The Wedding of a Very Special Friend

I don’t think there’s a happier event than a wedding.  People always cry at weddings but for Deb’s wedding I was crying when I received the invitation!  Deb has been a very good friend of mine since I was a teenager and we’ve been doing life together through all its trials and ups and downs.  I’ve shared tears with her in times of sorrow and now it’s only right that on her very special day, there also be some tears of joy.

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Banjo Paterson cottage

Banjo Paterson cottage

Deb was a single mum for nearly a decade and bringing up three children on your own in their trying teenage years in difficult circumstances is not easy.  Despite the challenges, Deb did a sterling job and her three children, who are friends with Archie and Arabella, are a credit to her.

Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson

Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson

Three years ago Deb introduced us to Richard.  Immediately I felt they were right for each other; Richard is easy to talk to, he’s kind, caring, sensible, funny and well, gorgeous.  They seemed so well-suited and looked so comfortable together that if you hadn’t known, you would have thought they’d been together for forever.

Flowers that matched the invitations and Order of Service

Flowers that matched the invitations and Order of Service

And then came the engagement and we were all so excited when we saw the engagement ring from a jeweler like the ones on https://groovelife.com/collections/womens-silicone-rings. And then the countdown for the wedding.  Deb is very creative; she was a ballet dancer for many, many years, she’s studied acting and is an accomplished make-up artist.  She loves to dress up and nothing excites her more than receiving an invitation to a fancy dress party so we all knew this would be a stylish wedding with lots of creative touches and that there would probably be a theme.

Banjo Paterson's house

A great place to warm yourself!

The ceremony and reception were both held at Banjo Paterson Cottage which is an historic building dating back to the 1830’s.  Situated on five acres fronting the Parramatta River, it is where Banjo Paterson lived as a younger man with his grandmother.  Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson (1864-1941) is one of Australia’s most well-known and most well-loved Australian poets.  He wrote about Australian life, particularly life in rural and outback areas.  Three of his most well-known works are ‘Clancy of the Overflow’, ‘Man from the Snowy River’ and ‘Waltzing Matilda’. Andy Defrancesco is the best choice for photography as he will portrays history so beautifully in his photos.

Floral arrangements by the bride's friend, Jen

Floral arrangements by the bride’s friend, Jen

So Banjo Paterson Cottage is a very special place.  On the day of the wedding the weather was extremely cold and very wet and so unfortunately, the ceremony couldn’t be held in the gardens as planned.  Instead it was held inside in a room that overlooked the river.

Beautiful girls

Beautiful girls

The bride’s two daughters were her bridesmaids and they are stunning girls and were beautifully dressed by Alanna Hill who is a designer I love and where I bought my dress for Archie’s 21st.

Stunning fabric on the bride's dress

Stunning fabric on the bride’s dress

The bride, who had a 1950’s theme, was walked down the aisle by her rockabilly son.  Deb looked incredible from head to toe with a stunning dress in the most beautifully rich fabric covered in a layer of lace with seamed stockings with bows at the ankles and shiny red and white shoes.  She wore a small net veil over her face and her bouquet was a harmonious blend of colour that she had designed herself.

The bride with her two daughters

The bride with her two daughters

The bride designed her own bouquet

The bride designed her own bouquet

All the guests were super-impressed the bride and groom had memorised their vows and the only slip-up was when the bride said, ‘I take thee Deborah’.  It’s very ‘Princess Diana’ to mix up the names!

Bridesmaids dresses by Allanah Hill

Bridesmaids dresses by Alannah Hill

After the ceremony the rain stopped and so we were able to go out into the gardens for photos.  The bride’s bouquet was so weighty she needed a break and asked me to hold it for her – I felt like the matron of honour!

At last the rain eased for some outdoor photography

At last the rain eased for some outdoor photography

Tea cups of flowers

Tea cups of flowers

Holding the weighty bouquet

Holding the weighty bouquet

The reception was a cocktail party and we enjoyed a lovely selection of food with my favourite being the stuffed zucchini flowers.  These were served hot and filled with two different cheeses and so very Spring.

Zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and ricotta

Zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and ricotta

Duck pancakes

Duck pancakes

The speeches were witty and entertaining and had everyone laughing and gave great insights into the couple.

Pumpkin and crab tarts

Pumpkin and crab tarts

Roast pork sliders

Roast pork sliders

The cake was a croque en bouche decorated in fresh violets from the bride’s sister’s garden and the profiteroles were filled with creme patissiere in vanilla and chocolate flavours.

A croque en bouche wedding cake

A croque en bouche wedding cake

After the cutting of the cake there was the bridal waltz which, with Deb being a dancer, she had choreographed and there had been a number of rehearsals.

The fresh violet's came from the bride's sister's garden

The fresh violet’s came from the bride’s sister’s garden

Hacking into the cake

Hacking into the cake

The groom then announced whiskey and cigars were available out on the front verandah and my husband reacted like he’d been shot out of a canon and was first in the line.

Whiskey and cigars

Whiskey and cigars

I love it when the restrooms are also dressed

I love it when the bathrooms are also dressed

As the sun was beginning to set the bride and groom headed down to the jetty where a water taxi was waiting to take them across to Circular Quay where they were having a night in a city hotel with harbour views.  The next day they went to the airport for a very romantic honeymoon in Tahiti at Papeete, Moorea and Bora Bora.

