REAL WEDDING - HAYLEY & DAVID

Hard to believe that just over a year ago we were in the rainforest in Port Douglas to photograph and film the wedding of a very special couple - Hayley & David. Congratulations on your 1st wedding anniversary and thank you for choosing SugarLove Weddings & White Designs to cover your spectacular day in Queensland.



Real Weddings Magazine ran a stunning 6 page story on Hayley & David's wedding in their 2008 edition. We are delighted to share the story of their day in further detail on our SugarLove blog.


Hayley wore a dress by Helen Rodrigues. Handmade from the same material, an elegant floral hairpiece was designed to match.


Hayley prepares for the ceremony with her Mum and Dad at the Peppers Bale Resort located in the beautiful town of Port Douglas.


The couple were married at the picturesque St Mary's Church by the Sea. White roses adorned the pews, altar and aisle. A perfect winter day included sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows throughout the service.


David and his groomsmen anxiously await the arrival of the bride.


Hundreds of white petals were sewn together to make one large floral bouquet for the bride and each bridesmaid from Flowers 'n Lace. Bridemaid dresses were from The Oh Yes Shop.



A light hearted moment is shared by the girls before Hayley & David lit a marriage candle to signify their coming together as a new family.


Principal Photographer, Bradley Patrick chose the beach for the first half of the couples photo shoot with their bridal party closely followed by a drive through the cane fields enroute to the reception marquee to capture some timeless sunset moments.






Guests were transported from the church to a marquee set deep in the QLD rainforest. The perfect location was situated on a green lawn bordered by a creek and surrounded by huge old trees which helped to create a magical atmosphere.

On arrival guests were handed a refreshing cocktail and the fireworks started. Music was provided by the Russell Harris Group.

After deciding on the black & white theme M.A.D Events in Port Douglas were chosen as the local event planner. Rouba Alamein from The Style Salon was hired from Sydney to help create the overall styling vision for the event which was nothing short of stunning.


The couple had the most perfect moonlit night to celebrate with their closest friends and family.


Tables were set with crisp white linen, crystal glasses and decorated with rose bowls, tea lights and candles.

Hayley chose to add some personal touches with crystal perfume bottles filled with essential oils as the bonbonniere. The bridal table was positioned in the middle of the marquee and dressed with white French antique chairs with ruffled cushions.


A chic private powder room was designed & styled by the Style Salon. White ottomans with black cushions, black drapes & gilded mirrors were just some of the accents added on the night.


Sweet Lily Cakes designed a simple 3 tiered design complimented by white roses in full bloom. Platinum Cuisine looked after the reception catering for the evening.

Hayley & David danced the night away to an eight piece band with enough memories to last a lifetime. Thank you for inviting us to share your day...
All the team @ SugarLove & White xx

CUP CAKE HEAVEN

One of our recent SugarLove Brides just picked up her wedding photos and brought us a box of cupcakes to say thank you for covering her day, how divine!! We could not help but take a few pics before we gobbled them all up, how cute are these cupcakes. Some even came with our name iced across the top and others with their own pink & white striped ribbons....

Thank you Mavournee, we can see why you are a cake designer…

What makes a memorable cake on your wedding day? Is the inside more important than the outside? Should the frosting be fluffy or firm? Should it be elegant white to match your dress or styled within the colour palette to match the flowers or table décor? Should you serve the cake for dessert, choose cupcakes or a tiered cake and should you invest in a cake stand? There are so many decisions to make when it comes to choosing the cake.

Personally I love cupcakes with fluffy frosting, croquembouche with crunchy toffee and tiered cakes with rough shavings of icing that look like they will melt in your mouth just like a Flake Chocolate bar. We celebrate some of our clients’ choices in cake design today.

Croquembouche, Fluffy Iced Cupcakes and Macaroon Heaven

Living in Paris meant that our clients Gillian & Sam wanted to recreate a macaroon tower from their favorite patisserie, Laduree. Formerly from Laduree themselves, Beatrice & Oliver Laventi were commissioned from The French Gourmet Academy

The French theme continues with a truly unique cake by Sweet Art for our clients Charlotte & Warren. The brides love of French furnishings and provincial style was evident in every detail at her wedding including the cake. You can view more of their wedding images posted on our blog in December 2008

To celebrate some of our favorite choices for traditional white & cream cakes we thank Marie & Benn, Brie & CJ and Vitalba & Brent for sharing their wedding cake images.

Far Left; Faye Cahill designed this gorgeous 2 tiered cake for clients, Marie & Benn. One layer was coconut and white chocolate and the other was almond torte. With pearlised champagne icing, detailed piping and Swarovski crystal trim the result was classy and elegant, perfectly suited to the style for their wedding day.

