Meet the team—Kristine Baldanado

Kristine is Wedding Coordinator for Dockside Group’s Cockle Bay Venues. She assists with the planning of the reception from the day a bride and groom are officially booked up until the day of their wedding. Kristine has been with Dockside Group for three years and previously worked on the operational side of weddings.

 1.      What is your best advice for a bride-to-be?

Don’t stress over the small details or the little hiccups you may stumble across whilst wedding planning, if you feel overwhelmed… delegate! Never forget why you are doing it because in the end you know it’s all worth it.

2.      What best describes your own wedding style?

A very casual homespun wedding, lots of quirky unique touches to decorations as this matches my quirky unique personality!

3.      What is your top tip for brides to make their wedding planning easier?

Don’t take on too much DIY as you will end up committing to more than you actually have time for, sometimes it’s best to leave it to the pros or again don’t be afraid to delegate.

4.      What is your best tip for making a wedding more personal?

Adding little touches that showcase you as a couple and what you both love, for example a CD of your favourite songs as your bonbonniere, naming tables after the places you’ve travelled to, a platter of your favourite sweets served with the wedding cake or if you have favourite books you’ve read stack them on a little cocktail or coffee table as decorations.

5.      What is your favourite Dockside Group wedding meal?

Every dessert I have tried at Dockside Group, I love dessert! I always say it’s the most difficult to choose at the menu tasting and our couples usually agree. However if I really had to choose one then it would be the banana pudding.

6.      What’s your favourite wedding moment?

The bridal party entrance at the reception, its fun to see the bridal party enter to a funky song especially if they have planned some crazy choreography to match. Just before the bride and groom are officially introduced it is always sweet to see the excitement on their face as they squeeze each other’s hand tightly waiting to be announced as the new Mr & Mrs….

7.      What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

When you hear from a couple after their wedding and they tell you what an amazing time they had, it’s nice to know you played a small part of making their big day such a memorable occasion.

Music can really turn an ordinary wedding into something extraordinary. Music evokes emotion and is a great way bringing your individual taste and style to your event.

At Dockside Group venues, entrance songs are becoming increasing popular with songs being allocated to each couple in the bridal party while introductions are being made. The team at Musiq Entertainment are experts at creating an atmospheric reception through their DJ services. Rupert from Musiq says that introducing the bridal party is usually orchestrated by the MC or Bride and Groom:

“Usually the couple select an upbeat “party” style track to get everyone in the celebration mood. It is up to you if you would like to select the same song for everyone to be introduced to or to go with multiple entrance songs,” he said.

Choosing one song for your Bridal dance is an important decision and often is the last formality of the night, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. Rupert from Musiq says it’s essential that the song is unique to the couple. “Our biggest thing we tell clients is not to choose a song for their first dance because it is popular but to choose it because it means something to them. They will be the only ones dancing to it!”

The team at Musiq have compiled a list of the very latest Top Ten entrance songs and Top Ten bridal dance songs below:

Top 10 first dances
Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got Your
Michael Buble – Everything
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight
Nat King Cole – L-O-V-E
Lior – This Old Love
Beyonce – Love On Top
Aloe Blac – You Make Me Smile
Train – Marry Me
Jack Johnson – Better Together

Top 10 Entrance Songs
LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
Black Eyed Peas – I Got a Feeling
Florence & The Machine – You’ve Got The Love
Michael Jackson – The Way You Make Me Feel
Beyonce – Crazy In Love
ACDC – You Shook Me All Night Long
Wolfmother – Joker & The Thief
The Beatles – Saw Her Standing There
Pitbull – Give Me Everything Tonight
Psy – Gangnam Style

Established in 1999, Musiq Entertainment has long been the premium DJ service in Sydney when it comes to functions and special events. Contact Musiq today to ensure the entertainment at your wedding contributes to its overall success.

How did you meet: Moe and I met at the Gym in 2008

How long did you spend planning your wedding? 3.5 months

Number of guests: 130

Describe the theme of your wedding and why you chose this theme: If I had to give my wedding a theme I would have to say Classic Vintage Elegance. I like simple but beautiful things – understated beauty. I also love all things vintage so when planning my wedding I wanted everything off white, simple and elegant. I paid a lot of attention to all the little ‘details’, things that most others may have missed but when combined together made our day all the more special for us and beautiful to others.

