Louise - A Real Bride Story

Louise’s story

Who: Louise & Zach
When: 6 October, 2016
Where: The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney
Dress: Monique Lhuillier from Helen Rodrigues Bridal

The search for the perfect wedding gown can be long and tricky, but sometimes you can also get lucky – just like our gorgeous real bride Louise who ended up selecting the first gown she tried on at Helen Rodrigues.

“When I first stepped into the boutique I was excited! All the ladies were lovely and made me feel very comfortable,” says Louise, who then began her appointment by trying on a stunning Monique Lhuillier gown.

“I felt amazing...even though I had no idea what style of dress I wanted I knew straight away that it was perfect. Feminine, romantic and so elegant; and the lace detail, open back and silhouette was what I fell in love with,” she adds.

Louise then also found the experience of fittings with Helen Rodrigues a breeze in the lead up to the actual wedding.

“Any questions I had were answered. Appointments were made in advance which made the whole process seamless and stress free,” she says. “Staff were helpful and honest, and also helped with jewellery and veil ideas as I wasn’t sure what I wanted.”

And when preparations for a wedding come off without a hitch, it really does help to make the big day go smoothly as well.

“My favourite memory is the first time Zach and I saw each other,” says Louise. “The overall atmosphere of the day was magical.”

And even though Louise found her bridal gown straight away, her advice to other brides who are not sure what they want is to try on a few different styles, because you may be surprised once you have it on.

We’re so happy we could help Louise find her dream dress and hope her and Zach have a wonderful life together. 

All photography by: Lara Hotz Photography

Emma - A Real Bride Story

Emma's Story

Who: Emma & Jonathon
When: 25 February, 2017
Where: Dunbar House, Watsons Bay (Sydney)
Dress: Alon Livne from Helen Rodrigues Bridal

Planning a wedding can sometimes be stressful, which is why it was such a relief for our real bride Emma when she found organising her gown such a pleasant and comforting experience amidst her other wedding preparations.

“The ladies at Helen Rodrigues are all so lovely and so helpful. I really valued their honest opinion when I was trying dresses on,” says Emma, who admits she was very excited but also a little overwhelmed initially by all the beautiful dresses in the boutique and having to make a decision on just one.

The designer she ended up choosing was Alon Livne. “I had done research online to see which labels Helen had in store and Alon's dresses stood out for me,” she says. “The style of his dresses were perfect for my figure and I loved all the intricate details.”

Emma says she knew she’d found her dress when she tried it on. “It was just beautiful and unique to all the others that I'd tried on previously. I think it was the back of the dress that really sold me - it's just gorgeous,” she says.

And after selecting her perfect gown, Emma found the personal service and support from Helen’s team continued right up until the wedding.  

“When I had chosen my dress, the time the girls spent with me on alternations to make sure I was happy, was just amazing. They even helped me choose my wedding jewellery,” says Emma. “I also had a minor breakdown at one fitting from the stress of organising the wedding day and Helen was so calm and caring and helped cheer me up – time was never an issue,” she adds. 

Once the big day arrived however, it was of course the dream wedding that Emma and her husband had envisioned; with their first wedding dance and the happiness in the room at the ceremony and reception being among her favourite memories. 

“It was such a happy day,” says Emma, whose advice to other brides is not to get too stressed out. “The right dress is out there!”

All photography by: Sarah from GM Photographics
 

Sophie - A Real Bride Story

Who: Sophie & Arie
When: 1 July, 2016
Where: Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
Dress: Zuhair Murad from Helen Rodrigues Bridal

For Irish-born Sophie, not having her mum here in Australia to join her on her bridal gown journey meant she was incredibly grateful for the family-like support given by Helen and her team in selecting, styling and fitting her dream wedding dress.

From the moment she first walked into the boutique she felt very supported and spoilt. After feeling very excited and in awe of all the gorgeous gowns available she ended up choosing a gorgeous dress from iconic Middle Eastern designer, Zuhair Murad.

“When I tried it on I felt very much like myself...just a shinier version. The quality of the gown was sublime and it was very much about how it made me feel more so than the name, that was an extra added plus!” says Sophie. “I was so excited for it to be the one I was going to be married in and to have all the beautiful memories of it from our photos. I couldn’t wait for the wedding day to come so I could wear it.”

It was the styling advice from Helen and her team however that Sophie found particularly thorough and helpful.

“I was not even considering a veil until Helen suggested it; I tried one on and was so grateful she did as I would have regretted not wearing one for sure. And during fittings, every tiny detail was attended to, to ensure I felt comfortable on the day,” says Sophie.”The seamstress Julie is so wonderful at what she does and made me feel so at ease and so well looked after.”

According to Sophie her favourite memories from her wedding day were celebrating her marriage to Arie with family and their closest friends....and of course wearing her fabulous gown!

Her advice for other brides-to-be? 

“Don't start too early – 11 or 10 months out is a good starting point. Make sure you have your venue and date chosen so you can visualise yourself on the day in the gown, and make sure you feel like yourself in the gown. The gown that's yours is the one that makes you feel the most special, beautiful and like yourself.”

All photography by Rory O’Toole.