Cover Story
The finer details of Katherine Denton’s wedding
From dancing in blue Manolo Blahnik’s to smashing plates, all on a stunning Yarra Valley backdrop
12 Minute Read
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. And sometimes, albeit rarely, they’re a girl’s occupation. Katherine Denton is a Melbourne-based diamond consultant, a growing TikTok creative and an unofficial fashion savant. She first caught Harrolds’ eye after sharing snapshots of her 2021 Christmas Eve wedding, tagging us in a pair of royal blue Manolo Blahnik’s — a dreamy dash of blue and sparkle on the Big Day. Since then, we’ve been pining to know the intricate details of her meticulously-executed matrimony, how she’s entered the diamond industry, and her longstanding love of shopping the Harrolds wardrobe.
Inside the wardrobe, well-oiled planning and wondrous details of a wedding
Talk us through the bigger details of your recent wedding — the where, the when, the how, the who?
Where: We got married at Stones in the Yarra Valley, which was an absolute dream. It has a beautiful backdrop of vineyards and mountains. We were lucky enough to have perfect weather — not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was roughly 25 degrees. We initially wanted to get married in Cape Town, South Africa, and this was the next best thing. We also had a recovery organised at the Prince in their beautiful atrium room the next day. That was a lot of fun!
When: We got engaged on Christmas Eve in 2021. We didn’t want a super long engagement and planning a wedding in a pandemic was nothing short of stressful! It was super important to us to try and pick a date that we thought would be ‘safe’ and have minimal restrictions. We chose the date of Wednesday, December 22nd as this was as close to Christmas as possible (restrictions are usually at a low) and it’s at the time when everyone is finishing work and gearing up for what was looking like everyone’s first break in two years!
How: Well, after the whirlwind of a surprise that was our engagement (another whole story!), Louis and I planned the entire wedding by ourselves. We didn’t have a wedding planner, and looking back on it now, it was extremely naive of us. We’re still in shock at how smoothly the night went and how no detail was missed. We were lucky enough to have been right with our date, as there were no restrictions on our day.
Who: The first supplier we booked was our photographer, Erin and Tara. Erin photographed our wedding day along with an assistant of hers. The Moon & Back Co was who we called on for videography, and we’re very much looking forward to sharing this once it’s been finalised. For our florals, we had Jess from Sassafras Wedding, who completely encapsulated our vision. Mickey Loves Jacqui did all our stationary. Lemon Tree Paper Co created a complete custom emblem for our invites that was hand-drawn, they also did our calligraphy for our invites. Zinnia Cheng did our calligraphy for each individual place card. Hair was done by Kim Toogood and makeup by Sophia Pafitis, now a friend.
Once we were all outside, the fireworks went off and this is a moment I will cherish forever
What about some of your favourite smaller facets of the day?
Louis and I stayed apart the night before our wedding. My bridesmaids and I stayed at Stones and had a beautiful dinner at Meletos, while Louis was in Healesville with his groomsman. One of the highlights of the day was getting ready in the morning. My bridesmaids and I got ready in the ‘Day Room’ at Stones. I was extremely nervous in the lead up to the day, especially walking down the aisle. It was so nice to just take it slow in the morning and enjoy every moment with my closest of friends. My husband also surprised me with a beautiful watch as a wedding gift the morning of our wedding day. He hid this in a slow cooker. There is a very funny video of me opening this!
A few things on the day that we loved were our flowers — photos do not do them justice and neither do words! We also especially loved our oyster bar, where fresh oysters were being shucked in front of our guests.
I come from a Greek background, so as a surprise to Louis and I, Phillipa (my now wonderful mother-in-law) and my amazing Aunty Mary surprised us with what felt like 500 plates to be handed out and smashed on the ground whilst dancing. This was pretty surreal!
There was a strict cut-off time and our event had to finish at 11pm. We wanted to plan a surprise for our guests and do something to really finish what was an already incredible night. I can’t take the credit on this because this was Louis’ idea, but we arranged fireworks to go off at 11pm whilst the guests were exiting. Our DJ played the last song which was ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ (seeing as our date was so close to Christmas), he then ushered guests outside to say goodbye to the bride and groom. Once we were all outside, the fireworks went off and this is a moment I will cherish forever. It was pretty spectacular.
Can you talk us through your outfits from start to finish?
The first thing I wore on the day was the white Sleeper matching pyjamas with the feathers. I paired this with my diamond tennis necklace and a pair of white fluffy slippers.
After the pyjamas and a few (much needed) glasses of champagne, it was time to get changed into my wedding dress. I found it super difficult to find a dress that I felt comfortable in. I’m petite and didn’t want the dress to look and feel like I was in a costume. It only made sense to have my wedding dress by Alex Perry as I have worn dresses by him before to other black-tie events and they have fit like a glove. There is something about the cut of his pieces that shape my body perfectly and make me feel so comfortable in my own skin.
It was in the peak of COVID when I flew to Sydney to have Madeleine his assistant come meet me at my hotel room with all the options we had narrowed down via email.
I combined two styles in one. I wanted something very simple and timeless yet slightly dramatic. Which I felt like the dress most definitely achieved. I paired this dress with the blue satin Manolo Blahniks from Harrolds, which was (and still is) my dream shoe. My ‘something borrowed’ were a pair of exquisite vintage diamond Van Cleef & Arpels earrings from our close family friend Kathy Garnaut. These truly made the entire look come together. I removed all of my everyday jewellery and only had the earrings on, plus my engagement ring.
