Montarna’s Story
Bride & Groom: Montarna & Nick
Planning & Styling: After The Rock Weddings
Gown: Inbal Dror
Venue: Redleaf, Wollombi
Photography: Erin and Tara
Floral: Grandiflora
How did you and your husband meet?
Nick and I met via mutual friends in 2013.
How did he propose?
In October 2017 Nick tricked me in to thinking I was heading to Sean’s Panorama at Bondi for his belated birthday celebration. Actually I arrived to the private room filled with flowers, candles, Celine Dion playing and he was down on one knee! Both of our parents were waiting excitedly in the next room so once I’d said yes they joined us to celebrate our engagement. It was so well-planned and it caught me completely off guard – no easy feat!
What was your vision for your wedding day?
We just wanted our wedding day to scream ‘us’. Aesthetically we went for an eclectic vibe reflecting our home. I loved that Redleaf has a European feel and wanted to teleport our guests to the vibe of a private villa in the Italian countryside.
Where did you look for your wedding inspiration?
We drew inspiration from everywhere but mostly from interiors, and our personal style when we renovated our home and my office. Our wedding planner Georgie was amazing – once she got my vibe she was great in sourcing further references and really pulling everything together.
For your wedding day what drew you to your gown from Helen Rodrigues Bridal?
I chose a wedding dress from Israeli designer Inbal Dror – it was everything I thought I wouldn’t wear! My style usually has a masculine edge but this was all-out girly, it even had a huge bow on the front and an incredible princess silhouette. I like to be bold with my fashion choices so a simple white dress wasn’t going to cut it on my wedding day!
What was your wedding planning journey like for you? How far out did you start planning?
We started planning shortly after getting engaged. Nick and I both have busy careers and we needed enough time to create our perfect day alongside everything else life throws at us. I work in PR and events so the actual organisation and logistics didn’t phase me, but our wedding planner Georgie was a godsend in keeping us on track and taking the time-intensive tasks off our hands.
What was the biggest decision you had to make?
Definitely the venue. We didn’t make life easy for ourselves with the choice of location. Redleaf is stunning but it’s very remote so it took a lot of checklists, dotting i’s and crossing t’s to ensure we remembered everything ahead of the day. And with Redleaf being a private property rather than a dedicated wedding venue we had to bring in all styling and catering elements ourselves - although personally I loved this aspect, taking a beautiful blank canvas and making it completely our own.
What was the highlight of your wedding day for you?
I surprised everyone by walking down the the aisle to bagpipes playing Flower of Scotland. We had three pipers with one leading my dad and I to the top of the aisle. When he started marching in front of us to get into beat we both got very emotional and everything became very real all of a sudden. We then came around the bend and I saw Nick for the first time - I’ll never forget that moment!
Is there anything you would do differently?
Not a thing – it was perfect!
Is there any advice you would give other #HRBride’s?
I love these wise words from Helen Rodrigues at my final wedding dress fitting - “don’t worry if some things don’t go to plan, as nobody knows the plan!
Working with Helen was a dream in the lead up to my wedding. She suggested the dress to me, and I’m so happy I listened to her as otherwise I would never have found my perfect bridal gown. From selecting the dress and being on hand for fittings around my schedule, to picking my dress up the day before the wedding and giving me so much trusted advice on all elements of my big day, Helen became a close confidante during my bridal journey and she’s an amazing support to women planning their wedding. MONTARNA #HRRealBride
