Bride & Groom: Hannah Hooper + Sam Fong
Planning & Styling: White Events
Gown: Monique Lhuillier
Accessories: HR signature veil, Sarah & Sebastian earrings, Jennifer Behr headpiece, Manolo Blahnik heels
Bridesmaids dresses: Cult Gaia
Venue: Fraser Gallop Estate, Margaret River
Photography: Teneil Kable Photography
Videography: Orris Films
Floral: Natural Art Flowers
Hair & Makeup: Brittany Mason, Catherine Mooney
How did you and your husband meet?
Sam and I met at an AFL Ladies Day event where I had gone to support a girlfriend who played in one of the teams. Unbeknownst to me, one of our mutual friends had gone up to him and said she wanted to introduce him to me. Sam wasn’t keen on a setup so didn’t want to know who it was she wanted him to meet. Not too long after that Sam and I happened to be standing next to each other in the bar line (I know, such a cliché!) and hit it off right away..the rest is history!
How did he propose?
Sam proposed on the morning of my birthday weekend on a secluded beach near Bradleys Head point. We then enjoyed a champagne breakfast at my mum’s house with Sam’s parents. They had no idea that he was proposing, so we got to surprise them at breakfast which was quite special. Sam had then booked a beautiful lunch for the two of us and the celebrations continued with a birthday / engagement party that evening with all our friends and family!
What was your vision for your wedding day?
I had always wanted to get married in the Margaret River as we had spent many summers there at Sam’s family property. The first year I visited WA we had visited Fraser Gallop Estate and I absolutely fell in love with the venue. The estate features a large Palladian style home, which fronts a lake, and across the lake there are sweeping views of the vineyard. I said to Sam that day that if we ever got married this is where I’d want to have it! In terms of styling, my vision was clean and crisp with lots of whites and ivory. For the flower arrangements I envisioned hydrangeas and orchids mixed in with baby’s breath.
Where did you look for your wedding inspiration?
Mostly Pinterest and Instagram!
What drew you to your gown from Helen Rodrigues Bridal?
I had been referred by some girlfriends who said that they had the best experience with the HR team. I had seen my dream dress on Instagram and messaged Helen right away who had me in for a trunk show viewing within a couple of weeks. It was a one and done job! Thanks to Helen it was probably the least stressful part of the whole wedding planning process.
What was your wedding planning journey like for you? How far out did you start planning?
We had booked in the date and venue a few weeks after getting engaged and had also had our first meeting with our wedding planner by that point. Once the big things were locked in, most of the planning happened about 6 months out from the wedding. We had a great wedding planner who helped make it a seamless and stress-free experience.
What was the biggest decision you had to make?
The biggest decision was choosing whether to have an interstate wedding. We were cognisant that there would be travel and a fair amount of logistics involved for guests to get there. We made sure to provide a lot of information and guidance to our guests on where to stay, how to get around and we organised shuttle buses to and from the wedding and recovery party the next day.
What was the highlight of your wedding day for you?
Without a doubt the highlight of the day for me was the ceremony. Surprisingly I was the calmest I had been all day whilst walking down the aisle and during the ceremony. It felt like it happened in slow motion, and I somehow remember every moment of it. The latter half of the wedding – not so much!
Is there anything you would do differently?
Honestly nothing! The day was perfect and even if there a couple of little hiccups, no one notices, and you just go with it.
Is there any advice you would give other #HRBride’s?
Remember that it's about the two of you. Everything else is secondary. If possible, try and sneak off for a few minutes for some alone time and even watch the wedding from afar! It’s nice to take this moment to be present and soak it all up as the day goes by so incredibly fast!
Helen, Sophie and whole the team are true professionals. Not only does Helen stock the most incredible gowns, but the attention to detail she showed throughout the entire experience was second to none. Helen took the time to really understand my vision for the day and matched me up with incredible accessories to pull the look together. From my initial enquiry through to styling, alterations and the delivery of the dress, the team were so helpful and truly made the process stress-free (and fun)! Thank you to Helen and the team for providing me with such an amazing experience. I can't recommend Helen Rodrigues Bridal more highly!