A ‘Make Do & Mend’ Wedding Inspired by the 30’s & 40’s: Megan & Henry

October 28, 2011

Megan & Henry wanted their wedding to embrace the beauty of Australia and to be a mixture of glamour and the ‘make, mend and do’ styling of the 30’s & 40’s. The wedding was held in the Officer’s Mess at The Gap Bluff Centre, Sydney.

“The simple yet elegant characteristic of the art deco building in Watsons Bay National Park felt like the perfect place for us to celebrate our wedding with an intimate group of family and friends,” Megan wrote. “Surrounded by a bush setting and overlooking Sydney Harbour, our guests joined us on a glorious Winter’s day for a relaxed pre-ceremony gluhwein (mulled wine), and continued the celebrations into the night, dancing to the lively jazz tunes of the Red Hot Papas.”

“Not a lot of decorating was needed inside the art deco Officer’s Mess, so a few home-made or vintage items, and the large floral arrangements and cake, were enough to add colour to the white furniture – set up for an informal cocktail celebration. The flowers chosen for the bouquets and cake topper were all native, and the groom and groomsmen wore a succulent on their lapel.”

“We weren’t tied to the conventions of many marriages,” she continued. “We took the reigns early and really enjoyed coming up with our color, texture and typography pallets. We were also celebrating our wedding on our ten year anniversary, so were pretty well established in knowing what was going to best represent the both of our styles, as a couple.”

“Our first inspirations were of mashing Dead Wood with The Great Gatsby…dusty sepia flapper dancing with lawn boules and croquet … things became more realistic as we fine-tuned the details and ended up with mulled wine on the lawn and a banjo and double-bass player in the band to help us satisfy the fundamentals of our original vision.”

The bride wore a gown by Oanh Ma Couture with Camper shoes. The groom made their beautiful stationery.

Thank you to Megan & Henry and their photographer’s Rebecca & Karl for sharing.

Photography Credit: Welsch Photography
Venue: Officer’s Mess at The Gap Bluff Centre, Sydney
Bride’s Dress: Oanh Ma Couture
Bride’s Shoes: Camper
Bride’s Headpiece: DIY
Groom’s Outfit: Anna Ro, Parramatta Road, Annandale
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Fleur Wood
Bridesmaid’s Jewellery: Dinosaur Designs
Cake & Flowers: Brides in Bloom
Hair & Make Up: Min Kan
Band: The Harlem Swing and Red Hot Papas
Stationery: DIY
Transport: London Cab 
Furniture: European Catering & Walkers Function & Party Hire
Celebrant: Niamh Kinchin