Q&A for MASTERS OF WEDDINGS Real Life Weddings

How would you like your names to appear in the magazine ?

Sophia & Jason Soulos

How did you & your partner meet?

At A restaurant/bar I was working at in Double Bay. I was the Matre de and jason walked in…we met by chance and had one or two drinks. Good conversation led to him asking to meet him for coffee later that night. So we met up when I finished work. We had coffee and chatted by a fireplace in the café.

How long have you been together?

4 1/2 years.

How did your partner propose?

He surprised me with a seaplane flight from Rose Bay to Pittwater & then on to Cottage Point & he proposed on the jetty at Cottage Point Inn. Beautiful !!! In fact he tried to do it on the plane, but it was so noisy, he was trying to speak and I kept saying “…I can’t hear you!!...”….poor thing.

Please describe your engagement ring

Spectacular!!! It is a custom made Trillion designed & set by James Kouts of FOREVER DIAMONDS…he is a truly talented jeweller.

Which companies did you use for:

Flowers:

I went to George at "Sincerely Yours" in Hurlstone Park. Firstly I fell in love with George from my first introduction he was warm, friendly & very funny. I consider him a friend today. I explained exactly what I wanted "Exotic/tropical" ....I wanted bird of Paradise & electric blue/Turquoise orchids for the church & the bridal party & for myself I wanted iceberg roses crème with hot pink roses throughout ....I also said to George I was extremely fussy & I wanted each flower to be perfect !!! He did just that. He even had the Birds of Paradise flown in the day before my wedding from QLD as at the time it hadn't rained in Sydney & there were none anywhere. George said "don't stress" !!I will have them just trust me. And he didn't let me down. I still get compliments today about the flowers especially from men who said they had never seen anything like it...(and I thought men didn’t notice these sorts of things!!).

Cake:

Celebration Cakes in Hurlstone Park, they worked with George & decorated the cake with the orchids it looked amazing !

Brides Dress:

Ivory 100% silk with beaded pearl & Swarovski crystals sown on the bodice- lace on the bodice was from Italy & my gorgeous 3 piece roses attachment from Italy as well !!

It was One of a kind “vintage classic" !!!

Why did you choose Lora Ellis?

After visiting 4 other designers one very well known to the industry !! I felt Lora was the only one who really understood exactly what I wanted, we had established rapport very quickly. Her attention to detail was amazing & I felt she was a perfectionist as I am. Every fitting was easy with no dramas & so much fun, she truly is a woman that is passionate about her business and not just there to take peoples money. Also her prices were the most reasonable & my dress was ready the week before the wedding packaged nicely & fit like a glove her fabrics are all from Italy & Paris the best quality I have ever seen .....I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

How many dresses did you try on before finding the one you wore?

None, I knew what I wanted… I had designed it in my mind but it was Lora that brought it to life.

Did you know straight away it was the dress for you?

Absolutely, I wanted to be a bride since I was 5 years old – doesn’t every girl?! You can say that this dress was 33 years of design in the making. A real princess dress.

Advice for future brides on choosing their dress:

Don't go with fashion, go with what suits YOUR shape. This is your day it is not for you to follow a trend. On your wedding day YOU are the trend because on this day everyone follows you !!!

Jewellery:

I made my own as I am a jewellery designer, my business is Pink Chocolate. I wore pearl & diamond bracelet & teardrop crystal earrings.

I made all my bridal parties jewellery as well, that matched their dresses they wore turquoise/electric blue crystal Swarovski long coin drop earrings.

Bridesmaid's Dresses:

I wanted the Greek Goddess theme...I was fortunate enough to find exactly what I wanted in a shop in Neutral Bay virtually next door to the Suit Hire place….how lucky is that. They girls looked amazing, goddesses each one of them!!!

Groom:

Traditional black single breast suit, he was very handsome with ivory vest and shirt.

Groomsmen:

Matched with the groom, accessories to match bridesmaids, so in this case turquoise blue to match the Greek Goddess themed dresses.

Wedding Date:

January 14 2007….and we scored well with the weather……27 degrees on the day.

Ceremony Venue:

Greek Orthodox Church Hurlstone Park

Reception Venue:

Dolton House Jones Bay Wharf ran like a Swiss watch no complaints whatsoever. Reception was perfectly set up… staff were excellent…food impeccable…and they make an extra effort to look after the bridle party and the bride and groom. These guys win awards all the time, for all the right reasons.

Photographer:

Stuart Leal Studio 48, I likes Stuarts quirky nature and his ‘fish eye’ shots are cool not your serious conservative photographer....he reminded me of Elvis…he could pass for his cousin. People must remember your photographer is with you for up to 12 hours…and you need to work with him the whole time…so my advice, choose not only someone whose work speaks for themselves but also someone you get on with it is more important than a lot of people realise.

Cars:

Bentleys' – Classics from the 1950’s

What were some of the special highlights of your ceremony?

This was my family church since I was a little girl the Church was totally packed with our family & close friends - No standing room left. Our Priest, Father Nicholas, took time out to talk to the guests & us - he personalised the ceremony with a speech about the both of us at the end…it was a beautiful and sincere touch.

What were some of the special highlights of your reception?

Flowers, flowers & more flowers....Laughter, my speech, yes I gave a speech… unrehearsed and from the heart. It was well received - I think brides should break with ‘tradition’ & have a say as well.

What was the highlight of your day overall?

Walking down the aisle and seeing my ‘husband to be’ at the end… seeing everyone in my life there, all so happy to celebrate the occasion… a wedding day is about a dream coming true…and mine did… oh and then there was my dress of course it was perfect!

Where and for how long did you go on your honeymoon?

2 weeks to HAWAII- Beautiful scenery ....& sensational shopping !!!