Could this sublime vintage wedding in the Adelaide Hills be any more perfect? The elegant affair with foodies Sophie Goldsworthy, 30 and Mark Duncan, 33, had all the ingredients to make the most memorable celebration. And it wasn’t just the mouth-watering menu (which included shiraz-glazed duck, mmm).
Not only was the venue to die for with all its vineyard greenery (did I mention I love green?), the weather was being totally agreeable – not a drop of moisture on the radar – and everything about it is just so tasteful.
From a purely aesthetic perspective, the styling is put together oh so well, from the rustic yet sophisticated vintage vibe to the ivory and blush-pink colour palette – check out the girls’ Saba frocks and rose gold heels. The bride’s silk satin and velvet-trim gown is a timeless classic and the cake is pretty amazing too. So so beautiful, love it all.
Among all this taste and class, the Adelaide-born couple (who met in Perth, lived in Melbourne and now reside in Singapore – yes, I was confused too), still managed to throw fun into the mix. With over half the 130 guests travelling from interstate and overseas for the nuptials, Sophie and Mark organised a bright red double-decker bus to transport their crew to and from the wedding.
Sophie tells, “The Glenelg bus was our ‘party’ bus and it was a surprise for guests to find a double-decker London bus waiting to pick them up!” (Oh, I should also mention Mark was raised in London – very well travelled, this boy.)
She adds, “The journey home after the reception was loads of fun and we all got into the karaoke!”
When the pair arrived back at the Glenelg penthouse where they were spending their first night as newlyweds, the celebrations continued with their bridal party until 4am. Sophie says, “The following morning we were both on cloud nine. We grabbed a coffee then hit the beach to recap on the day before.”
The perfect ending. Congratulations!
Mark and his four groomsmen hired classic charcoal three-piece suits from Adelaide men’s outfitters, Peter Shearer Menswear. “Three out of the four groomsmen were arriving from the UK the day prior and the store was great at fitting the guys last minute,” explains Sophie.
The simple and elegant long-stemmed bouquets of ivory roses were arranged by Gabrielle Boulton of The Love Fern (who was also the bride’s makeup artist). “We were very lucky to have the roses we chose as it had been very hot and dry in Adelaide the week prior and there was a chance they wouldn’t survive the heat,” says Sophie.
Of the blush-pink bridesmaids’ dresses from Saba, Sophie explains, “It took us a few shopping expeditions to find what I was envisaging and what the girls would all like wearing.” They completed the elegant look with simple silk stud earrings from Tilkah.
“The vintage-style gown is made from the best quality heavy silk satin with an antique velvet trim and features a handmade silk flower placed at the hip,” says Sophie of her Clarissa Grace design. “It has pleated georgette detail throughout which adds a whimsical feel to this otherwise modern silhouette.”
Sophie tells, “My high school chaplain conducted the service so it had a religious feel while being in a beautiful outdoor, modern setting. ‘Mr Lang’ was just brilliant and it was great to have a celebrant we knew and who had a good sense of humour!”
Adding to the fun-feel of the nuptials was the reading Grow Old with You (which was the song that Adam Sandler sang in The Wedding Singer). The couple’s friend, Jesse, even strummed along on his guitar, “which was a nice light-hearted touch,” says Sophie.
“As Longview is about one hour from Adelaide, we had two buses for guests, one departing from and returning to the city, the other from Glenelg,” says Sophie. This very cool party bus was from Big Night Out Bus Tours.
“We had a few different types of lawn games on the grass for guests to have fun with… my dad actually organised the giant Jenga and even painted white love hearts on every piece!” says Sophie.
“Mark and I are foodies,” says Sophie, “so the food was very important to us! Longview did a sensational job as the produce used was top quality and cooked to perfection.”
She adds, “You don’t often see duck on the main course menu however we decided to go with something a little out of the ordinary as well as serving a ‘safe’ dish [beef eye fillet].”
The venue also incorporated a late snack into the evening – slow roasted honey leg with crusty loaves – which was a total hit with guests.
Sophie’s talented godmother, Gill, made and decorated the couple’s three-tier wedding cake. Sophie says, “We gave her free rein of her artistic abilities… the cake was absolutely delicious, with the top layer being fruit cake (which we are saving) and the remaining cake was white chocolate, apricot, pistachio and almond gateau – gluten free.”
Photos by Simon Bills Photography.
