Real Bride Katherine Wearing a Custom Suzanne Neville Wedding Dress
“Helen and her team made sure that I had the ultimate bridal experience and they went above and beyond to make sure that I looked and felt wonderful on my wedding day. There were so many helpful suggestions that made such an incredible difference to my overall bridal look - specifically, the bow, veil and headband for the reception. Helen was also meticulous when it came to the alterations and showed incredible attention to detail and I felt completely safe in her team’s hands. I am so grateful that I got to be a Helen Rodrigues bride!”
Bride & Groom: Katherine Tsatsaklas & Paul Mersiades
Planning & Styling: Samantha Burke Events
Gown: Suzanne Neville Sapphire from Helen Rodrigues Bridal (with custom Joy bow)
Accessories: Peter Langner Ruby veil, Jennifer Behr Margaret headband from Helen Rodrigues Bridal
Other accessories: Natasha Schweitzer Arwen earrings, Cerrone tennis bracelet and Prada shoes
Bridesmaids dresses: Rebecca Vallance
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art - Harbourside Room (Ceremony) and Foundation Hall (Reception)
Photography: Blumenthal Photography
Videography: Soda Films
Floral: Boutierre Girls
Makeup: Katie Moore (The Future Mrs)
Stationery: Sam Pauletto
Entertainment: Jess and Matt (Event Entertainers)
Catering: Culinary Edge
How did you and your husband meet?
Like all good university romances, my husband and I met in the UNSW Law Library in our first year of law school at the age of 18. We spent the next eight years as best friends, weaving in and out of each other’s lives before we finally worked up the nerve to act on what we had always sensed between us. We have never looked back since!
How did he propose?
We live in the inner city of Sydney and we planned our perfect Sydney day. We checked in at the Crystalbrook Albion, a boutique hotel in Surry Hills, and started the day with one of our favourite breakfasts at Reuben Hill. This was followed by a massage and a facial and then we proposed to each other in our hotel room (no public proposals for me!). We ended our day with dinner at our favourite restaurant, Ester, that night to celebrate.
What was your vision for your wedding day?
In terms of the styling, we knew that we had a really dramatic venue with the Foundation Hall at the MCA - with its 1930s Art Deco style, high ceilings and views of the Sydney Harbour - so we wanted to soften this by creating a really romantic vibe in the space. It was also important to us to respect the style of the room and not try and detract from it with our styling choices. I adore flowers and knew that the florals were going to be a major part of our wedding design. I had been a huge fan of Emily from Boutierre Girls and knew she would take our vision for the garden florals and elevate it. When it came to the overall vibe, we enjoy hosting events in our home and we wanted this one to be the best party we have ever hosted!
Where did you look for your wedding inspiration?
I drew a lot of inspiration from Instagram for our wedding day - nothing like absorbing content for hours to make you feel inspired!
What drew you to your gown from Helen Rodrigues Bridal?
Helen Rodrigues has an incredible reputation for not only having the most beautiful wedding gowns on offer, but giving all of her brides the ultimate bridal experience.
The ‘Sapphire’ dress was also the first dress I tried on and I knew it was mine immediately. I wanted a dress that reflected my own personal style and I felt drawn to Suzanne Neville’s gowns online - particularly her signature structured bodice and beautiful silk fabrics.
The best part was that we were able to customise my gown by adding the bow from the ‘Joy’ gown made for me. Overall, the tailoring, fabric and fit of my Suzanne Neville dress meant it was the most beautiful gown I will definitely ever wear.
What was your wedding planning journey like for you? How far out did you start planning?
I am a highly organised person who swears by to-do lists and Excel planning spreadsheets, so we started our wedding planning journey before we even officially got engaged (intense, I know). In total we had about 15 months of planning time and I really enjoyed it. We did not try and do everything at once and followed a particular process and order that was set out by our wedding planner. This made the whole planning process more enjoyable and less overwhelming.
What was the biggest decision you had to make?
The biggest (and most overwhelming) decision we had to make was choosing a wedding venue. We wanted to get married in Sydney due to the number of guests (approximately 250 people) and did not want to get married in a traditional wedding venue. We fell in love with the Foundation Hall at the MCA as soon as we saw it as it is such a unique and beautiful space, particularly those green marble columns! There was a lot of work involved in bringing our vision for the space together, but we could not have been happier with the result. The food, wine and service from the Culinary Edge team was also exceptional.
What was the highlight of your wedding day for you?
The highlight of my wedding day was when our celebrant pronounced us husband and wife. I felt so blissfully in love after what was an amazing ceremony that pulled together elements of our Greek (mine) and Jewish (my husband’s) cultures. We could also feel all the love and happiness from our families and guests in the room!
Is there anything you would do differently?
I try not to regret too much in my life - but I should have pulled together a wedding photography shot list in advance!
Is there any advice you would give other #HRBride’s?
I received the following wonderful advice from my boss ahead of the wedding - the bride sets the tone for the wedding. If you look happy and relaxed, then all of your guests will feel the same. I tried to couple this with Helen’s advice not to worry if things did not go to plan because no one else knew what my plan was anyway!
