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reception venue
Our expert: Stefania D’Amico from Grand Pacific Group
GRANDPACIFICGROUP.COM.AUS
tefania D’Amico, venue sales manager
for Dunbar House, one of the Grand
Pacific Group’s most popular venues,
says peach is in as a wedding theme colour,
home-made bomboniere are most
appreciated, sphagnum moss trees hung
with votive candles created the most beautiful
table centrepieces she’s seen, and that lunch
time weddings are becoming increasingly
popular as people realise their benefits.
Stefania sees at least three weddings a
week, and shares her passion for planning
and getting the details right with more couples
each day. ‘From the minute you enquire until
the day after your reception, we’re there,’
she says, of the Grand Pacific Group team,
all of whom work exclusively for GPG, at
venues which include Sydney’s Gunner’s
Barracks, Sergeants Mess and the grand
Tea Room in the Queen Victoria Building.
‘When someone books with us,’ Stefania
says, ‘I send them a beautiful package in the
post. It includes a list of our favouredsuppliers, filtered for what you’ve told us
about your ideal wedding’, and a checklist of
things to think about and do.
But back to the trend for daytime
weddings: Stefania says that at venues such
as Dunbar House, a lunch or brunch time
reception lets you take full photographic
advantage of the view and of daylight. And,
she adds, ‘you get to celebrate the whole
day’. Her couples frequently marry at
10.30am, and enjoy champagne and a
beautiful lunch, before boarding a yacht or
cruiser for a dance party that goes until late.EXPERT TIPS
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own wedding? Her top tip is to have guest
numbers in mind when checking out
venues. For example, her big Greek-Italian
wedding will have a guest list of 200, so
holding it at Dunbar House is out of the
question. ‘There’s no point falling in love
with a venue you can’t have,’ says Stefania.tA%FDJEFXIBUZPVXBOUPVUPGZPVS
reception,’ says Stefania. Sit down with
your partner and, ‘Put pen to paper; write
down all the things you’ve liked and disliked
about weddings you’ve been to.’ She
promises it’s an enlightening process.
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Stefania recommends asking yourself,
‘How much money do we have to create
this wedding?’ Be realistic about what you
can afford. ‘You can have a beautiful
wedding for $20,000. Once you know your
budget you can decide what to spend on
each aspect.’TO-DO TIMELINE
ONE YEAR DONE
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through Bride to Be and our Your Day
annual and start calling venues for
information kits ...............................n
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should have — on-site caterers, audio
equipment, a licensed bar or a good,
all-inclusive package deal. A clear idea
of how many guests you plan to invite
will help determine costs .................n
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package deals, menus, hire costs,
corkage and per-head prices. When
you’ve narrowed down your options
to three or four favourites, meet with
the reception manager or on-site
wedding coordinator of each..........n
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place a deposit as soon as you can.
Ask for written confirmation of all the
details discussed. Also, finalise your
choices for the wine list ..................nSIX MONTHS
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entertainment – these may not be
included in your package deal ........nTHREE MONTHS
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draft your seating plan ....................n
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Make copies for yourself, the
reception manager and the DJ or
entertainers ....................................nONE WEEK
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venue coordinator and suppliers ....nPLANNING
WORDS: NATALIE FILATOFF312 | bridetobe.com.au