Riverstone Estate set to Dazzle Yarra Valley

RIVERSTONE ESTATE SET TO DAZZLE YARRA VALLEY AS PREMIUM EVENTS VENUE

The Yarra Valley is now home to a new gem for wedding and events with the official opening and bridal expo of the prestigious boutique Riverstone Estate on Sunday 19th January 2014.

With jaw-dropping panoramic Yarra Valley views, coupled with the opulence of the main building and spacious verandah, Riverstone Estate is set to become the premium boutique bridal venue in the Victorian wine region.

The official launch from 11am-4pm, will showcase a suite of the best suppliers including photographers, stationery, florists, gowns, cars – the works; all against the perfect backdrop of the prestigious Yarra Valley.

Now managed by one of Australia’s leading bridal and event specialists, Mary-Anne Lowe, Riverstone Estate is the younger sibling to the already successful and award-winning events venue, Bram Leigh, in Croydon.

The two beautiful spaces have become the dynamic duo in all things bridal, each offering a unique and opulent experience for bridal couples.

Catering for 30-60 guests for a formal sit down or up to 130 guests for a cocktail-style event, Riverstone Estate sets the scene for all weddings and special events which demand glamour, intimacy and elegant beauty.

There are stunning views in every direction, including a breathtaking balcony perched high on the hill. The bluestone cellar door or the magnificent lawn areas are also perfect for marquees up to 130 guests add to the plethora of choices on offer at Riverstone.

The finest furnishings and fittings have been handpicked to complement the grandeur of the building at Riverstone Estate.

According to Mary-Anne Lowe, the Yarra Valley has been beckoning for a property that has that special style and look.

“Riverstone Estate will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on anyone who visits. Whether it is strolling through the majestic gardens, sipping local wine on the grand decking or sampling the finest culinary fair, Riverstone Estate is simply quintessential Yarra Valley,” she said.

“The January launch and expo will see Riverstone Estate open its doors to the public where there will be a great mix of bridal suppliers and the opportunity to really soak up the atmosphere in the heart of summer when the garden is in full bloom and there is a kaleidoscope of colour.

“Riverstone Estate is set to become the number one choice for bridal couples looking for the perfect boutique reception with all the trimmings.”

For further information

http://www.riverstonewine.com.au

 

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• First Aussie Bridal Expo for 2014 Torpedoes Into Melbourne Crown Palladium (justasplannedevents.wordpress.com)

FIRST AUSSIE BRIDAL EXPO FOR 2014 TORPEDOES INTO MELBOURNE CROWN PALLADIUM

Australia’s first bridal expo for 2014 is January 4-5, the Ideal Bride’s Ultimate Wedding Spectacular, will sashay into Melbourne Crown Palladium for two days, complete with over $1 million dollar giveaways and jaw-dropping bridal exhibitions.

Australia’s first and finest bridal expo will be giving $1,000 “Ideal Bride Money Vouchers” to every bride- to- be that attends this unique wedding expo.

Extra Prizes are valued at over $50,000 as there will be dozens of prizes on offer including a choice of a $13,500 wedding ceremony and reception package for 80 guests for a formal and sit down reception at Bram Leigh Reception in Croydon or a cocktail party for 120 people at Riverstone Estate Wines, Yarra Valley.

Just some of the extra prizes on offer throughout the weekend are:

*  $4900 photography and video from Front Cover Photography

*  $4000 Wedding Gown from Eva Tamala Couture.

*  $1000 Wedding Cake from Montease Creative Cakes

*  $4,900 Photography from Alex Pavlou Photography

*  $1200 Photo booth from OMG Photo Booth 

First Aussie Bridal Show for 2014

The Ideal Bride Ultimate Wedding Expo Spectacular, on from 4th January to 5th January, will showcase more than 100 exhibitors, four world class fashion parades, featuring world-class fashion designers, Darb Couture, Eva Tamala Couture, Nifi Bridal, Arlene D’Monte Fashion etc. There will be hire car and limousine displays plus a suite of bridal exhibitors, set to whet the appetite of all Melbourne brides and making it one of the largest bridal expo in Australia.

With more than 1,500 brides-to-be expected through the turnstiles, the Ideal Bride Ultimate Wedding Expo Spectacular will simply be a show stopper.

According to founder and Managing Director of Ideal Brides, Mick Bentham, this bridal expo is the ultimate bridal experience, against the backdrop of the luscious grandeur of the Crown Palladium.

