It has been a really fun project for us to go over all 14 different creative entries for the scholarship contest. Thank you so much to each of you who participated, as your creativity and different perspectives were very interesting and inspiring to us.
After much deliberation between our design team, we have selected a winner!
-Yelena chose a tasteful blend of design textures to communicate the meeting of the bride and groom's worlds. The combination of wood, crystal, silk, metal and burlap for one wedding offered a good deal of design mileage. I loved the juxtaposition of the distressed wooden pews with the calligraphed silk pillows for the ceremony and the wooden tables dressed with crystal perfume bottles as floral containers. What amazing visuals!!! - Yelena's restrained color palette was also perfect for the upscale bride and her groom. - Yelena was able to express the union of these two opposites in a very effortless manner. Nothing seemed too contrived, yet all the ideas were very unique. This was fantastic!!
Thank you again to everyone that participated, and we hope to see all of you in March!
Below you will find links to all of our wonderful, creative scholarship entries. Please feel free to make comments and enjoy the work of these inspiring planners + designers. The winner will be announced on December 11th.
Wedding Celebration Location: The ceremony, cocktail hour, reception and after party will be held on the farm. The ceremony will be held in the lush, fields. The reception will be held in an airy tent and expansive farm barn will be transformed into a nightclub lounge. The barn has been emptied for the wedding celebration. The cocktail hour will be held on a smaller patch of land located on the same property.
Invitation: Elegant laser cut oak invites that gives a sophisticated, earthy feel.
Ceremony:
The ceremony is a tribute to the simple farm atmosphere with bales of hay covered with white satin cushions for the guest to sit on. The aisle is decorated with a lush layer of white rose petals. The wooden chuppah is draped in white satin and covered with a lush assortment of white roses, amaryllis, phalaenopsis orchids, greenery, etc. There are various cylinder vases filled with water and white floating candles. There are silhouette fans of the couple given to the guests as they arrive for the ceremony.
Cocktail Hour:
After a beautiful ceremony, guests are then greeted by horse drawn buggies that seat 10-12 guests and are taken to the cocktail hour that is adjacent to where dinner will be served. When the guests arrive they are greeted by tuxedo clad, white gloved waiters that have an array of farm inspired butlered hor de oeuvres'. They are offering a variety of classic favorites as well as culinary delicacies. The cocktail hour has been designed with the bride's posh metropolitan style in mind with white leather modern sofas and chaise lounges. Lucite side tables are filled with green peonies. The sofas and lounges are accented with green, orange & yellow pillows. White satin covered cocktail tables with small peony filled bubble bowls are placed strategically through out the space. Guests are being entertained by a jazz trio. The dinner bell sounds and guest are then brought into the dinner tent.
Dinner:
Upon arriving in the dinner tent, guests collect replicas of NY City taxi cabs that serve as place cardholders. The tables are named after different experiences and places that the couple has visited. The Guests are invited to enjoy a feast that includes petit filet, asparagus, and lobster tails. A martini bar and ice luge are featured in tribute to the bride's fondness of the drink. In addition to cake, the guests are served a buffet of home style mini desserts to include mini apple crumb pies and rice pudding. After dinner guests are treated to a serenade to the bride by a member of the NY metropolitan opera.
After Party:
The barn has been transformed into the likeness of an upscale NY nightclub lounge. The ceiling has been draped with ornate crystal covered chandeliers. The ambiance of the space is posh, modern, and chic. There are chaise lounges and ottomans set up in various areas of the room. The design is similar to the cocktail hour. The white dance floor has been installed with an illuminated logo to represent the couple. . There is a live band performing. Various pub food stations to include burger sliders, mini crab cakes, etc.have been set up. There is a huge ice luge that guests are being served drinks from. The bride has changed into a form fitting sheath and is ready to dance with her groom. There are flat screen monitors displayed around the space showcasing a photo montage of the couple. A donation to the bride and groom's favorite charity has been made in the name of each guest. Swag Bags are given to the guests with various items to include some of the bride and grooms favorite things. Guests dance into the wee hours of the morning.
