Real Bride Story: Sophie’s Burnt Orange Sydney Wedding
Bride & Groom: Sophie & Matt
Wedding Dress: Bespoke Suzanne Neville Hailey gown with Gigi fabric, from Helen Rodrigues Bridal
Bridesmaids' Dresses: Rixo
Venue: Burnt Orange, Mosman
Photography: Gui Jorge
Videography: Rolling Dawn Films
Floral: Potter Studio
Make-up: Samantha Lauren
Hair: Georgia Freedman
Celebrant: Susan Zhuang
How They Met
We met when we were 16 just through school social circles and were friends for a while. We started dating when we were 17 (14 years ago!) and never looked back.
The Proposal
He proposed in our bedroom at 6am before we left for the airport to go to Fiji!
Wedding Day Vision
We wanted casual elegance, we wanted to showcase Sydney (as lots of our friends and Matt’s family were coming from Melbourne) and have beautiful details, but we wanted it to feel relaxed and fun.
Wedding Inspiration
I spent a lot of time on Instagram and pinterest. But I always knew what sort of vibe I’d go for, so without being too prescriptive I explained the vision to my amazing florist and she just ran with it. I knew I could trust her entirely.
The Wedding Dress: Bespoke Hailey gown with Gigi fabric by Suzanne Neville from Helen Rodrigues Bridal
The experience at Helen Rodrigues Bridal was better than anywhere I’d been previously, from the moment we walked in the door. I also knew I loved Suzanne Neville’s gowns. They are so timeless and beautiful. I loved two in particular (Hayley and Gigi), or rather elements of both of them, and with Nicole’s help we decided on a bespoke mix of the two! It was perfect for my body shape and felt very me.
The Experience at Helen Rodrigues Bridal
“I had an incredible experience with Helen Rodrigues Bridal. From the first appointment I knew I was in good hands. Helen and her team listened to my preferences and style, and I felt a total sense of trust in their expertise and guidance throughout the whole process. We created a bespoke Suzanne Neville gown that I absolutely loved and felt so beautiful in. Thank you so much. ”
The Wedding Planning Journey
It was generally an amazing experience! We started looking at venues in January 2023, just over 12 months out. Once the venue was locked in, we could breathe a little easier and then I turned my mind to dress shopping in Feb/March. Over the course of the next 12 months, we ticked things off gradually and the journey was pretty fun and smooth! My mum was also a great help, particularly in the weeks leading up to the wedding when I was starting to feel a little anxious about the tasks left on our plate.
Biggest Decision
Would have to say the venue! We looked at close to 10 venues before we found the one for us. We were taking into account not just the vibe/feel we were going for, but trying to make it as easy as possible for many of our guests who don’t live in Sydney.
Wedding Day Highlight
My highlight was probably the speeches… Matt’s parents, my father, the best man and maid of honour AND the MCs did the most amazing job. And of course doing our speech to thank our families, friends and each other was really special. It became quite an emotional evening. Then when the dancing began, everyone was just in such high spirits and the fun really began!
What would she change?
I did have a bit of a panic about the weather a few days before the wedding and I knew that was so silly given it was probably the one thing we had no control over, but I couldn’t help it. In hindsight, I didn’t need to get so stressed!
Advice for future #HRBride’s
If you’re indecisive, like I am, it can be a bit paralysing. Try to just make a decision and go with it rather than dwell over it too much! And of course, your partner and family should help with the decisions, but I’d be careful not to get too much input from different people!
Are you a bride-to-be? Find Your Dream Gown at Helen Rodrigues Bridal
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