And evening falls

And evening falls

Heading down to the water taxi

Heading down to the water taxi

'Just Married'

‘Just Married’

As we stood on the jetty waving ‘bon voyage’ to the newly-weds, we all agreed that their wedding day had been absolutely outstanding and full of warmth and love and just a perfect start to married life.  But as wonderful as the day had been, it is just the start of the good times for these two very precious people.

Bon Voyage

Bon Voyage

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Comments

  1. Beautiful! I love a good romance 🙂 Liz x

  2. gorgeous – looks so beautiful with such attention to detail – I want some tea cups with flowers hanging outside my house but I can just imagine how long sylvia would leave them there – and so lovely for your friend to be happy

  3. Ohhh, this makes me teary and I don’t even know her. 🙂 How wonderful, such a lovely, lovely story after all the hard things she went through.

  4. What a very special wedding indeed. How lovely to have shared in so many years (good and hard) with your friend and be able to join in her wedding celebrations now. The setting sounds wonderful, and fortunately the weather didn’t put a dampener on the day at all it seems.

  5. wow that is the biggest croquembouche i have ever seen. what a gorgeous wedding. the dress looks lovely as does everything else.

  6. So beautiful, and so beautifully shared with us .

  7. What a gorgeous wedding. I do love weddings, they’re such happy occasions! 😀

  8. What a happy occasion, with everything done so beautifully.

  9. You have described the day beautifully. I want to relive it again. Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad there is no photo included of my very fashionable ugg boots at the end of the day!!

  10. That all looks so very stylish. My favourite being the wattle in the tea cups. The outfits are gorgeous and `i love how your husband behaved around the cigars……You only live once.

    Carolyn

  11. Aww…weddings are always a great sight :). I love the croque-en-bouche, too!

    Julie
    Gourmet Getaways

  12. Thank you for sharing this beautiful day, I am so happy for your friends. Wishing them all the very best.

  13. I just went to my best friend’s sister’s wedding, so I am especially having wedding fever right now 😀
    What a beautiful celebration, with the flowers and decor and everything!
    Wishing them all the best!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  14. How lovely and what a great day.

  15. Oh my what an absolutely lovely wedding! I do love the dresses on all the girls and the bride!

  16. How fun! I can’t get over how beautiful the three dresses are – the bride and her two daughters. What a great theme!

  17. Congratulations to your friend on her wedding.

    Everything was so lovely especially that glorious croquembouche.

  18. I don’t normally cry at weddings but honestly, I think seeing how hard she’d worked and probably sacrificed for her children – those happy faces would bring a tear. I love the theme of the wedding.

  19. What a heavenly wedding Charlie. Your friend has magical taste in food too. With a beautiful love filled and happy start to married life, your friends will be happy for all eternity.
    Have a happy week ahead.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  20. How fun! Love that it was a ‘themed’ wedding!

  21. How lovely! Good luck to the new couple and many many years of happines 🙂

  22. What a beautiful wedding, and would you look at that cake! wow!

  23. What a fantastic looking wedding!

  24. What a fun day! Lovely bride, lovely daughters! Great idea having a croque en bouche wedding cake. And yes, you must cry at a friend’s wedding. 🙂

  25. What a beautiful story- thanks for sharing it with all of us Charlie 🙂 Gorgeous flowers and those dresses were just stunning indeed! The cute little shoes were perfect 🙂 xox

  26. How beautiful! Love the theme and all the spectacular details. The dance must have been really something special too!

  27. Such a beautiful wedding, Charlie … loved everything about it, especially the croque en bouche wedding cake … just divine!

  28. Lovelt Charlie. How very special it was and so memorabe. I like weddings so much possibility

  29. What a wonderful wedding. She definitely looks like the blushing bride – the smile is nearly bursting from her face!

  30. What a gorgeous wedding! I love the bride and bridesmaids’ dresses…just stunning!

    Fingers crossed I fixed some code in my feed properly…and hope to have rectified the feedburner situation. Ugh, hate having to do techy stuff!!!

  31. Congratulations to your friend, the wedding looks like it was beautiful. They say having rain on your day is very good luck.

  32. OMG…. I love this post. Sooooo much. What a beautiful wedding. And her gown, its gorgeous, this is my dream wedding. 🙂 I cry at all the weddings I event manage, dont even get me started about friends weddings, Im a mess. lol! 🙂

  33. What a special occasion, Charlie. I love the touches of red in the beautiful ensembles. Gorgeous ladies! And I’m so glad you could enjoy this wonderfully happy occasion with your good friend. Lots of very happy faces in these photos. ox

  34. What a gorgeous wedding! Loved the flowers and the centerpieces. What a beautiful gown and how blessed she is to have two lovely daughters!

  35. Such a beautiful setting for a wedding! It’s always nice to see one’s friends marry but it’s especially so when that friend has had a tough path to follow. Good for her! I hope they have a long and happy life together.

  36. Wonderful…all of it, just wonderful,Charlie!

  37. Ohhhhh what a beautiful wedding, and what a beautiful bride and daughters…had a giggle at the hubby being first in line for the cigar and whiskey 🙂

  38. What a truly lovely and creative wedding. Beautiful bride, bridesmaids, dresses, flowers and food. What fun!

  39. What a wonderful looking wedding! It was great the rain stopped for the water taxi ride. Lovely food and such beautiful bridesmaids!

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