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An Evening in Florence

From the moment Alicia and partner Victor drove up to the gates of Milton Park Country House they immediately fell in love with this fairy tale venue. Located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Milton Park boasts beautiful, rambling gardens, ornate water features and sculptures and the oldest Weeping Beeches in Australia. These giant, dome-like trees make for the most magical photos (see above and below).

Once the wedding venue was decided on, Alicia needed equally special accessories to match the beautiful location. Her pick of the bunch were our rose AURORA earrings and floral lace RIVIERA veil, to tie in with the magical, garden theme.

Embellished Veils

An embellished veil captures the mood of a springtime wedding like no other accessory. Adorned in florals, lace, pearls, crystals, or all of the above, an embellished veil will instantly elevate the simplest wedding gown and perfectly frame a dramatic gown. Our exquisite veils are designed and handcrafted in-house so we can design and create a wedding veil to suit your wedding gown without drawing attention away from the beautiful details on your dress.

The dream bridal look

To help find her dream dress and accessories and narrow down her ideas, Alicia took to Pinterest and Instagram. However, it was conversations with other brides and her mum that proved to be the greatest help. The best wedding dress advice she received was from her mum, who said to “pick something you feel like you in.” Alicia knew she wanted a backless dress, and a style that was timeless.

“I had gone to Karen Willis Holmes to look at a completely different dress. By chance, I picked out this one and tried it on. I had tried so many different styles and this was the first time that I felt like a bride but also like myself. I knew it was the dress for me because I couldn’t wait to show my now husband.”

Before she decided on her dress, Alicia had been admiring the Tania Maras veil collection. When she picked her dress she knew the embellished RIVIERA veil, featuring hand-beaded organza flowers, floral lace and a scattering of pearls, would match perfectly. We customised the veil for her, to incorporate blusher layer.

“I loved how beautiful and intricate the RIVIERA veil was but loved the idea of a blusher as well. There’s so something so classic yet dramatic about blushers,” Alicia enthuses.

She finished off the look with the AURORA earrings, a feminine design with statement roses and cascading pearls.

“My dress was quite simple so it gave me room to play with elaborate accessories which is my usual style. I picked the RIVIERA veil and AURORA earrings in particular as I feel like they matched our garden theme beautifully.”

Special touches

From the ceremony to the reception, the couple personalised their wedding with many special touches.

“The priest that married us was the chaplain at my husband’s work so it was an honour that he was able to marry us in the gardens. We both wrote our own vows and that would have to be one of my favourite parts of the entire day,” says Alicia. “My husband and I are both South American so we had cultural dances during the reception from each of our home countries which was really special.”

As Alicia and Victor’s wedding was affected by the pandemic, they came up with a novel (and practical) favor idea for their guests.

“We thought it would cute to offer personalised hand sanitisers with our wedding date, as wedding gifts,” says Alicia.

Best advice

“It’s okay to have a plan but in today’s day and age accept if things change,” says Alicia. “It’s the most magical day and if things aren’t exactly what you thought they would be, that’s okay. The fact that you’ve married your ‘person’ is all that matters,” says Alicia.

SPECIAL THANKS TO…

For Blake and Aaron, the three most important elements for their wedding-day celebrations were; the company, ambience and food. Although the pandemic meant they couldn’t have their wedding at a villa in Mexico, which they originally planned, their day was still every bit as special in their home town of Atlanta, Georgia. With a handful of friends and family, a relaxed garden atmosphere and an award-winning restaurant catering, Blake and Aaron fulfilled their wedding-day dreams.

In this relaxed, urban setting, Blake’s bridal look took centre stage. Wearing a bias-cut dress, with her golden hair styled in loose waves and adorning our CARMEN Juliet cap veil, Blake mastered styling a simple dress with an embellished veil for stunning results.

A change of plans

Even before they were engaged, Blake and Aaron both had similar ideas and values for their wedding day.

“We talked about our ideal wedding – we were so aligned it felt like another sign he was the one,” says Blake. “The biggest factor was size. We both imagined a wedding that was small and only had the humans there that would be by us throughout our marriage.”

As they couldn’t travel to Mexico, and they didn’t want to postpone for a year, their ceremony took place at Staplehouse restaurant in Atlanta.

“We were Staplehouse’s first wedding, which felt extra special,” says Blake. “The restaurant has won many awards including Best New Restaurant in the United States, so goes without saying, the food is memorable. The space has a beautiful garden in the back – we knew it was our perfect venue.”

Blake's crepe silk dress

When thinking about her wedding dress, the words that came to mind were ‘organic’ and ‘timeless’.

