“Des and I met on the first day of year two – at the tender age of seven,” reveals Lana. But didn’t profess their love to each other until eight years ago, “ at the bus stop outside a university Oktoberfest Party.” What an epic love story that will be for the grandkids! And when it came to their big day, a long list of Hello May faves were there to make it one to remember! To start with, the bride confesses, “stationery is my life,” so we weren’t at all surprised when we saw the phenom Terrace Press did the invites. The Salty Shutter was on photos, Morelife Films had the cinematography down pat, the guests were entertained by The White Tree, while the bride wore a veil by Prea James Bridal and the pair wore RUUSK rings. Scroll down for more…
THE VENUE “One of the best bits of a Jewish wedding is the dancing, so finding somewhere that could accommodate 200 spinning dancers – some on chairs – was paramount for us. We wanted a venue that was both outdoors, private (and had a wet-weather fall-back), which meant that none of Sydney’s options were going to work for us. We saw roughly 15 venues. and finally landed on Wallalong House. We were in love with the venue immediately for its old-school charm, bohemian twists and extensive views over the paddocks.”
THE DRESS “When we got engaged, my Oma (grandma) subtly passed me a post-it note to say that she wanted to buy me my dress. My Oma and I are incredibly close so it was invaluable to have her come along to choose the dress with me. I chose a beautiful dress from Rue De Seine that was classical in style but had some details that referenced my love of travel.”
REFERENCES “We spent hours trawling Hello May and Instagram for our photographer. When we landed on The Salty Shutter’s profile, we knew we’d hit the jackpot. After our first beer with Dane, we were sold. He was incredible at recommending our fantastic planning/decoration duo, Em and Jen from The Wild Side and Solstice Events. The wedding wouldn’t have been the same without those three legends.”
TALK ABOUT TRADITION “As Des and I are both Jewish, we incorporated beautiful centuries-old traditions into the day. Firstly, it’s tradition to not see each other for a week before the wedding, so we moved back home to our parents’ so that we could focus on family and really start to miss each other. Traditionally, rather than a proclamation of “you may now kiss the bride”, a Jewish marriage is marked with the groom stomping on a (napkin-wrapped) glass – in a modern-take on this time-honoured tradition, both Des and I jointly stomped on the glass to an outpouring of “Mazal Tovs” from the guests. In addition to our bridal party, we invited our parents to join us under the Chuppah – the wedding canopy – so that they could stand next to us as we were married. Immediately following the ceremony, we invited all 200 guests to join us on the dance floor for the traditional Horah (Jewish circle dancing). The energy and excitement in the air was palpable as guests who’d never met held hands and swirled around each other. We can definitely recommend this as a unique ice breaker!”
MARRIAGE MEANS… “More bling from RUUSK! In Jewish tradition, your wedding band can’t have any stones or engravings, so I got two wedding rings – the plain one I was married with and a second one that is engraved to match Des’.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “The wedding would not have been what it was without Jen from Solstice Events and Dane from The Salty Shutter – these guys are the bees knees of wedding planning. Dane didn’t manufacture poses and artificial frames, instead he asked us questions to answer to each other that he knew would be thoughtful and emotionally provoking based on our relationship and who we are.”
If you’re keen to see more from these epic vendors – phenom photographer, cinematographer, paper goods people, fun-filled band, stunning bridal brand and/ or jewellers, head to the following directory listings – once you’re finished scrolling through this glorious wedding, of course – The Salty Shutter, Morelife Films, Terrace Press, Prea James Bridal, The White Tree & RUUSK…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer The Salty Shutter Cinematographer Morelife Films Event Planner Solstice Events Stylist & Florist The Wild Side Stationery Terrace Press Ceremony & Reception Wallalong House Catering Fennel & Co. Catering Kippot (Jewish Male Head Covering) Skullcap Hire Items Love Stoned Styling & Ahava Designs Marquee Beavis Entertainment The White Tree Signage Bridge + Co. Celebrant Emanuel Synagogue (Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins) Rings RUUSK Transport Central Coast Mustang Hire THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Rue De Seine Veil Prea James Bridal Shoes Loeffler Randall Accessories Bo & Luca Hair Hair by Rhie Makeup Vardit Lahav Bridesmaid Dresses Winona & Sheike Bridesmaid Shoes Zomp THE GROOM Suit & Shirt Brent Wilson Groomsmen Suits Brent Wilson Groomsmen Gifts Bailey Nelson