Fusing the creative elements of the rustic country and the refined elegance of 5th Avenue, a theme I describe as Sophisticated Country Glam was created. The marriage of bold rural embellishments, a touch of bling, and the rich metallic hues with a pop of mandarin orange and jewel toned flowers are my vision. The wedding will take place on a picturesque country farm. The outdoor ceremony will include bales of hay seating with custom made apricot colored satin cushions. The hay will be arranged in a circular formation to create two intersecting aisle ways. The center of these aisles will be the focal point- a circular arbor decorated with fragrant blooms.
For the Reception
To get from the open field where the ceremony takes place to the barn, guests will take pleasure in a real life tractor ride. During the cocktail hour, 36 inch high and low tables will be fashioned with the apricot-colored satin linen and free-standing sheaves of wheat with floating candles in mason jars as centerpieces. Each will be tied with a double faced satin ribbon.
The satin apricot-colored underlay in concert with a sheer hand sewn embroidered detailed overlay and the rich textured shantung silk napkins are the foundation essentials of my well-dressed guests’ tables. The low centerpieces will incorporate crystal embellished candle holders and full bloomed peonies, roses, and orchids. Over each table crystal chandeliers will hang from the barn rafters. At each place setting, guests will be treated to a small glass jar of the county’s best peach preserves. Guest will also enjoy signature drinks from the bar, play horse shoe, and take pictures in the photo booth. For the bar signature cocktails such as the “Cotton-Eye Joe”, “Moonshine”, “Uptown Girl”, and “City Slicker” will be served.
This sophisticated design has the rural charm with a glamorous flair. It’s fun and festive, yet elegant.
The “groom” in this story is a very rugged but cultured farmer that could be described as a “renaissance” man who is well educated. He really appreciates the finer things in life but prefers to live in an environment where he lives off of his land. He eats the food that his land produces and works hard at everything that he does. He is humble, but spontaneous and fun-loving.
The “Bride” in this story is a woman who has grown up with all of life’s luxuries. She is educated and has a successful career in the city. She has fallen in love with the man who she bumps into on his trips to the city where he goes more often now that he has fallen in love with her.
The “groom” has planned a romantic dinner under the stars on the rooftop of a beautiful building that they both love for its historic architecture. She says yes and they both agree to make sacrifices in order to make it work considering their different lifestyles. They set a date for the Fall.
They contact an event designer to make their night magical. They both insist that the opposite things that they both love should somehow be worked into a cohesive design that represents them both beautifully.
The event designer presents them with a “Harvest Chic” theme. The elements will be rugged, yet luxurious and upscale. The color scheme will be copper, bronze, apple green, and aubergine . The wedding will take place on the farmer’s land where there sits a historic church. The church is a white traditional with a tall steeple. The front doors will have large wreaths made from antique green hydrangea and hung from a copper colored satin ribbon.
The aisle will be lined with tall cylinder vases filled with copper and aubergine Rose petals and have clusters of tall eggplant Calla Lilly’s hanging over the edge of the vase at an angle, and antique green hydrangea heads and the rose petals will be covering the floor around the vases. They will have pillar candles that will sit on a slim cylinder vase inside the larger vase. Smaller cylinder vases will have water and floating candles to create an ethereal glow throughout the whole church. Amber colored up lights will be used to add to the ethereal glow. The altar will have two large bronze urns with tall fall branches.
The reception will be in a huge renovated red barn that will have hardwood floors put in. Large antler chandeliers will hang with amber colored crystals. The entrance to the barn will have a huge tree of fall branches that will be in a very large clay pot that is painted copper/bronze and has rustic moss attached to it. It will have amber crystals hanging from the branches. There will be a table covered in wheat grass that has seed packets on sticks that double as escort cards. The tables will be labeled such as “The pumpkin patch” and the type of seeds will correlate with the table that the guests will sit at. The cabbage patch, the peach orchard, etc.
The tables will be 8ft. tables with copper/bronze floor length linens and a sheer overlay. The centerpieces will be long trays of fresh herbs and clusters of green apples and artichokes. There will be 2 tall topiary arrangements per table. The pots are clay and painted copper/bronze and have patches of rustic moss. The stem of the topiary will be a bronze pipe lined with curly willow branches. The top will have lots of antique green and red hydrangea, eggplant Calla Lilly’s, curly willow branches dripping with amber crystals, green Cymbidium Orchids, Red Cymbidium Orchids and copper roses.
