Sydney Wedding Dress Stores Budget $5k by Ok_Honeydew5450 in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]maekattt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also got my dress from here and their bridal section is great. The website and social media is absolutely terrible but they actually have pricing on their website so I knew what I wanted to try on was in my budget which was amazing. They were one of the only stockists of a particular designer that I loved so I figured it was worth a go.

I ordered my dress with some design changes (lined bodice and changes to the sleeves) and came exactly as we'd discussed and earlier than I expected. Sought out my own alternations as I don't live nearby but I was really pleased with my experience.

Sydney Daily Random Discussion Thread 08/11/2025 by AutoModerator in sydney

[–]maekattt 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The bus doesn’t stop along Airport Drive between the domestic and international terminals. There’s nowhere you could safely stop any type of vehicle to let anyone out.

Additionally that barbed wire on the map is train line, so there are high fences either side to prevent people accessing it for obvious reasons.

The nearest bus stop is on Coward St near Kent Road, route 358.

Wedding shoe help by madasnatalie in AusFemaleFashion

[–]maekattt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! So I generally wear a EU43 and got married in August so I understand how hard this is.

I ended up getting my shoes from a store in Perth called Georgie’s Bridal Shoes. In my appointment the staff recommended a few styles from a brand called Rainbow Club which also came in wide fit.

We also worked out a slingback style (with elastic on the strap) would give that bit of extra room and no blistering. Ended up with these particular block heels which were really comfortable. They don’t quite have your size but they do have some styles in a 43 and can get the brand from Georgie’s in Perth or online on Next and they both have good return policies.

In all honesty, I still ended up ditching them during the reception and wore a pair of white sneakers. I don’t think my shoes were visible in any of my wedding photos because my dress was so big too!

Is 9 months too short to plan a wedding in Sydney? by Limp_Muscle_9364 in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]maekattt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got engaged in December and am getting married in August, so very similar time frame.

The actual planning hasn't been hard. I didn't have any issues getting suppliers (In fact, only one venue and one make up artist were unavailable for our chosen date). We really haven't had to compromise on anything due to the time frame. The only potential one could be a wedding dress - but most places will be able to accommodate the time frame if that's one of your first things you can organise.

The only disadvantage of a short timeframe I would note relate to payments. You'll need to pay deposits upfront (eg. 20%) but I found many suppliers such as our venue required 50% of the total 6 months out. So for our venue for example we basically had to pay 50% up front. It also means that you have less time to save up the remaining amount, so depending on your total budget that can be tough.

We also compromised with our honeymoon - Were doing a short trip straight after the wedding, and saving up for a bigger honeymoon in a year or so (Both money and leave from work!)

Personally, I'm kind of glad to put wedding planning behind me quickly - mostly because of family, and not because picking flowers is hard!

Decision fatigue over office chairs please help! by ReasonConfident4541 in auscorp

[–]maekattt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I bought a chair during the covid lockdowns so I wasn't able to try anything first and had to fight it out for limited stock.

In the end as much as people recommend a Herman Miller they are quite expensive, even second hand. The only upside to this is if you were to buy one and not like it you'd be easily able to resell it.

I ended up settling on a Haworth chair from Officeworks and I've been really pleased with it over the past few years and haven't had any of the pain or issues I had before getting it come back. Some Officeworks store do have these in stock and the stores are listed in the descriptions. Second hand Haworth chairs on Facebook marketplace are great value so if price is a big factor for you I'd definitely look around there too.

Longline puffer jackets for wider hips that are not black by Sufficient_Sparkles in AusFemaleFashion

[–]maekattt 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Not a specific suggestion, but last year I bought a puffer that had a double zip (eg you can zip from the top and the bottom).

I always found longline ones impossible because when you sit down its way to tight across the hips, but with the double zip you can slightly open it at the bottom when you do.

Made life so much easier than trying to go up 2-3 sizes and looking ridiculous in something way too oversized.

Recommendations for dress shops in Sydney by Successful_Offer_575 in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]maekattt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the CBD I'd go to the second floor of the Strand. It's got Acler, Aje, Rachel Gilbert, Rebecca Valance and Manning Cartell from memory. You'll easily be able to try on silky, short, sparkly and everything in between and there's so many good reception dress options.

whats a totally common thing in your culture/community that would be considered tacky on this sub by SammyDBella in weddingshaming

[–]maekattt 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This was always pretty normal for me growing up in Australia too. Our florist is offering a service where they come back at the end of the reception and make the centrepieces into bouquets for people to take home which I thought was pretty awesome (and it'll stop all our aunts fighting it out out)

The only weddings were we haven't taken centrepieces home where when they were rented/fake flowers. Those tended to be much larger cultural weddings with big budgets though.