“Being the first bridal expo in Australia for the calendar year, we have got to be the best. And with such a premium mix of exhibitors, Melbourne brides will need the two days to get fully ensconced in the Ideal Bride expo in all its glory.”

Mary-Lowe, Managing Director of Bram Leigh Receptions and Riverstone Wineries, and one of major exhibitors of the expo, believes that bridal expos are still loved and needed by contemporary brides.

“Despite the internet being an important information source, brides still crave to wholly experience and research in a more organic and hands-on approach,” she said.

“As a business, it is fundamental to be seen ahead of the pack, so we at Bram Leigh and Riverstone, had to be part of the Ideal Bride Ultimate Wedding Expo Spectacular.”

EVENT DETAILS:

DATE: Saturday 4th January to Sunday 5th January 2014

TIME: 10am to 4pm

VENUE: Melbourne Crown Palladium

ENTRY: $15.00 for a two-day pass

CONTACT: info@idealbride.com.au or

call 07 3821 0188

WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT BRIDAL EXPOS?

Despite the plethora of information on-line with all things bridal, contemporary brides still love to get amongst it in a big way by fuelling their senses at bridal expos.

Bridal expos are the ladies version of Bathurst.  Plenty to see, great crowds and walking away with lots of adrenalin!

There is nothing like entering a room full of women (and some men) who are all in the same magical boat of bridal fever.

Bridal dresses, honeymoons, flowers, wedding favours, invitations, celebrants, bands, menus, jewellery – the list is endless.  So to have the whole lot under the one roof is simply precious.

For many of the boutique bridal expos, it is free to enter, making it an even more enticing option for brides.  Exhibitors know and appreciate that bridal expos are a great avenue to inform and ignite the passions of brides.

Award-winning events venue, Bram Leigh, will be showcasing a jam-packed Bridal Expo in October and will feature the cream of local bridal and wedding suppliers.

More than 35 of Melbourne’s best bridal and wedding suppliers will be exhibiting at the luxurious Croydon venue.  From florists, men’s wear, photography, bridal gowns, stationery, Bombonieres, to celebrants and wedding cars – all will be eager to share their expertise to the 200 brides expected to attend.

EVENT DETAILS:

DATE:              Tuesday 22^nd October, 2013

TIME:               5:00pm – 9:00pm

VENUE:            Bram Leigh, 383 Mt Dandenong Road, Croydon

ENTRY:            Free of Charge

CONTACT:      www.bramleigh.com.au

One Fine Day – a Wedding Affair

One Fine Day

A rustic affair, a perfect venue & the ideal Pop-Up Cafe

Passionately creating life’s precious moments is what Bursaria does best, so they are delighted to be hosting ‘One Fine Day’, the refreshing alternative to a wedding affair, for their Melbourne debut on Sunday 25 August.

The richly historic ‘Rosina Function Space’, in Melbourne’s art & culinary hub, The Abbotsford Convent, will be brought to life with showcases from a handpicked selection of sought after vendors in the wedding field.

The Bursaria Pop-Up Café will delight fair goers with absolutely delicious sweets including pink donuts, flourless friend, lemon custard tarts, scones with raspberry jam and double cream, almond raisin croissants, pecan cinnamon croissants and Mexican wedding biscuits.

 While the savoury-lovers can enjoy soup of the day with crusty chargrill sourdough, soft shell taco with prawns or slow cooked pork with slaw, citrus avocado salsa & sour cream, a gourmet selection of crusted baguette’s or fresh wild, spinach and almond salad or free range chicken, mint, feta with mined yoghurt. Wines, coffees, organic cola, ginger beer, lemon lime & bitters, traditional lemonade to complement!

Bursaria is inspired to share their unique rustic signature style for Melbourne’s first ‘One Fine Day’.

Fair starts at 10am. Tickets $20

www.onefinedayweddingfair.com.au.

Traditional Bridal Dance Waltzes out the door – Reception dance floor heats up with Latin and Bollywood

Australian bridal couples are determined to create something fresh and unforgettable at their wedding reception.  Many are turning to professional dance companies, such as HD Entertainment, to create a jaw-dropping Latin or Bollywood dance routine, guaranteed to entertain their guests at their reception.