The chairs will be Amber colored acrylic Chivari chairs. The chargers will be glazed copper glass and the plates will be clear glass. The stem ware will be amber colored goblets. Each place setting will have a caramel apple wrapped in cellophane and tied with a copper satin ribbon and have a label with a greeting from the couple to their guests. The room will be flooded with warm hues of amber and gold.
The bride’s cake will be a Sylvia Weinstock cake of 6 layers and covered in sugar hydrangea, orchids, roses and Calla Lilly’s in the green, copper, and eggplant color scheme. The groom’s cake will be a replica of his barn with a garden around it with pumpkins, cabbages, and a couple of fruit trees.
The menu for the night will be a salad of spring mix with Mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, glazed pecans and goat cheese, a trio of wild game with blueberry-zinfandel sauce, butternut squash and sweet English peas and purple Fingerling potatoes with rosemary. The couple will make their departure in an antique Rolls Royce as guests shower them with a mixture of flower petals and bird seed.
The design concept for this wedding is best described with the phrase “simple luxury.” Since his lifestyle is all about the simple pleasures of the country and hers is all about style, glamour and luxury, I felt that ‘simple luxury’ encompasses both of their passions while still giving me a cohesive design framework for their wedding. For the venue, I chose a spot that would appeal to both a luxury-loving socialite and a nature-loving farmer: the gorgeous Napa Valley. Since the socialite bride has undoubtedly spent years attending events in New York’s best venues, I thought that creating a luxury destination wedding in a region renowned for its farm-fresh food and world-class wines would be a unique, perfect setting for the couple to entertain guests of all backgrounds.
The Venue
The venue pictured is the romantic Beltane Ranch in Sonoma, which is an ideal canvas for the ‘simple luxury’ design concept. The Beltane Ranch was awarded the Travel & Leisure World’s Best Award for ‘Best Kept Secret’, boasting tennis courts, gardens and vineyards for the socialite set as well as a working ranch that keeps horses, cattle, dogs and hens - just the kind of setting to make a farmer feel at home. For the color palette I used granite, mocha, and cream. I picked these hues because they give the design a muted, sophisticated feel but are all earthy colors commonly found in nature as well.
The Bride & Groom’s Styling
Being a socialite, the bride naturally would want a spectacular gown that hasn’t been seen on other brides. Since The Stylish Soiree specializes in bridal styling as well, I would help the bride choose the gorgeous ivory and gray/blue J. Mendel couture gown that is pictured, crafted from airy silk tulle. Dove gray Guiseppe Zanotti peep toe pumps adorned with an architectural bow (almost inspired by the Chrysler building, a nod to the bride’s New York roots) and an ethereal silk tulle garter handcrafted by Florrie Mitton (we added a sterling silver horseshoe charm to the center as a special surprise for the horse-crazy groom). The groom is outfitted in a pinstripe gray suit (which he would feel more comfortable in than an ultra-formal tux), with a boutonnière fashioned from wild-picked thistle - much better suited to his style than a calla lily or rose.
The Design Elements
The design elements for the event include a mixture of upscale items, textures and designs with those that are more rustic and homey. I would incorporate wood, crystal, silk, metal and burlap elements into the design to create a richly textured feel to the wedding that is as warm and inviting as it is sophisticated. In the cocktail hour and reception area, ample candlelight would bathe the entire evening in a warm happy glow.
The Ceremony
Distressed wooden pews strewn with the numbered silk pillows (shown in the design board) would be set up in rows facing a large, gnarled oak tree where the couple would exchange their vows. Hanging from the tree’s branches behind the couple and officiant would be a row of three antique window panes with select words from their vows calligraphied onto the glass panes as a backdrop, with views of the rolling vineyards and hills behind the window panes. Large cream dinner plate dahlias are attached to the tree’s branches so it looks as if it is flowering the dahlias, creating a soft, romantic feel for the ceremony.
