendly way. There are plenty of alternative paper options, from recycled content to hemp card, or forgo the physical cards completely and use e-invitiations. Think about all of the places you may use paper on your wedding day.

• engagement announcements
• save the date cards
• hens night or kitchen tea invitations
• wedding invitations
• ceremony programs
• place cards
• wedding announcements
• thank you notes

2. Clothes

This one will take a little more work, planning and money, but dressing the wedding party in eco-friendly clothing is a great way to make a statement that sticks. You may even opt to hire all of your wedding parties clothes including the brides dress therefore lowering the environmental impact of your clothing.

3. Catering

This may be one of the most visible ways to make your wedding green- everyone talks about the food at a wedding. Making simple choices like using biodegradable utensils, cups and plates if you’re holding your reception outside, and carefully choosing organic and local food for the cuisine can go a long way when you’re feeding a hundred or more people. Mondo Organics at West End are leading the way in organic catering.

4. Bombonniere

Bombonniere represent what your guests take home to remember the event by, so they are also a great way to plant a green message in memory of your day. Two popular ideas are to give out seedling trees as wedding favors, or even add seeds themselves to the name/place cards. Perhaps you can support your favourite charity on behalf of your guests. Check out Oxfam Unwrapped where you can give something truly unique to your friends and family and most importantly, something to those less fortunate around the world.

5. Honeymoons

Once the wedding is over it’s time for the honeymoon. Whether in Australia or internationally, there is an ever-expanding eco-tourism industry that will get you somewhere away from the crowd and friendly to the Earth so you can celebrate the green way. Ecologic Travel has a great list of destinations to get your green wheels turning.

If you’ve been to a green wedding or will be going this Spring, please add your ideas or experiences in the comments.

Until next time...

Lea

xxx