Cheree and Mitchell, had not one, but two gorgeous weddings, and we are so lucky that they are sharing both with us today! Cheree was born in Africa and has family in Cape Town, while Mitchell was born in Australia and raised in Malta. These days, it's Sydney that they call home. In order to celebrate with all of their loved ones, they celebrated first with an elegant wedding and reception in Syndey at the iconic Opera House. Two weeks later, they did it all again in Cape Town with another set of family and friends. Their talented (though the word hardly seems adequate) photographer Jonas Peterson wrote the loveliest tribute on his blog...Look at Cheree looking at Mitchell. Look at him looking at her. Both in Sydney and in Cape Town. It wouldn’t have mattered where in the world they got married. They were already home.
The Goals:We truly wanted to celebrate our marriage with our nearest and dearest in a simple elegant way. We celebrated twice, in Sydney, the city that is home to us; and in Cape Town, where we could be with family.
The Vision:We wanted to create an atmosphere that captured the essence of both our heritages. I was born in Africa; and Mitchell, although Australian, was brought up in the Maltese culture. We choose elements that were natural, simple, and that elegantly combined our two cultures. We used a repeating ikat print on the place mats, menu cards, our cake and the seating chart. The tables were decorated with tortoiseshell candle holders, pewter African pheasants and cut crystal glassware. We had eclectic flowers - David Austin Roses, proteas and ferns - raining down from wooden beams above the long rustic tables. In Sydney, we loved being on the harbour at such an iconic venue! One of my favourite touches was having teatowel favors with a caricature of us on the front. Not many people know that Mitchell collects tea towels in his travels - we have over 100 - so it really signified his obsession.
The Look:My beautiful dress was made in Melbourne by J’Aton Couture. The bodice was made from French lace and completely covered in beading and crystal with a tulle skirt. I wanted the palette to be a mixture of neutrals, so the mix of oyster, cafe and pearl pink colours used in the gown were perfect. I only had two fittings, once for measurements and the second and last when I took it home. It was a perfect fit, and I burst into tears when I saw my dress for the first time because it really took my breath away. My shoes were Miu Miu - love at first sight when I saw them in the store, and so comfortable! Mitchell surprised me with beautiful vintage earrings that he had picked out for me to wear. They had a central pearl surrounded by a halo of diamonds and set in platinum. Mitchell looked especially dapper in a Hugo Boss dinner suit, with Tom Ford accessories. My bridesmaids wore frocks made by a friend of mine in different neutral hues. I wanted their dresses to be a reflection of their personalities and their styles, yet still tie together.
The Moments:Our favourite part of the day - even though it's such a cliche - was seeing each other for the first time! I remember it was raining heavily when I was about to walk down the aisle, and I actually did not care if I was about to be drenched, I just wanted to see Mitchell! Miraculously, as soon as I got out of the car the rain began to taper off and the sun came out as I met him. It was a beautiful moment. We also loved the spontaneous fireworks over Sydney Harbour. It was as if the city was celebrating the day with us!
The Pros: For more details on Cheree and Mitchell's talented wedding team, please visit their page in our Real Wedding Library!
Thank you Cheree and Mitchell for sharing both of your beautiful weddings with us!
