Classic, elegant and romantic are the perfect words to sum up the wedding of John Nesvaderani & Flora Mansour. We first met them in June 2020, freshly engaged and dreaming of their intimate traditional wedding. With nothing booked and no date set, we knew we’d be able to help them make their dream a reality.
After their initial consultation, the journey began with finding the perfect venue and setting a date. For classic & elegant, who could go past the beautiful St Patrick’s of Nulkaba with its perfectly manicured gardens and historic church building, followed by the flawless Restaurant Kawul at Calais Estate! As for romance, the date just had to be St Valentine’s Day.
Throughout a relatively short planning lead time, John & Flora were such a sweet and quirky couple with wonderful fresh ideas, from drying their own florals to suggestions like cicadas and fungi for buttonholes. We guided them to the most budget-friendly options that would still let their personalities shine, helping them feel at ease and like their dream was on track.
Finally on a beautiful day in February the day came for John & Flora to seal their love forever in holy matrimony. Flora’s family had gone to the Sydney Flower Market and sourced all of the florals themselves, crafting them into stunning arrangements for the ceremony and reception. Bursts of babies breath and lilies hung from the end of the pews as Flora made her way down the aisle to John. She looked stunning with hair and makeup by Gloss Girl Bridal Story, in a timeless gown from Brides of Beecroft. Her hollywood curls framed her face perfectly as she peered through her veil at the love of her life. John beamed back, wearing a Myer suit set off with a tie covered in tiny red love hearts. As Deacon Lawrence Caelli sealed their love, their closest friends and family cheered and the couple set off for their new life together – starting with a trip to Kawul in a pristine white 1956 Jaguar from Blakes Wedding Cars.
That’s where the fun really began. We know that any wedding of ours where the couple have Middle Eastern background is going to be a party – and we LOVE it! The Bridal party entrance shone through with touches traditional to the couples’ heritage, with guests draping them in money and dancing that didn’t stop until just before the entrees were served. A true celebration of love (who could resist on Valentine’s Day?!), the speeches and special surprises for the evening kept coming. John gave an incredibly heartfelt 4-page speech to his new Bride, with barely a dry eye in the room. Flora met his beautiful speech with her own surprise – a guitar performance for her Groom that we helped keep top-secret for months! Even though we go over every tiny detail with our clients to ensure everything is perfect, we absolutely love helping our couples surprise each other and you can rest assured we’ll keep it that way until the grand reveal.
After a touching speech from Flora’s Father, he invited her Mother to the dance floor so he could dance with his love on Valentine’s Day. Rhiannon from Event Entertainers provided the romantic tunes and many couples joined in for what was a truly special moment, especially given the couple weren’t sure whether to have a first dance or not at such a small and intimate wedding of 24. The surprises weren’t just for the grown-ups – there was even a birthday cake surprise for one of the children!
The whole beautiful day was captured by the incredibly talented Bedroom Studio and we know that John & Flora will cherish their wedding photos forever. We loved working with the couple and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.
Vendors:
Wedding Planning, Styling & Design and On Day Coordination: @huntereventsnsw | Hunter Events NSW
Venue: @calaisestate | Calais Estate
Photographer: @bedroom.studio_ | Bedroom Studio Photography
Videographer: @sandyfeetfilms | Sandy Feet Films
Priest: Lawrence Caelli
Hair & Makeup: @glossgirlbridalstory | Gloss Girl Bridal Story
Entertainment: @tim.wilson.music | Tim Wilson Music
Cake: @melrose_cakes | MelRose Cakes
Cars: Blakes Classic Wedding Cars
Transport: @cheersbus | Cheers Bus
Facilities: @chillyboxcoolrooms | Chilly Box Cool Rooms