“I wanted a look that would carry me through my years and one I felt myself in,” says Blake. “Material and cut were of highest priority for me – I wanted a beautiful fabric and a slim cut that I felt beautiful in, with a sensual flow. The crepe silk fabric was perfect for my body, dress cut and style of wedding.”

To help with costs, Blake purchased a sample dress, as she preferred to spend more on a lasting accessory.

“Accessories are easier to pass down and truly help make your look complete and unique.”

A veil for the generations

Blake’s eight-year-old niece (pictured below) has already claimed her embellished CARMEN veil.

“It makes me so happy to know she will always have that piece of me and our love,” says Blake.

With its enveloping Juliet cap silhouette, lace leaves and hand beaded flowers, Blake also fell in love with the elegant CARMEN veil.

“The idea of a Juliet cap scared yet excited me – I knew I wanted something different, and it was the perfect way to bring in a look of traditional and timeless, while still feeling uniquely me,” she says. “Feel and materials are my number one consideration. My dress was crepe silk and felt like butter on my skin all night. My Tania Maras veil was so soft and made me feel so beautiful, I wore it most of the night!”

Best advice

“Know you will be stressed, but remember what the purpose of your wedding is,” says Blake. “And that purpose could differ depending on the couple. For us, it was a sacred joining of families in the presence of God; for others, it could be a celebration party of love with all their friends, and others could feel an elopement of just the bride and groom would be most genuine. And get a wedding planner, even just a day-of planner. Despite size or location, do it.”

Special thanks to…

When Angelica first watched the wedding scene from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, she immediately knew that she had found her wedding day inspiration. From the garden paths, to the hanging Wisteria and lush greenery, Angelica and Norman’s nuptials had all the romance and magic of the famous Twilight wedding, sans the vampires and werewolves!

Angelica was adorned in our CATALINA cathedral veil, featuring fabric flowers, intricate lace and beaded details, which was right on theme for her special garden wedding.

Handcrafted details

With careful planning, time and a big dose of creativity, Angelica and Norman achieved their wedding day vision. Nature was an important factor when it came to the décor and events during the day.

“I wanted the wedding to feel whimsical and like we’re immersed in nature but elegant at the same time,” says Angelica. “I loved the look of green moss on wooden tables and knew that had to be a key element in bringing that earthy feel. I wanted to see the space fill with greenery but pop with white flowers just like you see in the movie! Of course it’s quite expensive to do all that so I simplified it a bit and searched all over Central Florida for a venue where I could add these details, where it wouldn’t get too expensive, and it would all complement the space.”

During the ceremony they had a Tree Unity ceremony where Angelica and Norman’s mothers added the soil (representing their foundation) in the couple’s new pot (home) and then the couple planted their tree (their new family) and then they watered it, which represents new beginnings.

Other special elements were the wisteria decorations that were hung in the dining pavilion to add to the Twilight wedding vibe and the backdrop at the sweetheart table which Angelica’s Maid of Honour/sister DIY-ed.

The “wow, I feel like a bride” dress

Angelica had a specific off-the-shoulder, A-line lace dress in mind, however it was in a travelling trunk show and she was unable to try it on. So she began trying on similar styles in bridal shops.

“I had tried about 20 dresses already and I remember not thinking much about my dress when I first picked it up to try on. But once I had it on and saw myself in the mirror, my first thought was ‘wow, I feel like a bride’. I walked out to show my mum and sister. They thought I wasn’t going to like it but once I told them I felt like a bride they started crying, and so did I! It was off-the-shoulder like I wanted, it wasn’t A-line, which I actually loved, and the lace cut-outs were the perfect touch of unique and sexy that I was hoping for! It was a simpler dress so I knew my veil had to stand out somehow.”

A garden–themed veil

With beaded lace and handcrafted flowers, the CATALINA veil caught Angelica’s attention and admiration.

“I loved the CATALINA veil because it has these beautiful fabric flowers that pop out and cascade down the top portion of the veil,” says Angelica. “It was the perfect amount of detail for my dress and my hair since I wanted to style it up. In every picture with the veil you can see the flowers stand out perfectly.”

Best advice

“Talk specifics about the visions you have for your special day and give yourself enough time to make it happen,” suggests Angelica. “Don’t rush your timeline for anyone else and keep what you two want at the forefront. It’s good to keep others in mind but this is your day so do what feels right to you. A wedding is no small task and sometimes it’s nice when people want to help but it gets overwhelming real fast so try to keep things between the two of you and your vendors, that way you prevent unwanted input and headaches. Don’t lose focus on the fact that this is about you and your significant other. And remember to enjoy the process. It can be hard sometimes but take a step back, breathe and enjoy the fact that you are planning your wedding!