Colour scheme: Off-white/Ivory

Ceremony location: Being of the Islamic faith, Moe and I were married both religiously and civilly in Moe’s family home with just the Sheikh and our immediate families.

Reception location: Waterfront, The Rocks

Describe the Brides dress: My dress was a French lace, mermaid Maggie Sottero gown. It was the second dress I tried on and the detail was amazing! I purchased it off the rack and had it altered to suit my body shape as well as changing the shape slightly to enhance my body and the ‘wow’ factor of the dress. To add that little bit extra and as a true reflection of my personality, my shoes were peep toe ankle strap sapphire blue platforms with sapphire and crystal brooches – think Carrie Bradshaw in SATC.

Men’s suits: Moe’s suit was a Navy three piece tailored suit with an Ivory shirt unbuttoned and no tie. Very relaxed yet classy and stylish.

Photographer: Wildfire Images

Videographer: DVMP

Hair: Natalie Anne Ayoub

Make-up: Joanne Khalil

Stationery/ bonbonniere: I designed the stationary and had it made to my specifications by Truly, Madly, Deeply. My mother in law surprised us with diamante picture frames in boxes with silver bases.

Cake: We had a 1.5 tier Red Velvet Round cake with cream cheese filling, ivory buttermilk icing and two fresh rose pink flowers as cake topper. The cake was placed on a vintage silver cake stand with silver lace detailing that I purchased online.

Flowers: For decorations: Babys breath and Ivory Hydrangeas 

Bridal Bouquet: Babys Breath

Groom: Ivory Rose & Babys breath

Entertainment: Pre-wedding video of Us made by DVMP.

Transport: Silver two toned vintage Rolls Royce by James Mazzuno at Ideal Wedding Cars

Honeymoon: 1 week at The Qualia in Hamilton Island.

Describe your day: It was amazing. I was up bright and early to commence hair and make-up and allow enough time to have a relaxed start to the day. Whilst not everything went to plan, I would have to say it was the most amazing day of my life and I enjoyed every part of it. Being a Lebanese cultural tradition for Moe and his family, there was a ‘Zaffe’ at his family home with the extended family where the men come with the drums and the flute to start the party. The ‘Zaffe’ then follows him to my family home to pick me up. I have never felt as beautiful or excited as I did when I was coming down the stairs of my family home to meet Moe at the bottom. After some dancing and celebrating, we then went for the ‘picture taking’ pre-reception. It all happened so quickly but we had a fabulous time.

What were your favourite parts of your Wedding Reception: The wedding reception was short and sweet. We didn’t have any dancing except for the usual bride and groom entry and bridal waltz. We also kept the traditional wedding formalities at a minimum and made it feel like an elegant dinner. To be honest – there is no favourite part to our wedding reception. We sincerely enjoyed it all and the service at the Waterfront in addition to the attention to detail that was paid as per my directions was spot on it all aspects.

Any Tips for Future Brides & Grooms: Aside from the seating arrangements – there was no part of the planning process that we didn’t enjoy. Don’t stress, don’t fight – you will only do this once and it is your day! Don’t forget what you are celebrating..

Sally Dolman, Wedding Manager tells how wedding food is an essential part of your special day.
You’ve said “I do” and now you are hosting your first lunch or dinner as husband and wife.  Spoil your family and friends with a feast as you share the celebration of your special day.

Your wedding menu is an important part of your wedding reception, something you and your guests will remember. Gone are the days where chicken or beef with veggies is the only option for guests at weddings. Today, couples are opting for more distinctive flavours, whether from around the world or traditional family favourites. With so many options, choosing the menu for your wedding dinner is more complicated, and more exciting than ever. Dockside Group have  taken all the hard work out for you and when you come to your menu tasting you will enjoy choosing the most memorable dinner party of your life.

What’s your style of menu?

Deciding how you want to party can help narrow a daunting array of menu options to the sort of service, and types of foods that will work best for your reception. It’s important for a bride and groom to communicate their desired party flow  to ensure that the food service does not disrupt the various traditional reception events (cake-cutting, toasts, special dances, garter and bouquet toss, and dancing the night away). Your Dockside Group wedding team can advise the best way for this to work and we will confirm timings with you at your final details meeting.

