Alison Hughes Weddings

Erin + Sam's Royal National Park Wedding

14/10/2018

Relaxed and fun, this Royal National Park wedding was the ultimate daytime garden party with a destination wedding vibe. Set on the lawn of Telford Deer Park with the most spectacular views of Port Hacking River - there were so many fun touches to make the day memorable, including a garden games area and freshly shaken cocktails by the outdoor bar.

Read on to hear more about this gorgeous Autumn wedding day which I loved helping the couple coordinate. You'll just adore these beautiful moments captured in time by Anna Blackman Images.

When Erin and Sam told me they were expecting their first baby, and wanted to combine their wedding ceremony with a baby dedication ceremony, I knew this day would be an extra special one for me - and I was so right!

The couple loved the idea of a two night cabin stay adventure for both them and their guests in this little private escape. The long windy road to Telford through the park gives this venue a real destination wedding feel, and they knew they could easily create the weekend long garden party wedding they always wanted.

All florals throughout their wedding were bright and elegant wild native flowers - a signature style of the incredibly talented Mel Githens of Flowers by Melly B.

We really loved that the couple's puppy Lottie had her own floral collar made for her photoshoot, and that Erin went for something different using natural floral hoops to hang from their branch ceremony arch.

The guests sat down on mismatched wooden chairs under the shade of a low hanging tree. There wasn't a dry eye as the couple's ceremony transitioned from a wedding, into a baby dedication ceremony for their gorgeous first born daughter Frances.

The family of three walked back down the aisle, and paper cones filled with pot puree were tossed by the guests into the air.

Guests had plenty to do while the bridal party were off getting photos. They played giant jenga whilst Nomad Bartending prepared deelish cocktails, and The Pig Barron created a huge grazing table and started serving the smoky spit roast.

Rather than creating an all-out “reception”, we set separate mingling areas for the guests in and around the trees. This space at Telford is so perfect for creating community, and we wanted every part of the day to have that family feel.

All rustic décor hire, party games and chalkboard calligraphy was by Inspire Love Wedding & Event Hire. The inspire team waited for post ceremony drinks to reset the ceremony area with wine barrels and high bar stools for their outdoor reception.

Dessert couldn't be any more delicious with a Smash Cake filled with lollies for the kids, and a Gelato Man gelato cart for the adults (of course)!

We had an outdoor dancefloor set up and marked the spot with draped fabric bunting. This is where TJ Your Mobile DJ mixed up tunes right until the sun began to set.

This wedding and baby dedication ceremony was certainly a day which well and truly tugged at our heart strings, and we were so over the moon our couple had the most perfect day in the sunshine.

You really can't get any more relaxing than holding a wedding right beside Port Hacking River amongst the trees of the Royal National Park.

We're forever sending so much love to Erin, Sam, Frankie and Lottie, and wishing this little family many more years of happiness and an eternity of anniversary celebrations to come!!

Warmest

Alison x

Planning & Coordination
Alison Hughes Weddings www.alisonhughesweddings.com

Photography
Anna Blackman Images www.annablackman.com.au

Venue
Telford, Royal National Park Sydney www.youthworkscentres.net/telford

Flowers and Floral Styling
Flowers by Melly B www.flowersbymellyb.com.au

Décor Hire, Garden Games, Chalk Calligraphy
Inspire Love Wedding & Event Hire www.facebook.com/inspireloveweddingandeventhire

Catering & Roast
The Pig Baron www.thepigbaron.com.au

Bar Tending
Nomad Bartending www.nomadbartending.com.au

Gelato
Gelato Man www.gelatoman.com.au

DJ
TJ Your Mobile DJ www.tjyourmobiledj.com/wedding-dj-hire-sydney

Hair & Make Up
Make Up by Rebekah www.makeupbyrebekah.com.au

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In the Spotlight! A Delicious Q & A featuring The Light Night Baker

3/6/2018

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Alex Tyral is the owner of The Late Night Baker. She's a self taught Sydney cake perfectionist who is the master of creating decadent buttercream cakes. Her cakes are described as 'edible art'.

She's just as sweet as her cakes, so I had to get down into the nitty gritty and ask her what exactly she is all about!

So Alex, what kind of events do you do your late night baking for?

I create cakes for all occasions. From wedding and engagement cakes, to birthday cakes, christening, communions, confirmation cakes, kitchen tea and baby shower cakes. So lots of cakes!

How do you describe your style and what's your favourite flavour?

I currently only make buttercream cakes, and my preferred cakes to make are wedding cakes with fresh flowers. I do love a good drip cake, as well as the odd chocolate overload cake.

My fave flavour is chocolate mud cake for sure, and coconut buttercream icing.

Those flavours sound deelish!! So how did you get started in your business?

In short, after 4 years as a Social Worker in Child Protection, I became tired of the same drive to and from work each day. I'd lost my passion and was finding the field a little more difficult than usual. It was time for a change, and a new job wouldn't cut it - so I decided to change my career and delve into my true love of baking!

I started my business from nothing. It was very hard at first, and took at least 6 months to get into some kind of groove. But I slowly got better at the day to day running of things, and it's lead me to where I am today.

So, do you have a price guide? And what's a day in the life of The Late Night Baker like?

All my orders are bespoke, which means that each order is individually quoted. Most of my cakes are priced from $80 though.

Most my days are business focussed. The beginning of my week is usually quieter and I pretend that is my weekend - it's the only time I get to have off. The rest of the week I am baking. On Fridays and Saturdays I am decorating my orders for the weekend, doing deliveries, waiting on pick ups or setting up wedding cakes at wedding venues.

Don't you have a busy schedule!! Tell me, what are your career highlights to date?

I've been lucky enough to have a few so far which I'm pretty proud of.

Number one would be making 400 West Tigers themed cupcakes for Ashfield Leagues Club.

I've also ran a cupcake demonstration and interactive workshop at Boston Consulting Group in Sydney CBD.

I'm also so proud of all of my tiered wedding cakes - it's so exciting setting them up at the wedding venues.

Any tips for looking for the perfect cake designer?

For me, everything comes down to communication.

If you are looking for a cake designer, you want to be sure that they are the right person for the job and completely understand what you are after.

Ensure that your potential cake designer knows what they are talking about and are clear with what their boundaries are.

I also recommend checking out their Terms & Conditions to make sure you're happy with them.

Reviews are a good indication too as to whether you have found a good cake designer.

Ok, so what questions should we be asking before booking a cake designer?

It's good to establish rapport with your cake designer, and to explain what you are exactly after (if you know what you are after).

Be clear with your designer, because being unclear can potentially make things confusing, and can make the booking process much longer than it should be.

If your designer has a website, it's good to have a look through to see what their procedures are. These can usually be found in FAQ's, but more likely in their T&C's.

Other good questions to ask would be:

What is your availability?
What's your most popular flavour? (This is for both cake and frosting).
Can I send through some images of cakes I like? Remember that cake designers should not copy other designs, and that they should never look exactly like a picture you send through. Cake can, however, have a similar design style, just can't be an exact replica.

So once the important questions are asked, and we are ready to book you in, what can customers expect from you when working with you?

Communication is everything to me, and I try my best to make sure I have the best and clearest communication with my customers. My personality is a little bit playful, and I also aim to bring this fun when working with my customers, as well as within my cakes and cupcake orders.

Customers know that what they order is exactly what they receive, and if by some chance I make a mistake, I always rectify it.

They can also expect that their order will be fulfilled to the best of my ability, and what I make is always made with love.

Want to find out more about The Late Night Baker?
Website: www.thelatenightbaker.com.au
Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.latenightbaker
Facebook: www.facebook.com/www.thelatenightbaker.com.au

AHW xx

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A Bride's Story - Michaela and Scott’s Beach Elegance Wedding

19/5/2018

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Congratulations to Michaela & Scott on their one year anniversary!! How time flies so fast!!

And to celebrate, I wanted to officially publish Michaela's stunning blog on her wedding! A love story and words of wisdom direct from the bride herself.

Every aspect of the wedding was all about effortless LOVE, and being with those that meant the most to them.

With the venue being right on the beach, guests indulged in beautiful food whilst listening to live music, surrounded by the relaxing views of the ocean.

The styling was all about beach elegance, and whilst Michaela did some DIY styling herself (which can be tough!), she still kept calm and carried on!

We could all benefit from some of Michaela's words of wisdom and tips for planning brides!

Alison xx

My husband Scott and I first crossed paths in 2006, but were properly introduced by mutual friends at a New Years Eve party 5 years later.

As our "official" new years eve meeting had taken place on a basketball court, Scott proposed in such a sentimental way. He proudly made a big sign in the shape of a basketball that said in lit festoon light globes "Will you marry me?" He tied it to a tree on a cliff top overlooking the ocean at Shellharbour NSW where he surprised me with an engagement ring by the incredibly talented jeweller Matthew Ely www.matthewely.com.au.

Choosing the wedding venue was a no brainer for us. Scotts Head, a stunning coastal village up the Northern Coast, was the beach where my Mum and Dad met as teenagers. It's a beautiful place that Scott and I had both been visiting on weekends away from Sydney since we met. We both love the ocean and spend all of our spare time at the beach, so it just fit us perfectly.

Finding the perfect photographer was important to us, so we did the most research on our photographer. We love photography, but don't particularly love having our photos taken. If Scott had his way, our wedding would have been photography free. We found Ben Wyeth www.benwyeth.com.au and immediately fell in love with his style. He had shot a lot of coastal weddings, and had so many beautiful candid moments captured in his portfolio.

I proposed to my bridesmaids by having the girls over for a High Tea at my house. Although, I'm terrible at secrets and really, they all knew why they were there!

We had 7 bridesmaids and 4 groomsmen. It was important to us to have our closest friends standing next to us on the day and we weren't fussed on having exactly even numbers.

With so many of bridesmaids, we didn't want them all in the same style of dress. We loved the look of complete mis-matched bridesmaids.

About an hour after choosing my Pronovias, Perfect Day Bridal www.perfectdaybridal.com.au wedding dress, my Maid of Honour and I went shopping and found the beautiful bridesmaid dresses by Shona Joy www.shonajoy.com.au.

All of the dresses were in a stunning Oyster colour and we were able to choose 4 different styles which was perfect for our beach wedding.

Scott wanted to incorporate his Scottish heritage into his outfit, but wasn't completely sold on the idea of wearing a kilt, so he opted for a subtle tartan suit. Trying to find a tartan suit in the boutiques at that time was near impossible (of course they are everywhere now!), so we decided to have it tailor made to measure, and found Institchu tailors www.institchu.com who were reasonably priced and very helpful.

Choosing the groomsmen attire was harder as we never really liked the casual beach wedding look. It couldn't be too formal, but we definitely didn't want the shorts, thongs, untucked shirt look either. We opted to have the boys wear the same tartan pants as Scott's suit with a tailored white shirt and grey suspenders.

The weather for our outdoor wedding day was very unpredictable. Overall, we were very relaxed about the day, especially as we had an indoor ceremony back up plan in case of wet weather. We had planned and created the day that we both dreamt of, but at the end of the day, all we really wanted was to marry each other, whether that be inside with rain, or outside with perfect weather. Lucky for us we had perfect weather and had our planned beach wedding.

Alison Hughes Weddings www.alisonhughesweddings.com was our planner and floral décor stylist. I had a vision of how the décor and floral styling would look when put together, but the execution and attention to the finer details by Alison Hughes Weddings was perfection!

Alison recommended Kimberley from the Marmalade Sky www.themarmaladesky.com.au for our bridal party flowers, who was fabulous!

From the very first meeting, both Alison and Kimberley really understood the style we wanted to achieve and it's clear they are truly passionate about what they do!

Our wedding completely decked out with Australian native flowers.    I love proteas, so the main flowers used throughout were of course various kinds of proteas, such as king proteas and repens proteas.    All the foliage was mainly silver dollar gum, leucadendron and
thryptomene.

Kim Piper www.kimpipercelebrant.com was our celebrant. We loved how she made the ceremony really personal and tailored it to our individual personalities. She was the celebrant for my cousin's wedding, and we were so impressed, we knew she'd be the perfect celebrant for our day.

The most beautiful moment of the day was standing on the beach during our ceremony sharing our vows. Even though there were 130 people there watching us, it felt like it was just us.

We really loved sourcing and creating the styling for the reception décor. We knew we wanted quite minimal/effortless styling for our reception with lots of greenery, crystal cut glassware, gold and timber accents and soft neutral tones.

The tables were styled with timber name plates, minimalist menus and table numbers with gold accents, crystal cut glassware and white candles.

We positioned the bridal table in the middle of the room with guest tables around us, as Scott and I never really liked the idea of being front and centre on a table for all to look at. Plus we thought it was nice to include the partners of the bridal party. They were all such close friends it was just like a big family dinner.

Sam from The Sugar Kitchen www.thesugarkitchen.com.au designed our wedding cake which was amazing! It was three tiers of different flavours - first tier was orange and almond, second tier was coconut, and bottom tier was chocolate mud. It was soooo good I was tempted to get a second cake just because!!

Both MC's were friends of ours from High School. I'd highly recommend choosing MC's you personally know for your wedding. Because they will know you and your family so well, it means the reception can be so much more personal with inside jokes to keep everyone entertained.

Tips to brides and grooms out there planning their wedding would be... to have fun with it! Pinterest and Instagram are your friends, but stay true to your original vision and don't get side tracked or carried away with unnecessary items/services/completely new ideas. There is so much out there and it is really easy to lose sight of your initial vision for the day.

If you can, enlist the help of a wedding planner like Alison Hughes Weddings. It was such a huge help to be able to bounce ideas off a trusted experienced professional. The endless list of industry contacts, the budget spreadsheets and checklists she provided me with were also helpful.
Finally, Ben Wyeth our photographer was so easy going and captured the day and night perfectly. Looking back on the photos from the day through his lense is just like reliving the day.

Michaela xx

Photographer
Ben Wyeth Photography www.benwyeth.com.au

Wedding planning and floral styling
Alison Hughes Weddings www.alisonhughesweddings.com

Bridal party flowers
The Marmalade Sky www.themarmaladesky.com.au

Bridal Gown Boutique
Perfect Day Bridal www.perfectdaybridal.com.au

Groom & Groomsmen Attire
Institchu www.institchu.com

Bridesmaid Dresses
Shona Joy www.shonajoy.com.au

Décor Hire
Rosie Pose Event Hire www.rosieposeeventhire.com.au

Make up artist
Project Make Up www.projectmakeup.com.au

Hair Stylist
Blondies Dolls www.facebook.com/blondiesdollsnambuccaheads

Celebrant
Kim Piper www.kimpipercelebrant.com

Cake
The Sugar Kitchen www.thesugarkitchen.com.au

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Ali's Top 5 - Maid Trends

16/4/2018

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This cheeky top 5 is all about your bride tribe!

Just loving these fun trends brides are trying in 2018 - pushing creativity and traditions, for something completely unique and different!

Warmest
Alison xx

Trend No. 5 - Different Style

Always a sure winner to have your gals in the same dress material, but different cut!

Photo credit - Dean Snushall Photo

Trend No. 4 - Jumpsuits

Ooh! Loving this whole concept, scrapping the bridesmaid dress for a flirty jumpsuit!

Photo credit - Trent Bailey Studio

Trend No. 3 - Black

Yes black can be worn at weddings! Push those boundaries despite what others say - this is all class!

Photo credit - Frank & Peggy

Trend No. 2 - Sneakers

Who wants uncomfy heels when you can rock sneakers with a lace dress - genius!

Photo credit - Mitch Pohl

Trend No. 1 - Complete Mismatch

My fave boho look is mismatching maid dresses!

They choose their fave style and print - you have peace of mind they feel nothing less than amazing!

Photo credit - Joey Willis

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Ali's Weekly Q&A

17/3/2018

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Bride Q: Ali, please tell me, what is the best way to save money when wedding planning?

Ali A: the best way to save money is to be strategic from the beginning. When venue finding!

Venue: Byron Bay Surf Club

Inclusions, inclusions, inclusions!

Depending on inclusions, booking a venue you don't have to pay per head for can be either a big time winning cost saver, or a depressing losing out expense.

Be strategic with this, take your time and choose your venue wisely!

Venue: Moby Dicks Whale Beach Sydney

Surf clubs, bars, sheds, warehouses and halls can be fantastic for cost saving, as the venue hire cost is usually lower and you don't always pay per head.

As long as there are inclusions in the hire price, such as guest tables, chairs, cutlery, a dance floor area - you'll save big time!

Venue: Sunnybrook Barn, Sydney Polo Club

Hiring a marquee in most cases is the most expensive way to go as you have to hire or purchase absolutely everything needed for your guests!

The best way to save the most when using a marquee is if you choose a venue which will allow you to use their furniture and tableware in the marquee on their property.

Venue: Novotel Twin Waters Resort Sunshine Coast

If you have any burning Q's you'd like answered, shoot me an email at alison@alisonhughesweddings.com xx

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Alison Hughes Weddings makes White Magazine's top 20 Weddings of 2017!

8/1/2018

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When it comes to best moments of 2017, nothing beats seeing the couples I've worked with over the months of planning finally saying "I do"... but this amazing news from one of Australia's leading wedding magazines, White Magazine, was certainly one of my greatest achievements made in 2017.

This elopement shoot at Lilyvale in Sydney's Royal National Park I named 'On This Night', stemmed from wanting to create that ultimate glamping escape for couples to aspire to. I've always loved the quote by Robert Brault "What we find in a soul mate is not something wild to tame, but something wild to run with”. Elopements fit this quote perfectly, to me, the quote means when you embrace every bit of love you have for your soul mate, no matter how wildly in love you are, and nothing else matters.

When plans started and the most amazing team of wedding vendors came together, I knew it would be a winner. The team brought their own unique style to my original vision and they completely blew me away with their bohemian rustic luxe styling.

I absolutely adored those florals !! Pampas grass and sandstorm roses took the stage, and that boho styling using Persian rugs, cane and velvet chairs and brassy vessels were so divine! The belle tent was lit up by lanterns, candles, festoon lights and looked so warm and cosy by the burning fire.
Seeing the shoot concept come together on the night was really the most amazing feeling.

Who would have thought our shoot would make White's top 20 viewed weddings for 2017. I think I will always be on a high from this news! All thanks to my fantastic team of creatives and of course to the photographer Joshua Mikhaiel for documenting the story for us in his own artistic way.

Check out the photos and read the full blog here: https://whitemag.com/blog/this-is-the-best-thing-youll-see-all-day/

For your ultimate wedding in Sydney's Royal National Park, don't hesitate to contact me - alison@alisonhughesweddings.com

Wedding Planner / Concept / Coordination
Alison Hughes Weddings www.alisonhughesweddings.com

Photographer
Joshua Mikhaiel www.joshuamikhaiel.com

Luxury tent & tent styling
Nomadic Belle www.nomadicbelle.com

Styling
Lovestoned Bridal www.lovestonedbridal.com

Décor hire
Lovestoned Bridal www.lovestonedbridal.com
May Rose Style www.mayrosestyle.com.au

Florist & Driftwood Arch
Aisle of Eden www.aisleofeden.com.au

Hair & Make Up Stylist
Jennifer Mountain www.jennifermountain.com.au

Gown & Veil
Supplied by Love Marie Bridal www.lovemarie.com.au
Gown Designer Tatyana Merenyuk www.tatyanamerenyuk.com

