“Hold my hand and we are halfway there, hold my hand and I’ll take you there.” —Maria, character from West Side Story
MUAH Stylist: Chrissy Keepence – The Lindy Charm School
Photographer: Samantha Heather Photography
Lauren and The Girls Dresses made by her Mum
Venue: The Carington Hotel
A Vintage Bride Story:
It was meant to be I reckon, that I was to be Laurens MUAH Stylist for her wedding for herself, her two sisters and the Groom and groomsmen.. When Lauren contacted me originally, I was not going to be in Sydney and it was cost prohibitive just for the wedding alone to make the trip to the Blue Mountains. I said to Lauren lets see what happens closer to the time. Time passed and the very day my husband and I booked a weekend away to attend another dance event in Sydney, we get a call from Lauren following up on on her wedding and the availability of a Vintage Stylist! Yes, the universes collide and we were meant to be as there I was and free…!
I trust when things like this happen that it is meant to be and it will be a fabulous experience and it was. Lauren’s Mum and Dad and Sisters wee just delightful, thoughtful, funny and kind.. Lauren’s Mum made all the dresses herself and was so humble about her abilities. Their Dad was an absolute card.. funny and quirky and I loved them all.. I asked Lauren to share her story with us as for me, its not just another wedding where I get paid to do hair and makeup, for me it must be special too and this wedding was. Thanks Lauren & Brendan for having me as your Stylist!
How did you and Brendan Meet?
We were 17 years old when we first met at the Winter Magic Festival on the Carrington Hotel’s front lawn. Our interaction was brief and it wasn’t until we met again at a friend’s house party where we got to know each other. We were ‘glued to the hip’ all night and stayed up together talking and laughing. After that we knew we wanted to see each other again and made any excuse to do so!
Who proposed and how?
It was our 9 year anniversary together. We had decided to start the day by going to our favourite lookout in the Blue Mountains, NSW. On this day it was extremely windy. Brendan attempted to set up his camera and after almost having his camera blown off the edge of the cliff by the strong gusts of wind, Brendan told me to “Look out at the view, I want to take a photo” and then snuck up behind me. He then asked me to turn around, got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. My hair was being blown in 10 different directions from the winds but I still managed to fling my arms around him and say yes!
What were your influences for your wedding theme/style?
Having both been an admirer of the 1950s era we had wanted a 1950s themed wedding for many years. Our theme influenced our day in many ways such as my wedding dress was made from a 1950s pattern, the centerpieces featured antique tea cups and me and my maids wore vintage inspired jewellery, petticoats and shawls.
We also wanted our wedding to include ‘little touches’ to reflect our relationship, for instance, we love gardening therefore for our bonbonniere we made mini potted succulents and we had succulents on our wedding cake and some in the bouquets. We wanted the Blue Mountains influence too as that’s where we met so what a venue to have than The Carrington Hotel, the place where we initially met!
What’s the best advice that was given to you before entered this wonderful institution of marriage?
Make time to have fun, create memories, show affection and dream together. Never stop pursuing each other no matter what life brings.
Any advice to others planning their big day to take some of the stress away from it?
Involve your partner as much as you can in order for the day to reflect both of you and have fun with it! Rather than discussing the wedding 24/7 set time aside with your partner to discuss and plan over brunches or dinners out.
Lastly, it can be easy to get carried away by the wedding inspiration pinterest and the internet has to offer but stressing over tiny details such as finding the perfect font for the place cards are insignificant and won’t be remembered by anyone looking back on the day. In other words, don’t sweat the small stuff!
You are such a close knit family, how special was it to have everyone involved from Mum making dresses to sisters being Bridesmaid and Dad even donning a suit?
Having my family involved in the planning and the day in such a big way was a no-brainer decision. I knew that having my sisters’ as my bridesmaids and having my mum make all of our dresses would make the day personal, unique and stress-free, and it did! It meant that I could completely trust that my mum would have the dresses made on time and that they would be perfect. We as a family had a lot of fun with the planning too such as shopping for fabrics, planning over cocktails and on the day it meant we could just all hang out and get ready together. I’ve never seen my Dad in a suit before, which made him donning a suit for my day even more special.
Lastly, why did you choose The Lindy Charm School for Girls to be your MUAH stylist?
I had dreamt of having a 1950s themed wedding for many years and along with that dream I had always wanted a vintage wedding MUAH artist. I had searched for this type of service in Sydney, however, I wasn’t able to locate anything that I wanted. After searching the internet I found The Lindy Charm School, which seemed to be perfect for my day! When I initially contacted Chrissy it was uncertain if she would be in Sydney for my wedding date but fortunately, when I contacted her a few months later she confirmed that she would be in town and could do my wedding MUAH!
Thanks again,
Lauren xx
