Featured: Claire & Peter, a marquee wedding in the Southern Highlands - Real Weddings magazine

There are so many people who worked together with heart, a sense of humour, a desire to rise to any challenge (tree in the wrong place anyone?), to create magic on the last weekend in October last year, but I want to take the time to make tribute to a few, without whom we could not have been allowed to shine.

Firstly to Claire & Peter and their families: for believing in us, trusting us, welcoming us into their home and their lives, and not once making us feel we were anything but treasured and respected.

To my team on this one -- Shane, Anna, Sam, Peter, Bettina -- for working with flair, dedication, a serious lack of sleep, and possibly too much pizza, too late at night, for way too long. I can never thank you enough for all you did, not only in the months, days and hours leading up to the wedding day, but for being back up at dawn on Sunday, smiles on your faces and ready to make the post wedding celebration brunch one to be remembered by everyone who attended. For the thousands of roses you helped me strip, the marquee walls and table linens you labouriously steamed by hand (have your backs recovered yet? ;-)), the lace bar you lovingly created, for the several truckloads of gear you prepared, packed, loaded, unloaded, set up, packed, unloaded, cleaned and stored. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

To Karin Johnson, who manages Your Event Solution at Bowral: you were a calm and professional joy to work with for the months leading up to the event, as well as on the days we toiled away together leading up to the wedding. I love that you don't want to give no as an answer. That your tiffany chairs are impeccably white. That you knocked yourself out to design a marquee construction site that required serious packing, so we could place it where the view was best, allowed Peter & Claire (and us)  the long banquet tables of our dreams, and saved the cherished weeping cherry in Mrs Mason's front garden.

Thank you all for helping us make it happen.

Love,

Alicia x

Event design, styling & management, flowers, stationery & mirror seating plans all

 by Form Over Function.

Crystal and etched glass vases and candleholders, chandeliers, latte damask table runners, white linen, lace bar, antique bench, ottomans, side tables, silver table lamps, glassware & cutlery, latte damask and latte self stripe marquee walls

 all available from Form Over Function's hire depot.

Site construction design & management, marquees, timber flooring, white tiffany chairs,

 banquet tables, catering & serviceware equipment hire & outdoor lighting

 by Your Event Solution.

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Spring Blossom Shower Brides - New York, New York #2

We're in love with spring.

It is literally raining spring blossom in New York's Central Park at the moment, and while we were busy strolling through its glades looking up at the beautiful and constant shower of petals raining down on us (and being grateful we don't suffer from hayfever) we came across two couples making the most of this spectacular backdrop for their wedding photos.

If you're dreaming of a wedding featuring the romance of spring blossom, get thee to a calender and map [or organise a wedding in Manhattan in mid to late April, we'd be very, very, very happy to help you make it happen ;-) ].

Over the years we've had many a bride disappointed to discover that blossom is not in season in December or March or June.

Branches of spring blossom start making their appearance at the Sydney flower markets in late August, early September, and are usually over by mid October.

But a warm winter can bring them on early. Or a bitterly cold one delay them. This is one bloom growers have no control over - they happen when they happen.

If you are wanting an outdoor ceremony with a tree blossom background, head to the southern highlands region two hours out of Sydney to find a location, and aim for a September/October spring wedding.

The lower reaches of the Blue Mountains (as well as its peaks) will also offer the possibility of a blossom wedding, as will Melbourne's city parks, and that city's beautiful hinterland regions.

Want to stay local? Keep your eyes peeled in spring, and take notice of where the blossom trees in your own neighbourhood may be - even if you don't end up with a blossom ceremony, there's no reason you can't have some images taken under the beautiful tree of an obliging neighbour.

Now Form Over Function will happily venue scout for you, and do the local, on the ground research to find you the photographic backdrop of your dreams, but if you are a do-it-yourself bride, make sure you take the time to speak to locals with an intimate knowledge of the area's floral seasons, and who know which tree is which, so there is no let down for you on the day when what you thought was a cherry blossom tree turns out to be a blossom-free Japanese maple.

Till soon

Alicia x