HUDSON BRIDE // ESTHER & LUKAS

February 15, 2022

HUDSON BRIDE // ESTHER & LUKAS

Surrounded by acres of beautiful trees and flowers, at Woodhouse Manor’s outdoor chapel, Esther and Lukas were married. With divine spring florals in full display behind the altar and a clear marquee for reception so that the trees and stars could peek through, it’s safe to say the festivities embodied style, thought and magic! Esther even thrifted 70s style floral plates, ceramic jars, candlesticks and mismatched cutlery to curate the joyful and nostalgic feel, with flower arrangements creating pops of vibrant colour throughout the marquee.

The couple met at university, both studying law, when a mutual friend introduced them. A year later they had a class together, reconnected, and became inseparable. On a surprise trip to Kangaroo Island, Esther spent the whole trip waiting for Lukas to propose in the various beautiful locations they visited, “He knew that if I got annoyed that he hadn’t proposed – even though there were so many perfect locations – I wouldn’t notice what he actually had planned.”

They set off back to the mainland on a ferry and little did Esther realise that her sister and best friend had been setting up a beautiful picnic on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean near Cape Jervis (Lukas having door knocked a few weeks before and asked a stranger if he could propose on his land).

COUPLE’S NAMES

Esther & Lukas

WEDDING DATE

25/09/2021

GUEST TOTAL

120

WEDDING LOCATION

Woodhouse Manor, Piccadilly SA. The first time we saw the manor we instantly fell in love. The venue hire is for the weekend and includes accommodation for up to 40 people. This was so special as we had the run of the manor for the whole weekend. We wanted the wedding to feel like we were throwing a huge party in our own home and Woodhouse Manor was perfect. We set up a clear marquee under the trees attached to the heritage building.

WEDDING AESTHETIC

We wanted our wedding to feel joyful and nostalgic. We chose bright orange, pinks and yellows as the colour palette with 70s thrifted plates, retro ceramic jars and film cameras to match.

MARRIAGE TO US MEANS

A lifelong partnership between two people, hallmarked by unconditional and sacrificial love for each other, mirroring God’s love for us.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Acacia Chenda. We always knew we wanted to have Acacia as our photographer because her style is beautifully candid and authentic. She was happy to oblige our obscure photo locations and go on an adventure with us for the perfect photo. She captured the tone, movement, and colours of the day perfectly. Lukas runs a film videography and photography business (Swell Film) so we were able to hand out 35mm film cameras to guests to capture in-between moments and arrange for a dear friend to capture our wedding on Super 8 film.

The bride had always imagined wearing a dreamy, timeless dress with dramatic long sleeves. Another feature she wanted was for the gown to be as sustainably and ethically sourced as possible. At first, she struggled to find one in Adelaide and then finally, she stumbled across the Bo & Luca website, “As soon as I saw the Hudson gown I was sold…”

“It was everything I was looking for and more.”

Esther’s best friend convinced her to fly to Geelong to try the dress on at SoHo Bride. Although she was nervous to try the gown on, in case she was disappointed and had wasted a plane ticket, the bride exclaimed that the gown exceeded her expectations.

“I felt so comfortable (and able TO hit the dance floor!) but beautiful at the same time; it was like the dress was made for me.”

BRIDE’S DRESS

Hudson Gown, Temple by Bo & Luca

WEDDING DAY ACCESSORIES

A.B Ellie had the perfect in-between gold and silver drop earrings. Bared Shoes provided seriously comfortable but elegant shoes – even went for a scenic hike in them for photos.

WEDDING RINGS

I have always loved opals since receiving my grandma’s opal necklace as a child. My engagement and wedding ring both feature Australian opals and were designed by James and Irisa Jewellery, a small ethical business in Melbourne. Lukas’ wedding band was designed by Argent Silver Smith, another small ethical business in Victoria.

HAIR & MAKEUP

Styled by Tamika, NFM Hair and Chloe P Makeup were all small business gems – and tackled hair and makeup for nine girls with ease.

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES

My priority was finding dresses that were sustainable and ethical, but also that the bridal party felt comfortable in and could wear again. So, I asked all the girls to pick a Spell & The Gypsy dress or skirt and top that they loved.

ADVICE TO BRIDES-TO-BE

Let go of the small stuff once you hit the wedding day. You can’t control everything and there is bound to be something that turns out differently from what you anticipated. Choose to be in the moment and focus on celebrating the day well. And don’t be afraid to change up traditions. We decided that we would have a joint bridal party and just pick our favourite people! Ended up with 8 girls and 3 guys, but we had the best people around us on the day.

MOST TREASURED MOMENT OF MY WEDDING DAY

The ceremony. It was so meaningful, spiritual and joyful. We felt so loved, celebrated and blessed.

FLOWERS & BOUQUETS

For the bouquets – Bonnie Blooms florist was a no-brainer. She deliberately chooses seasonal and locally grown blooms curated to suit each wedding. I genuinely told her the theme was “orange, yellow and pink” and she created flower masterpieces for our bouquets. My mother is a hobby florist and has the knack (and patience) to wield flower arrangements together. We gathered (mostly) native flowers from our friends, family and church community (for free!) to create centrepieces, pew flowers and hanging flower installations.

WEDDING CAKE

We just had one request for our wedding cake – it had to taste good. So, one of the bridesmaids whipped up a delicious red velvet cake topped with berries.

FOOD & DRINKS

Lukas’ family has a small wine label, grown in McLaren Vale, called Price’s Wines. Their wines, as well as a few of our favourite beverages, including some Ambleside gin we flavoured at a local gin masterclass, paired nicely with the main course of paella (curtesy of La Dolce Vita catering).

SPECIAL WEDDING SONGS

I guess you could say “our song” is Exactly How You Are by the Australian band Ballpark Music. Long before the wedding day, we had an unspoken agreement that I would walk down the aisle to this song – despite some unconventional lyrics. Our first dance song Nothing Else, and father-daughter dance song, For Remembering, are both by another favourite Australian band, Angus and Julia Stone.

SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

We drew inspiration from the playful vibrancy of 70s décor and the nostalgic feel of Super 8 film with a focus on sustainability and repurposing.

HONEYMOON

We were lucky enough to be able to get away for 6 weeks and road trip from Adelaide to Perth, hugging the coast. We were blessed with beautiful weather, jaw-dropping scenery and plenty of surf sessions.