During an Australian summer, Isabella marries her childhood sweetheart, Brendon, in a modern beach wedding. We are taken to New South Wales, Australia at the Summergrove Estate where a sense of warmth and love fill the air. Read how these two lovebirds went from a teenage dream to a real life fairy-tale!
Real Bride
#EnzoaniRealBride: Isabella + Brendon
Summergrove Estate Chapel
Set in an Australian summer, Isabella marries her teenage sweetheart, Brendon, in a modern beach wedding. We are taken to New South Wales, Australia at the Summergrove Estate where a sense of warmth and love fills the air.
It feels like so long ago. We were just 14 years old and met in our jobs working at KFC together. How romantic! We were friends, but not that close at the time. It wasn’t until two years later, I was updating my phone contacts with my new mobile number. Brendon replied back, “Who’s this?” and then we started texting back and forth.
Our first date was in early January 2010. We did all the cute teenage dates like ice skating, movies, and hanging out at parks. I still remember that young love feeling. Our love grew as did our little family when we got our first dog, Lucy. Our relationship soon became an adventure taking the three of us to Sydney from Brisbane.
We threw ourselves into work and quickly became ambitious in our careers. We rewarded ourselves by traveling to Europe not once, but three times! We both have so many amazing memories together.
Come August 2018, we drove from Sydney to the Hunter Valley for a weekend away. We had never been before, so we were both so excited. We arrived at this cozy cabin nestled in the hills overlooking the town of Pokolbin. It was so quiet and peaceful. Brendon seemed tense, and I tried to push away the thought of a proposal in fear of getting my hopes up. There was a lookout balcony near our cabin, and when Brendon suggested we go outside, my heart started racing.
We exchanged a few words, but after it went oddly quiet and I could feel Brendon’s nerves, I pulled him in for a hug. He’s quite tall, so when I laid my head on his chest, I could hear his heart pounding. I kept a tiny laugh inside. He pulled back, looked at me in the eyes as he got down on his knee and proposed. I don’t think my smile could get any bigger.
Gown Featured: NATALIA | Enzoani
I was thrilled and couldn’t stop hugging and kissing him. Brendon was more concerned about getting the ring on my finger. After all, he had the exact design I wanted to be made for me. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. He put a lot of effort into getting it right, so you can imagine when the ring didn’t fit, his face was so shocked. It was a priceless expression. But it didn’t matter because after the many years we had together, we were finally going to tie the knot.
Today, Brendon and I live happily married but in another city in Australia. We recently moved to Adelaide. I guess you can say we like to keep things interesting!
Gown Featured: NATALIA | Enzoani
Without a doubt, Brendon and I both agree the ceremony was our favorite part of the day. Saying “I do” was the reason for this special day. Standing in the Summergrove Estate Chapel overlooking the Tweed hinterland was so magical.
Gown Featured: NATALIA | Enzoani
The sun was coming out, the hills were green, and it was quiet and blissful. I don’t think we’ve ever looked into each other's eyes for that long before -- both smiling so much to the point our cheeks hurt! Hearing our celebrant Ben talk about our relationship to date, I just couldn’t believe the moment was finally here. We had become husband and wife.
Gown Featured: NATALIA | Enzoani
Brendon and I both love being near the ocean. It’s our happy place. Every year, we used to celebrate our anniversary at Icebergs in Sydney. We really wanted to capture something similar for our wedding reception and were also open to traveling. We stumbled across Babalou first, then continued looking at more venues through the Tweed and Byron area. We kept coming back to Babalou, and after visiting the venue, we knew it was the one. It was bright and fresh and not too stylized to allow us to dress the venue how we liked.
We then searched for a separate ceremony venue that was just as special for when Brendon and I said: “I do.” I liked the idea of indoors to create more of a formal feel. When we came across the Summergrove Estate chapel, we were in awe. It has these grand windows which were like the altar. The view was spectacular.
Gown Featured: NATALIA | Enzoani
Having two incredible venues, the styling process came easy. I’m very much a simple yet elevated person, and a lot of this came out in the wedding styling. It wasn’t too much, but just enough to keep it relaxed yet special.
I love my warm neutrals and blush tones which suited the area so well. It also created a romantic vibe!
Gown Featured: NATALIA | Enzoani
The Dress!
Do tell us about your gown.
I have the classic story of choosing a dress I least expected to. In fact, it was one of the staff at the boutique that pulled the dress off the rack and said to give it a try. By that stage, I had already tried a few styles, and she could see that I was looking for something sleek that still had glamour and wow factor.
When I saw myself in the NATALIA, it ticked all those boxes. I was in awe of the detailing and material. I’ve never seen anything more stunning. Especially from the back. That train made from that material was jaw-dropping. I loved the fitted bust and hip area which gave a modern and sexy aspect to the glamourous dress. The NATALIA was my perfect wedding dress and truly a masterpiece!
Advice to other brides?
Enjoy the process! It’s easier for things to become overwhelming at the best of times. It definitely helps to delegate so everyone knows what they need to do. Also, don’t forget that this is your day and absolutely fine to make your own decisions to create your special day. It’s the one day it’s all about you two!
credits
- Photographer: Joey & Jase Website
- Videographer: Anchored Cinema Website
- Enzoani Retailer: Eternal Bridal Website
- Enzoani Listing - Melbourne AUS
- Enzoani Listing - Sydney AUS
- Ceremony Venue: Summergrove Estates Website
- Reception Venue: Babalou Weddings & Events Website
- MUA: Lara Quinn Website
- Cake: Milk & Honey Cake Creative Website
- Celebrant: Benjiman Carlyle Website
- Music: Chris Hutchinson Website
- Stylist: Bliss + Willow Website
- Florist: Hello Flora Instagram
- Hair: Melissa Jayne Hair Instagram
