Laura

In the SANT ELIA studio we have the honour of getting to know each of our brides on an incredibly personal and intimate level. Together we collaborate on their unique bridal look to bring their every couture dream to life whilst ensuring their bespoke design reflects their personal style and full wedding vision. 

For our muse, and Brand Manager, Laura, it was all about the power of intricate details. In this exclusive piece by Laura, she shares the inspiration behind some of the many details from her day.  

The Dress

My bespoke SANT ELIA Couture design featured a low v-neckline fitted bodice and a full a-line skirt, that was created with a luxury duchess silk fabric, paying homage to my mothers wedding dress from the late 1980s. The studio adorned my gown with hand applique lace and 3D flowers to create the most incredible organic vine motif on my bodice with a delicate trickle down effect on the skirt. 

As we progressed through the couture journey, my gown evolved and we were able to add my veil and ceremony gloves, a way in which I could honour the glamour and glory of wedding gowns such as my Grandmothers in the late 50s and 60s. To this day, I am in awe of my couture look. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine wearing a gown that was so intricate and detailed yet still felt so much like me - I would do anything to wear my gown again!

Mother of the Bride

Mum had a vision of a soft and classic Mother of the Bride look - and this is exactly what she got. During her fittings, Stephanie and I would gush over her Princess Di-esque style and designed a gown that wouldn’t take away from her natural and undiscerning beauty. 

The gown was created in a blush silk chiffon to give the design a soft ethereal flow, featuring a detachable angel wing inspired by coveted Hollywood film costumes. My favourite detail of mum’s design were the appliquéd flowers, handcrafted by Stephanie, as a link to the 3D flowers that featured throughout my dress. 

Flower Girls 

It was such an incredible sentiment to have my flower girls dressed in custom SANT ELIA gowns. Stephanie and I discussed a fuller skirt silhouette to emulate my gown and feature the same lace that was adorned on my bodice. 

It was such a beautiful moment on the day, when I could show the girls the similarities in our gowns. They took their role in their stride and were nothing but angels on the day, twirling and dancing in their princess dresses.

The Ceremony

After my dad walked me down the aisle, my now husband, Jason, and I married in his family's church with the priest who christened him and his siblings. As part of the cultural ceremony, we had our candles and arms tied with remnants of fabric from my gown. 

There are no words to truly describe the ceremony's atmosphere but it was nothing short of everything Jason and I had wished for - we could feel the love between us as husband and wife, and the excitement of our families as what was two, now became one.

Photo Locations

We opted to have our wedding family portraits captured at Sydney University, where Jason studied for most of his young adult life. We popped champagne and celebrated the moment as we relaxed into the day.

Afterwards we left the bridal party and our families to enjoy some much deserved R&R at our favourite spot, Barbetta Cucina, whilst Jason and I headed to the Art Gallery of NSW for some last portraits. 

We had the Gallery to ourselves and relished every moment walking around, admiring the art and reflecting on the day so far. Our photographer and videographer understood we weren’t exactly confident camera facing and they gave us the space and time to move around whilst they captured the moment.

First Dance 

For our first dance, we had Danni & Steph, our acoustic singers, perform Unchained Melody, which Jason and I borrowed from our greatest source of couple goals, my grandparents. We didn’t tell them prior as we wished to surprise them. Straight after the dance, the four of us shared a moment on the dancefloor, hugging and embracing all the love and gratitude we felt.

The Party 

One thing Jason and I were adamant of, we wanted our guests on the dancefloor, for the whole night and boy did we underestimate the party that was about to unfold! As soon as we walked into “One More Time” by Daft Punk, a play on our 12 month postponed wedding date, the dancing ensued and didn’t finish until the stroke of midnight. 

Part way through, I changed into my playful couture SANT ELIA jumpsuit, which may I say, certainly had its benefits when it came to dancing on tables and making my way back to the middle of the dance floor from the bar in less than 10 seconds.

For Jason and I, these details made our wedding day that much more perfect and we could not have achieved it without our team of incredibly dedicated vendors who we wish to thank below: