Marissa and Luke meet in the middle for their Burnham Grove Estate wedding

He wanted something traditional. She preferred something more modern. What they found for their Burnham Grove Estate wedding was a perfect blend of two.

Sydney couple Marissa and Luke’s Burnham Grove Estate wedding was the union of modern elegance and Samoan flair – just like them.

“We wanted something that was less formal, and all in one place,” describes Marissa of their April 17, 2020 nuptials with 130 guests. “I wanted a garden wedding with a marquee and Luke had envisaged a traditional ballroom-type wedding. So, we met in the middle by having an elegant-modern garden wedding.”

The couple’s celebrations began with a dinner the night before including their family, bridal party and a handful of friends who were staying at nearby wedding accommodation, Rydges Campbelltown.

The next morning, Marissa and her five maids were having so much fun, they almost forgot what it was for! “We ran a little late and I was extremely nervous when I got out,” recalls the bride, who was dressed by Blanche Bridal and arrived in a white Chrysler by HF Wedding & Hire Cars.

“Lee-Michelle, the venue manager, met us out the front and told us how amazing the ceremony looked – with three beautiful white-flower archways and a five-metre flower wall at the end of the aisle.”

Following a completely customised ceremony by celebrant Toni Elsley – Breathe Easy Weddings inside the venue’s ‘secret garden’, it was time for Lightheart Films & Photography to take advantage of gorgeous photo opportunities at every turn while guests got to know each other.

While the bridal party were taking photos, our guests enjoyed the croquet lawn for canapes, and drinks from caravan bar Meet Mable. There were umbrellas, wine barrels, lounges and stools set up for guests to mingle. We had so many people tell us how much they loved this part of the wedding as it allowed them to mix with everyone and chat. Our cocktail reception was in the marquee and we had a smoke gun for our bridal entrance. We also incorporated Luke’s culture – I did the Siva Samoa and his friends and family did the haka, which guests all loved watching.

Marissa & Luke

BURNHAM GROVE ESTATE
VENUE HIGHLIGHTS

LOCATION: Cawdor, Camden, NSW

CAPACITY: Up to 150 seated

VENUE STYLE: Elegant, Historic, Rustic

FOOD: Approved caterers list including Chef & I Catering

ACCOMMODATION: Luxury 3-bedroom heritage homestead

This modern elegant garden wedding at Burnham Grove Estate was captured beautifully by Lightheart Films & Photography.

“I loved Blanche Bridal because they offered a made-to-measure service.”

My dress was the ‘Monique’ dress, altered to have a lower back. I also had a detachable skirt with the same detail that was on the dress, which I took off from the ceremony onwards.

Marissa

“Our celebrant Toni Elsley was amazing.”

She essentially allowed us to pick every part of the ceremony and gave us suggestions all the way through. She made everything run smoothly and was super helpful.

Marissa

“HF Wedding & Hire Cars provided a Chrysler and a stretch limousine.”

Because we had a venue that was all in one place, we only needed cars to take the girls from the hotel to the venue.

Marissa

“My only requests were light colours and a dress that was comfortable for all the girls.”

The bridesmaids dresses were from Fashionably Yours. They were the blush pink Luxe Cocktail Frill dress from Shona Joy. It was neutral colour that fit in perfectly with our wedding venue and theme and suited all the girls and their body shapes. It was also a dress that they could keep and wear again for a different event.

Marissa

“I might be a tad biased, but it was the most amazing ceremony I’ve seen.”

Demetra from Let Life Sparkle styled both our ceremony and reception. Our ceremony included three archways with white flowers throughout and a five-metre white flower wall at the end of the aisle. For our reception, she did a beautiful ceiling installation with artificial greenery and white floral strands that flowed onto the back wall. In the middle of the backdrop, there was a neon sign that said ‘Love Made Me Do It’.

Marissa

Photos courtesy of Lightheart Films & Photography.

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