Real Bride Alannah wearing Inbal Dror
“My experience with Helen was excellent from start to finish! Having heard horror stories from other brides who had purchased their dresses elsewhere, I was worried that my dress, which was coming from Israel, might not arrive on time due to COVID delays. Helen and her team were responsive to my emails and calls and assured me that I had nothing to worry about and my dress would arrive on time. Fair to say, they were true to their word and my dress arrived in advance of my wedding day! Helen is down to earth, personable, had strong attention to detail and made me feel confident in all decisions I made. I could not recommend Helen and her team highly enough!”
Bride & Groom: Alannah & Morgan
Gown: Inbal Dror from Helen Rodrigues Bridal
Photography: Bayleigh Vedelago
Venue: Jaspers, Berry
Floral: Venue Flowers - Jaspers, Bouquets & Boutonnieres - Flower on the Mill
Accessories: HR Accessories veil, ceremony - Sophia Webster shoes, Pierre Winter Fine Jewels earrings, reception - Gucci shoes, Jennifer Behr earrings, Blue Sapphire ring Poeta by Gordon Herford
Bridesmaid dresses: Camilla & Marc
Makeup: Samantha Lee
Videography: Capture Creative
Celebrant: Caterina Kouznetsoff
Planning & styling: Jaspers & Alannah
How did you and your husband meet?
Morgan and I met at the Law Firm we both worked at as lawyers. We would regularly chat at Friday night drinks and eventually he invited me out for dinner. I always had a secret crush and was very excited for our first date.
How did he propose?
Morgan proposed in Venice, Italy in July 2019 on our second night into a four week Europe trip. He had made a dinner reservation at Hotel Danieli. We were a little jet lagged that afternoon and had an afternoon nap - I was responsible for setting our alarm to get ready for drinks and dinner and accidently set it for 5am the following day instead of 5pm. We both woke up at about 7pm and I remember suggesting that we cancel dinner and just get a casual bite to eat nearby our Hotel. Morgan insisted that he was really looking forward to a nice dinner on the terrace at Hotel Danieli and he called the restaurant to push back the time of our booking. He proposed on our way across to dinner on a private water taxi that he had arranged while we were drinking bellinis that he had also organised for the ride.
What was your vision for your wedding day?
We envisaged a classic and romantic wedding and one that reflected who Morgan and I are. We wanted a black-tie dress code, white florals with greenery and had a piano man play over dinner. A good wine list and quality food was important to us but most important was having the time of our lives celebrating with our families who mean the world to us and our nearest and dearest friends.
Where did you look for your wedding inspiration?
I mainly scrolled through Instagram and Pinterest for wedding inspiration. I could spend hours doing this!
What drew you to your gown from Helen Rodrigues Bridal?
I always imagined wearing a dress with detailed long lace sleeves and Helen had the perfect dress - as soon as I laid eyes on it, I knew it was the one! Helen is known for being one of the best in the business and I instantly knew that I could trust her.
What was your wedding planning journey like for you? How far out did you start planning?
It was a little bit bumpy at times! We booked our wedding at Jaspers for 20 November 2020 toward the end of 2019 before the pandemic struck. The uncertainty with restrictions made it difficult to plan and resulted in a number of changes to our original plans. When the dancing restrictions eased slightly we decided to get married at our original venue on our original date which was the biggest, yet best decision we made. We had the best day of our lives with our families and our closest friends. Some of my fondest memories of the planning process are dress shopping, my dress fittings, our first dance lessons, and choosing our wedding stationery.
What was the highlight of your wedding day for you?
The moment we were announced as husband and wife! We poured a champagne tower immediately after our ceremony whilst the song we walked down the aisle to (Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder) was playing and then took a moment to ourselves inside the air conditioning and took it all in.
Is there anything you would do differently?
It was 36 degrees in Berry on our wedding day. If we could have reduced the temperature by 10 degrees that would have been nice, but at the end of the day, we preferred it to be too hot than to rain.
Is there any advice you would give other #HRBride’s?
Having been involved in a number of weddings over the past year, my advice is to make your deadline to have everything completed by a week or two before your wedding day so that you can really relax and enjoy the few days beforehand. Also, be prepared for something to go wrong (we were running significantly behind time leaving the house and then the bridesmaids’ car broke down) but no one else knew and you can always work out a Plan B.
