Real Bride Story: Lara wearing Galia Lahav Izzy
Bride & Groom: Lara and Ray
Planning & Styling: My own planning and styling
Gown: Galia Lahav Izzy from Helen Rodrigues Bridal
Venue: The Mint/Sydney Opera House
Photography: Jason Corroto
Videography: Josh at Joyride Films
Floral: Hermetica
Hair: Carly Vandermeer
Makeup: Yen Hoang
How did you and your husband meet?
My husband and I met at a close friend’s wedding at Golden Century and quickly worked out we had several mutual friends. After this, we became friends and hiking buddies for quite a while before we dated.
How did he propose?
Ray proposed at home, on our anniversary – it was a surprise, which was really nice.
What was your vision for your wedding day?
We wanted a small wedding, with our closest friends and family. We primarily wanted a private and intimate ceremony and a fun party!
Where did you look for your wedding inspiration?
Mostly just online – but also asked friends for vendor recommendations.
What drew you to your gown from Helen Rodrigues Bridal?
I really wanted something a bit different and unique. The light blush colour was lovely, and the fabric and shape were just beautiful.
What was your wedding planning journey like for you? How far out did you start planning?
The wedding planning journey started about 6 months after getting engaged, with vendor decisions tending to happen relatively early, about 6-9 months out. However, for us, all the details were only required much closer to the actual wedding date, within 1-2 months of the wedding.
What was the biggest decision you had to make?
The biggest decision was choosing our venue and location.
What was the highlight of your wedding day for you?
There were so many highlights of my day. A few include, having all of our closest friends and family all together in one room, my brother walking me down the aisle, Ray struggling to get through his vows and getting my dad to actually dance!
Is there anything you would do differently?
Honestly, no, not really. A few things didn’t go as planned, but on the day, none of that mattered, as we had the best time anyway.
Is there any advice you would give other #HRBride's?
My biggest piece of advice would be to enjoy the process and try not to stress about your dress decision.
“Helen was amazing – patient, friendly and with lots of good advice. Quite a few friends have worked with Helen before and highly recommended her. The selection of brands is excellent, and overall experience was just wonderful. Cannot recommend her more highly for anyone looking for a wedding dress. ”