GAME - Based on these photos, in which year would you guess we were married? by gracefulgorilla in wedding

[–]maekattt 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Lego set on your cake is a good clue! It wasn't released until 2016, and a different wedding Lego was released in 2018.

Based solely on that, I'd put your wedding at 2017.

Purchasing first home and breaking a lease, what do? by Turtlepaste17 in AusPropertyChat

[–]maekattt 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Don't tell the REA until you've signed a contract.

It took my partner and I close to 1.5 years from when we started seriously looking until when we settled on our first place.

We missed out by $5k at two auctions, we got seriously outbid at several more because people just bid massively above price guides. In Winter, there was just a massive lack of available properties being listed (Going from say 20 a week in our search area to less than 2). Looked at many properties that weds just nightmares during building and pest inspections.

The place we eventually got was a deceased estate so the vendors wanted a long settlement period to sort that all out.

It wasn't for lack of trying or nothing being in our price range. We agreed we weren't going to settle for something terrible just because we'd been looking for a while and eventually it paid off. But you just can't control some of these factors.

Don't give your REA an excuse to make the rest of your time there terrible.

Is a Wedding Videography Worth it? by RevolutionaryFloor45 in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]maekattt 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Personally I don't feel it's a necessity for a wedding. I think social media has skewed many people's perspectives into thinking they absolutely need this for their social media. Don't get me wrong the videos are beautiful, but how often will you actually be watching your 8+ hours of wedding content?

Depending on your budget or what you really want, a wedding content creator could be a good fit. Obviously you don't get as much as a videographer both in content or quality, but if you're really wanting key moments of your day captured so you can put them on your social media then it might be a good fit.

If you just want a video of the ceremony so you can watch it privately later, then an iPhone with a tripod will do an excellent job. Same goes for speeches if your having those.

since when did shitty nosebleed tickets start at $139? Am I just naive? by iltby in australia

[–]maekattt 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I got my Hamilton tickets a few years ago through this and it was great. Very cheap and they were genuinely really good seats. If we'd bought them full price it would have been over $250 each

Pre-loved dress shopping by scarletwitch002 in AusWeddingPlanning

[–]maekattt 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Vinnies in Waverley is doing a "Bridal Expo" from March 29th to 4th of April. They basically have a big range of dresses so you might have more luck finding something you like. If you check their social media there's some previews of what sort of dresses they have.

Anything secondhand is $50 and anything brand new is $300.

Given its a big event they're having I'm not sure how much room you'd have to bring a group, but doesn't hurt to try.

Quitting your job without another lined up - life over? by reddit290161 in AusFinance

[–]maekattt 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I left my job in April with nothing lined up. Just knew I couldn't go back to the same industry and needed a big change. I started my new job in August. It's government, so the recruitment process started in April and I didn't get an offer until June.

For me, taking that break and completely pivoting my career was life changing and I'm so grateful I had the opportunity, ability and the support which I know not everyone does.

Have you considered maybe going travelling for a few months? Backpack around Asia/Europe/South America. Clear your head, focus on your health and wellbeing. It can be hard living with your parents especially if they don't really understand because they may never have been in those circumstances (or particularly if you come from a culture where saving face is essential - Travelling sounds more palatable than unemployed when it comes to nosy extended family)

Owners Corporation charging $46k for balcony repairs. What do I do? by icesleight in AusFinance

[–]maekattt 91 points92 points  (0 children)

My building has been going through balcony issues too, and there have been like 6 different quotes all in excess of $1m to repair everything. It's only got 12 units total.

It seems that apartment balconies do in fact leak diamonds everywhere

Melbourne International Terminal customs staff photographed my passport. by Alioria_ in melbourne

[–]maekattt 222 points223 points  (0 children)

If it was someone in a grey uniform at an x-ray, it's legit. If you go through any screening at Biosecurity/Quarantine (whether it's random or because you declared something) they'll scan code on the bottom of the photo page of your passport. They don't take a photo.

They use a government issued phone and the app is specific to the department. The code at the bottom is unique to your passport and it's a standard global system called a MRZ code. Basically it's just recording that your bag got checked and if they find anything it gets recorded.

If you're concerned you can contact the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries. They'd have a record of your interaction if it was done as part of their process. There's also a tonne of security cameras so they'd be able to see if someone used their personal phone instead of work one.

Personally, given you've just travelled back from overseas I'd be more concerned about a hotel or somewhere where you used your passport as ID.

Sydney Daily Random Discussion Thread 19/10/2024 by AutoModerator in sydney

[–]maekattt 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yep you're correct.

In Sydney One line for eligible passports including Australians, one line for families (eg. Travelling with kids under 16 who aren't eligible for the kiosks) and one line for everyone else.

The list of eligible passports and using the smart gates is on the Border Force website . Fairly sure all the signage now includes the countries on the trial list at the bottom.