The Cocktail Hour
A specialty cocktail catering staff would be hired (like Cuff & Buttons), who will mix up all-organic, natural cocktails from scratch for guests and garnish them with fresh fruit from Beltane Ranch. The food catering is by none other than Thomas Keller’s Bouchon restaurant, which focuses on the gourmet simplicity of French bistro style food. For cocktail hour the waiters tray pass mini truffled croque monsieur sandwiches and farm fresh vegetable soup (two of the groom‘s favorites), alongside oysters on the half shell with mignonette and caviar with crème fraiche on mini toasted brioche (two of the bride‘s favorites).
While sipping organic, freshly made cocktails and nibbling on appetizers next to the paddocks, guests lounge on country French style loveseats and chairs strewn with burlap pillows that have farm product names stamped across them (as in the design board). Deep gray cashmere throws are draped over the arms of the furniture so guests can cozy up if they begin to get chilly. Each cocktail table contains a rustic basket filled with Beltane Ranch carrots, each tied with a hand-dyed silk bow and a calligraphied card inviting guests to give the horses a little treat - integrating the farm life into the guest’s experience of the event.
The Reception
While moving from the cocktail hour to the reception area, guests come across a low-hanging, massive branch of an oak tree. From the branch hangs over a hundred mini crystal bottles filled with olive oil from Beltane Ranch that serve both as place cards for dinner as well as a unique favor specific to the venue. Each olive oil bottle has an antique looking label calligraphied with the guest’s name, table number and a thank you message from the bride and groom.
Guests would be seated at three long rows of gray linen-covered long tables to enjoy a menu of white wine and Dijon mussels followed by a succulent roast chicken paired with green beans and crispy French fries perfect for mopping up the juices. The long tables are decorated with a wide, distressed wooden plank that runs down the middle to bring a rustic, natural element to the décor and to serve as a unique table runner. On top of the distressed wood are beautiful mix and match sizes of clear crystal antique perfume bottles filled with a few anemone blooms, gray berries, thistle and dusty miller. Larger arrangements in organic silhouettes are interspersed down the tables as well (in the style of the one in the design board) for bigger visual impact.
To light the evening, tall, ornate candelabras cast a warm glow on the guests as they enjoy their meal and catch up with friends old and new. The final element of design that makes the dinner table décor unique is a collection of mismatched French country style chairs all painted an antiqued mocha to add visual interest to the table while still keeping the look cohesive.
After dinner, the couple invites all the guests back to the cocktail area where a dance floor has been set up, along with a gourmet s’mores bar. Guests can choose from tiered, elegantly patterned dessert plates stacked high and labeled with the bride’s favorite chocolates from around the world, and melt them over open fire spits that have been brought in, along with custom cut-out marshmallows in the shape of lucky horseshoes. The guests then mingle and dance the night away to a mix of music (everything from classic standards to rousing country) played by a live band.
Photo Credits:
Top row: Wedding cake and windows, Jason McGrew; Numbered Silk Pillows, The Beautiful Life, Champagne and fruit-topped cocktails, dolcissima events Second row: Mocha and gray invitation suite, Hammersmith Press; The Beltane Ranch via their website
Third row: Vintage perfume bottles, Fine Art America; silk tulle garter, Florrie Mitton; floral arrangement, Dandelion Ranch; Dress & model from J. Mendel Spring 2010 show
Fourth row: Groom's gray suit and thistle boutonniere, Adrienne Page; French country style sofa and burlap pillows, unknown; shoes, Guiseppe Zanotti (not sure of photographer, I've had this one in my files for a loooong time!)
Fifth row: Candlelit outdoor area, Josh McMurtrie; S'more, Anna Williams; Stable wall, country living; Candlelit long tables, Fete NY
As a wedding designer and planner it is my job to take all the elements that come together for a wedding and make sure that the couple’s personalities are represented. There are so many items that are sometimes literally thrown together without putting much thought to the “why”. This brings me to a wedding featuring a good ole country boy and an uptown chic girl, Blake and Jennifer. The biggest challenge that we face when planning their wedding is chivari chairs and hand cut crystal glasses versus bails of hay and mason jars.