Customising a menu that is meaningful to you and your spouse is a great way to express what makes your union special, and will make your wedding meal especially memorable for both you and your guests. Whatever menu you choose, there are certain things that should be taken into consideration. If you’re inviting a lot of children or elderly guests, it’s probably not the time to experiment with a spicy Thai menu. You should always ask guests to let you know of any dietary requirements, from vegetarian to nut allergies, gluten free or other special needs. It‘s a good idea for you to put this on your invitation so your guests will inform you of any  special needs when they RSVP.  With this information our chefs can cater for their needs, ensuring that all of your guests enjoy your wedding menu.

Cocktail weddings

Cocktail weddings are sleek events, growing more popular with contemporary couples. Dockside Group weddings offer an abundance of exciting new flavours and presentation ideas for cocktail style weddings.

If you are having a relatively long day, it’s not ideal to expect people to stand for the duration. Some people, especially more elderly guests, will want to sit while they eat, regardless of whether the food requires cutlery or not. A well-organised reception with cocktail food should still offer some seating around tables for those who wish to rest their legs! You may also wish to add some platters of antipasto or seafood on the tables where guests can help themselves. This becomes more interactive with guests choosing a selection of tasty morsels while catching up with family and friends on your special day.

At Dockside Group venues we offer you a range of options to serve your guests including hot food stations with a selection of stand up main courses (usually served in Chinese boxes or small ceramic bowls. For example: fish and chips with wasabi may served in  paper cones , tandoori chicken with Lentil wafers and a cooling yoghurt raita, beef tortellini with a garlic and tomato sauce.

Sit down three course weddings

All of the Dockside Group Chefs have created their own special menu for each venue and restaurant, the hardest thing for you both will be choosing only two from the six options offered per course. To commence your reception,  we include half an hour of pre- dinner drinks and canapés with options like: salt  and pepper squid with garlic aioli, curried vegetable samosa with cucumber raita, vegetable spring roll with oriental dipping sauce, spanakopita triangles, roulade of blue mascarpone, honey and toasted hazelnuts, brushcetta with semi dried tomato to name a few.

Once you and your bridal party have arrived and refreshed, your guests will be invited to be seated where they will enjoy a range of freshly plated modern Australian cuisine. Some cultures like to have a tasting plate on arrival for their guests to share before proceedings begin— this is a great way for guests to interact and break the ice. Should you decide to add a little something extra we have a range of additional platters available for you and your guests—for example hot and cold seafood platters, Southern European tapas, mezze, and antipasto. If we don’t have it on our menu speak to your wedding team or to the Chefs you meet at your menu tasting to discuss the possibilities.

Special diets, extras and little people

For special diets or children’s meals, just let your Dockside Group Wedding team know how many and who and we will make menu cards for them –with their personalized menu printed on it and they will be served their own special meals. Your extras (DJ, Band, MC) are offered a two course meal at the cost of $50 per person and your children’s meals are  also catered for with 0 – 5 years ( free of charge ) 6 – 12  at $50 each. Speak with your Wedding Coordinator to order your requirements. One thing you won’t have to worry about is if there will be enough food—Dockside Group menus are substantial and your guests will not be going home hungry!

Sweet endings

Once dinner service concludes, dessert and dancing tend to take place simultaneously for the remainder of the evening.  However, as the evening winds down, dessert plates are cleared and the wedding cake disappears.  For longer receptions, you may wish to consider adding a late night snack or delicious chocolate fountain or cheese and fresh fruit to be served near the dance floor— a sweet way to end a memorable night.

Everyone enjoys a wedding so much more when the food is superb. Our chefs will prepare food that is innovative in style, flavour and presentation. Dockside Group is flexible and would love to discuss your menu ideas. In addition to our venue menus we also have a selection of special menus: Kosher, Indian, Mediterranean, Asian inspired, we can create a menu that everyone is going to love.

Whatever you decide to serve your wedding guests, you can be sure that it will be made with LOVE. Bon Appétit!