My second dress for our reception was by Versace. When I found this dress. I immediately knew this is what I wanted to wear. It is SO me. The black and gold hardware elevated the dress from being just another white dress, to something super special. I paired this dress with the Tom Ford Padlock heels, they’re black leather with a hint of gold hardware which tied in perfectly with the dress. I stupidly didn’t wear them in before the wedding so I ended up with a fair few blisters (completely worth it). For this second look, I took the ‘more is more’ approach with my jewellery. I kept the Van Cleef diamond earrings on, and added both my Cartier bracelets, the Love and Juste Un Clou piece with a diamond tennis bracelet and my new wedding band. I also paired this look with the Bottega Veneta Mini Pouch metallic bag in gold.
We must ask, were the blue satin Manolo Blahniks an ode to Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic Sex and The City registry wedding?
Yes and no! After that episode in Sex and The City, I knew they would always be my wedding shoes. I definitely got the inspiration from Carrie Bradshaw. However, I wanted to keep some traditions on our wedding day, and I’m a big believer in having something blue, something borrowed, something new and something old. They were my something blue.
I knew they would always be my wedding shoes
It’s special to see Harrolds was part of your wedding wardrobe. How long have you shopped with us for, and what are some of the brands in our repertoire you’re most excited about right now?
I’ve been shopping at Harrolds for a while now. It’s my go-to when I want to treat myself because you’re always bound to find something to fall absolutely in love with.
I’m a huge fan of basics. That’s why I’m loving Aya Muse at the moment. I like how simple yet sexy their pieces are, and so easy to wear!
Amina Muaddi is currently my favourite shoe designer. The selection at Harrolds is unlike anything I’ve seen. I’ve purchased the Gilda sandal in a couple of colour ways now. They’re the perfect party heel!
It would be criminal if I didn’t mention Saks Potts. The ultimate cool girl brand. I love this brand so much, there isn’t much they can’t do. My favourite piece will always be their Foxy Shearling Coat. This is on my current wish list.
It’s hard to only narrow down a few designers when I love most of the selection at Harrolds. Special mentions to Paris Georgia, which is getting better and better after every season and of course, Dusen Dusen. I purchased the robe for myself last Christmas and I have never received so many questions about a piece in my wardrobe on TikTok I recently purchased one for my husband as a surprise Valentine’s day gift.
We hear you’re daylighting as a diamond consultant, which is incredibly cool. What does your role entail?
My role is extremely special. I’m in charge of sourcing stones for my clients based on their requirements and helping them design their forever jewellery pieces. I work closely with all of our suppliers all over the world and get to look at diamonds and coloured stones every day. It is an intense job, but t’s so rewarding and I feel extremely lucky that I get to do this day in, day out. I love how I get to help create something so sentimental to someone.
How did you reach this destination in your career, and what’s next for you?
It definitely wasn’t overnight. I previously worked in the advertising space for property. I was in the industry for just over two years when I knew that I didn’t want to be there in the long run.
It was in 2020 (and due to COVID) when we all had to work from home, and it really solidified that I wasn’t happy within my career. I had spoken to Louis, about pivoting into the jewellery industry but I didn’t know where to begin or how to even start. He is so supportive and really was the reason I had enough courage to leave my career at the time and start fresh in a new industry.
I sat on the idea for a year… and didn’t take my first steps to changing careers until January 2021. This was when I enrolled into the GAA to become a Gemologist and three months after that I had interviewed at the company I now work for and I began my career as a diamond consultant.
I’m still fairly new to the industry, I have a-lot to learn which I’m extremely ready and eager for. I’m turning 26 this year and all I can hope for is to continue what I’m doing, finish my Diploma in Gemmology to become a certified Gemologist by the end of the yea. Watch this space!
You’re also moonlighting as a TikTok connoisseur. What are some of your tips for curating a fashion-focussed feed, and relevant, engaging content?
Haha, thank you! I’m still new to TikTok, I only started posting last September. But I think the key is to be as authentic as possible and to be yourself. It’s all well and good if you copy viral videos that other creators have done, but I’ve found all my videos that have gone viral or have the most engagement is when I’m being myself and sharing a personal experience.
It’s something to not take too seriously and to most importantly, have fun with. I love how natural and unfiltered TikTok is. When I first started, I didn’t tell any of my friends. It wasn’t until my videos started getting traction and a couple went viral, where I would pop up on their for you pages and they’d message me the link asking what in the world was I doing. They all now have accounts just to follow me — it’s good fun and they’re all very supportive.
If you’re thinking of starting TikTok, don’t worry about the views or what anyone else thinks. Post about yourself and what you you love! Your kind of people will find you.
What’s something not many of your followers might know about you?
I actually had quite a popular Tumblr back in the day. I sometimes get comments here and there on a TikTok video from an old follower where they say, ‘omg I used to follow you on Tumblr’ which I think is crazy that they would remember or recognise me. I’m a completely different person to who I was then.
I also did start a YouTube channel 4-5 years ago. I only uploaded five videos, and oh my goodness, it is so much work. This channel is long gone and so are those videos, however I’ve been getting a lot of requests to start YT again. I don’t think I will, but never say never!
Ultimate weekday work uniform right now?
A tailored pant, oversized collared shirt and a blazer with a loafer or slide of some sort. This is my absolute go-to. And of course, diamond jewellery (lots of it)!
And how about for a Friday night out somewhere fancy?
Gimlet in Melbourne is my absolute favourite spot. But you can never go wrong with France Soir and a group friends!
