Real Bride Hanah wearing Monique Lhuillier Fleur de Lis
“It is a rare luxury to say you found ‘the dress’ at your first bridal appointment, but with Helen and her team, that’s exactly what happened. As soon as I tried on my first gown, I knew I wouldn’t be searching in any other boutique. After trying on my second, I knew I had found my gown.
It is abundantly clear that both Helen and her team - Sophie, Manon - take immense pride in curating a selection of stunning gowns and matching them with future brides. At Helen Rodrigues you will find a suite of magnificent designer gowns, veils and accessories all of which are handled with the utmost care. Helen and her team are warm, honest and patient - Fine qualities that are so important when going through the process of finding a wedding dress.
At no point did I feel pressured or pushed into trying certain styles or agreeing to certain elements of a gown. Instead, I was totally comfortable and listened to, and given the space to make my own decision about a dress. I never once doubted my selection and after each fitting I walked out calm, assured and most of all, completely ready to wear my dress on my wedding day. I strongly encourage any bride who is after a stunning luxury gown to book an appointment with Helen Rodrigues. You will be hard pressed to find a team that is more knowledgeable and skilled at what they do. ”
Bride & Groom: Hanah & Edward
Planning & Styling: B.Events by Bianca
Gown: Fleur de Lis by Monique Lhuillier
Accessories: Elie Saab veil & Jimmy Choo shoes
Bridesmaids dresses: Custom made Nelder Jones
Venue: Beta Events
Photography: Salt Atelier
Floral: Blooms by Elle
How did you and your husband meet?
We met at university in a marketing tutorial in the middle of 2015. I got to know Edward over a few months before we started dating in February of 2016. Edward turned out to be the only useful takeaway from my entire Marketing major throughout my degree!
How did he propose?
Edward proposed at Middle Head in Mosman in Feb 2023. We'd just celebrated our 7 year anniversary with lunch at the Burnt Orange restaurant nearby and had gone for a walk afterwards when he got down on one knee and proposed. It was just us two, totally private, intimate and meaningful which is exactly what I had always wanted.
What was your vision for your wedding day?
The brief was soft, romantic and ethereal. My pinterest board had lots of photos of big flower arrangements, long draping fabric from the tables and ceiling, dozens of candles and warm romantic lighting. Our beautiful stylist Bianca totally delivered.
Where did you look for your wedding inspiration?
Like most brides, I did a bit of browsing on Pinterest and Instagram, but I also consulted a few wedding magazines. I’m generally pretty decisive so I found what I liked and collated it all onto a Pinterest board for my stylist Bianca.
What drew you to your gown from Helen Rodrigues Bridal?
When I was 18, I saw an image of Grace Kelly kneeling and praying at the altar on her wedding day. I have been totally enamoured with that photo ever since, and knew that was the style I wanted to embody for my gown. I stumbled on Monique Lhuillier as a designer approximately 6 months before getting engaged and fell in love with her lace designs. Helen was the only stockist of Monique in the country, so it was the first and only dress appointment I booked. There were two gowns that I had seen stocked that I knew for certain I wanted to try, one Monique and the other an Ellie Saab gown. When I tried on the Fleur de Lis dress, there was no question that it was my gown. It quite literally took my breath away.
What was your wedding planning journey like for you? How far out did you start planning?
It was almost exactly one year between getting engaged and my wedding day - it FLEW by. I didn’t start properly planning for almost 6 weeks after getting engaged as I wanted to enjoy the engagement period, but once I did, it all kicked off very quickly. Whilst I wouldn’t term the wedding planning process as easy or relaxing, it was massively aided by hiring a stylist who had already worked with my selected venue in the past. Bianca was so organised and calm and I felt very confident that I could leave all styling aspects within her remit. Not having to go through the process of finding suppliers, gathering quotes and organising the drop-off on the actual day took off so much of the pressure of wedding planning and meant I didn't need to spend every night (just some!) after work planning for hours.
What was the biggest decision you had to make?
The venue was probably the biggest decision, but the most difficult was certainly the seating chart!
What was the highlight of your wedding day for you?
Walking down the aisle to the man I was about to marry, feeling more beautiful and more happy than I ever have in my whole life.
Is there anything you would do differently?
Perhaps give myself a longer timeline between engagement and wedding, say 18 months, so it wasn’t quite as rushed. Regardless, the day was not at all compromised and even with the extra time, there is nothing about the day that I would have planned differently.
Is there any advice you would give other #HRBride’s?
Don’t rush your engagement and do not let anyone pressure you into a decision, whether that be with regards to your gown, the styling or even the guest list. I would also advise only bringing one other person to your dress appointment. Too many opinions can leave you confused and indecisive and I believe it is best to try and make confident decisions and then move on to stop you from second guessing aspects of your day.
