Dee, the ultimate girl boss of Madeeka Hair and Brendan, partner at award-wining financial brokerage firm, Portfolio Finance, were obsessed with each other from day one, they say. And from the looks of it, they are inseparable.
They were happily engaged in 2013 in Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania, overlooking Wine Glass Bay and fast forward 10 years later, on the same date, they wanted to have their dream wedding. Another requirement? An intimate celebration, In Bali. “We always imagined a smaller, more intimate group of friends and family,” explains the bride. Those dreams of a private, romantic wedding felt a little more real after they found their venue in Puri Temple Hill. I compared every single venue to it for months and we finally decided it was the perfect venue for us. Another plus, we loved the food at Opia Bali. All of our friends know us as major food lovers and this was the perfect match for us! We actually booked the venue before we finally got to see it in person in November 2022.
The venue was the most important thing for us, but photography was second!” notes the bride, who fell in love with Evermotion Photographers, which she describes as “romantic and sweet but with a nostalgic, vintage touch!
Dee wore a Karen Willis Holmes Fontanne wedding dress with statement beading that was subtle and stunning with an attached cape veil for the ceremony, and kept her jewellery timeless and sophisticated with her fine handmade diamond tear drop earrings and rings from bespoke Melbourne jewellers, Timothy Sethna Her Jimmy Choos completed her outfit. Though Dee toyed with the idea of doing her own wedding hair and makeup, being the owner of the prestigious Madeeka hair salon, she was ultimately glad that she could sit back and let Makeup by Nofi handle this.
Unique Bali Decor created the bride’s long stemmed-style bouquet, complete with an array of white peonies and peruvian roses. “I love Ikebana-style bouquets and florals, so we wanted that type of look, but something still timeless and elegant,” notes the bride.
Brendan doned a Dolce & Gabbana custom tuxedo, Gucci loafers and a Tag Heuer Carrera x Porsche watch.
Leading up to the big day, the couple and their families had a jam packed schedule that included a Formula One Racing Series in Singapore and a Post Malone concert. When they finally arrived in Bali, they wanted to catch up with their loved ones who’ve travelled from everywhere for the celebrations. “Part of our goal for the weekend was to spend as much as time as possible with friends and family, and getting that time with loved ones between all of the weekend’s events was precious,” says Brendan.
The couple’s wedding was years in the making, which made their first look (during which they exchanged private vows) that much more meaningful, says the bride. “We had an extended engagement and we have been together for almost nine years, so this moment was a long time coming and highly anticipated,” notes Dee. A rainy forecast had also put some extra pressure on the pair. “The sun coming out and finally seeing each other dressed prior to the wedding was a huge sigh of relief for the both of us—and the beginning of the most perfect day I couldn’t even compare to any of my inspo boards.”
Dee and Brendan spent the remainder of the time before their ceremony snapping photos around the property—and made sure to pose with their parents and kids, before getting ready for their service.
Rows of baby breath bushes lined the long aisle. A double circled arched in the chapel framed the set up . Rows of ivory tiffany chairs provided a harmonious and tranquil semi circle seating on the Chapel’s outer deck.
After Brendan made his energetic aisle debut with his groomsmen to Top Gun’s soundtrack., their kids followed next, with their son bringing their rings in a briefcase. Dee followed on the arm of her father. She walk down the aisle to Lydia Rose and her band singing a rendition to Take me Higher.
The couple hired a local officiant, Bali Celebrants, to oversee the ceremony and it was a beautiful moment, his sister started with a poetry reading and then the couple exchanged heartfelt vows and the room was enveloped with so much love among families and friends.
The couple celebrated their union with free flowing Chandon Brut and a myriad of other bites and delicious delights at their extended cocktail hour, which gave guests extra time to take photos, record their audio messages in the vintage london phone booth, and enjoy the Opia gardens while listening to Lydia Rose jazz it out. They offered passed apertivos, and chose signature cocktails.
Brendan and Dee had a special area for kids, where they had a magic session and treasure hunt, complete with nannies and also a Disney Channel movie time, so the parents can enjoy the cocktail hour and reception! This was above and beyond.
The group moved to the venue’s beautiful limestone area , where walls of ivory rocks created another space for dinner. Attendees sat at four tables, flanked with stunning florals from orchids to baby breaths. White tiffany chairs added modern flair to the romantic tablescapes, which were topped with white clear chargers, silver flatware, white candles, and stunning center pieces.
Steak and Lobster, of course, was on the menu, along with other Opia Staples. “We wanted lots of food! I wanted this to be the best food and wine anyone has ever had at any wedding” says the bride. Dinner extended well into the night; live musicians and saxophones and DJ Sammy on the decks set the tone for the romantic meal.
The pair's reception became the backdrop for one of their favorite wedding memories. "Brendan and I had a moment at dinner where we stepped out to admire the sunset and view. We turned back around to look at all of our friends and family who made the long journey to celebrate with us in Italy and it made me so emotional," says Christine. "To see so many beautiful people from different phases of our lives all interacting with each other in the same space was so special—and definitely a moment I’ll remember forever."
The couple’s massive wedding cake was so cool, most of their guests thought it was fake. “We wanted a grand, three tier cake with a more minimal design,” shares the bride of the confection’s ruffled buttercream exterior. “Our cake was exactly like we imagined and it was even more delicious than it looked!”
Another big-day highlight? The pair’s first dance to “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” which was another surprise for their guests followed by huge FIREWORKS. “Everyone expected just a cute moment between me and Brendan, but we incorporated a few dips, a spinning lift, and a waltz that had the crowd cheering like crazy!”
To see so many beautiful people from different phases of our lives all interacting with each other in the same space was so special—and definitely a moment I’ll remember forever.
VENUE : PURI TEMPLE HILL
CATERING & BAR : OPIA BALI
PHOTOGRAPHY : EVERMOTION
VIDEOGRAPHY: EVERMOTION
HAIR & MAKE UP: NOFI HAIR AND MAKEUP
FLOWERS: UNIQUE BALI DECOR
MUSIC: LYDIA ROSE
WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER: Karen Wills Holmes
GROOM’S ATTIRE: DOLCE AND GABBANA
CAKE: BUTTER BALI
RINGS : Tim Sethna Jewelery