When romance and whimsy join forces in the pretty little city known as Melbourne, it’s an awesome combination. The kind of combo that mixes sweet pastel colors with chic attire (hello beautiful Anaessia gown) and all kinds of gorgeous details. Think fab paper goods from Artsy Design Co and a whole lot of beautiful images captured by Daniella Melfi. Click here for sooo much more.
From the Bride… We met on a night bus in 2009 whilst both living in London. After discovering on our first date that we had the same birthday and many other things in common, I began to wonder if meeting Michael was an act of fate. After a year together Michael popped the question on a cold London December’s day. A few months later we decided to return to Australia and set up home in Sydney.
After months and months of searching for the right wedding venue we finally found The Willows in St Kilda Rd, Melbourne. We felt like we had seen so many venues and nothing stood out to us. One day we just stumbled across the Willows and couldn’t believe it had taken us so long to find it. It was just perfect for what we were after. Relaxed, garden, gorgeous. We especially loved that they offered a la carte, which made our wedding dinner stand out from others.
The colour theme for the day was pastels and the feel was garden party. The venue was decorated with beautiful pastel coloured flowers in mismatching jars on each table. Our florist Connie just understood our vision from the get go. We were so happy with the bouquets, buttonholes and table flowers. Guests were taking handful of flowers at the end of the night because they were just so beautiful.
I wore a Ballerina Scallop Gown with pleated tulle bottom and crystal details in the lace bodice, made by Anaessia. The dress was the first I tried on, and I just fell in love with it. It really speaks for itself. My bridesmaids had mismatching floral dresses which worked perfectly with the theme. Hair was done by Melanie from Silk Hair & Beauty, who is the only person who can do my hair the way I want it. Make-up was done my Sherene from Makeup by Sherene, and I went for a vintage cat eye and rosy pink lip.
Michael wore a royal blue suit from Calibre and teamed it with a yellow tie, yellow socks and billy buttons for his buttonhole. The Groomsmen, having flown in from South Africa three days before the wedding, hired suits from Raffaele Ciuca.
We chose to have four single tiered cakes all of different flavours. We wanted our guests to have a variety of cake flavours to choose from. My Aunty Shirley makes all of her nieces and nephews wedding cakes, which is a lovely tradition. Not only were they stunning to look at, they were delicious as well.
Our guests were treated to acoustic sessions from Jarred Douel during the ceremony, cocktail hour and dinner. After dinner our guests headed onto the dance floor where Emily Casey played tunes pre-chosen by guests. One of my favourite parts of the night was when the entire wedding party were on the dance floor singing to Livin’ on a Prayer. To see all your family and friends in the one room belting out Bon Jovi, really was an awesome moment.
We had photographer Dannii Melfi after attending many weddings Dannii had previously worked at. Dannii made us feel relaxed and natural on the day. When we saw the end results I couldn’t help but let out a squeal of excitement, the photos were just so perfect.
Overall the day was exactly how we imagined it to be. I know it is a cliché, but it really was the best day of my life. I enjoyed every moment and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Photography: Daniella Melfi | Floral Design: Connie & Lydia, Coburg, Melbourne | Wedding Dress: Anaessia | Invitations: Artsy Design Co, London | Reception Venue: The Willows | Bride's Shoes: Nordstrom | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Louise Hedley, Soho Mode, New York City | Make Up: Sherene Paladino, Melbourne | Hair: Silk Hair & Beauty By Melanie, Melbourne | Entertainment: Liam | Entertainment: Jarred Doueal, JDM Entertainment, Melbourne | Groom's Attire: Calibre | Groomsmen Attire: Raffaele Ciuca | Celebrant: Gina Andrews, Melbourne | Hotel: The Blackman | Bride's Ring: Victoria Buckley Jewellery, Sydney | Groom's Ring: Tiffany & Co.