James & Sarah’s Duntryleague Mansion Wedding

Words by Hannah Pronesti / Images by Jo Bartholomew
February 29, 2016

Sydney sweethearts Sarah and James met at a mutual friend’s dinner party and Sarah isn’t ashamed to admit she was infatuated from the start – “both of us were too shy to make any moves, however I went home that night calling him my boyfriend to friends and family!” The next time they crossed paths, James (thanks to some friendly peer pressure) plucked up the courage to ask for Sarah’s number and they’ve been together ever since!

The pair found the perfect place to say ‘I do’ a few hours outside of the city in Orange. With it’s glamour and grandeur, Duntryleague Mansion was perfect on paper and seeing the 19th century property and surrounding gardens in person sealed the deal. With a timeless vibe in mind, Sarah and James designed their wedding around the old world glamour of the venue and Sarah’s 40’s style Rachel Gilbert gown. Jo Bartholemew’s stunning snaps are proof they pulled it off.

‘Timelessness’ can be tough – trends come and go, but James and Sarah knew that if they were to achieve their chosen theme, they’d need to be strict. ‘We really weren’t going for a ‘handmade’ wedding, everything had to be polished and sophisticated.” Sarah explains, “If it looked liked someone had made it by hand it was vetoed.” As ruthless as it sounds, the results were worth it and we’ll forever be lusting over their old world affair!

letterpress wedding invitations
DIY was a DI-Don’t for this wedding, however art director Sarah did lend her creative hand to the design of their gorgeous baroque stationery, which was printed by D&D Letterpress.
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew
letterpress wedding invitations Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew green fern wedding bouquet
Despite envisaging a demure Downton Abbey-style frock, Sarah couldn’t help but fall for a slinky and sequinned Rachel Gilbert number. It still ticked all her boxes – 1. long-sleeved and 2. Vintage vibed, and we aren’t the only ones who think this beautiful bride made the right choice – “I went for it and embraced the ‘sexy’ dress and have not regretted it,” she tells us.
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew green fern wedding bouquet
With an already enchanting backdrop, floral decorations were kept simple. Sarah opted for plenty of greenery and we're loving her lush green bouquet of ferns crated by Bespoke Country Weddings.
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew
vintage-wedding-duntryleague-orange-nsw-jo-bartholomew-28 Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew
In keeping with the polished vintage look, Sarah and James took it upon themselves to source cutlery, candlesticks, vases and silver trays, pooling their findings with the props provided by Bespoke Country Weddings.
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew black bridesmaid dresses black bridesmaid dresses
After finding the perfect bridesmaid outfits on Pinterest, Sarah pieced together the girls' ensembles with tops from Free People and skirts from Alibaba.
groomsmen Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew
cheese wheel wedding cake-05
cheese wheel wedding cake-06
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew
Having nailed their own nuptials Sarah and James shared their words of wisdom with us, “Make it your own, it makes the day so much more special for you and the guests that know you so well. Utilise all your friends expertise and hook ups. Pick a few things you are adamant about and then be flexible and creative about everything else. You don’t have to stick to traditions and formalities, it’s far more exciting when you don’t.”
Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew cheese wheel wedding cake Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew Vintage wedding at Duntryleague Mansion / Photography by Jo Bartholomew

Credits

Images Jo Bartholomew | Bride's Dress Rachel Gilbert | Bridesmaid's Dresses Free People | Groom's Suit Shades of Grey | Hair Rebecca Iffland | Makeup Elisha Beard | Ceremony Venue Duntryleague | Flowers Bespoke Country Weddings | Stationery/Invitations D&D Letterpress | Bow tie April Look | Cake The Cheese Smith | Gift Registry Birdie List |


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OPEN Photobooth Adelaide 8 years ago

Love the dramatic black and white of the bride and bridesmaids full length dresses 🙂

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