As we are going to have to compromise on every decision, I told my bride to pick her battles wisely! So we let Blake win the location and the wedding will take place at a ranch. The next decision is the theme and colors. This one was fairly easy- Blake’s birth stone is sapphire and Jennifer’s is emerald. Add champagne to the mix and we had the colors. Next Blake’s mom had a beautiful emerald glass platter that became the main inspiration for our design. The emerald platter had a beautiful design in the center which we copied and used on all the couples stationery, and ended up becoming the couple’s new family crest.
For the ceremony we kept most of the focus on the couple and what was taking place, so our décor was kept to a minimal. We had rows of champagne chivari chairs with beautiful emerald green cushions. The bridesmaids dresses were a royal sapphire blue and the bride’s dress was a gorgeous light champagne color. Blake’s gift to Jennifer was a custom designed emerald necklace, bracelet and earrings set. The groom and groomsmen wore handsome khaki colored suits with the groom wearing an emerald tie and the groomsmen wearing sapphire ties. The girl’s bouquets were hand tied green hydrangeas and antique cream colored roses. The bridesmaids bouquets were tied with blue double satin ribbon finished with emerald crystals. The bride’s bouquet was tied with blue double satin ribbon with their crest embroidered in emerald. The bridal parties boutonnieres were pieces of hydrangeas; with the rest of the boutonnieres and corsages the cream roses.
The bride and groom stood in front of a beautiful full oak tree. From the tree we hung champagne, emerald and sapphire satin pieces of material that swayed in the breeze. We used a horse and carriage for the bride and her father’s transportation to the ceremony. The ceremony area was enclosed with a fence and the carriage pulled straight up to the entrance. The bride’s father helped her down and she proceeded towards her groom.
When the ceremony was over the guests entered the front of the barn that was closed off for the cocktail hour. The cocktail hour was a relaxed time for guests to mingle while the bridal party finished pictures. In this area was a large stall that was used for the bar. There were servers walking around with trays of miniature Hors d‘oeuvres, most of which came from produce grown at the ranch. The cocktail hour was the only place that hay bails were allowed! When guests were given a cocktail it came with a champagne colored cocktail napkin that also had the couple’s crest embroidered in emerald. While there, the guests also collected their escort card that was a champagne folded card with the guest’s name and table number written in emerald ink. The calligraphy was all done to match the initial envelopes that the invitations were sent in.
The reception definitely combined both Blake’s and Jennifer’s worlds. The bridal party and parents were sat at a table seated family style (which was very comfortable for Blake’s family). The guests sat at either 48 or 60 inch round tables. The table linens were emerald satin floor length linens with champagne chivari chairs with emerald cushions. Each place setting had a sapphire blue cup for water and the same sapphire blue wine glass. The napkins were in sapphire blue and folded with a champagne colored menu inside. The menu was written with the same emerald print of the escort cards, that was also the same as the table numbers. In the center of the tables were three blue mason jars in three different heights that were filled with green hydrangeas antique cream roses and blue and white freckled carnations.
The cake was made of square layers in champagne fondant with the couple’s crest on the top layer. The cake was served to the guests on a clear sapphire glass plate with a drizzling on raspberry sauce around the edge.
Each guest left the evening with a warm feeling of getting together with family and meeting new friends. The style of the evening was country chic and everything fit the theme, the venue and more importantly Blake and Jennifer.
Photo Credits:
Inspiration:
Column 1: Personal pictures of sapphire blue miniature glassware, emerald green platter and close up of table design
Column 2: Table design with satin green linen; champagne chargers, sapphire blue plates, water goblets and wine glasses; centerpieces of three blue mason jars filled with blue and white speckled carnations, green hydrangeas and antique cream roses. www.classicdreams.com Column 3: www.bagborroworsteal.com, personal picture of East TN land, www.bridesvillage.com
She knows that beauty is in the details, that true luxury is abundant but not overindulgent, and that true love requires sacrifice. She loves his humble nature, his strong stature and his family values.
He finds beauty in comfort, luxury in pausing for a sunset, and believes love is sacred. He loves her strong personality, her gentle touch, and her eagerness to blur the lines of dreams and reality.