Special thanks to...

As the sun slowly sets, a warm glow is cast on the rugged landscape, and photographer Michael Schultz captures the most breathtaking photos of newlyweds Stacey and Lee at the New Zealand wedding.

Stacey and Lee could be described as ‘modern romantics’, their wedding was special, intimate and unique. The couple were less concerned about the formal traditions of weddings, and more interested in creating a day that was in harmony with their personalities and values, as well as being a relaxed and enjoyable time for their guests.

Modern styling

Stacey and Lee both gravitate towards a clean, simple and modern approach to styling. One of the best ways they kept things simple was having a short engagement.

“We just didn’t have time to overthink things and go overboard,” explains Stacey. “We loved the simplicity of the dreamy bright white reception space and the natural greenery in the courtyard where the ceremony was held, so we only brought in a few black and white elements, some wood tones and lots of clear acrylic.”

The ceremony and reception were held at a small restaurant in Hawke’s Bay. Their New Zealand wedding ceremony took place in the vine-covered courtyard and reception was in a room upstairs. Everyone sat together at one long table, as Stacey and Lee wanted the night to feel more like a big dinner party and less like a formal wedding. This is just one of many ways the couple stayed true themselves when planning their wedding.

“Don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable doing just because it’s your wedding day. We didn’t have a bridal party, we didn’t do speeches, we said our vows in private the morning of the wedding. We were comfortable and at ease and able to enjoy the day with our friends and family.”

The dream dress

From the off-shoulder, A-line silhouette, to the dramatic skirt and pockets (!), Stacey’s wedding gown featured all the details she feels comfortable wearing.

“I stopped looking for dresses as soon as I saw it. It truly was my dream dress. I never thought I would wear such a big, dramatic dress, but I just felt so good in it.”

From there, Stacey set up a Pinterest account and began creating mood boards for hair and veil inspiration. This is how she came across our much-loved Riviera veil.

The statement veil

Although she endeavoured to keep the styling simple, from the moment Stacey saw our embellished Riviera veil, with its abundance of floral laces, 3D hand-beaded flowers and crystal pearls, it filled her thoughts.

“I showed it to my mum and that was it, we placed the order then and there,” says Stacey. “I always feel my best with my hair down and curled, and the veil just fit in with that styling perfectly.”

We especially love how Stacey styled the veil up high on the crown of her head, allowing the lace and floral details to gently cascade down her hair and shoulders.

Stacey’s advice is to trust your instincts when pulling together your bridal look.

“Stay true to yourself, your personal style and what you know you feel good in, and it will all fall into place,” says Stacey.

Special thanks to:

Arna’s admiration of the ocean can be traced back to her childhood, growing up in a seaside town in the far south of Tasmania. Her father is an Abalone diver and he would bring home shells with mesmerising mother-of-pearl patterns in blue, green and pink tones. Her husband shares similar childhood memories. Jed is from the eastern suburbs of Sydney, close to the beautiful Clovelly and Coogee beaches.

To honour this shared love, Arna and Jed’s wedding took place on the coast of Tasmania, overlooking the tranquil waters of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island. Arna walked down the aisle in a pearl wedding veil, our exquisite pearl drenched Dewberry.

Setting the Scene

Both the ceremony and reception were held at Peppermint Grove, in Woodbridge, Tasmania. Arna and Jed wanted to create an elegant and warm atmosphere, and styled the venue with lots of candles, greenery and white roses.

“We both are very much family orientated and wanted to bring everyone together in a relaxed environment, which was made naturally easy with our gorgeous water-side venue nestled in a calm cove overlooking Bruny Island,” says Arna.

Arna’s Beautiful Bow Gown

Wedding dress shopping was both an enjoyable and eye-opening experience for Arna. Once they found her perfect dress, Arna and her mum were sad the experience was over!

“I had a style in mind and after trying so many dresses in that style, I realised they just didn’t suit me at all,” says Arna. “That’s when I started to wonder if maybe a simple, classic style would suit me better. After some research around the local bridal boutiques, Timeless Elegance said that they had just received some new designs that they thought might interest me and sent me a photo of ‘Lily’. At first I wasn’t sure as it was very figure hugging. I tried it on and it was an instant… “mm, yes!” It’s gorgeous bow fell perfectly over my shoulder without it being too ‘ bow-ie’ and gave the dress some simple interest, it just felt right.”

Arna’s advice to brides-to-be is to start dress shopping early (from when Arna ordered her dress to when it arrived, it was about 8 and a half months) and to not be afraid to try a dress on that isn’t your style – as you might be pleasantly surprised!

