essense of australia style D2425

Real Essense of Australia Bride Elisa + Kevin

After over a decade of dating, Elisa and Kevin tied the knot in what can only be described as a super sweet and really fun wedding. This once long-distance couple chose a rustic elegance theme and used dark walnut wood, wine barrels, slate gray colors, and LOTS of succulents to capture their aesthetic. Congrats to this happy couple! 

essense of australia style D2425

essense of australia style D2425

The Proposal

Elisa and Kevin have been together since eighth grade, both attending the University of Iowa, surviving long-distance relationships in Bloomington, Seville (Spain), Cedar Rapids, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Rochester, Chicago, and Indianapolis before finally moving to Dallas together in May of 2016. On December 23, 2017 (after 12.5 years of dating, but who’s counting?!) Kevin surprised Elisa with the most incredible proposal during a private helicopter flight over the Chicago skyline.

essense of australia style D2425

essense of australia style D2425

 

Finding the perfect Essense of Australia wedding dress

Elisa wanted to look elegant and classic, yet sexy. She knew that a ballgown while beautiful, would not show off her figure, which she works really hard for by powerlifting every day. She thought that a simple mermaid dress may be too sexy for her more conservative style but when she found a mermaid dress with lots of tulle, long sleeves, and an open back she knew she found “the one”.

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Elisa visited two other dress shops before stopping in at Diana’s Bridal and she instantly felt like she stepped into her dream bridal boutique. The salon is beautiful with lots of natural light, tufted chairs, and a never-ending supply of white dresses. Diana’s Bridal is by appointment only so Elisa totally felt like she got the VIP private shopping experience and her consultant (Kate) was more than willing to give suggestions, pointers, and let her try on the same dress over and over again. While other boutiques had their dresses in clear plastic covers, Diana’s lets you browse at your leisure. This exact methodology led Elisa to choose a dress with long sleeves even though walking in, she wanted a high neckline. Diana’s Bridal provided a superb wedding gown shopping experience and even helped with some last-minute alterations the day before the wedding!

essense of australia style D2425

essense of australia style D2425

The wedding details

The wedding’s theme was “rustic elegance” using dark walnut wood, wine barrels, slate gray colors, and LOTS of succulents. Silver dollar eucalyptus was present everywhere and the bride made all the signs for the wedding including unplugged ceremony, bar, Instagram, and table number signs. Elisa even made a large display showing the couples pictures for the last thirteen years ever since they were kids and incorporate the couple’s first dance song – “From the Ground Up”.

essense of australia style D2425

essense of australia style D2425

 

Kevin is an especially shy guy and he particularly really doesn’t like attention so it was a special surprise to have him read his vows out loud to Elisa during their ceremony. His vows started with “I’ve been in love with you since we were kids swinging on the park swings” and ended with ” I vow to love you forever and can’t wait to grow old with you, swinging on our rocking chairs on the back porch”.

Photography by Maria Harte Photo

Are you still looking for your fairytale dress? Click here to find an Essense of Australia retailer near you.