HD Entertainment in Melbourne, is struggling to keep up with the number of bridal couples who want to perform a sassy Latin number for their reception party.  Depending on the style and restrictions of the bridal gown, HD Entertainment can teach a couple a basic routine, which includes a dip, twirl and travelling steps in three lessons.  A full performance incorporating multiple styles, lifts and tricks may take a dozen lessons to master.

Traditional, slow-moving bridal waltzes and serenades are being replaced with high energy kicks, turns, and sultry moves.

According to HD Entertainment founder and Principal dancer and teacher, Hooman Ebadi, brides and grooms to-be are becoming increasingly dedicated and passionate in creating an unforgettable and extraordinary dance routine for their first dance as a married couple.

“At HD Entertainment, we are seeing couples really stretching themselves in perfecting a performance that will leave their guests stunned.

David and Rani Janovic, recently performed an exotic and electrifying Latin dance in front of their 480 guests at their wedding.

“Our guests still bring up how wonderful our dance was. It was a masterpiece!! We actually got a standing ovation.” Rani said.

 

For more information on the bridal dance packages, visit www.hd-entertainment.com.au

The Diamond Story

I love jewellery. This was apparent in my latest adventure to Melbourne where I mapped out my day by visiting two of the most beautiful jewellery stores  Tiffany and Co and Hardy Brothers and admiring (secretly wishing I could buy) their collections.

This also had me thinking that when we are planning for a wedding we tend to think of the reception, flowers, the dress and the honeymoon.  But we forget that the planning properly happened months ago when your partner went shopping for the engagement ring.

If you are reading this and you are engaged, ask your partner on how they choose your engagement ring.  It can make for a great story.

If you are in the process of looking for an engagement ring, I have found some great charts (scroll below) to help you choose the right diamond courtesy of All about Diamond Buying.

Interesting fact:  Did you know that, Ancient Greeks heralded diamonds as tears from the gods and Early Romans believed diamonds were splinters from falling stars

Tiffany and Co. 

With 2 levels to browse, it can seem quite overwhelming, however attention to detail and customer service is a Tiffany and Co trademark.  Even though I was just browsing, the staff there were amazing.

My favourite, the Tiffany Legacy ring is a piece of art and would make any girl go weak at the knees.  I had the honour of trying on this one and it is truly breathtaking.  Featuring a patented cushion-cut Tiffany diamond and then surrounded by bead-set diamonds that evokes the glamour of the Edwardian period.

Tiffany and Co legacy diamond ring
Image via Pinterest

Hardy Brothers

Timeless and elegant are the pieces.  The store has a feel of luxury and all the trimmings.  As soon as I walked in, I was offered a beverage – coffee, tea, water or champagne.  Now that is service.

This 18ct Dress ring was one of the highlights in the store.  It looked stunning.  With Chantilly Lace in 18ct rose gold and combined with diamonds, it would complement any outfit.

Hardy Brothers 18ct Rose gold dress ring

When choosing a diamond understanding the 4 C’s is important.  Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat.  I found this information from The Diamond Guild of Australia.

Cut

Of all the 4 C’s, cut has the greatest effect on a diamond’s beauty. Two diamonds of the same size, colour and clarity will look vastly different to the eye if cut differently – one may look brilliant and bright, the other dull and drab. The better quality the cut the more brilliance and beauty the diamond will have.

COLOUR

A truly colourless diamond is extremely rare. Most diamonds possess varying degrees of colour creating substantial differences in value. The highest grade for a diamond with absolutely no colour is D and letter grades are assigned alphabetically all the way to Z. An ‘icy white’ diamond is typically D, E or F. However, some people like the ‘warmth’ of a I, J or K colour.

CLARITY

Diamond clarity is symbolic of ‘purity’ – the more flaws, the less valuable the diamond. Flawless, VVS (Very Very Slight), VS (Very slight) and SI1 (Slight Inclusion 1) have the least ‘inclusions’ or flaws. SI2 (Slight inclusion 2) is borderline where inclusions become visible to the naked eye. I (Inclusion) rated diamonds have obvious inclusions or flaws.

Carat

Diamond carat is the standard used to measure diamond weight. A carat equals 1/5 of a gram. As diamonds increase in size, their cost tends to increase exponentially. Weight does not always enhance the value of a diamond – particularly if it is cut badly. Indeed a good cut can enhance the perceived size of a diamond.

Diamond buying (image courtesy of Diamond Buying info)

Diamond shapes (image courtesy of Diamond Buying info)