How they met:
We are a modern-day ‘swipe right’ love story. Our timing was perfect as we met one another shortly after we both returned from our own European adventures. There was magic from the first date and we fell into planning our life together almost immediately.
The Proposal:
Mike completely caught me off guard proposing in Bali 3.5 years into our relationship. We were away for a close friend’s wedding and my 30thbirthday. Mike gifted me the most beautiful diamond earrings for my 30thbirthday that I was none the wiser he’d propose with a ring 2 days following! He knew I’d be onto him with suspicion if he planned a big hurrah, so instead, he proposed beautifully and casually on the front of our villa’s veranda following dinner one night.
The planning process for the wedding:
Mike and I were on the same page from the moment we started planning; we wanted to break traditions, to have the best party of our lives and remember the day with no regrets! We initially started the planning process slowly as neither of us had ever dreamt about how our wedding day would be. Some think it’s ironic after working within the wedding industry for years to not know what you want; however, I knew I always wanted to plan our day together.
The wedding day:
I felt very present, calm and excited. Mike and I had our first look in the earlyafternoon and it was a very special way of slowing the day down and spending a couple hours together walking through the city. This time also allowed us to have the majority of our photos done prior to the ceremony to enjoy the time with our guests at the reception. We loved our ceremony. Our celebrant Jo Betz was so excited for our wedding and wrote the most amazing love story. There was laughter and happy tears! The speeches given by both of our Dad’s and friends were hilarious. We’ve re watched them more times than we can remember! During the night, Mike and I sat down and had dessert together and watched on as our guests danced the night away. The buzz we could hear was amazing and we were so happy to feel we’d pulled off the exact style of wedding we’d planned!
The location:
We chose to get married in the city at Metropolis to give our friends and family the taste of our lifestyle. Melbourne is such a beautiful city and the floor to ceiling windows at Metropolis certainly show off the best Melbourne has to offer! We positioned the dance floor in front of the windows, so this was everyone's view for the evening.
The style of the wedding:
We channeled the vibe of a New York City loft. The wedding was in winter and chose dark moody vibes of blacks, golds and soft pinks to compliment the venue and season. We wanted the light to start from the floor up with an array of candles rather than venue lighting. There was a large floral installation along the bar and in front of the windows leading out to the view of the city. We let the venue speak for itself with minimal styling.
Unique moments and ideas of the day:
Mike and I chose two things that were important to us to give that little extra experience for our guests. I really love music so I chose a Saxophonist and Mike loves his Whisky! He, therefore, decided to have a Whisky Bar open later in the evening. We kept both details a surprise and our guests were blown away!
The flowers:
I left the flower choices up to Margie at Clover Flowers. I showed Margie a reference photo of black and soft pink long-stemmed roses with sprayed gold foliage. She loved our colour palette and we left it open to work her magic with the season. We were SO happy!
The gown:
My wedding gown was an incredibly special experience. Suzanne, the Studio and I custom designed it based on falling in love with the most divine embroidered Italian tulle. The silhouette and personality of the gown came to fruition so naturally and completely encapsulated my personality and love for gold and stars. I was most excited to see Mike’s reaction to my gown and he was blown away! He loved it and said the gown was ‘so me’!
The Suit:
Custom-designed Italian printed velvet jacket and suit by Arthur Galan – Mike felt like a million dollars in his suit and was so happy Arthur personally helped him feel unique.
The entertainment:
Rather than having a traditional first dance, we had our DJ and SAX player kick off the dancefloor with Jubel – Klingande following speeches as it reminds us of when we first met one another. Our second favourite song is Sorrento Moon by Tina Arena and our friends know how much we love this song. It was a huge sing-along.
The dessert:
We had espresso martinis served just before speeches. This is one of our favourite cocktails and is more us than cake! Metropolis served them in beautiful old glassware and was the perfect toast for us.
Helpful tips for future brides:
I was surprised by how enjoyable it was planning our wedding together. Mike really wanted to be involved in every step of the way. My advice would be to sit down together (with a bottle of wine) and start a list of what is important to both of you. We wanted to create a memorable, relaxed, fun day for our friends and family to celebrate with us. We removed the formalities such as; sit down style, large bridal parties, cake cutting, and the first dance. We replaced our theme with a creative black-tie cocktail party, espresso martinis as our cake-cutting toast and the DJ and sax playing many of our favourite songs which made everyone jump on the dance floor early on. We recommend staying true to who you both are and have no regrets with your decisions.
