As featured on White Mag
Starting with a beautiful riverside ceremony, James and April’s garden wedding was every bit as stylish as it was relaxed. We love the feminine floral bridesmaid dresses, the simplicity of the decor and styling paired with Terara Riverside Gardens’s beautiful scenery and April’s chic Suzanne Harward Gown. The day was altogether modern, sophisticated and lighthearted — a perfect celebration of their love! Keep reading to get to know this fun-loving pair and see more photos from The White Tree!
Tell us about your proposal.
James took me down to a park by the water in Balmain one Saturday afternoon and had told me we were meeting a couple of our friends for a picnic. The friends were “running late” and so we opened our bottle of wine while we waited and watched the sunset. After waiting for the right segway, James eventually got down on one knee and proposed. He had secretly had his mate Pete drive down his car with stocked with champagne and cheese to have afterwards. He had also made a dinner reservation at the pub we had first met in. It was very romantic but relaxed.
How did you know your partner was the one?
We were instantly so comfortable with one another… it felt like we had known each other for years. We made each other laugh and our personalities fitted together so well, it was always so easy. I think we knew we were going to get married after 6 weeks when we met each other’s families and realized not only were we crazy about each other but we also wanted the same things in life.
What do you love most about your partner?
James is charming, caring and always thinking of others. Everybody he meets adores him. He always makes me laugh and has such an infectious personality.
What was your favourite part of the wedding day?
My favourite part was having our family and closest friends all together. Particularly having our siblings as part of the ceremony doing readings, having my dad make our wedding cake, and listening to the speeches from our family and friends. My Dad also choreographed a comedy dance as part of his father of the bride speech, performed by other family members that brought the house down! Something I don’t think anyone will ever forget!
Describe your wedding theme/style.
James and I are both fun loving and we wanted our wedding to be relaxed but chic. Terara Riverside Gardens was the perfect venue because we could bring in our own choice of catering/drinks/music etc. I wanted it to look beautiful but not stuffy so guests felt they could relax or dance and have fun! We had a drinks caravan and outdoor couches/tables with a grazing table, which the guests absolutely loved. Because we had minimal sitting down time at the dining tables it meant James and I were able to spend lots of time moving around to see all of our guests.
What is marriage to you?
We don’t really mind what we do as long as we are together… But I do think it is important to stand up in front of the people you care about, who know you well, so they know how much you mean to each other and they can hold you accountable for your marriage when things do get tough. It meant a lot to us to have our family and friends all in the one place to celebrate with us. You don’t get many opportunities in life to have all those special people in your life together.
