Real Bride Remi wearing Monique Lhuillier Bliss
“I cannot speak highly enough of my experience at Helen Rodrigues Bridal . Helen was my first and only bridal appointment. I knew I would find my perfect gown from her flawless selection of designers. I absolutely adore my Monique Lhuillier gown - and it was tailored to perfection with help from the talented team at Helen Rodrigues Bridal.”
Bride & Groom: Remi Quinlivan & Sonny Lindsay
Planning & Styling: BNT Management, Benita Kam
Gown: Monique Lhuillier from Helen Rodrigues Bridal
Venue: The Intercontinental Hotel, Double Bay
Photography: Bayleigh Vedelago
Videography: Soda Films
Floral: Ria Floral
Makeup & Hair: Mia Hawkswell
Illustrator & Wedding Stationary: Illustrator Kathryn Green
How did you and your husband meet?
We met by chance in June 2015. I was visiting my best friend Shannon in Brisbane (who was then my maid of honour!) and Sonny was home visiting his parents, we both went to the Stradbroke Handicap Race Day and quite literally bumped into each other in the crowd.
Sonny had already lived in Sydney for many years and I had just moved back from London - as fate would have it, I was moving to Sydney the next week! The next week in Sydney we had our first date at North Bondi Fish.
How did he propose?
One morning at our home in Sydney I woke up to Sonny carrying a breakfast tray with a coffee, croissant and a ring box
What was your vision for your wedding day?
My vision was classic, traditional & elegant - our colour palate was black, white & a little green was incorporated from our invitation all the way through to our table setting & thank you cards.
We got married in a Church which was a very traditional ceremony to honour my Irish Catholic grandparents. We then drove my new sister in law, Jasmine’s vintage Mercedes back to the hotel which gave us some time alone to chat about the day and take a minute to relish the moment!
Upon arrival we joined all our guests for drinks & canapes with live jazz music in the Stillery Bar at the Intercontinental Hotel Double Bay - this was such a highlight of the day, having time to talk with all our guests, relax and have a glass of champagne!
We then moved into the Grand Ballroom where we had a live band & the whole room centred around the dance floor & bar/lounge areas. We wanted everyone to feel really close, it was really important to me to have round tables for ease of conversations.
Where did you look for wedding inspiration?
I looked at a lot of Mindy Weiss’ ballroom weddings as I wanted to achieve a warm romantic environment inside the ballroom which is normally a little difficult to achieve. Candles & golden room lighting was very important to me as well as LOTS of white flowers!
What drew you to your gown from Helen Rodrigues Bridal?
Helen was the first & only store I visited to find my gown. My friend Montarna Pitt (whom I was her bridesmaid & she was mine) had just worn the most divine Inbal Dror gown for her own wedding and I knew I would find my own gown there too.
I went with my Mother a year before the wedding and tried on only 3 dresses - I just knew I didn’t have to try on anymore or go anywhere else after trying on my Monique Lhuillier gown - I just knew it was the one.
What was your wedding planning journey like for you? How far out did you start planning?
My planning journey was surprisingly smooth! I had a very clear vision of what I wanted, and I know what I like/ don’t like.
I had worked with Benita Kam from BNT management for past events & we had always just clicked. I love her personal style & trust her impeccable taste to make any decisions that needed to be made last minute/ on the day or week of the wedding.
I chose my dress a little under a year out, so that really dictated the whole wedding. I locked in all my suppliers in the following months - then 4 months out from the wedding confirmed all the finer details.
The week of the wedding I met Benita a few times and we made some small changes that tweaked the event to make it perfect - like changing the bridal table linen to black & changing the layout of the ballroom.
What was the biggest decision you had to make?
The venue for sure! We knew we wanted to get married in Sydney which narrowed it down a little but it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with so many options. We were really happy with our venue choice in the end and it made it so much more fun having most of our guests staying in the hotel that night!
What was the highlight of the day for you?
All the speeches, my father/ daughter dance & the first dance with my husband.
Is there anything you would do differently?
Absolutely nothing. Even though not everything went perfectly to plan - I wouldn’t change a thing.
Is there any advice you would give other #HRBride’s?
Trust your choices, decisions & don’t overthink anything too much. Just take the pressure off yourself and choose what you love and adore right now.
