The Lane Art Director’s Wedding: Gabby & Tim’s Sydney Estate Celebration

Swathed in untamed vines and a rambling terrain of greenery, Palladio Arcadia emerges as both backdrop and muse for the Sydney wedding of our own Art Director Gabby and her partner Tim. An integral part of shaping our vision and brand direction here at The Lane – from weddings and interiors to design and styling – Gabby’s mark is inimitable. 

For the ceremony, the aisle was crowned by a structural urn draped with calla lilies and furrowed tissue paper – a collision of fluid and fixed forms. Ephemeral fabrics and sculptural features (echoes of the ceremony) adorned banquet tables beneath a draped marquee for the reception, where dunes of hydrangeas, silver candelabras , gauzy menus, and a silk organza seating chart poetically softened the space. 

Gabby wore a cored Prea James two piece with Neous lace slingbacks and minimal hair and makeup for a strikingly elegant look.

Our Story

Names / Gabriella & Timothy Warner

Rental / Palladio Arcadia, Sydney, Australia

Wedding Date / November 23rd, 2024

Guest Numbers / 125

How We Met

Our Engagement Story

A full circle moment back in Anna Bay, Tim pulled off the ultimate surprise. What I thought was a ‘family holiday’ was in fact our proposal. He had planned a weekend away with his family (or so I thought) which led to a sunset proposal at a beautiful beach house called Talm Beach House on the very street we met. It was so perfect.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and whales breached in the distance, Tim dropped to one knee by the water. What I thought was a “family trip” turned out to be a clever ploy, leading to a magical long weekend just for the two of us. We spent those days wrapped in our own little love bubble, soaking in every moment together.

What we love most about each other…

Gabby – I love Tim’s incredible patience, gentle nature, and kind heart. He has a way of making me laugh like no one else can and possesses an amazing ability to anchor me when I need it most while lifting my spirit higher. He is incredibly rational, witty, loyal, and grounding, bringing a sense of peace that allows me to simply be when I’m with him. Tim helps me navigate life’s challenges and joys, always reminding me of my own strength and giving his time, energy, and love in the most generous ways.

Tim – I love that Gabs is my best friend. She makes me laugh, makes me feel special, and constantly surrounds me with love. She is the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, inside and out—a radiant, loving, and generous soul with an endless capacity to give. Her humor and boundless energy bring me so much joy and happiness. She is my better half, the person who makes me a better version of myself every single day. I wouldn’t be who I am without her.

The Setting

Wedding Location

As an Art Director, I always envisioned our day unfolding in a truly unique setting , making the choice of venue a key piece of the puzzle. After extensive research and countless deep dives to uncover something unexpected within Sydney, we discovered the stunning Palladio Arcadia .

We had always dreamed of a space that felt elevated, with a hint of European charm, predominantly outdoors, yet still within Sydney. Palladio Arcadia checked every box—and then some. From the moment we visited the site, goosebumps confirmed what we already knew: we’d found our perfect spot. A beautiful, European- and Tuscan-inspired private property just an hour northwest of Sydney, it felt like our very own slice of Europe.

Aesthetic

Elevated European Elegance. Guided by the beautiful Heidi from The Romance , a lot of inspiration was drawn from the venue itself – the Italian-inspired grounds, with their beautiful architecture, ornate facades, and antique sculptural urns, exuded an effortless charm. The house, draped in beautifully overgrown vines, added to the romantic atmosphere. With so much natural beauty already in place, we embraced the timeless, European aesthetic , letting the setting’s elegance shine through in every detail.

Much of my inspiration came from my work with The Lane — immersing myself in art, interiors, breathtaking locations, and unexpected styling details. I’ve always been captivated by the beauty and romance of European interiors, timeless architecture, and enduring elegance. We wanted to weave these elements seamlessly into our day, working closely with Heidi and her impeccable styling expertise. Together, we brought the vision to life with beautiful textures, opulent antique details, touches of silver, and a warm, neutral color palette. The aesthetic embraced poetic simplicity, balancing modern minimalism with an air of understated sophistication.

