RYAN X BIANCA

bendooley estate wedding venue nsw wedding gallery by dan cartwright photography

images by Dan Cartwright Photography
The Stables, Bendooley Estate
26th April 2024
90 Wedding Guests

Together for 12 years, Bianca & Ryan met when they were 16 and weren’t interested in each other at first - Ryan being a cocky class clown and Bianca was the studious quiet girl. "We started to exchange banter when we were in Year 12 and a kiss at an 18th birthday party sealed the deal!"

Did you know in the lead up that Ryan was going to propose?

Hahaha yes I absolutely did - he planned a weekend away which was already out of character and he got so nervous when I was sick leading up to it which was a giveaway.

bianca & ryan | to the aisle weddings australia

The proposal.
On the day of, we went on a wine tour. Ryan put the ring box in his pocket + was wearing tight chino pants so I could see the box bulging out of his pants all day 😂

Ryan was too nervous to propose at the planned location on the tour because we had some spectators, so he postponed until the evening where he had set up a candle lit picnic under the stars. I love stars and astronomy so we had set up a telescope to use during the picnic.

He asked me to find something for us to look at. Just as I found Saturn, I looked up to tell him and he was on one knee. Despite knowing he would do it I was still overwhelmed with the emotions. I didn’t even say yes which made him panic, so when he asked again I yelled “well obviously - it’s a yes”

The venue's winning factor.
The Stables was the whole package for us. The location was dual purpose for both reception and ceremony which was a big tick - it avoided people needing to travel between places. It's a beautiful scenic location which would wow our guests, plus we knew our wedding would be in autumn so there would be amazing autumn colours.

It had a great wet weather backup which gave us a lot of comfort that rain wouldn’t affect the day (it ended up being a gorgeous sunny day anyway). The venue also provided all catering. The food/drink at Bendooley is known to be world class, so we felt really comfortable that our guests would enjoy what was served.

Finally the team at Bendooley were the biggest plus. They managed everything and you could tell they were experts at it but still kept the personal touch. Every request and detail was remembered and on the day it was executed perfectly with a smile - Nothing was too much trouble. We would recommend them to everyone.

What was the most important thing you wanted to have at your wedding theme wise?
An abundance of candles at our tables - we wanted a romantic and sophisticated mood for the evening and you can’t beat a candlelit dinner for that.

Utmost favourite moment...
Dancing + singing to “Danielle (smile on my face)” with our arms wrapped around each other in the middle of the dance floor. We were so in love at that moment and we’ll remember that pure feeling of joy for the rest of our days.

Favourite Wedding detail...
Our floral arbour was stunning. We had bunches of luxe white flowers (lillies, orchids and roses) mixed in with deep green foliage, arranged in masses and attached to black frames and the overhead ring feature at the stables. With the dark wooden doors behind, the frame blended into the background so the flowers looked like floating clouds. So dreamy and romantic!

How easy did you find your dress/suit shopping experience?
Marry Me Bridal were absolutely amazing. They had a great range of dresses. I ended up buying 3 dresses from them! Dress #1 was lovely but I had 2nd thoughts a few months later. They were so patient and found me a new dress which I loved.

I then bought a cute mini dress from them too which I would recommend to everyone as it was a great outfit to start a party in. They also soothed me when I had a last minute panic about the veil which they also sorted out on the spot. Highly recommend!

What does marriage mean to you?
A lifetime of love, fun, comfort and always having a home no matter where you are as long as you’re with each other.

Advice that helped you the most when planning...
Start the little things early. There are a lot of minor errands that you leave until closer to the day, thinking it will be easier - but it becomes overwhelming as you are dealing with lots of other commitments close to the day. Get them out of the way in advance so you can enjoy the lead up without the stress!