I couldn’t be any more head over heels for today’s gorgeous wedding from Brown Paper Parcel Photography! From the first look at a Lavender farm, to the incredible floral styling, and the romantic backdrop of a rustic barn lit with twinkling golden lights; it is utterly breathtaking with the perfect mix of chic glamour and rustic charm. Add to that though a famous bride – Anna Campbell Rowlands, Founder and Creative Director of Australian bridal label Anna Campbell, and her 4 (yes 4!) wedding dresses that are dripping with decadent embellishments; and you truly have a perfect day…

I will let the lovely Anna tell you all about it “While four dresses might seem like a lot, for me one was just not enough! The day is made up of so many different moments, I wanted to ensure I had the perfect dress, with just the right amount of lace or sparkle, for each part of the day.”

With each one created using the luxury silks & lace, and finished with the exquisite hand beading that the Anna Campbell label has become renowned for, if this wedding doesn’t give you a bad case of dress envy, I don’t know what will!

“My first dress was worn to our first look at Lavendula, a beautiful Swiss Lavender farm, with sweeping lavender fields. I wanted a free-moving dress that flowed beautifully, but that was still sparkly and special enough to be the first dress Murray saw me in.”

“Arnie from Flowers In A Vase was amazing, I felt completely part of the flowers creatively. Arnie and I worked together to ensure the flowers perfectly suited that fun time of year, and also matched my gowns, as well as the bridesmaids’ dresses. I decided on a colour palette of pinks, plums and berries, contrasted with beautiful crisp ivories and greens.”

“We wanted to really wow our guests with a space that was incredibly rustic, but stunning. Our ceremony & reception was at Anderson’s Mill, Smeaton (in Victoria, Australia) We wanted to marry at a venue without limitations, so we could eat and drink what we wanted on the night, plus somewhere that would allow a DIY approach! So finding a space we could bring everything into was the first challenge. I grew up just down the road from Andersons Mill, so it is a really special place for me. My older sister had been married there two years before, and it was truly the most beautiful wedding I had ever seen.”

“Walking down the aisle was the moment I had always dreamt of, and I wanted to be wearing something truly incredible and sparkly, so I created my ceremony dress with thousands of shimmering beads. Knowing how the dress would sparkle under the vintage lights of the barn, I couldn’t resist being embellished head to toe!”

“Walking down the aisle is the moment that plays over and over in your head from when you get engaged to when it happens, and it was more special and overwhelming than I could have ever imagined! Even though we had a first look, having all of my girls and mum around me while I put on my incredible beaded dress, putting the veil over my face, and having Dad by my side, the whole thing was an absolute whirlwind! Watching my six bridesmaids walk up the aisle before me, with each one leaving I got more and more excited, when I walked in, I remember it just being a little fuzzy for a few moments, before I could even focus on Murray!”

“I had six bridesmaids! Some may say this was excessive but they are the most gorgeous, funny and caring bunch of girls, who truly made not only the wedding day but months and months before hand so special and memorable. Each of the girls wore Anna Campbell dresses and accessories.”

“I am so glad that we took on the huge challenge of choosing a venue where we could bring in all of our own food, alcohol and styling. The wedding was truly us in every sense, even though it was a huge amount of work to plan.

For this reason, I was just so lucky that my sister, Jane, is a wedding planner (Oh Perfect Day). She was a rock throughout the whole process, from planning everything months in advance to making sure everything was on track on the day! I don’t think I could have done something quite so ambitious without her help!”

“Our wedding cake from Catherine at Sweet Empire (Melbourne) was truly incredible. We worked together to design the perfect cake, and it was well worth the effort! Catherine created a dark chocolate triple stack naked cake, oozing with blackberry butter cream, covered with flowers and berries, and finished with lashings of salted caramel which dripped from the top. Catherine was also a guest at my wedding, so she slipped away after the ceremony to finish the cake exactly as she had planned it, which was so special.”

“Our favours were little jars of Quince Jam made by my mum, Claire. We really wanted to provide our guests with a something special to us, and something they could use – plus, mum’s jam is unbelievable!”

“My third dress, worn upon arrival at the reception and for our sunset photos, was very fitted and intricately beaded, with gorgeous off the shoulder tulle sleeves. Although I was nervous to wear the fitted, mermaid shape, it created the most incredible silhouette, and it ended up being my and Murray’s favourite!”

“The final dress was always designed to be my party dress! It was very simple, made of a soft Japanese lace, with an embellished belt detail. It was so much lighter than all of the other dresses, and so fun to dance in!”

I would LOVE to know what they said in that speech!

Pearls of wedding wisdom from the bride…

“I have been asking my brides for years what their best advice was, and from that came the first look, which was truly incredible. It was the perfect way to see Murray, wear another dress, turn the nerves to excitement for the ceremony and get some incredible photos at the same time.

Another piece of advice that I took from our brides was to slip away from the reception for half an hour for photos at sunset. This is something that I would definitely recommend myself – the day goes unbelievably quickly, and it was magical to take some time out together to reflect on it all!

If it fits within the budget, I would also highly recommend hiring a videographer. Marcus from C2 Films worked tirelessly to capture every special moment from our day and now, because of the beautiful film he has created, Murray and I can make sure we shared in every minute of the celebration.”

“
I am so glad that I wore four dresses! Some of my bridesmaids were concerned that I would spend half the night getting changed, but the entire day is so overwhelming, you hardly get ten seconds to take it all in, so slipping away every few hours and putting the next dress on, was amazing. It was just my little sister Lucy dressing me, and Mel, who was my bridesmaid and makeup artist touching me up, so this time with them was really special, and it let me soak it all in!”

That last picture says it all! I do so love a sparkler exit don’t you?? Huge congratulations to beautiful Anna and her gorgeous groom Murray; they planned a true celebration of their relationship and style as a couple, and it has been such a pleasure to share it here on Chic Vintage Brides. A big thankyou to them for allowing me to, and to their wonderful photographer Brown Paper Parcel who captured every single moment so perfectly.

Oh and if you love the looks of Anna’s gowns, then be sure to check back here for a peek at her latest collection – coming soon!

Amy

x

Credits

Photography ~ Brown Paper Parcel // First Look Location ~ Lavendula // Ceremony & Reception Venue ~ Anderson’s Mill, Smeaton // Bridal Gowns & Bridesmaids’ Dresses ~ Anna Campbell // Robes ~ Anna Campbell // Bridal Shoes ~ Jessica Simpson // Earrings ~ Samantha Willis // Bracelets ~ Anna Campbell // Men’s Attire ~ Kate & Laura Suit from Briggins Clothiers // Bowtie ~ Original Penguin // Videographer ~ C2 Video // Styling ~ Oh Perfect Day // Makeup ~ Melonie Santos Makeup Artist // Hair ~ Momu Hair and makeup // Floral Design ~ Flowers In A Vase // Desserts & Wedding Cake ~ Sweet Empire // Wedding Cake Topper ~ Glistening Occasions // Photobooth ~ Smugshots // Gelati ~ Bianco Latte // Food Truck ~ Lil’ Nomnoms // Celebrant ~ Anastasia Meek // On-the-Day Co-ordination ~ Wedding Day PA