Real Essense of Australia Bride Kathryn + Mike

A New Year’s Eve wedding with a hint of old Hollywood-glam, we are blown away by the glamour of Kathryn and Mike’s wedding celebration. With modern and sleek styling and sophisticated details, their wedding was a night to remember!

The proposal

From the bride: I am absolutely in love with winter and the holiday seasons. My husband and I drove to San Diego in the middle of the night to spend time with my sister and her family. We had a brand new puppy and a senior dog with us. After the rough drive down from San Francisco to San Diego, we were exhausted and accidentally fell asleep in my sister’s living room on the couch despite having a place of our own.

My fiance convinced me to get up early and leave their home on Christmas Eve morning so we could spend some time alone in our beachside bungalow and exchange gifts as was our custom. We exchanged gifts and he brought me coffee in bed. He then said that Gus, our new puppy, had something special for me. He brought the puppy into the bedroom with the ring looped in his collar. He placed the pup on my lap in bed and proceeded to get down on one knee and ask for my hand.

Afterward, we drove to my sister’s where with my fiance’s help, they had a surprise champagne brunch celebration waiting for us.

Finding the perfect Essense of Australia wedding dress

As a bride in my 30’s, I wanted a dress that felt mature, but not too modern, sleek, but not too sexy. I tried on many dresses while shopping and had a wonderful experience overall. My largest challenge was not buying every dress I tried on! I was conscious of not letting ‘bridal hysteria’ get the best of me and focused on brands that I felt brought tremendous value in their line. I wanted to look like a classic beauty – I felt just that way on the big day!

The wedding details

Mike and I wanted to throw a party for all the friends and family who had supported us along our relationship journey. Being New Years, we wanted glitz and glam, but not pretension!

By asking everyone to share the last day of the year, it had to be a special night! We focused on classic New Years decor of gold, black, and silver with natural elements such as fresh PNW greenery outside elements of wood and branches. Glitter and twinkle lights were important. While not a specific ‘theme’ we were very drawn to art deco styling and incorporated many design elements into the wedding. For a bit of fun, we splurged on fancy champagne, a fabulous open bar, and thematic elements such as confetti canyons, live music, midnight toasts, and a sparkler exit.

We were married on New Year’s Eve and counted down the minutes until midnight. That first special kiss, starting off the next full year as a new husband and wife, was the most special memory from the night.

Alison May Photography