Venus and Roman's Chic Sydney Wedding
What was your wedding venue (ceremony & reception) and why did you choose there?
We had both our ceremony and reception at Restaurant Hubert in Sydney.
We used to frequent the bar at Hubert often as we both worked in the building next door and grew to really love the place. When we were looking for a place to hold a small, intimate celebration, the Theatre Room turned out to be the perfect spot to do everything in one place!
Did you have a wedding theme/style? If so, tell me about it, please.
Not really to be honest… we were both making it up as we went!
Thankfully the venue itself pretty much set the tone we wanted, and we just kept everything else as simple and stripped back as possible.
Our main goal was to have everyone dress up, feel fabulous, and come celebrate with us over copious amounts of good food and drink!
How did you and your now Husband meet?
We met at work – I was technically his boss for a little while!
What is your proposal story?
I had flown down to Melbourne for the weekend as he was down there for a work trip.
We had just finished a big brunch but then stumbled across a bakery – I insisted on buying too many pastries, as always.
We then went to a nearby park to lie in the sun for a bit, and the next thing I know, I’m grabbing a doughnut out of the box and there was a ring stuck in it!
How did you hear about Prea James Bridal?
I had seen Prea James come up when I first started looking for a dress online.
From where did you purchase your gown?
From the Sydney flagship in Paddington – Gemma and Kira were both incredible.
Also a massive shout-out to Sally Wong, who the team recommended I go to for tailoring – she was so patient with me and incredibly generous with her time and expertise! The dress didn’t quite fit the way I wanted after the first alteration, and she worked her magic to get it fitting like a glove on the day.
What do you love most about the gown?
It’s simplicity – I knew I wanted something elegant and comfortable, and suited my usual aesthetic.
Beads and lace were not my thing, so I’m really glad I found something I felt myself in!
Were there any details that you (and friends and family) made yourselves?
My best friend/bridesmaid made all the signage and place cards! And the signing table and wishing well were pieces from my in-law’s home, which worked really beautifully with the venue.
Finally, Do you have any words of wisdom for couples planning their big day? This can be to do with any part of the wedding – eg, planning, budget, or the day itself.
We tried to keep things as stripped back as possible and not do too many things for the day/on the day – I think this allowed us to stress (slightly!) less leading up to the wedding.
We are also glad we chose to do photos before the ceremony, which, whilst understandably unconventional, really allowed us to spend as much time as possible with our family and friends without having to leave them to take photos between the ceremony and reception.
Time flies by so quickly, so it was really nice to soak up as many moments as possible!
Wedding Vendors
Photographer: Idlewild (Bobby)
Absolute living legend! We are so, so glad we had Bobby take photos for us on the day. We were not keen on having to do posed photos, etc. as we are both so awkward in front of a camera, but Bobby was so relaxed, so prepared and experienced, and made everything so easy and painless. And the photos are amazing – we especially love the ones capturing candid moments of all our friends and family throughout the night.
Hair & Makeup: Hannah Duong
I could not rave about Hannah enough. She is so good at what she does and is an amazing human to boot. It really was an added bonus to have someone so easy to talk to when you’re spending hours together in close proximity! And as someone who generally wears very little makeup, I was so thankful she made me feel so beautiful and comfortable in my own skin that day – my bridesmaids and mother felt the same!
Florist: September Studio
Coolest florists in Sydney. I gave them my colour palette and general ideas for the room, and they created magic. I had no idea what flowers were going to be used or how it was all going to look, but I knew I was in safe hands. I was (and still am) absolutely obsessed with the bouquets and how they turned out on the day.
Cake: Flour and Stone – the chocolate cake of our dreams.
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bec + Bridge
Groom Suit: Emporio Armani
Groomsman’s Suits: MJ Bale