A pearl wedding veil

A testament to her love of the water, Arna styled her dress with our pearl Dewberry veil – a single tier veil in chapel length, featuring a beautiful sprinkling of crystal pearls.

“I originally wasn’t going to wear a veil… I personally thought it was too old fashioned and unnecessary. However, once I had decided on my dress, I thought maybe I’ll just try a veil on to see what it would look like… I fell in love again!” says Arna. “But I didn’t want just a plain tulle. I didn’t even research veils, I kept thinking about them for weeks until I thought – a pearl veil! I love pearls and so I started googling pearl veils and came across Tania Maras and absolutely fell in love with Dewberry.”

To complement her veil, Arna’s hair was styled side swept with a pearl hair clip and vintage waves.

Best Advice

“Have the wedding you want. It’s great to get other people’s opinions and ideas, but at the end of the day, it’s yours and it truly is one of the best times of your lives,” says Arna. “Take it all in and enjoy the process, it’s a lot of fun!”

Best Advice

“Have the wedding you want. It’s great to get other people’s opinions and ideas, but at the end of the day, it’s yours and it truly is one of the best times of your lives,” says Arna. “Take it all in and enjoy the process, it’s a lot of fun!”

SPECIAL THANKS TO…

Just outside Winnipeg in Canada’s scenic Manitoba region, lies Pineridge Hollow, a wedding venue set on acres of gardens, ponds and flowers. As her name suggests, Jasmine was attracted to this  setting for her special day. Jasmine and Joel’s ‘Romantic Garden’ wedding was all about creating a relaxed and wholesome day and spending quality time with their family and friends.

Jasmine glowed amongst the lush foliage, with her husband by her side, her beautiful smile and flowy lace and chiffon dress. She adorned her hair with our VERSE hair comb, the pearl and crystal sprigs and clay flowers added sparkle and echoed the picturesque surroundings.

Wedding traditions

As it was one of the few times both Jasmine and Joel’s family were together in the one place, they made a special effort to create a relaxed and enjoyable party, so that they had time to interact and catch up with loved ones.

 “I wanted our family and friends to feel relaxed and enjoy their time with us. I never wanted strict timelines packed with bouquet tosses, garter tosses, or a million speeches (so we simply didn’t do them).” says Jasmine.

They pulled back on the formalities, but added cultural traditions to personalise their day.

“I’m Filipino, and it was important for me to include a traditional ceremony with the veil, candle, coins, and cord. Each item represents something in our marriage.”

Jasmine's bridal styling

An avid researcher, Jasmine always does the legwork before deciding on anything. And her wedding was no exception.

“For my wedding, my researching went into hypergear. Instagram was always a good place to find some inspiration and to see how other brides styled their looks. I found Tania Maras on Pinterest and it was the style I was striving to achieve, so I kind of just went from there. I absolutely adored all the styled shoots Tania did, from the dresses to the hairstyles. Something about it just seemed timeless and organic.”

Jasmine was attracted to her Truvelle dress because it was designed and made in Canada, she loved the lace bodice and skirt, plus it was super comfortable!

“All the other dresses I tried on felt too constricted, or were itchy, or too heavy. I was worried I’d be too self conscious in other dresses that were curve hugging. I loved A line skirts because they made me feel taller (although I should give up since my husband is 6’2”) and the skirt flowed so beautifully. My aunt told me after the ceremony, ‘this dress is so you!’ with a bright smile, and truthfully, it was. It was feminine and romantic, everything I was looking for.”

When it came to hair styling, Jasmine knew she needed an updo (to handle the hot and humid Canadian summer) and a Tania Maras headpiece was also a must.

“Tania had everything I was aiming for: the timeless, whimsical, delicate and feminine pieces were unlike any other I had seen before. I chose the VERSE because I knew it would be timeless (I wanted to find something that I was going to pass on through generations). I also wanted something that wasn’t too big either. It was honestly so hard for me to finally pick one that I liked the most because I wanted them all!”

Best Advice

“Things book up really fast where I’m from, so book the ‘big’ things first. We nailed down our venue and photographer first, because those were the biggest things for us. Joel was especially keen about finding the perfect photographer because, as he says, ‘the pictures are the only things that will last of our wedding’. In a day that goes by so fast, the pictures are our only window for us to precisely remember everything that happened.”

