Ainsley Hughes
Dress Iris
Photographer: Rope and Pulley
Stockist: Bluebell Bridal
Videographer: Scouts Honour Films
Venue: The White Room
Florist: The Faithful Florist
Hair: Emma Matthews Hairstylist
Make-Up: Madisan Oram Makeup
Shoes: Luminous Assembly
Married on their sixth anniversary, Ainsley & Logan wanted their wedding day to encapsulate them as a couple, and the town they grew up in, met in, and now live in together. Plus, the dress, had to be different, memorable and elegant, three things that easily describe the Iris gown. It was love at first sight for the dress. After seeing Iris online but then finding out it isn’t stocked in any stores in Newcastle, Australia, Ainsley had the dress flown to her via our Melbourne stockist, Bluebell Bridal.
Rope & Pulley
Tell us about the inspiration for your wedding day
We always knew we wanted a city wedding, something that celebrated the urban, industrial cityscape of the town we grew up in, met in, and now live in together. We wanted to combine a modern city vibe with softer, more romantic elements. But planning our city wedding wasn’t necessarily straightforward! Our original wedding venue went into liquidation just 3 months before our wedding date, forcing us to pivot and embrace new venues: The White Room for our ceremony and The Crown & Anchor Hotel (a local pub!) for our reception. Looking back, we think the switch actually made our day that much better. The White Room provided the perfect blank canvas that made our ceremony styling, beautiful flowers and my exquisite Iris dress stand out that much more. It also allowed us to keep a real sense of ease and playfulness to the whole occasion: the two venues are one block apart, meaning our guests formed a happy, meandering procession between the two spaces. It was meant to be!
Did you always know what you wanted your wedding dress to look like?
I didn’t necessarily have a clear picture of what I wanted, but I always knew I wanted something a little bit different, something memorable, yet still elegant. I often struggled to picture myself in a plain white wedding dress, so I was initially quite apprehensive about finding something that felt like ‘me’.
Why did you choose the Iris dress?
I was looking for unique wedding dresses online and stumbled across a picture of Iris and couldn’t get it out of my head, it was unlike any other dress I’d seen. The coloured wildflowers made it feel so fresh, bright and whimsical, yet looking at it there’s still no doubt it’s a wedding dress. The layers of embroidered tulle and belle sleeves give it such romantic elegance. I decided I just HAD to have it, so I had Iris sent to me here in Newcastle (Australia) via a boutique in Melbourne. It’s just the most joyful dress; wearing it all day made me feel so happy and the comments I have received about it have been endless.
What was the favourite part of your wedding day?
I’m sure everyone says it, but there were so many special moments at our wedding: my Dad driving us to the ceremony in our family Kombi, my husband’s tears as I walked down the aisle, and dancing with our friends to a live band until the early hours of the morning. But I’d have to say our ceremony was our favourite part. Our celebrant, Jaya Bargwanna, put together the most amazing ceremony script that captured our love story and personalities perfectly. The ceremony was an incredible chance to reflect on our adoration for each other, as well as all the hilarious adventures and milestones we have shared together over the years. We were lucky enough to get married on the date of our sixth anniversary together, so the ceremony really felt like a beautiful full circle moment for us as a couple.