How did you meet: We met when we were 16 years old, through a mutual friend.

How long did you spend planning your wedding? 1 year and 2 months.                                                

Number of guests: 103.

Describe the theme of your wedding and why you chose this theme: We didn’t really have a specific theme. We wanted the wedding to be elegant and beautiful but simple.

Colour scheme: Pastel Pink.

Ceremony location: St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Sydney 

Reception location: WaterFront Restaurant, Circular Quay.

Describe the Brides dress: My dress is a Roz La Klein design from Bridal Avenue in the Dymocks Building Sydney. It’s ivory satin with Swarovski embellishments at the hip. It has a sweetheart neckline and an A-line skirt. My favourite part of the dress is the one shoulder strap made entirely from Swarovski crystals and pearls.

Describe the Bridesmaids outfits: My bridesmaids’ dresses were bought from Harts. They are a pale pastel pink colour, one shoulder design and floor length.

Men’s suits:  Ben wore a black suit with an ivory shirt and a black bowtie. The boys also wore black suits but had black ties and pale pink handkerchiefs. 

Photographer: Dreamlife Photography, Annandale.

Videographer: Dreamlife Photography, Annandale.

Hair & Makeup: Hair- SG at Penshurst, Makeup- A Natural Look.

Stationery/ bonbonniere: The Bonbonniere Factory at Bankstown made our invitations and Ceremony Service covers. For our bonbonniere we donated the money we would have spent on guest favours to four of our favourite charities, but we also included something sweet for our guests to nibble, on the way home. Chocolate heart lollypops, from the Sweet Factory in Berry.

Cake: Sparkle Cupcakery, Surry Hills.

Flowers: I had antique roses, peonies and David Austin roses in Pastel pink, lavender and apricot colours with a touch of dusty millar. Arranged by Frances Dunn Florists in Miranda.

Entertainment: DJ by Maestro Entertainment.

Transport: HF Wedding and Hire Cars in Five Dock.

Honeymoon: We went to Bali, Indonesia and stayed at The Conrad in Nusa Dua.

Describe your day: The day was just perfect, it was quite warm but that didn’t bother us. Our Ceremony was at 2pm and the Reception was at 5:30pm. We enjoyed every part of the day, but we had the most fun just celebrating with our family and friends. My only complaint was that the day went way too quickly!

What were your favourite parts of your Wedding Reception: All of it!! It was amazing! My favourite part of my wedding was walking in and being welcomed for the first time as Husband and Wife. It was so lovely seeing the room set up for the first time, seeing all the little touches here and there that I had made for my wedding. But mostly it was seeing all of my friends and family smiling up at me as we walked in. I also greatly enjoyed our speeches, the food and of course, the dancing!

Any Tips for Future Brides & Grooms: Just relax and take in every aspect of the day because it goes so quickly!

Is there anything else you would like to share with our Waterfront brides and grooms:  Dockside Group are very good at what they do, my wedding was fantastic, just kick back and enjoy your day.

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How did you meet: I was spending a university break at home with my parents, who used to visit the local pub once a week for a pub quiz. My father used to chat to Huw, a local solicitor, who was a member of a rival quiz team, and tell him all about his daughter, who was studying law at university. During one visit to the pub, my father introduced me to Huw, we became friends for a while and kept in touch until we finally got together during my final summer break after university.

How long did you spend planning your wedding? We got engaged in March 2010 and started planning straight away. It seems like a long time but it did mean that the planning process was very relaxed.                                         

Number of guests: 57

Describe the theme of your wedding and why you chose this theme: We chose a subtle beach theme. As the majority of guests were travelling over from the UK, they associate Sydney with wonderful beaches, even though our wedding was in the middle of winter! Our stationery included starfish emblems, our centrepieces included shells and even my bouquet contained tiny starfish.

Colour scheme: Blue and beige/gold

Ceremony location: St Peter’s Church,North Sydney

Reception location: Waterfront Restaurant

Describe the Brides dress: It was a diamond white Maggie Sottero full length dress, with flower detailing on the straps.

Describe the Bridesmaids outfits: The bridesmaids’ dresses were knee length dresses by Alfred Angelo in a colour called Blue Jay, which was a beautiful sky blue. They had a one shoulder strap made up of flowers which complemented my dress perfectly.