Preparation

We stayed on-site at the property with our family and bridal party, which made the experience even more special. The night before, we hosted intimate drinks followed by a cozy dinner with our loved ones, a lovely way to ease into the celebrations. The next morning, Tim and I took a quiet walk around the property, soaking in those final, precious moments together before the day unfolded — a memory we’ll always treasure.

The lead-up to the day itself was wonderfully relaxed for of us. Tim spent the morning by the pool with his groomsmen, hit a few golf balls on the venue’s makeshift green, and enjoyed quality time with his family as they prepared for the big day. I had a calm and easy start to the morning with my sisters and parents. We shared breakfast, exchanged heartfelt gifts, and listened to some of our favorite music before starting hair and makeup.

Later, my six closest friends — dressed as my “something blue” for the day — joined me around lunchtime for bubbles and nibbles. Having them there added a special touch to the preparations. My beautiful mum helped me get dressed, and I shared a heartfelt first look with my dad, sisters, sister-in-law, and my blue girls, which was an unforgettable and emotional moment. At that point, all the feelings hit, making it truly magical.

We also loved how close we were as we got ready — just a room apart. Knowing Tim was nearby brought a sense of calm that eased any lingering nerves, making those moments even more meaningful.

“Our day was captured by the ever-talented and beautiful Calika, an adored member of The Lane Directory and a creative duo we have long admired for their poetic frames, emotive storytelling and incredible eye. Maleika and Corey are a special kind of magic “

Photography & Videography

Our day was captured by the ever-talented and beautiful Calika , an adored member of The Lane Directory and a creative duo we have long admired for their poetic frames, emotive storytelling and incredible eye.

Maleika and Corey are a special kind of magic – radiating warmth, heart, kindness and unparalleled talent, their frames speak volumes to their character. They really were the perfect fit for our day, and we feel so honored to have not only had them there by our side but to also have had them capture such a big moment in our story.

They took the day on with such love, sincerity, soul and creativity. So beautiful to find a team so invested in your day, going above and beyond with an incredible openness and passion to find the magic. We honestly felt like we’d known them a lifetime, and they captured every moment, emotion, detail and element with an artful eye, honesty and an insane amount of beauty.

We may have cried on the phone with them once we had received our first preview of the photos, haha! Every frame so captured beautifully – truly. And they were such a calming presence for us both on the day. Such a divine pair, who honestly felt like old friends both on the day and throughout the entire planning process – how lucky we felt.

Poetic, filled with emotion with an effortless ability to capture the most incredible light, the love and joy felt spills out of every frame, all the while feeling so elevated and refined. We were also graced with the presence and talent of their beautiful assistant, Bryony Rebecca , on the day too. An absolute dream creative team, the most beautiful people inside and out, and the most incredible photos and treasured moments shared together that we will remember forever. We can’t wait to see our video.

“It truly felt like being transported to another world, a magical element that defined its charm. The venue featured multiple pockets of space, guiding our guests on a beautiful journey throughout the day, while also serving as an elegant and elevated backdrop that added to the experience.”

Style Notes

Ceremony Decor

Understated and elevated, our ceremony space was nestled alongside the main house in a garden corridor lined with hedges and a beautiful vine covered facade. Rows of white garden chairs defined our aisle, towards a sculptural urn spilling with blooms and crumpled tissue paper. An unexpected styling detail which sets the tone for many styling moments to come throughout the day.

Sparkling water was given to guests upon arrival and white parasols were provided for guests to shade themselves from the sun. Our signing table was draped with a beautiful, French lace tablecloth, hinting at further lace styling details to come.

Reception Decor

Our reception was nestled up on a tennis court hidden away in a separate area of ​​the property. Located at the top of a beautiful meandering path, guests were led through the beautiful gardens and into a heavily draped marquee.

Completely transformed, the marquee was draped with artful and sculptural calico fabric, created by the incredible Maisie from Maison Paper and her team. Emulating billowing curtains, it honestly was awe-inspiring, an absolute spectacle and the most amazing space filled with so much texture, warmth and visual impact. The perfect setting for Heidi’s beautiful styling and hero tablescapes.

