Peta - A Real Bride Story

Peta's Story

Who: Peta & Charlie
When: 7 April, 2018
Where: Anambah House, Anambah (Doltone House, Anambah)
Dress: Livne White from Helen Rodrigues Bridal
Accessories: Keren Wolf from Helen Rodrigues Bridal

Feeling like a movie star, a Pinterest vision come to life and a gown fit for a princess by a dream designer. 

From the moment Peta and her maid of honour walked into the Helen Rodrigues showroom, she knew her gown was waiting for her. She knew ‘the one’ was in here.

It was a dream come true for Peta to have her wedding gown designed by the extremely talented Alon Livne. It was love at first sight when she put on ‘the one’, stepping out of the fitting room feeling like a princess.

“It was very surreal. Excited and nervous at the same time! I remember it like it was yesterday, I walked out of the dressing room and Bec (my Maid of Honour) started tearing up. We knew I’d found the one!”

Peta’s wedding was everything she could have dreamed and more in April at her parent’s property in a purpose built, incredibly glam barn at Anambah House, Hunter Valley. All of her dream gown wishes had come true with her fully beaded Alon Livne ‘Kate’ gown and now her Pinterest vision had come to life on the wedding day.
 
The wedding was certainly not your average barn wedding with shimmering chandeliers, flowers artfully placed as far as the eye could see, beautifully draped fabric across the ceiling beams and the orchid-adored four tier wedding cake.

On the day itself, Peta was surprised by her fiancé, Charlie, with a gorgeous love note and pair of diamond earrings which was the most wonderful way to start her magical day.  
Peta took in every moment of the day from getting ready with the girls, sharing a very special moment with her Father tying is bow tie to seeing Charlie’s face as she walked down the isle and, of course, their first kiss as husband and wife!

Peta was so excited to walk into the reception in front of their families and friends as husband and wife and dancing the night away on the lawn under the glistening lights. 
Peta’s advice to brides who are starting out to find their dream gown is to not be afraid to try on shapes and styles you may not have thought of as “you will be surprised what looks amazing on you!”.

In Peta’s own words about her Helen Rodrigues experience; 
“Helen and her team were absolutely fantastic in the year leading up to my wedding. It always felt like they were part of my wedding team. Always happy to help - from my shoes to my undergarments, no question was too much. Helen went above and beyond and treated me as I were her only customer throughout the entire experience. The team are lovely, and the seamstress is a magician!! Not to mention, the best selection of high end gowns in Australia! A HUGE thank you - Could not have done it without you. Every bride must visit!!!”  

Photography by Mint Photography, Flowers by Susan Avery and Nicholas Haywood Jewellery

Sami - A Real Bride Story

Sami’s story

Who: Sami & Stephen
When: 3 March, 2017
Where: Centennial Vineyards, Bowral
Dress: Inbal Dror from Helen Rodrigues Bridal

Many brides have the idea of getting their wedding dress designed especially for them in a desire to have something unique, personal and very special. But like our real bride Sami found when she walked into Helen Rodrigues, the reality is that the incredible gown of your dreams is probably already out there and just waiting for you to try it on.

“Initially I wanted to get something made, so I met with a designer and the first piece of advice she gave me was, go try some dresses on and come back to me!” says Sami. “So I made an appointment at Helen Rodrigues, which was the first and last bridal shop I went to! I instantly fell in love with all of their gowns and knew I would find my dream dress in there.”

She ended up selecting a divine gown from Israeli designer, Inbal Dror, after discovering her at Helen Rodrigues and becoming besotted with all her designs.

“There is something just a little bit different about her gowns, they aren’t your conventional ‘wedding dresses’ which is what I loved,” says the newlywed.

The style of gown Sami chose however was not something she would have picked herself had it not been for one of her friends.

“Like most brides, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to suit my shape, but surprisingly one of my bridesmaids actually picked the gown off the rack,” she says. “I was sure it wasn’t me, but as soon as I tried it on... I knew it was the one. I felt excited, emotional and a little relieved.”

After finding her dream gown, Sami then also found the process of having fittings and other dress preparations extremely enjoyable.

“The experience at Helen Rodrigues was seamless from start to finish and the team have a way of making you feel super special,” she says. “Nothing was too hard for them. I must say I do miss popping into the shop to see them.”

When the big day arrived Sami’s magical vineyard wedding was everything her and husband Stephen had dreamed of, with not even a little bit of rain dampening their spirits. Her favourite memories from the day include getting ready with the girls and her mum, putting her dress on, walking down the aisle, seeing Stephen for the first time and dancing the night away.

And when it comes to sharing tips for other brides-to-be looking to make their day perfect, Sami has two pieces of wisdom: 

“The first piece of advice is to make sure you try dresses on even if you think they might not necessarily suit you. The last is to make sure you have spent some time walking in your wedding shoes!”

All photography by Lara Hotz Photography

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.