Behind the Scenes with Covenant Bridal

There’s no place like home—we couldn’t think of anywhere we would rather be based than our beautiful, little tropical town of Darwin (Garamilla) in the Northern Territory of Australia. Darwin is a cultural melting pot, home to the most wonderful people (we are totally bias) and the landscapes and skies are like nowhere else on earth. It’s also very hot! And very isolated! But we love it all. All of our gowns are handmade here in this slice of paradise and we love sharing this little piece of our heart in every dress we make. Our beautiful tropical climate has a huge influence on our designs. Down to earth and full of luxury, our gowns are minimalist cuts in exquisite exotic textiles. For the Bride who loves elegance but does so effortlessly, our aesthetic is a celebration of you, of femininity and of the whimsical tropical charm of our home.

Oh What a Night

Covenant launch party, August 2023

On a balmy August night, in the thick of the dry season buzz, we launched our little label into the big wide world.

It was a silk soiree that celebrated everything elegant and tropical we love about the place we call home. Covenant Bridal took over the heritage-listed Audit House to celebrate in true “old Darwin” style.

Friends of Covenant Bridal swanned around the room wearing pieces from the debut collection and treating guests to the Asian-inspired canapés constructed of delicacies from the local produce markets. It was truly a magical night, full of equatorial charm and elegance. The launch encapsulated everything that so beautifully influences the designs of this collection: an ode to the tropics, to Larrakia Country, and our Neighbours just across the sea.

The soft-launch collection was a curation of stunning batik and colourful silk dresses. Exclusive pre-order was available and guests made the most of “trying before buying.” The fitting room was glorious chaos—half-naked women of all shapes, sizes, and ages playing dress-up together.

Owner and maker, Laura Shipp, dedicated the label to her late grandmother, who just so happened to share her birthday with the launch date! Laura shared her hopes and dreams of one day taking the label from one Territory to another. She explained that a large reason for sourcing these specific bridal textiles was in their geography—Covenant was born out of a trip to Tel Aviv in late 2022 and an unexpected, divine stumble into an exquisite textiles house. Laura’s intention is to take the label to the West Bank and transition the business into a Palestinian and Israeli social enterprise.

It really was a beautiful night and one we will never forget.