Ara & Jorge's Magical South American Inspired Real Wedding
On the 19thof November 2018, Ara and Jorge tied the knot in a beautiful South American inspired wedding. This real wedding embraced fun, colour, and romance and was the perfect reflection of this couples exciting love story. We sat down with Bride Ara to get all the details of their romance and to find out how they made their wedding dreams come true…
How did you and your partner meet?
We met just over 7 years ago when Jorge was in Sydney for a 4-month vacation. We were pretty much inseparable ever since.
How did he propose?
We got engaged on October 20, 2017 on our first trip to Europe. We arrived in Paris that day and Jorge convinced me to go to the Eiffel Tower at night – I wanted to go during the day so you could see better views! Anyway, that's where he proposed, at the bottom, after we had just been to the top. Surprisingly, no one was around at the time and it was very private. He asked me to take a photo of him with the entire tower in the background. I had to walk quite a fair way to capture it all and when I came closer to take another photo, that's when he got down on one knee and popped the question. He later told me he wanted to propose at the top but he found there were too many people and it was actually perfect as the moment was so private, just the two of us.
What do you love most about your partner?
Jorge is a beautiful soul. He always sees the best in people, gives great advice and loves me unconditionally. He listens and is very thoughtful.
What’s your most important piece of advice for creating and maintaining a strong relationship?
Trust and communication are key.
Tell us about your wedding gown and how you chose it:
I initially didn’t want a wedding gown… a white dress, yes, but I didn’t know exactly what. My family convinced me to just take a look around and even try some dresses on. I chose my dress at the first bridal fitting I went to. It was the only gown I tried on that put a smile on my face and that I felt myself in. It was a simple but elegant style, mermaid cut, with a big bow on the back which I thought was kinda quirky and reflected my personality.
What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?
We wanted our wedding day to be a celebration, rather than a formal setting. Jorge is from Peru and I wanted to infuse a South American flavour into the mix. I saw a photo of the wedding arch we had on the day which became the inspiration for everything else. Our wedding was a very colourful, fun but elegant event. There were even alpacas! I know alpacas are becoming more and more popular to have at weddings these days, but it actually made sense for us to have them.
What was your favourite moment from the day?
Walking down the aisle, seeing all the decorations come to life, our loved ones, and Jorge waiting for me at the end. It was also a lot of fun running up and down the laneway for our send off with the sparklers.
Name your wedding soundtrack:
Aisle – Canon in D, Pachelbel
Signing of Register – Spanish Dance, Albinez
Recessional – Trumpet Tune, Purcell,
Reception entry – Mi Genta, J Balvin
First dance – Nothing can change this love, Sam Cooke
Bouquet too – Pretty Woman, Roy Orbison
Farewell – Rest of my life, Bruno Mars
Any DIY décor elements?
I designed the wedding signs which we got printed and placed into some Kmart frames which was a cheap hack.
Table numbers, place cards etc designed by myself and printed by Moo.
We went to Peru to source Peruvian textiles for the napkins. We chose the fabrics and got them sewn down. We also purchased our small pin giveaways from the markets there.
Where did you go on honeymoon?
We are yet to go! We had two weeks off after the wedding but decided to stay and spend time with family and friends who came from overseas. It was a great time to catch up with people who we wouldn’t be seeing as often. A group of us spent a few days at Hamilton Island.
Any tips that you can give to future brides?
Don't sweat the small stuff. Of course, we want every little detail to be perfect, but at the end of the day, your guests are there for both of you and they're going to love it all. They're not going to remember the small details so if something hasn't gone quite to plan, it's ok! Also, try and have a theme and centre your wedding look and feel around that central theme – it can make choosing a lot easier. 
The Team
Wedding feature thanks to: Adorn Invitations https://adorninvitations.co.uk
Wedding Invitations: Myself. I am a graphic designer and designed the stationary suite and wedding signs
Dress: Oleg Cassini https://www.olegcassinistore.com/
Makeup: Alissa’s Bakery
Hair: SME Hair
Shoes: Nine West
Accessories: Earrings from Reliquia Jewellery
Bridesmaids Dresses: Keepsake the Label dress altered to create new style https://keepsakethelabel.com.au
Grooms Suit: Hugo Boss https://www.hugoboss.com/
Cake: The Grounds of Alexandria
Food: The Grounds of Alexandria
Flowers: The Grounds Florals by Silva
Photographer: Gold Hat Photography https://goldhatphotography.com
Pre-wedding photo venue: Paddington Reservoir Gardens
Ceremony Venue: The Grounds of Alexandria https://thegrounds.com.au/
Reception Venue: The Grounds of Alexandria
Entertainment: Ceremony– Sydney Ensemble, Reception– EV Entertainment and Lilian Yessayan
Celebrant: Johan the Celebrant
Any Other Vendors:
GIF/photo booth – Snappy Photobooths
Alpacas – Alpaca Kisses https://www.alpacakisses.com/
Wedding Bands – Mondial Pink Diamond Atelier and Grew & Co.
Printer: Moo
