I love a good wedding, always have, always will. This Friday Prince William and Catherine Middleton will marry in what is sure to be the wedding of the century! I can not wait! So this week I decided that my blog is going to be all about weddings. And where better to start than my own wedding day.
I think anyone who knows me well would assume that I would have had the monumental bridezilla's about me. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I like to be the centre of attention, however, contrary to popular belief I happened to be one of the most relaxed brides to be because....I had my amazing Mum organize the whole wedding!
At the time Mr D and I were living in Melbourne and being both from Sydney we wanted to get married in our home town. I had never actually dreamed about having a big wedding but once we were engaged and Mr D said he wanted to get married at his school chapel the wedding got a life of it's own and what started out as an intimate ceremony and reception turned into an event for 140 guests.
Thankfully, Mum and I have the exact same taste when it comes to pretty much everything in life so I put all my trust in her to design a beautiful wedding that had a vintage and classic feel and nothing too OTT so I wouldn't look back in 20 years and regret anything!
Really the only thing that I was in charge of was my dress. I had made a few appointments at bridal stores in Melbourne and hated the whole experience - too many bridezilla's in one room squeezing themselves into sample dresses! I flew to Sydney and Mum and I visited a few bridal boutiques but still I couldn't find my dream dress. Enter my Sister and a costume designer for the Australian Ballet. My amazing sister, designed my dress and through people I knew in Melbourne I was introduced to Alexis George a young costume designer working for the Australian Ballet. Alexis agreed to make my dress while also working full-time at the ballet. It took her five months but the result was really breathtaking, I have never felt so beautiful in all my life and will treasure my dress forever.
The morning of the wedding was one of the most happy and exciting days of my life. As I've said before I adore all things Chanel and my amazing Mum had managed to score the Head Makeup Artist for Chanel in Sydney to do our makeup, seriously I was in makeup heaven! Not only that but Mum being Mum wouldn't stop until I had a hairdresser who had worked in TV and Movies to do my hair. If there is one day to feel like a star it's your wedding day! I was surrounded by my closest girlfriends and my family and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
My wedding day was everything I had wanted it to be. Walking down the aisle with my Dad was heaven and a memory I will treasure forever. Standing opposite Mr D and reciting our vows was pure magic and it felt like no one else existed but the two of us for those few moments.
I've been told by a few guests that our reception was the best they had ever been to and that made me so very happy. I wanted my reception to not only look beautiful but to feel like a big party. I had both a DJ and a live band and I spent most of the night on the dance floor with my friends and family and I guess the only bad thing about it all was it felt like it was all over too quickly.
We had organized a big bus to ferry the guests from the Chapel to the reception and back into town and from what I hear the bus ride home was party central with my brilliant brother in law taking the microphone and doing an impromptu karaoke performance!
Marriage to me is not about religion or faith it is about the joining of two people who love each other enough to stand in front of their friends and families and commit to each other for life. I wish that the gay friends in my life could have the same opportunity given to straight people and I hope I'm around to see the day when there is marriage equality.
My wedding day was an absolute blast, it was everything I wanted it to be and I will be forever thankful to my wonderful parents for organizing such a beautiful event. But what is most important is not the day itself but the life you carve together as a couple.
You have your ups and downs but through all the curve balls life has thrown at us I am forever grateful that I get to wake up every morning to my best friend, a man who is so incredibly funny, kind and smart and has definitely made me a better person.