Three long tables lined the center of the space with sweeping calico overhead, dressed with effortlessly ruched linen tablecloths, layered mismatched plates and glasses, along with antique silver cutlery. White taper candles and candelabras illuminated the space and were set in and amongst a neutral palette of sculptural vegetables, stationery elements and beautiful tissue paper table numbers. Delicious share plates were served on silver trays and platters to further tie through ornate accents.

Wedding Planner & Stylist

Heidi Cansdell from The Romance was our incredible planner and stylist, who we felt an instant connection and alignment with from the onset. Also a lover of European design, and a minimalist at heart, we knew it was the perfect fit. A true visionary, she curated a day like no other for us, infused with so much love, the most divine and artistic details, effortless romance, awe-inspiring ‘moments’ and a sense of restraint and modernity.

We felt an instant alignment with her stylistically, but also with her nature and the way she understood our vision completely. Met with an incredible openness and drive to push beyond the ‘expected’, we knew she would create something so unique for us, infused with so much magic.

Personalized and bespoke, she brought her impeccable styling expertise and eye to the fore. She elevated our initial ideas with her transformative creativity and vision, reimagining our day through a wildly beautiful lens. And it honestly exceeded all expectations. Not only did she create something that was visually incredible, she also made everything so seamless; bringing her expertise in every aspect of the planning process and on the day, whilst connecting us to her incredible network of creatives. We feel so lucky to have worked with such a talent and honestly can’t get over how beautifully everything came together.

Flowers

As our venue was already spilling with so much beauty, color and greenery, we kept to a fairly neutral and refined palette with our florals. Petal Bang was our florist on the day. Krystal worked closely with Heidi to create the most amazing, artful and elevated floral accents within each of our spaces on the day. The blooms really were so beautiful – effortlessly understated, timeless and refined.

Beautiful white calla lilies spilled from the garden’s sculptural urns during our ceremony, set in and amongst artful tissue paper. Small floral accents sparingly lined our reception tables, in further whites to tie in with the minimalist palette. I carried a beautiful micro bouquet of butterfly delphiniums in white.

Stationery

We had the honor of working with Esthetic Bride for our wedding day stationery . From the moment we met Emily , we were taken by her warmth, heart, incredible eye, unparalleled talent and design finesse. She created the most dreamy and elevated prelude and on the day pieces for us. A timeless suite, infused with soul and beauty in every way and so unique to the day – the perfect additions alongside Heidi’s styling vision.

For our prelude pieces (wedding invitation), Em created a beautiful three-piece suite accompanied by an incredible wedding website. Enclosed within a sheer vellum envelope, our invitations were printed onto a beautiful pressed white linen fabric, which was wrapped around a minimalist and refined details card. We created custom mailing stamps with a beautiful photographic detailed crop of one of the urns at the venue to hint at the location.

Our On The Day pieces were truly breathtaking. An oversized, bespoke, silk organza printed seating chart trimmed with lace edging hung from one of the tall hedges at the entry of our marquee. To tie through our invitations, our place cards and scatter menus were created using the same beautiful pressed white linen. Em also created the most amazing custom bar menu, engraved on a beautiful silver platter. Such a divine addition to the styled serpentine bar table during our sofa hour!

Cake

We moved away from a traditional wedding cake and instead had a delicious 1-metre long, 1000 layers Mille-Feuille, with rhubarb and crème patisserie. Both a spectacle and insanely delicious, this was served into beautiful glassware and served with antique silver spoons. We also had roaming Tiramispoons (Tiramisu on a spoon) handed out to guests.

Food & Beverages

The wonderful team at Aplenty catered for us on the day, with an array of delicious Mediterranean canapes post ceremony, and share style plates for our sit-down reception. Everything was delicious, the team were incredible to work with, and we loved the warm and relaxed format of the share plates in that it gave everyone an opportunity to try a bit of everything!

Aplenty also had bar staff serving drinks that we supplied on the day. We had an incredible serpentine bar styled as a focal feature of our sofa hour, adorned with stunning bar signage and display glassware and drinks, along with staff walking around serving a Rhubarb and Campari Spritz, as well as bubbles, wines and beers for our guests .