Groom Attire
Topman www.topman.com

Celebrant
Stefania Cox www.stefthecelebrant.com

Wedding Cake
Paper & Poppies www.paperandpoppies.com

Venue
Lilyvale www.www.lilyvale.com.au

Bride and Groom
Shanah and Shaun Baxter

Accessories
White Woollen Wrap: Rembo Styling www.rembo-styling.com
Brown faux fur shall: Zara www.zara.com
'Lynn' Red Wine Velvet Peep Toe Pump: Novo www.novoshoes.com.au
Brassy gold bangles/bracelets: Lovisa www.lovisa.com

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This is the best thing you'll see all day! White Magazine Feature by Alison Hughes Weddings

18/10/2017

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Another shoot of ours featured in White magazine this month which we are so stoked about! This bohemian elopement inspiration shoot is a boho bride's dream wedding! It captures the essence of two lovers running away to an intimate bushland to elope - just the two of them, under the stars. Nothing but romance here! It is filled with amazing blooms you'll obsess over, next level boho styling, and so much creative photography - you'll be loving it as much as we do!

Coordinating this shoot was an amazing experience, especially working alongside the most incredible team!

Looking for the ultimate boho glamping wedding in the Shire? alison@alisonhughesweddings.com is my email address - let's get those plans started!!

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On this Night - White Magazine - Elopement Inspiration

“What we find in a soul mate is not something wild to tame, but something wild to run with” – Robert Brault

This was an incredible shoot inspired by this quote from Robert Brault, which captures the essence of two lovers running away with their one true love to an intimate bushland hideaway, underneath the stars, to exchange vows.

When two people want to escape the world to be married, what better place than Lilyvale, a quiet corner of the world set on 3 acres of privately owned Australian bushland in the heart of Sydney’s Royal National Park.

Alison Hughes Weddings composed the concept of this bohemian luxe glamping elopement. She gathered together a team of local creatives who brought every detail of her vision to reality and we’re obsessed!!

Photographed by the artistic eye of Joshua Mikhaiel, the ceremony set the theme where the couple exchanged vows with delightful celebrant Stefania Cox. Aisle of Eden styled their driftwood arbour with blooms in the shoot’s colour scheme of crimson, brassy gold, peach, dusty pink and forest green. Sandstorm roses, stock and pampas grass brought luxe styling to the arbour, where Australian native blooms and textured, lush foliage kept it rustic.

The makeup on our bride was of a glam boho style by Jennifer Mountain. Jennifer chose a luxe red lip and lush lashes with enhanced brows to complement Shanah’s feminine features. She wore a Tatyana Merenyuk two piece lace gown and Teeki veil from boutique Love Marie Bridal, matched with red wine velvet peep toe heels and brassy bohemian gold mixed bangle bracelets.

Lovestoned Bridal completely transformed this cosy post ceremony nook into a dream luxury escape for two. Festoon lights hung from the low branches of the trees and shone above the crunchy leaves underfoot. The rustic, bohemian luxe styling followed through onto the dining table with the lush table runner the main feature using a mix of seeded eucalyptus, olive branch and gum with threaded pheasant feathers throughout. An old wooden stained dining table was styled with brassy gold candle stick holders, dripping taper candles, grainy grey toned charger plates and rustic brass cutlery.

When the stars came out, the newlyweds sat for their first meal as husband and wife on mismatched cane and red velvet chairs, and indulged on buttercream and caramel drip cake. Of course there was no shortage of mulled wine as they got cosy under a blanket by the crackling fire before retiring into their luxury Nomadic Belle tent.

We couldn’t think of a more perfect way to escape the world to be married. Two soul mates, wild in love, running away to exchange vows and be together.

* * * *

Check out the full write up here: whitemag.com/blog/this-is-the-best-thing-youll-see-all-day/