Men’s suits: The groom and best man wore light blue suits with a beige tie and beige shoes and the groomsmen and fathers wore a stone suit with a blue tie and blue shoes! Huw is known for his fashion sense!

Photographer: Lynn Sandberg of Absolute Capture

Hair & Makeup: Kirsty Tamplin of Double Take Hair & Makeup Artistry

Stationery/ bonbonniere: Stationery all handmade by the groom’s sister in law, bonbonniere handmade by the bride

Cake: Sparkle Cupcakery

Flowers: Tania Waterhouse at Flowers ofSydney

Entertainment: DJ from Maestro Events

Transport: We arranged a charter boat fromLavenderBay toCampbell’s Cove via Emerald Star Cruises. We combined this with a harbour cruise for our guests who had never visitedSydney before.

Honeymoon:Matamanoa Island,Fiji, thenSan Francisco andLas Vegas.

Describe your day: Everybody had told us that it would fly by and that it would be the best day of our lives. I was so worried that, as a bit of a control freak, I’d be too worried about other people enjoying themselves to let myself relax and enjoy my own day. I needn’t have worried. It really was the best day of our lives and I wish I could go back and do it all again.

What were your favourite parts of your Wedding Reception: Looking at our guest from the bridal table and seeing how people who didn’t know each other the previous day were talking and laughing together like they’d known each other for years. A special surprise, assisted by Waterfront and the DJ, was a Skype call with Huw’s brother and family, who were unable to join us due to a family emergency. The food was also a highlight for all of our guests, who particularly loved the sharing platter entrée.

Any Tips for Future Brides & Grooms: You can only be so organised. Things will happen on the day that you won’t be able to control, but you’ll just have to go with it. Everything has a solution and there are professionals (and your unsuspecting bridal party!) around to help.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our (Venue Name) brides and grooms:  The team at Waterfront could not have been more helpful. Our original venue let us down, so we had to take an emergency trip toSydney to find a new venue. From our initial meeting just over a year before the wedding, to our final meeting, just a couple of days before the wedding, the team was so helpful and professional. Organising a wedding from half way across the world wasn’t easy, but the team made the planning process so much smoother for us.

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2 December 2012

How did you meet: We met while studying at University

How long did you spend planning your wedding? 13 months

Number of guests: 69

Describe the theme of your wedding and why you chose this theme: We didn’t have a theme but we knew we wanted bright colours and to light up our day with. We chose a mix of colours and traditions to keep the event interesting and entertaining for everyone, but most importantly it matched our personalities

Colour scheme: Burnt Orange and Red

Ceremony location: Verona Room – Italian Village

Reception location: Settlers and Opera Room – Waterfront

Describe the Brides dress: A beautiful ivory, strapless gown with twisted & ruched georgette bodice fitted to waist & tulle circle skirt by Karen Willis Holmes

Describe the Bridesmaids outfits:A strapless gown in Sky Blue by George Fashion in Double Bay

Men’s suits: Groom – Slate grey suit from Ron Bennet

Photographer: The amazing Robert Meredith from Robert Meredith Photography

Hair & Makeup: The gorgeous Amy Chan from Amy Chan Hair and Makeup Artistry

Stationery/ bonbonniere:

Personalised Rock Candy from Sticky in The Rocks, Sydney

Programs were written and made by Bride and Groom

Invitations, place-cards and thank you notes from Papers of Distinction 

Cake: Two tier – top tier fruit cake, bottom tier chocolate mud cake, iced with butter cream from Casa Del Cakes in Marrickville

Flowers: Orange Cala Lillies for Bridal party bouquets and buttonholes and a selection of Burnt Orange and Dusty Red roses for centrepieces from Lovely Bridal Blooms

Entertainment: DJ from Maestro entertainment

Honeymoon: Three weeks touring South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe with a short stopover in Dubai

Describe your day: Our day was absolutely perfect, such a FUN, FUN day! It flew by and was filled with lots of love and laughter.

What were your favourite parts of your Wedding Reception: We enjoyed every part of the reception. The food, service and atmosphere were simply amazing and it was fantastic to catch up with friends and family and dance the night away.

