Anna and Harry exchanged vows in front of friends and family at the beautiful Bracu Estate. The photos from the day capture a joyful couple, full of love and happiness, embracing every moment of their special celebration.
Anna looked stunning in Selena by Maggie Sottero, a timeless and elegant satin A-line gown, featuring a scoop neckline, pockets, and covered buttons trailing all the way down the train. She chose the strapless version of Selena, which perfectly suited her style and the romantic setting. Selena is also available with straps for brides who prefer a slightly different look.
We hope you enjoy scrolling through their day and hearing from Anna about her experience with us at Astra Bridal, as well as her journey to finding the perfect wedding dress.
What was it that made this particular wedding dress catch your eye and fall in love?
Ilyese picked out so many incredible dresses! But eventually, we managed to narrow it down to two – a ball gown and a fit and flare. As you can see from the photos, I ended up going with the ball gown! It was the eyes widening and the gasps from my friends and family when Ilyese fluffed out the train that sold me. There was no way I could choose another dress after seeing their reactions.
Tell us about your search for the dress and the experience at Astra Bridal.
All the girls at Astra Bridal in Newmarket are incredible! They really go above and beyond for their brides.
Ilyese was amazing! She made me feel so comfortable and made what could have been a very stressful process so much fun! Ilyese took her time to pull dresses that matched the vibe I was after, while also making sure they suited my body type. She is incredible at what she does!
Tell us your story, how you both met, and the proposal.
We met on Tinder! But we have quite a few mutual friends and realised much later into dating that we had actually been introduced to each other five years earlier at a music festival.
Harry proposed to me on Christmas Day. We were planning to go to the beach with his parents in the morning. Harry asked me to change into the dress I was going to wear for the day. I said, “No! Why would I wear my white dress to the beach? It’ll get dirty!” So, Harry was dressed nicely in a linen button-down, and I wore a baggy T-shirt.
Once we were at the beach, Harry’s mum asked if she could take some photos of us. Then the next thing I see is Harry getting down on one knee, asking me to marry him!
What was your favourite part of the day?
One of my favourite moments was when we were taking pictures with our bridal party. The location was stunning. We were surrounded by hills covered with olive trees and tall golden grass, with little spots of greenery.
Harry and I were taking couple photos, and I remember turning around and seeing our bridal party standing together, having the best time. They were singing Linger by Royal Otis with their hands in the air and big smiles on their faces.
It was a beautiful moment, being with all our favourite people up on that hill.
Tell us about your wedding day as a whole.
The weather was perfect! It was sunny, but not too hot, and the ceremony was held in an olive grove, so the trees provided good cover from the sun!
The first look with my bridesmaids was emotional! I always thought of the first look as being more for the bridesmaids than the bride. But honestly, seeing them looking so beautiful in their dresses really took my breath away. It reminded me how lucky I am to be surrounded by the most amazing girls.
The ceremony was beautiful. I felt all my nerves melt away as soon as I saw Harry at the end of the aisle. My heart is so full looking back on that moment.
Harry and I made sure to include some cultural elements from the Philippines in our wedding. We had a cord and veil ceremony during the wedding. Our cake and donuts were flavours from the Philippines – ube, halo-halo, and mango. And before the dancefloor opened up, we surprised our guests by dancing a traditional Filipino dance called Tinikling.
Finally, what is your biggest piece of advice for brides to be?
Be comfortable with the idea that some things will not go as planned. But make the most of these moments – it makes the day more fun!
Your photographer is a huge part of your day; outside of your partner, you spend the most time in the day with them. Make sure you choose someone that you’re comfortable with and matches the vibe that you want to capture for the day – someone that will make you laugh and put you at ease during the stressful times. Our photographer, Nicole, was incredible! She has such a bubbly and fun personality. She easily fit in with the bridal party and was cracking jokes all day. We had a fantastic time with her. The day would not have been as amazing as it was without her.
