Sharyn & David

Sharyn David AND

KURRAJONG HILLS

A FULL MOON, UNIQUE PERSONAL TOUCHES AND SURPRISING GUESTS BY TAKING A LEAP INTO THE POOL AT LOXLEY ON BELLBIRD HILL ENSURED SHARYN AND DAVID’S WEDDING DAY WAS JUST AS QUIRKY AS THEM.

Sharyn and David Vincenti Phipps had their first date in April 2015, after connecting on Tinder. “I made David meet me in a public place, but he was a complete old-world gentleman,” Sharyn recalls. “He arrived in his truck, wearing a grandpa flat-cap and holding a bunch of flowers.”

The date went well and before long Sharyn and David were planning their first trip away as a couple – to the Blue Mountains. “We love the area. The quaint shops, cafés and scenery are magical and fresh,” says Sharyn.

David agrees: “The area means so much to us, so when we decided to be married there was no other choice but the mountains,” he says. “We wanted to be married on a very specific day – 21 March 2019, the date of the Autumn Equinox and a full moon.” Words: Lisa Doust.

When searching for the ideal location for their wedding, Loxley on Bellbird Hill ticked all the boxes. “It sits on green, rolling hills and the staff were friendly and happy to accommodate all of our wishes and quirks,” says David. “We wanted a ‘pop-up’ wedding that included the ceremony and a small reception, photography and a night’s stay.”

Fifty close friends and family members were invited, and the couple asked niece Savannah to be flower girl and nephew Miles to be the ring bearer. As Sharyn and David both enjoy Celtic and Viking history, they added a few twists to the day – they had a hand-fasting ceremony, their wedding jugs were made of horn and their wedding rings were engraved with a sun and moon.

To honour her father, who passed away when she was a teenager, Sharyn had a charm made that was placed around her beautiful bouquet. “My Mother walked me down the aisle and I wanted Dad to walk with me as well. Having the charm with me was the cherry on top,” she says.

Celebrant Robyn Pattison performed the ceremony. “Robyn told our love story wonderfully, and had our guests captivated,” says David. “Also, our friend Mitch lovingly made the trip back from Europe and we made him a part of the hand-fasting ceremony – he held the ribbon.” Russell Murray of Inlights Photography snapped all of the day’s special moments. “We had some interesting requests and brought a few props with us, and Russell was so fun and imaginative. I was so nervous about having my photo taken but he made us both feel so comfortable and the photos turned out beautifully,” says Sharyn.

After the more formal photos were taken, it was jokingly suggested that the newlyweds leap into the property’s pool. “We were incredibly keen to do it,” says David. “To everyone’s shock, we jumped in hand-in-hand wearing the full kit and caboodle – Sharyn in her wedding dress and veil, and me in my suit.”

Taking a splash was one of Sharyn’s highlights: “My favourite moment, though, was declaring our personalised vows to one another, closely followed by our first dance. We danced to Die A Happy Man by Thomas Rhett, which was remixed into The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang – all of our guests joined in.”

For David, watching Sharyn walk down the aisle in her wedding dress is his favourite memory: “I was an ecstatic, blubbering mess when I saw her. Jumping into the pool capped off all the fun of the day and we had the Blue Mountains as our beautiful natural backdrop, which cannot be beaten.” BML

STYLE FILE

RECEPTION & CEREMONY Loxley on Bellbird Hill, Kurrajong Hills CELEBRANT Robyn Pattison of The Wedding Pixie BRIDE David chose Sharyn’s dress at Tree of Life and Sharyn’s mother made a slip to go underneath. Worn with shoes from Minnetonka Moccasins and a crystal necklace from Living Energies. For ‘Something Old’, Sharyn wore the same sea-pearl drop earrings she had worn to her Year 10 formal GROOM Custom-made suit and shirt from Montagio, Sydney. Worn with Windsor Smith shoes and a hat from theirishstore.com WEDDING RINGS Yellow-gold bands from Michael Hill Jewellers, which Sharyn and David had engraved with a sun and moon on the inside and their wedding date on the outside HAIR & MAKEUP Miss Moss Makeup, Alexandria FLOWERS The Bloom Room, Richmond BOUQUET CHARM perfectcharmer.com.au CAKE Two-tier Green Geode cake with banana and caramel flavours, made by Savvy Cakes, Penrith BONBONIERE Gingerbread cookies shaped like penguins (David’s favourite animal) and owls (Sharyn’s favourite animal), made by Savvy Cakes CATERING Canapés made by Loxley on Bellbird Hill INVITATIONS Sharyn and David chose the Starry, Starry Night wedding invitations from minted.com ACCOMMODATION The chalets at Loxley on Bellbird Hill PHOTOS Russell Murray of Inlights Photography