Middle; Thick shavings of White Chocolate surround this 3 tiered cake for clients Brie & Charitha. See more of their wedding in the June issue of Real Weddings Magazine

Far Right; I love the simplicity of this cake from Vitalba & Brent’s wedding at Curzon Hall. The black XO accent was a unique touch to the top tier with black ribbon on the base of the stand

And finishing with the most divine Cup Cake design I have ever seen. Our lovely clients Elyse & Radek visited the shop last weekend to pick up their wedding photos. Here is our favorite cake image from their day. A full story on their wedding will be featured in an upcoming issue of Bride to Be

Good luck with all the delicious decisions when designing your cake x

BEHIND THE SCENES WEDDING - VICKY & PETER

Home from Santorini now and the mammoth task of editing our photography & video coverage has commenced. Here is one image we would love to share from Vicky & Peter's day - dancing at sunset at Ampelos Restaurant in Thira along with some behind the scenes pics.

Our White Designs Cameraman, Yuji the day before the wedding capturing some of the mystical Santorini locals and the breathtaking vista of Oia.


The wedding day arrives and after the ceremony at the Cathedral of Panagia, our SugarLove Principal Photographer, Bradley directs the photo shoot to find the perfect position for the magical sunset moment.

Every summer couples make the romantic journey to Santorini to say "i do".


The Team - Yuji (Camera Operator/White Designs) with partner Anna & Bradley (Principal Photographer/SugarLove) with wife/producer Leigh "me" celebrating on the wedding day.

We look forward to sharing more of their images with you very soon. Stay tuned for our behind the scenes video link to be launched shortly as well.... Yassas xx

SANTORINI WEDDING

Last night we covered a glorious sunset wedding here in Santorini/Greece. We look forward to sharing all of the images and behind the scenes moments with you when we return to Australia. Efharisto "Thank You" to Vicky & Peter for choosing SugarLove & White to cover their day.

REAL WEDDING - ROS & BLAKE

Once a year a wedding will come along that truly captures the essence of individual style and simplicity. We dream of these moments and try to imagine what the photographs will look like on the big day. The nostalgic garden party we attended at Wisemans Ferry on 13th December 2008 for couple, Ros & Blake surpassed all of our visions for a relaxed, low key country affair.

Recently published in the May 2009 issue of Bride to Be Magazine, we are now thrilled to share a further selection of our favorite images from their day. The gorgeous setting took place at the Settlers Arms Inn at St Albans near the Hunter Valley region of NSW.

Twin boys, Wynton & Myles (below) were ring bearers for the ceremony carrying cute brown boxes tied with sage green ribbon. With no florist in the country town, bride Ros & her mother decided to design their own flower arrangements with a fun visit to the markets. Maid of Honour, Samah looked after design of the bridal bouquets & button holes.

Vintage Chic Bride, Ros getting ready with Maid of Honour, Samah who wears a lavender Fleur Wood dress with moss green ribbon - the perfect accompaniment to the colour palette Ros & Blake chose for their day.



Sneaking in a view from the country guesthouse, Ros is dressed in couture design by Hanna Kossowska. "I wanted something with a restrained vintage feel" said Ros. Guipure Lace fell over a low backed satin undergown with low scalloped neck, cap sleeves and full skirt of godet inserts. The dress was complete with a small train.



The bride completed her look with a large bouquet of hydrangeas and a pair of Edward Meller shoes, both in lavender.

The Tiffany Blue wall accent worked well for the photography on the day, followed by the garden setting reminiscent of a 1920's fashion shoot complete with vintage beaded bag & head piece.


Accents of sunset peach/apricot and grey were added to the lavender and moss green theme. "I loved the idea of bringing sunset colours into an early evening wedding", says Ros.

The heartfelt vows were a highlight of the day between bride & groom, Ros & Blake.


Ros spotted a grove of poplars where three ponies were grazing whilst on her photo shoot. With a love for horses she convinced us to enter the property and take some photographs in the wild. Some of our favorite images of all time at SugarLove Weddings are the result.

Working with a couple that are comfortable being in the moment on the day and brave enough to try new ideas is so refreshing to see. Of course the photographic talents of Mr SugarLove cannot be underestimated as well of course. And we almost forgot the very talented pony, thank you!!


SugarLove capturing the magical moments under the trees, sunshine peeking through.

A windswept walk through the grass to join the rest of the family for celebrations.


Using magazine images & favorite photos helped the bride create mood boards to come up with their chosen "nostalgic garden theme" which combined the outdoor dining and garden surrounds. Hand made invitations, tissue paper pompom place cards, vintage-style parchment paper fans and dozens of green glass bottles to create vases for the tables were all personal touches that added endless amounts of style and warmth to their special day

Ros & Blake dance the evening away in the garden surrounded by beautiful flowers, lanterns and the sound of laughter from friends and family in the country.

Moments to remember forever from their special day......we were so thrilled to be a part of your day. Thank you so much for inviting us to capture all of your special moments together.

REAL WEDDING - ALI & TIM

Ali & Tim's wedding was featured in Real Weddings, May 2008. Having worked with Ali on George Miller's film production of Happy Feet we were naturally thrilled to be asked to cover her wedding day to childhood sweetheart, Tim Edwards.

The couple were married in Kangaroo Valley located in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Ali looked after all the floral arrangements on the day having studied Floral Artistry in Hong Kong where the couple reside. We love that Ali bought a cream jersey dress off the rack which perfectly suited the relaxed country feel for the wedding day.

The ceremony took place in a clearing by the river. Later guests walked over a suspension bridge to celebrate in the Kangaroo Valley Community Hall styled by Ali & her family.