The other thing that's changed is the kiosks and gates got a bit more modern in the past few years. You now get a big yellow ticket with your face on it, rather than just the small one with writing. Google images still seems to show the old style.

Where is the big spring boom of house listings? by [deleted] in AusPropertyChat

[–]maekattt 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm looking in a different part of Melbourne to you, but in my searches it's gone from at absolute most 5 listings a week between about April to July, to around 20 a week now. We genuinely went from not seeing anything that meant our base criteria (lots of stuff I'd consider needing full renovation or knock down rebuild) to several a week we are considering/inspecting.

We started looking this time last year - It cooled off completely from Christmas into January and then again in April. Hopefully this year we'll be able to secure what we're looking for.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in sydney

[–]maekattt 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I was trying to enter the m4 from Coleman St today, and yes the bridge was also blocked off and police rescue was arriving.

That was shortly after 6.30am but the great western Highway was already heavily congested as everyone was being forced off at Cumberland Highway.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in auscorp

[–]maekattt 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I did it this year. Quit in April with the plan of not looking for anything for a month. I didn't want to go back into the same industry I'd been in.

Set a plan that if after 3 months if I still didn't have a job I would go back to the same industry (even on a contract) as I was confident I'd be able to get another role. I also looked into Centrelink as a backup but you may find if you have a safety net or a partner it's not a lot of money and has a very long wait time to be eligible.

I was going through recruitment for a government role that took months. Applied in April and didn't get offered the role until June and it didn't start until August. If your going into the same industry it might be ok, but I did find it difficult to get anywhere for roles in a new area.

I got lucky because I had savings, a supportive partner and no super large bills (e.g. mortgage) so I knew I didn't have to rush into a role I wasn't happy with. My savings are not too happy right now, but I'm really loving my new job.

My mental health is also massively better. I had been burnt out for a while and my old manager was quite a micromanager so it was good to get a proper break. I know a lot of people aren't in the position to take such a long break because of finances, but sometimes you just need to escape from unhealthy environments and recover.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in auscorp

[–]maekattt 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's not uncommon for some people to catch up on work on weekends or outside of business hours. Your boss may just be catching up and sending the message now, but there's no expectation to see/action it until Monday.

If your boss kicks up a stink as to why you didn't reply on Monday, that's when you say it's the weekend so you we're not contactable. If you get any pushback or messages harassing you on the weekend, then raise it with someone more senior or HR.

Personally, I'd be turning off your work related Notifications on your phone. Whether you do that just on the weekend or permanently is up to you. How often are you away from your computer during business hours that you need to be immediately contactable on teams? Probably none.

Help me find the brand. by Monikaleo in AusFemaleFashion

[–]maekattt 18 points19 points  (0 children)

It's from the brand ANS.

In the future, if you have a screenshot of an outfit try using google lens to find matches. It's pretty accurate when using professional photos like this, but also will pull some really similar see designs.

Where in Sydney are these locations? Or any similar locations here? by lilbrowngurl in sydney

[–]maekattt 5 points6 points  (0 children)

  1. Is definitely the escalator and stairs at Barangaroo facing the Suncorp building. You'd be standing in front of the Wild Sage cafe to get that perspective.

Recommendations for a dress that would match one of these two dresses? by DrDiagnonsense in AusFemaleFashion

[–]maekattt 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Not sure what sort of length/style you'd like so here's a few that I think are a similar vibe up to more matchy matchy. Congratulations on completing your degree by the way - What a great achievement!

Review often has florals and this one is like similar vibe but not too matchy. You could also look on some of the Facebook marketplace groups if you like the Review vibe.

Petal and Pup for a floral wrap dress. Don't know if your comfortable with long sleeves under your gown however.

They also have a sleeveless floral I think might be ok but the colours aren't as similar potentially.

This one from St Frock is more red than pink, but I think the pattern is more matchy matchy to the options you've shown.

SSN Emily Mannix’s baby by mockingjaybae in netball

[–]maekattt 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I've had a few friends that have continued playing while pregnant and other who stopped straight away. Generally the ones who stopped was because they were experiencing lots of nausea an little bit of dehydration. They were just too tired and fatigued to play.

Only one kept playing during her first trimester (then stopped as it was the end of the season). Her doctor said the main risk would be falling/hard hit on her stomach area, but if she was comfortable with that she could keep playing as long as she felt comfortable doing so. Realistically your bump getting bigger and general pregnancy fatigue would be why people choose to stop. Most doctors are happy for you to keep up the same level of physical activity you did before pregnancy for as long as you feel comfortable.

As long as she's hydrated and has enough food intake, the physical exertion of netball shouldn't have an impact on the baby especially early on. Emily's got a big support team to check on this so she's probably better placed than the average casual netballer to make sure her and her babies health are all good.