Any Tips for Future Brides & Grooms: While the lead up to the wedding can be stressful at times, it really is all worth it in the end. We weren’t sure what we had gotten ourselves into, but on the day we had such an amazing time we really shouldn’t have worried about anything. People aren’t kidding when they say the day goes quickly so don’t be nervous, relax, enjoy the time with family and friends and cherish the special moments you share with everyone on the day.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our Waterfront brides and grooms:  We would like to thank Sasha for making our wedding simply amazing. We cannot thank her enough for all that she did; she was such a lovely person to be in contact with during the whole process. It was a massive comfort to have Sasha nearby on the day, she made sure everything went smoothly and no stress was involved for anyone. It was great to have her around for a calming chat before walking down the aisle.

We were amazed at how much effort was made by Dockside to ensure that our wedding truly reflected what we wanted and envisaged. We could not be happier with the wonderful service that Sasha and the Dockside Group provided

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How did you meet: Liam and Jess first met each other in year 8 at our school swimming carnival, after 2 years of flirting we started dating in year 10 after Liam asked Jess to accompany him to the year 10 formal. We have now spent the last 9 years together falling more in love with each other everyday.

How long did you spend planning your wedding: 18 Months                                    

Number of guests: 142

Describe the theme of your wedding and why you chose this theme: We had a mix of simple, elegant,Romantic and FUN! as our theme. We chose this theme because it just is us!

Colour scheme: Mint Green & Peach

Ceremony location: We had a traditional Catholic wedding at St Marys Cathedral.

Reception location: Dockside, Cockle Bay

Describe the Brides dress : My dress was from Arushie Bridal Culture. Arushie comes from the Arabic Word (Arus), which means “bride”. Ivory Corset & strapless dress. Dress is covered in Swarovski crystals & little flowers.

Describe the Bridesmaids outfits: Girls wore a Mint Green strapless sweetheart Dress made by Wish.

Men’s suits : Zanetti Black Suits. Ivory Ties & Mint Ties for the boys & Ivory Tie for Groom.

Photographer: New Creations Photography

Hair & Makeup: Hair – Sarah Turner .  Makeup by Linda Fenech Skin Fittness Richmond

Stationery/ bonbonniere: Stationary from Petrella Studios. Ivory invitations with Lace & a cluster.

Bonbonniere: Photobooth acrylic Strip photoframes from Photobooth Me. Hand made Mint Green/Peach & Ivory bows with a poem.

Cake: 3 Tier Ivory Cake made by Sparkle Cupcakery. White Ribbons and decorated with fresh Peach flowers from Lazy Tulip.

Flowers: Brides- Garden Style, Fresh looking posy bouquet, White & ivory Roses, Green Hydrangeas & Lots of lush greenery with added silvery & dusty miller leaves.

Bridesmaids: Same as brides with added peach David Austin roses.

Bridal table: Mirror bases & tea light candles with vases filled with White & green flowers/leaves. Roses, lisanthus & hydrangeas. Bridesmaid’s bouquets are also placed in the vases on bridal table.

Entertainment: DJ – Maetro Entertainment & Photobooth from Photobooth me

Transport: Impressive Limousine

Honeymoon: Hawaii, Waikiki

Describe your day: Our day was perfect! The most amazing day of our life!! The ceremony was very beautiful; we had a Organist play traditional music at St Marys Cathedral while Jess walked down the aisle & once we were married. After the ceremony we headed to Botanical Gardens for photos were we got to relax and enjoy a picnic. We also took some shots at Martin Place & then headed to Dockside for the reception. From the moment we entered the reception room it felt like a Party, it was amazing to see how the room came together, it looked exactly liked we imagined, the food & service from Dockside was incredible. After emotional and moving speeches there were spectacular fireworks in darling harbour that topped off the night. The rest of the night was spent on the dance floor & taking some pics in the photo booth.

What were your favourite parts of your Wedding Reception: Entry into the reception room, speeches, the fireworks and all the dancing.

Any Tips for Future Brides & Grooms: Enjoy all the planning & the day. Don’t let little things stress you out. If something does not go to plan, you’re the only ones who will know, so just got with it & enjoy your day.

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