So, you want to know the story? Well, the chance-meeting took place almost a year ago in Carla Zampatti’s Double Bay store to be exact – Arianne shopping for work clothes with a patient Hamish and me assisting a bride-to-be find a wedding gown.

In a round about way I got to talking with Arianne and Hamish and uncovered that they were both newly engaged. One thing led to another and we parted our separate ways…I had hoped that they would be in touch.

After a year passed; A fabulous job opportunity for Hamish meant that the duo had to re-locate to Melbourne. Planning a wedding is one thing but from interstate whilst simultaneously juggling a very busy work schedule meant that Arianne and Hamish needed someone to help with the finishing touches of their wedding day.

So, it was with absolute pleasure to be able to step in on their special day and see the two celebrate with family and friends at the very private and affluent Pymble Golf Club.

Without further adieu and thanks to the very talented Nerida McMurray Photography, let the show begin…

Photography / Nerida McMurray
Venue / Pymble Golf Club
Month / October 2013
Dress / Vera Wang
Scent / Chanel Mademoiselle
Flowers / Madame FH
Band / Baker Boys
Hair / Alana Kristian Hair 9371 8334
Makeup / Molly Oakfield
Planning / White Rabbit Projects
Cake / Simmone Logue
Stationary / Robyn Harrison 9997 3334

What happens when your colour palette for your wedding day is selected and then you are faced with that time-consuming exercise of uncovering the perfect dress for your bridesmaids?

Bare in mind the dresses need to tick all the boxes – shape, cut, length, style and fit! You get the idea right? On any given day this would be a supremely difficult task, however with White Runway only a click away – endless possibilities await your arrival.

Thanks to the angels over at White Runway – the bridesmaid angels are now offering custom colour designs in over 250+ dress styles. We all know how painful it can be to source the perfect dress, there’s always ‘something’ not quite ‘right’. Rather than compromising, why not customise your bridesmaids dress and have them completely tailored to your style and taste? Head to http://whiterunway.com.au/create-your-own-look and get to work designing and shopping pronto…

It’s easy as clicking on ‘Style’ ‘Colour’ ‘Length’ ‘Belt’…

www.whiterunway.com.au

The happy duo Married in July, 2013. As a Wedding Engineer this is not traditionally a popular time of year to say ‘i-do’, but the picture perfect day led me to conclude that July could very well be the new November.

Something to add here in this space is this wedding was a first on many accounts. Firstly, it was my first time being a bridesmaid, Chief Bridesmaid at that. The second was being the Wedding Engineer/Stylist and the third was leaving the wedding up to my exceptional team to whom I might add handled the day with aplomb.

Whilst most said I was crazy – I was also quietly confident that my team would not let me down.

To the Team at WRP – A big Thank You for allowing me to enjoy the day and live up to my duties as a reliable and attentive Maid of Honour on the day. I couldn’t have done it without you!

So, without further adieu – sit back, grab a machiato and enjoy the show.

Bree (Chief Rabbit) x

Did you know that no two zebras have the same stripes? In an effort to dispell all myths surrounding the role of a wedding planner and a stylist we’ve endeavoured to present our case in the simplest way possible – because let’s face it. We all know how exponentially confusing not to mention overwhelming it can be to plan a wedding.

It’s all about you on the day

The most important role of a wedding planner should be geared towards pleasing you on the day. We often refer to it as being your eyes and ears on the ground. Whilst you think you might be able to plan a wedding on your own, you can most certainly not produce your wedding on the day. It’s physically impossible. For instance, your wedding planner will chase your hair and makeup artist or DJ if they are not on time, they will ensure that place cards are set-up on the tables before guests arrive and make any last minute changes if there are drop-outs on the day. If it rains, it is the wedding planners role to kick in plan b. and notify all suppliers of next steps and greet you with an umbrella at the reception. The wedding planner will also chase down the bridal party when it is time to cease photos and be announced into the reception venue so as to not compromise the quality of food being served. Other duties are to ensure that the venue hold up their end of the bargain and that the bathrooms are being kept clean and that guests drinks are being topped up. Being on the ball and ahead of everyone else and having the experience to spy problems before they arise is what makes your wedding planner invaluable.

The Planner versus the Stylist

Often the misconception is that a stylist is a wedding planner. We will be the first to communicate that the cost of a wedding is not something to be sneezed at. Budget often restricts you from having the help you really need. Hiring one supplier over the other and expecting them to do the job that is not in their domain can be dicey territory. When shopping around for a Wedding Planner or a Stylist, a lot of companies will provide both and do it with sheer aplomb. Be sure to do your research and see what their strengths are. Is it in the planning or styling? A planner in most cases will be upfront with their creative capabilities and this is by far the best approach to take. You need someone that sees your vision and can see it come to fruition both logistically and aesthetically speaking.

A birds eye view

This is the second most important role of your wedding planner. Depending on the size and nature of your wedding and the complexity surrounding the set-up etc… there can be as many as 20+ suppliers involved in your wedding day. Your wedding planner is instrumental in marrying you up with the very best suppliers that are suited to your personality and style. From photographers, venue location, celebrant, hire equipment, menus, running order for the day, transportation, invitations, accommodation, wedding registry, seating plan…the list is endless.

Having an all encompassing understanding of every last detail surrounding your wedding day is what keeps the process smooth and complimentary. Enter your wedding planner.

Case study #1. Emma and James are getting married on a farm with no power or running water. Everything needs to bought in on site. We are talking generators, toilets, catering marquee, marquee, kitchen equipment, flowers, rigging points, chairs, tables, cutlery, dance floor, power, av + sound, lighting and more. Through multiple site inspections and production meetings to uncover the logistical side of your wedding, the wedding planner produces the master running sheet and floor plan (cad drawings if necessary). He/She is the number one person who understands that the placement of each supplier and their arrival and bump-out times are crucial to the success of the day. Unless a clear assessment by the wedding planner is established very early on in the peace then suppliers will find it very difficult to get the right information they require to implement their role in the day. Who do they call if not your wedding planner? YOU. This is when you start to feel overwhelmed and completely absorbed by the day. Don’t quit your full-time gig, enlist a wedding planner and in the words of one of my clients – “Help to shield you from all those nitty gritty details”.

To cut a long story short – who wants to look back and recall the sheer stress surrounding your wedding day. Not you that’s who. Although wedding planners are still very new to Australia, its hard to get your head around what we do. Hopefully this article has aided in getting you familiar with our role and responsibilities.

When in doubt – contact us today for a free appraisal to ascertain what path you should go down and how to best maximise your money and time!

WRPx