On a warm summer evening, after a pleasant drive through rolling hills of grain, guests arrive at his century-old farmhouse. As they step out of their cars they are greeted with the faint sounds of a cello trio. Ripe with anticipation, guests follow hand-painted signs around the house and down to the broad but shallow Platte River. Beneath a massive cottonwood, overlooking the meandering water are rows of vintage wooden church pews.
As the guests are seated, the sun begins to set. The candle lit aisle and altar begin to sparkle and dance. The anticipation heightens as the cello trio breaks into Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major. The groom enters and waits. He wears a custom tailored black suit and a bunny grass boutonniere. His bride enters in a magnificent yet understated Vera Wang dress and walks slowly to meet him under the cottonwood. She carries a loose and delicate cascade of foliage, bunny grass and wispy flowers. Her hair is adorned with a white feathered fascinator bold enough to hold its own on an episode of Sex In The City.
After a quick but heartfelt ceremony the merry guests are led back up to the aged wooden barn, where an enormous transformation has taken place. Ivory draping covers the ceilings and walls, and blushes with the glow of soft up lighting. Ivory pillar candles of varying sizes are raised high above long rows of tables on long cast iron pedestals. Underneath the candles are textured, and slightly wild, centerpieces of peonies, sweet peas, and garden roses, mixed into a bed of dusty miller, seeded eucalyptus, scented geranium, and bunny grass. The bare and distressed wood tables are dressed with ivory runners, and antiqued white chiavari chairs complete the look.
As they step into the barn together, she knows that she made the right choice to follow him back to the farm. If only she could come up with another excuse to throw a party this large!
He feels that a weight has been lifted, and the natural air helps him to breathe better. She's lived her whole life in luxury, but seeing him so free-spirited makes her life worth living. It is a good change and life is great. They decide to turn their wedding into a combination of their old and new world together. A mesh of what they once knew and one that their guests will treasure forever. Details of diamonds & pearls delicately grace their wedding theme, while the rustic, openness, and nature's setting creates a backdrop for their perfect union. The men are dressed casually, with rolled up sleeves & suspenders. The girls are glammed up--the bride in a mermaid style dress with a luscious bouquet of all white, diamonds, pearls, and black feathers.
They arrive in a black town car, and as they drive up to the day's activities, they are greeted by strolling violinists and guests are given the royal treatment. The bride arrives and is escorted to the ceremony site, which is lined with cushioned benches & the aisleway grouped with rustic lanterns. The ring bearer, too, is in on the theme as he carries a mini briefcase that cradles the wedding rings. The view is perfection as she sees her husband-to- be under the archway that effortlessly combines curly willow, full blooms of hydrangeas, garden roses, and is awe-struck by the glistening of hanging crystals & pearls. With the ceremony leaving their guests misty-eyed and overwhelmed with joy, the servers lead the guests through a freestanding doorway adorned with florals and a sign that reads: "This way to Love..."
The cocktail hour scene serves as a comfortable setting for family reunions & catching up. Guests can sit on picnic tables or grab a rolled up, hand-made picnic blanket to sit on the lawn area. Packed lunches have been neatly displayed for guests to help themselves. Each cardboard gable box has been labeled with the lunch's contents & event information. Off in the near distance, a 125 year old tree is draped with a custom fabric photo backdrop & hanging above are a few crystal lanterns. " Please Leave a message & a memory for the couple" - a sign displays. Guests try to contain their random outbursts of laughter, but a prop box with boas, mustaches, and a chalk board that allow for creativity or drunkeness take over.
The reception tablescapes are adorned with layers of texture from different shaped crystal glassware to the opulence of the different hanging crystal chandeliers hanging from various heights above. As dinner concludes, the guests are led to the barn for the rest of the night's festivities. Chic leather tufted benches & ottomans are grouped inside, leaving an open dance floor in the center. Once a barn from the outside, it is now a transformed into a metropolitan night life. Guests are taken from casual to a hearty blend of textural elements. Each space is turned into an unexpected surprise--a wedding that is completely characteristic of the pair.
This submission is by Jazz Tyrril-Smart of event TH!S
2010 Green Acres Inspiration(with a twist)
This is my interpretation of an Australian Style Green Acres.
