Real wedding: Hamish and Naal

Posted on 8 May, 2017

Hamish and Naal’s story started on the first day of their first year of university at ANU and was celebrated with a gorgeous Aspen Island wedding in November last year.

GETTING READY

Both the bridal and grooms parties got ready in Hotel Hotel – a chic and quirky backdrop to their preparations. Naal takes us through the day.

“My dress was a strapless sweetheart neck, primarily white with holographic lace on top, and layers and layers of pink tulle underneath,” she explains.

“It was knee length at the front and a puffy long train! I wanted something a little bit unconventional, so a creative friend of mine looked at lots of sample fabric and I sat down and drew exactly what I wanted!”

“My friend Heather, put together the bottom half of the dress which included all the layers of pink tulle and the train. I got in touch with Vicky from Rockstars and Royalty after I had seen one of her sparkly dresses at a wedding fair, to design my corset and top layer fabric.”

“My gown was paired with super funky chunky heels with flower details, because the style the shoes suited an outdoor wedding both functionally and aesthetically.”

“We also put together two flower headdresses to make a giant one to suit the puffiness of my dress. It was all paired with simple silver jewellery. It turned out exactly the way I wanted.”

Hamish wore a bespoke Brent Wilson light grey-blue suit with a faded brown check, paired with textured white shirt, pale pink bowtie and brown oxford style shoes.

“We both just tried to channel ourselves in our outfits, which worked out well,” says Naal.

The Ceremony

“We have always been very close, very honest about our feelings and always discuss everything, so it was more of a mutual decision at a regular weekend picnic, overlooking the Carillon (which is where we eventually got married).”

“The venue for our ceremony was Aspen Island organised for about 35 friends and family,” says Naal. “We chose it because it had emotional significance for both of us. It was a short, small and intimate ceremony where we wrote our own vows and cut the ceremony down to the basics of what was most important to us.”

“The venue was setup by Canberra I Do with quite simple and natural pieces of furniture and decoration.”

“We wanted a wedding that was both simple and not tied down by tradition,” explains Hamish. “Naal has always had a little bit of a fairy princess to her, and that was somewhat reflected in our decorations and her dress. But most of all, we wanted something that would blend into the location.”

The Reception

Hamish and Naal’s reception was held at Monster bar at Hotel Hotel.

“We chose Monster because it has such a good reputation and the venue and food suited our more informal, colourful theme and fun atmosphere,” the couple explain. “The food was served as a nine-course degustation, but instead of dividing our guests we sat at one long banquet table and had each course as shared plates.”

“Because it was a small wedding of close family and friends it made the night feel like a huge family dinner rather than an overbearing or overwhelming night.”

ADVICE TO OTHER COUPLES

“We learned that is essential for a wedding to have plans, but know that it will probably not go as to plan, so be ready to adapt and accept. Make the wedding a reflection of yourselves, and do things the way you are happiest with rather than what you think had to be done.”

“Make the wedding a reflection of yourselves, and do things the way you are happiest with rather than what you think had to be done, it’s your day. Most of all, have a lot of fun!”

The Details

Dress – Heather (maid of honour) and Vicky from Rockstars and Royalty 

Shoes – ASOS  

Accessories – Lovisa  

Bridesmaids dresses – Skirts from Gwynnies and tops on their own

Groom’s suit – Brent Wilson 

Groom’s shoes – Floresheim  

Groom’s accessories: Bowtie – Ministry, Pocket square – Gwynnies skirt repurposed

Rings – Michael Hill 

Getting ready Location – Hotel Hotel 

Ceremony – Aspen Island

Photographer – Anton Kross from Across the Forest 

Makeup – Tara Florence Artistry 

Prop hire – Canberra I Do 

Flowers – Ikea and Homebase for bridesmaids flowers and baskets made by bride and maid of honour and brides paper flower was made by Vicky from Rockstars and Royalty.

Stationery – Raisa Kross from Across the Forest 

Celebrant – Kate Porter-Smith 

Reception Venue – Monster Bar 

Cake – Pip and Lou 

Are you planning your own special day or know someone who is? Just love wedding stuff?

HerCanberra’s UNVEILED The Event on Saturday 3 June will be far from your run-of-the-mill bridal ‘expo.’

With interactive installations, workshops, beauty bars, fashion salons and a very special VIP long-table dinner, Unveiled is shaking things up with a wedding event unlike anything this city has ever seen.

Hosted in one of Canberra’s most pristine venues, the award-winning National Portrait Gallery, this truly immersive and stylish experience will showcase everything the modern couple needs to plan the perfect celebration.

UNVEILED: The Event will be held in two sessions on 3 June:

A general admission session, from 2pm to 6pm

A VIP degustation dinner, from 7pm until 10pm.

A highlight of the event will be its themed installations or ‘Atmospheres,’ where brides and grooms-to-be will literally step inside their dream wedding with room styling, cakes, florals, invitations, favours, fashion and more. Boutique caterers will also be on site, giving couples the chance to sample their wares.

Throughout the day, guests can peruse pop-up shops and stalls, get the latest in bridal fashion in a stylish fashion parade presented in a way you won’t expect, listen to handy workshops and talks, and be pampered by our beauty bars.

Grooms won’t be forgotten with our ‘Den’ where the guys (and anyone else so inclined) can explore essentials, such as grooming, fashion, accessories (and maybe a sneaky drink or two!)

At 7pm, the Atmospheres will be transformed into six unique dining spaces which will give guests the opportunity to experience Broadbean Catering’s versatile offerings.

This ticketed evening will include chef’s selection of elegant canapes on arrival, a three-course themed meal with matched wines and delectable handmade petit fours with tea and coffee, and amazing local entertainment.

What are you waiting for? Tickets are just $9.90 for general entry and can be purchased via Eventbrite.