Congrats to Ali & Tim, we wish you much happiness from SugarLove x

REAL WEDDING - ALEXIS & MATTHEW 2008

Wedding Style Guide have just featured one of our couples in their new Autumn Issue. Alexis & Matthew were married at St Patricks Cardinal Cerreti Chapel in Manly and celebrated with their family & friends at the picturesque Le Kiosk in nearby Shelley Beach in December 2008.

Alexis chose an elegant dress by Jenny Packham from Helen Rodrigues Her bridesmaids each chose a different version of black from Lisa Ho

We loved the pink, purple, green and blue floral accents which worked perfectly with their black tie event. Alexis chose white David Austen roses and green hydrangeas for her bridal bouquet.

BLOG WINNERS - ALI & JASON

Congratulations to gorgeous couple, Ali & Jason for being chosen as the winners of our Valentines Day Blog Competition. Married at Bannisters Point, Mollymook on Sunday 15th February their comment on our Dianne & Paul wedding highlighted all the things we search for in our photography beyond the happy moments....

.......the atmosphere and the details are equally as important to ensuring the full scope of a couples day is remembered with all the heart and soul that is put into the once in a lifetime occasion. Thank you to Ali & Jason and congrats on your recent stunning wedding.

Bride to Be will be featuring more of Ali & Jason's wedding pics in an upcoming issue....we look forward to sharing a portfolio of images from their day online along with the magazine release.

THE FIRST IMPRESSION

It was so hard chosing someone to design my own invitations seven years ago that i decided to do them myself. With an intimate guest list of under 50 and with mostly couples attending that would only require around 30 so how hard could it be?

Many late nights and many weeks later I had a whole new appreciation for the skill and creativity designing and manufacturing wedding invitations actually requires. Fast forward seven years and there are so many stunning invitations available.

We often hear from our brides on who designed their stationery for the big day. Share in some of our favourite finds to inspire your wedding day planning.

Follow Studio offer a paper goods collection that is hand silk-screened using personally mixed inks. Director, Jessie Doherty has consulted to SugarLove Weddings for many years. We love her clean, fresh and thoughtful design philosophy. Visit her website for more samples of invitations, thank you cards & web design.

Papier D'Amour a long time favourite have a beautiful shop in Double Bay and an equally impressive website with lots of ideas with their Pret-A-Porter & Couture wedding ranges. We love the Deckle Edge design below for a destination wedding....

Recent SugarLove bride, Sarah Gordon has an equally stunning design & letterpress business in Balmain called Ruby and Scarlett Using a vintage letterpress and Japanese gocco the studio produces stunning paper keepsakes. We love this letterpressed bumblebee notecard matched with the turquoise and gold birdcage paper envelope.

The Style Salon and Angels Dreaming designed the stunning invitations for SugarLove Bride, Renee Dow who was married at Milton Park in November 2008.

The extremely talented, Ali Levitch who was photographed by SugarLove for her wedding day had a hands on role in every aspect of her wedding from the invitations and rings to the venue design. The beautifully illustrated booklet providing guests with information and leisure ideas for their weekend away in Kangaroo Valley. A lovely keepsake for family & friends.

And finally, i have just seen the more gorgeous wooden invitations shown at Sparkliatti who recently showcased US company, Night Owl Paper Goods The designers, Alan & Jennifer built a company devoted to handmade letterpress cards & eco-chic wooden goodies. Their products can be found in over 700 stores worldwide

The serendipity of finding my own name on their sample "zinnia" invitation above was too good to be true. Enjoy your search for something unique and something you, the first impression always counts.

DIANNE & PAUL ANNIVERSARY

One year ago today we had the pleasure of working with a lovely couple, Dianne & Paul on their wedding at Jonahs, Whale Beach. We would love to share some of their wedding images with you and congratulate them on their 1st wedding anniversary & the recent birth of their son, Jett.




Bride to Be featured the couple in November 2008. Susie French from French Flair Events did a stunning job at bringing every element of the wedding day together with colour and theme.



Di wore a a stunning down by Pallas Bridal draped in silk satin with a white metallic organza overlay. The bustline was draped in silk georgette and detailed with hand-appliqued french lace and beading.



Four bridesmaids wore silver Morrissey knee-length silk dresses with crystals and beaded detail around the neckline. The men wore suits by Oxford. Jonahs was the perfect backdrop for the balmy February wedding. The ceremony took place on the clifftop overlooking Whale Beach.






Vanda Orchids featured throughout the styling & traditional Polynesian dancers performed at the ceremony. White Designs captured all the amazing footage on film throughout the day.



The brides bouquet was designed as a teardrop of pink throat phalaenopsis. The couples intimate photo shoot took place on nearby Palm Beach.

The all white tables were decorated with bamboo net runners scattered with more orchids.




And as the sun disappeared for the evening across the ocean candlelight took centre stage with heartfelt speeches and their first dance as husband and wife in front of family & friends.





Congrats to Di & Paul and thank you for choosing SugarLove & White to cover your special day. Visit our SugarLove buzz page to read all about what Di & Paul thought of our coverage on their wedding day.