Style: Aussie Chic
As the guests arrive at the Sippy Downs Homestead, a vast and open space with Eucalyptus trees & paddocks. The smell of Lemon Myrtle scent wafts in the air as they make their way through to the ceremony space.
Glimmers of golden wild grasses, rusty red corrugated iron water tanks, and silver & green shimmers off gumnuts in the trees, catch the eye. This is Mother Nature at her best.
The Sippy Downs Homestead is the wedding venue and also the couple’s home - the bush, the outback is where Byron the Groom has staked his claim as a proud land owner and where Madelyn his Bride has come to love the sounds of….. silence.
Byron is waiting at the end of the jute carpet runner in his best RM Williams clobber – navy blazer, caramel tailored pants, crisp white shirt and of course the iconic brown leather RM Williams boots, finished off with an Australian Native buttonhole – where the Gumnut has pride of place.
While he is waiting for his bride to arrive in his favourite car - the FJ Holden, he takes a minute to breathe in his surroundings. The market umbrellas with crystals hanging from them catch his eye, he thinks - calico market umbrellas with crystals now that is city meets country!
He looks above into the clear blue sky to see the chandeliers from their old city home glistening in the sun and hanging from Coolabah Trees. Off in the distance his favourite tree on the property, the Bottle Tree has crystals, ornaments and tea lights hanging from it – which makes him smile.
He sees a glimpse of the trio of white FJ Holden’s making their way down the Homestead Drive, his heart starts beating faster and the anticipation of seeing his Wife to be is overwhelming.
Madelyn is a vision in her Australian designed gown, her blue/green Opal earrings glisten in the sun and the Australian freshwater pearl and Emu feather fascinator is a beautiful finishing touch.
Madelyn looks down at her bouquet full of locally sourced Australian Native fauna and flora - she composes herself, the shades of red, silver, green and white in her bouquet seem to calm and put her at ease.
Its time… a local acoustic duo start as Madelyn makes her way to the ceremony space, its perfect.
After the ceremony the guests make their way over to the drinks station located near the Bottle Tree. Wild Lime Mojitos poured from corrugated drink canisters is a refreshing way start to the festivities.
Wedding guests comment on the selection of Australian cheese and locally harvested grapes from the nearby vineyards. Quality is important for Byron and Madelyn, it’s as important as supporting local farmers and producers. As the old adage goes - fresh is best!
Guests are escorted to the other side of the Homestead, while making their way to the reception area they pass an old Hills Hoist Clothes Line with escort cards pegged onto the line. The guests have in finding their name as they clothes is moved around from guest to guest to locate their name and table allocation.
As the guests turn the last corner of the Homestead pathway lit by recycled glass jars with gum leaf bees wax candles there is a soft gasp of excitement.
Tables are set out under the open sky, there are candles everywhere and the sun is beginning to set – this sunburnt country is stunning!
Gorgeous silk table cloths in the most amazing ochre brown colour with natural hessian table runners contrast each other. The silverware candelabras & crystal glassware is sparkling and reflecting off the sunset & candle light.
Madelyn’s favourite element of the event is the rich brown wood Tiffany chairs with hessian draped over them, it symbolises the style of the event – glamour with an accent of country!
Each individual setting has a miniature handcrafted horse shoe from the local black smith with a place card and miniature hessian bag with a seedling gum tree for each guest to take back to the city.
Tonight will be a night for star gazing under the Australian Southern Cross constellation!
Items on the menu have been especially created for the couple’s guests tonight – the “city slickers” as Byron and Madelyn like to call them now.
Some of the menu items will include Traditional Damper, Shrimp on the Barbie, Wattleseed Beef Tenderloin, Paperbark Smoked Vegetable Parcel & Gumleaf Scented Creme Caramel – and it’s all locally produced.
Byron’s toast is made with a 1980 Penfolds Grange Hermitage - a deep crimson brick red wine and nothing but the best for this newly christened winemaker.
The couple’s first dance is under the starry jewelled night sky and on the red earth they now call home.
Byron and Madelyn could not be happier – they now know this is Their Country.
WRITTEN INSPIRATION
My Country
The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!
A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.
Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die -
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.
Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold -
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.
An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.
What our lead designer, Gloria Wong of Gloria Wong Design loved most about Yelena's entry:
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