Anthea & Dror – 8th December 2011

Where to start with this couple…

It was February 2011. I get an email from Anthea with the subject line ‘A wedding, a fabulous skeleton, & a little bit of magic…’

I think I was in love from that moment!

I believe in magic so it was nice for a bride to call on my magical powers, and over time, to believe in them!

I met with Anthea and her mother Sue, shortly after we started emailing and I kind of wished I could bottle those two people up and take them home with me. Talk about magic! They are a beautiful South African family who have alot of love and respect for each other…and it shows!

By the way, Sue is the ultimate mum – she not only supported her daughters wedding dreams, but did all she could to make them come true – we love you Sue!

We met at the venue that Anthea and her fiancé Dror had fallen in love with and decided to book for the wedding venue – Northbridge Sailing Club. Anthea asked what we needed to do with the venue…I told her she couldn’t have the wedding IN the sailing club, but she should have it out on the decks. Anthea’s face lit up – I think she’d secretly wanted that but didn’t think it was a possibility.

The deck is an L shape with an elevated cemented deck just outside the door of the sailing club. We agreed to have the ceremony on the cement (6x6m marquee) with absolutely amazing views, the dancefloor marquee (6x9m) on the smaller portion of the wooden decking (smaller, but by no means small) and the dining marquee taking up the vast majority of the long side of the wooden decking (27x6m).

Anthea, who is a crafty, creative, blissfully happy and talented woman cannot possibly be pigeon-holed into a style and neither could this wedding of hers. The only thing I was certain of was the main colour of the wedding…I became accustomed to finding out all the changes to the wedding styling each time I met with Anthea.

Dror, a passionate Israeli who loves his food, his music and of course, his Anthea. His only request was no torrential rain…which is kind of funny considering they married in the coldest December in 51 years and the evening before the wedding, the only word I could use to describe the rain was torrential!

We met frequently with Anthea and Sue…enjoying chitchat and coffee. I was always blown away by Anthea’s magic and imagination.

As quickly as possible, I organised for as many marquee hire companies to visit the site and do a measure and quote…knowing how un-accessible the site is, I doubted most would even turn up or make the trip down the one-lane, narrow driveway to the sailing club. I was right. The ones that did turn up laughed and drove off…except one! A huge thanks to Garry from Patti’s hire for staying and doing what I needed.

Months passed. Many phone calls, emails and face-to-face chats and coffees… Anthea’s vision changed, and then changed again…just the small details…but in that time I fell pregnant and lost the ability to keep up! We had our menu tasting and I was excited about the food.

Anthea found her dream gown from Mark Holt. Penny is an absolute miracle and added to the ‘Anthea’ team quite nicely.

More time passed, cake was sorted, flowers, music…we were ready.

On Wednesday 7th December was setup day. Trucks were braving the narrow driveway from 9am sharp, deliveries being made and at this point I need to deviate from the wedding and talk a little about the ‘ohh la-la French guy’ who delivered the beverages from the Belinda Franks catering, when he spoke he made the four of us ladies giggle like school girls and blush. We asked Belinda Franks catering if they could bring him along on the wedding day. Umm, no.

Back to the wedding. So with all best laid plans…we had some obstacles but that was bound to happen on this wedding with such a difficult location to work with.

We worked until we couldn’t work anymore that evening, then braved the cold, wind and rain to drive home for some well-deserved sleep before the main event.

Thursday 8th December.
On site at 9am again – the BnW team worked tirelessly to transform the marquees into Anthea’s vision. We had the help of Stuart, a family friend who has the patience of a saint. I know what I am like…you either love me or want to run me over. Stuart told me I’d grown on him, and that he wanted to run me down with his ute the day before, but resisted…and grew to like me.

Stuart’s list of jobs was never ending…but he did everything the way we wanted. Now I want to hire Stuart to work on all our weddings.

One hour to go. Dror walks up to me, introduces his brothers who have flown in from Israel for the big day and than gave me a big hug. I get hugged alot – not sure if it’s because I am small, pregnant or just that happy/familiar face…but I don’t mind at all.

We’re on track. The hot chocolate (a last minute request from the bride so that guests were kept warm) was being served, guests smiling, weather holding out and in fact quite pleasant.

Sue arrives with the two bridesmaids and Anthea’s brother. Sue looks AMAZING! I don’t recognise her for a moment. She too is wearing a Mark Holt creation and looks … hot!

More hugs and I ask someone to escort Sue down to the Chuppah.

The bridesmaids ask loads of questions – how to walk, how to hold the bouquet etc. They are a little nervous; so the three of us are walking in circles…they’re giggling and forgot they were so nervous.

Then, Anthea arrives. A huge smile, a huge hug to follow.

Before cuing the music for her arrival, I prep Anthea on holding her bouquet, walking in her gown (especially down the wooden stairs) to the aisle.

I gave the nod and the magic, the real magic, started. And yes, I cried!

Paul, the Rabbi, was absolutely lovely and his ceremony reduced me to tears over and over.

Afterwards, pre-dinner drinks, canapés, followed by an awesome dinner, a song from the bride to her groom, more tears, laughter, that amazing cake by Patricia at Yummy Cakes who told me she didn’t think the three tiers looked right, so she added a fourth (fake) tier…that’s the kind of vendors I work with…absolutely amazing and true to their craft!

Then the dancing, which went all night.

It was an amazing wedding, for an amazing couple – filled with so much magic and love.

The night after, whilst at another wedding (actually, I was taken to hospital because my baby wanted to come out a little early…but I wouldn’t have it!)…I received a voicemail message from Anthea…

9th December 7.20pm

“Hi beautiful Jen, it’s Anthea speaking.

I just called to say that you are officially the best wedding planner in the entire universe. I know we know that already but I just had to reiterate it again because I just need to tell you how amazing you are, how incredible you are, how unbelievably perfect you are and how the best fun you are and how I couldn’t have had the most perfect wedding without you, you made everything perfect, in every possible way I could have ever imagined.”

And Anthea, being Anthea…she made us a little gift each. From the heart and again, it made me cry.

They say nice people attract nice people…well me and my team must be the nicest people in the world because we get hired by all the most amazingly beautiful brides on the face of the planet to make their wedding dreams come true.

Anthea & Dror, Belinda Franks Catering, Encore Videography, Israeli, Mark Holt Wedding Couture, Marquee wedding, Matt Johnson Photography, Northbridge Sailing Club, Patti's Hire, Portobello Rose Florial Design, Sincopa DJ, South African, Wedding Coordination, Wedding Planner Sydney, Wedding Planners, Wedding Styling, Yummy Cupcakes & Cakes