Fashion & Beauty Notes

Bride’s Dress & Shoes

I wore a Prea James two-piece on the day; a modern, boned and structured corset, paired with a beautiful flare style silk satin skirt. I complemented this with some delicate lace-detailed slingback pumps from one of my favorite brands, Neous .

Bridesmaids Dress & Shoes

My bridesmaids (sisters) and Tim’s sister were dressed in beautiful coconut colored, gowns from Rachel Gilbert , with a little puff sleeve styled off the shoulder. The tones and textures tied back in so beautifully with the overall styling.

Flowergirls & Pageboy Outfits 

Tim’s sister was our main flower girl on the day, alongside our nephew and niece. Our little flower tribe. Our niece wore a divine romper from Sam and Louloute , and our nephew wore the cutest vest with matching chinos and a bowtie.

Wedding Rings, Jewelry & Accessories

Tim truly blew me away with the most divine engagement ring from Sarah and Sebastian ; the Suspense Marquise Ring. I love it so much and definitely wanted something to complement it beautifully when it came to my wedding band. I ended up going with a beautiful and timeless diamond band from Natasha Schweitzer. Tim’s wedding band holds a very special place in both of our hearts. It was actually his great grandmothers ring and happened to fit him perfectly – one of those amazing, meant-to-be moments. Such a special and sentimental piece.

One of the most treasured items I wore on the day was a custom veil made by hand by Tim’s talented mum and sister. It was such a special memento and part of the overall wedding process; from choosing the fabrics together, deciding on the final design, to doing fittings together. They created the most incredible 4-meter-long silk tulle veil, sparingly adorned with beautiful, elongated lace floral motifs inspired by the garden ceremony setting and European feel. The lace also tied through with my shoes on the day. The most treasured keepsake and sentimental touch. They also made me a divine neck scarf that I wore as a step change for our reception.

In terms of additional jewelry – I wore some beautiful Natasha Schweitzer earrings adorned with freshwater pearls dropping from oval half-domed gold studs, a Cartier love-bracelet Tim had gifted me earlier in the year to wear on the day and a diamond bracelet as my ‘something borrowed’ from my gorgeous grandmother. I was definitely wrapped in a lot of love that day. Tim wore a Cartier Tank watch with a black leather band, that I had given him that morning as a wedding gift.

Hair & Makeup

I definitely wanted to go with something quite natural and intrinsically ‘me’ with my hair and makeup. I am a minimal makeup wearer, so we kept things very natural, beautiful and soft, whilst enhancing my skin and giving it a beautiful glow. For hair, I ended up keeping it out and going for a big, beautiful blow out. Tenielle Sorgiovanni and Carly Van Der Meer from The Future Mrs really are such talents and made me feel and look so divine on the day.

Groom’s Attire

Tim and his groomsmen had beautiful bespoke tuxedos made by P.Johnson tailors. Gian from the Sydney CBD store was their tailor, who was wonderful to work with, relaxed in nature and an expert at his craft.

The Details

Honeymoon

Our honeymoon really was the most incredible and treasured trip, spent on the stunning Lord Howe Island . A breathtaking world heritage island, where we spent our days swimming, exploring, hiking, snorkelling and basking in the most incredible natural surrounds. A slice of untouched paradise 2 hours from Sydney. We stayed at the beautiful Pinetrees lodge and we were completely off grid for the week. We feel very grateful to have spent our time there.

Gift Registry

Having everyone there with us on the day really was the greatest gift of all to us, however we did end up having a beautiful and sculptural wishing well on the day. Emulating a blooming flower, the sculptural well sat on top of a beautifully draped table and ended up being such a divine and elevated touch.

Wedding Songs

I walked down the aisle to Ten Thousand Saints by Garth Stevenson, an instrumental piece Tim and I have always loved. During signing, we played Mariella by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, and Charmed by Σ tella and Redinho. We then exited to a timeless classic, You Send Me by Aretha Franklin.