Special thanks to:

During a few daydreaming moments in a high school textiles class, Jemma sketched out her perfect wedding dress. When the time came to marry her fiancé, Alex, she referred back to this vision and entrusted it to the expertise of a talented couturist, Laila Nakhoul, who brought her ideas to life. With her dream dress, Jemma needed an equally impressive veil, and she couldn’t go past our embellished RIVIERA veil, with hand beaded flowers, lace motifs and a scattering of pearls. Jemma’s overall look was the epitome of modern luxe style.

And the whole wedding had a similar vibe. Jemma and Alex wanted their day to be unique and edgy, while still maintaining traditions and elegance. There were classic formalities, including a church ceremony, but they added their own personal twist – an urban photo photoshoot in Sydney’s CBD, burgundy colour accents and a night of non-stop dancing!

Creating the ultimate party vibe

“The whole reception was exactly what we were after… fun!” says Jemma. “It was just one big party all night – no one sat down! We had an idea of mixing the room with both sides of the family, rather than having all of my family on one side and all Alex’s on the other. We had a bit of each on both sides – that really set the whole vibe. Both sides were able to mingle and celebrate together as one family. It was such an amazing atmosphere.”

Jemma suggests trying not to not get too bogged down with the finer details of wedding planning, because on the day, it’s the interactions you have with your husband and guests that will be the most important.

“When you’re dancing the night away surrounded by everyone you love, you won’t even think about the colour of the napkins, or what your hair looks like, or if people are sitting in their allocated seats – they’ll be on the dance floor all night anyway!”

Wedding dress bliss

Jemma’s bespoke dress was designed by Laila Nakhoul, who not only created her high-school vision, but also added some extra special elements. The dress featured an on-trend high-low hemline, elegant V neckline and an embellished bodice.

“My dress designer Laila really listened to my vision and even added her special touches to finish the bodice with the 3D flowers and beading on the train,” says Jemma. “The hemline of the dress made it so easy to move and dance. I never wear full length dresses either so I knew this style suited me because it still had the traditions of a bridal dress but I was still able to add my personal style to it.”

Making a statement with accessories

The RIVIERA veil is one of the most elaborate veils in the Tania Maras collection. It features hand-beaded 3D flowers in varying stages of bloom, lace motifs, and a scattered pearls on sheer tulle. The veil is feminine and dramatic and was the perfect accompaniment in terms of style and embellishment, for Jemma’s gown. She styled the veil with her hair flicked to one side and big curls.

“I came across the veil online and absolutely fell in love with it. The flowers and lace matched the bodice of my dress perfectly, it was like they were made together!” says Jemma.

Her advice for bridal accessorising is choose pieces that compliment your dress but don’t draw away from it.

“Simple and comfortable shoes (comfort is a must!), a nice diamond or pearl bracelet and matching earrings… you don’t need too much to make a statement,” she advises. “Being Lebanese, I knew I would be carried all night at the reception and we’d be dancing non-stop, so my main priority was definitely comfort when it came to the dress and shoes.”

Stop, breathe and take it all in

With all the excitement and activity, your wedding day can feel like it’s happening in double time. Jemma’s best advice for couple’s on their wedding day, is to stop, breathe and be present, which will help you savour every magical moment.

“Alex and I kept reminding each other throughout the day to stop and just look around at everything and everyone, and we can honestly say, because of that, we remember the whole day.”

Special thanks to…

Situated in the romantic coastal, mountain town of Santorini in Italy, our bride Jessica and Brett’s wedding day was one of refined elegance and effortlessness.

We adore Jessica’s choice of a Karen Willis Holmes Anya sequin dress – a modern and chic dress that she styled beautifully with her perfectly tousled hair. It’s no surprise that in Jessica’s day to day life she is a talented makeup artist!

Jessica's bespoke wedding comb

We just loved creating Jessica’s bespoke wedding comb in tones of soft silver and ivory. Our team designed the piece to sit vertically, just behind her ear using a combination of antique silver and silver mesh leaves to create a depth and contrast against Jessica’s dark brown hair. To create texture and detail, handcrafted ivory clay flowers were positioned to gently extend upwards. We chose freshwater pearls and faceted crystal elements to create shape and add a subtle shimmer to complement Jessica’s sequin dress.

Thank you so much for creating a beautiful bespoke masterpiece for me to wear on my wedding day! It was absolutely gorgeous and went perfectly with my styling. Since I wore a simple dress, it added the perfect amount of “something” to make me feel like a bride. I’ve had so many compliments on it from those who have seen photos too.

Jessica – you’re more than welcome and a huge congratulations from us! We wish you and your husband every happiness.

Design with us

If you love this piece or are interested in collaborating with our team to design your ultimate wedding accessories, drop us an email! We’d love to hear from you.

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