Sandra Sully had no idea what she wanted when she started looking for a wedding dress, but after stumbling across a gown when browsing online one night, her mind was made up.
An online search took her to Sydney couture designer Rhonda Hemmingway’s website for her store in Double Bay, where Rhonda has the sole rights to the Elie Saab brand, the designer of Sandra’s beautiful dress. After setting up a private appointment, consultations, liaising with importers, and countless hours of labouring in fitting Sandra’s frock, the then bride-to-be had her first fitting and never looked back.
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“I tried a couple of dresses, but when I put this one on it made the fairy tale real,” Sandra says.
“The very moment I tried it, I felt like a bride. There were no second thoughts. I wanted it to be simple, and the decision process was just that.”
But it wasn’t so simple behind the scenes.
Rhonda and her team worked flat out for two weeks to transform the dress to make it perfect for Sandra’s wedding to Symon Brewis-Weston, so that it would fit her like a glove. This is what the designer does best, and has been doing for over 20 years.
“We had two machinists working flat out for two weeks,” Rhonda recalls.
“We made it completely to measure for her. It was an Elie Saab design but the dress had to be literally completely taken apart and remade so it was perfect for Sandra.”
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What resulted was a beautiful bridal gown, true to the original design but with Rhonda’s signature haute couture touch.
She added a shoulder piece and additional draping to the dress from French Chantilly lace, with a silk tulle layer over the top of the skirt that was appliqued with beaded lace. The detachable additions allowed Sandra to reveal a beautiful beaded lace gown underneath for the reception.
“I thought she looked pretty special. She looked as good as it gets,” Rhonda says.
Rhonda Hemmingway is the only importer of Elie Saab wedding gowns in Australia, the designer who she is tipping as “the new Valentino”. She alters imported dresses to a perfect fit, along with her own designs available at the Double Bay store. Sandra Sully is one of many fans of the couturier’s work.
“I couldn’t have been happier with the dress, and with everything on the day. Have you ever felt so happy you were a bit guilty about it? That’s how I felt,” Sandra says.
Read more about Sandra Sully’s love story in the October issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Your say: What do you think of Sandra’s dress?
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