I grew up dancing, so we wanted to do something unexpected for our first dance to surprise our guests and catch them off guard. Tim ended up re-enacting one of our favorite scenes from Love Actually, kicking things off with a minute and a half solo to Jump by the Pointer Sisters! It honestly was the best, and no one saw it coming. So much fun and the crowd really did go wild. I was so proud of him. After his solo, he spun me out of the crowd and we danced together before calling everyone in to kick off the dance floor.

Entertainment

We had a friend Angus Russell, owner of Gallery Recordings , DJ for us on the day. He absolutely nailed it. We always loved the idea of ​​having someone play vinyl upon guests arrival or throughout our sofa hour as the sun was going down, so Angus did just that. He played Italo-disco on vinyl for our sofa hour and arrival which was such an amazing spectacle in and amongst the vines spilling off the house, followed by continued disco and crowd favorites into the night.

Celebrant

The gorgeous Natalie Drum was our celebrant on the day, and my goodness how much we adore her and what a beautiful job she did. From the moment we met her we knew she was the perfect fit for our day – we felt an instant synergy and connection with her; kindred spirits, and the way she so beautifully captured the essence of our love and story was incredible. We had so many compliments from loved ones about how incredibly she was – so elegant, poised, warm and genuine. She set the tone for the remainder of the day and we feel so lucky to have been able to make it official with her by our side.

Readings

We both ended up writing our own vows which were incredibly special – we both adored and cherished that process and personal touch to our ceremony. It really made it all so beyond special, and meant the ceremony felt incredibly warm, intimate and personal. My sisters also wrote a beautiful reading which they read aloud during the ceremony. The tears were definitely flowing!

Our Advice

A memorable moment…

So hard to pick just one, the whole day was so memorable for us both. Having the ceremony, canapes and reception scattered around the one venue was pretty special – it meant we were taken on a journey throughout the day which added lots of excitement and ‘wow’ moments not just for us but for all our guests. Those moments really did leave a lasting impression.

One thing I wish I knew before I started my wedding plans…

We honestly said to each other the day after the wedding, that it was the best day of our lives and we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, it really was so special. However, we would say, knowing your budget limitations and priorities or non-negotiables upfront will help you figure out where to focus your energy and time, and ensure you don’t forego something that is really important to you.

Also, lean into things that feel intrinsically you – trust your gut.

If I could give other couples one piece of advice…

Take small moments where you can on the day to step back and soak it all in together. It’s honestly the best day ever, but it also flies, and you are feeling all the emotions, so having those pockets to yourselves to sit and reflect and absorb it all are so so special. We grabbed each other and physically stood back and blinked a few times to take it all in where we could.

Sources of inspiration…

I’m very fortunate in that with my line of work at The Lane , I am continually inspired and immersed in the world of weddings, fashion, art, design, interiors and styling. I also spend a lot of time researching, sourcing and uncovering beautiful imagery on Instagram and Pinterest in my spare time too, so this was definitely an abundant resource for me!

Our Contacts

Wedding Venue / Palladio Arcadia

Wedding Stylist & Planner / Heidi Cansdell, The Romance

Photography & Videography / Calika

Photography Assistant / Bryony Rebecca

Bride’s Dress / Prea James

Bride’s Shoes / Neous

Bridesmaids Dresses / Rachel Gilbert

Grooms Formal Wear / P.Johnson

Wedding Rings / Sarah & Sebastian & Natasha Schweitzer

Jewelry & Accessories / Natasha Schweitzer , Cartier , Veil & Neck Scarf (Created by mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Fabrics from Studio Fabrics) .

Hair / Carly Van Der Meer,Represented by The Future Mrs

Makeup / Teneille Sorgiovannia,Represented by The Future Mrs

Stationery / Esthetic Bride

Florist / Petal Bang

Cake & Catering / Aplenty

Celebrant  / Natalie Drum

Decor & Hire / Lovestoned Hire, Simply Seated and The Romance Hire

Entertainment / Angus Russell,Gallery Recordings

Honeymoon Destination / Lord Howe Island