Tell us a little about yourselves!
Pete and I met during high school in our hometown, Adelaide, and have been together for roughly 14 years. We’re both close with each other’s families (Pete’s friendship with my two brothers rivals my own) and share a lot of old, special friends, so our lives are very much entwined. In our mid 20s, we moved to Melbourne and made that city our home for many years which is why, upon getting engaged, it felt natural to squeeze the wedding in there before relocating to New York soon after.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Our engagement was low key; Pete proposed with a bunch of hydrangeas and breakfast in bed on a November morning at home followed by dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, Cutler & Co. I loved it all because it felt effortless, and ultimately that was the driving force behind our wedding. Without much thought, we locked in a sit-down dinner at Cutler & Co. and started planning around that!
Knowing we didn’t want a church ceremony (and parks and gardens were off the cards given Melbourne’s unreliable weather), we had to get creative with a location. We knew we wanted a laid-back ceremony with music and Champagne, and we found the answer at Boffi Studio in Collingwood – a beautiful furniture showroom which happens to be located in an old Gospel Hall. High ceilings, stained glass windows, heritage features and a couple of incredible autumnal flower arrangements by Vasette made for a pretty special setting. Also, our good friend Scarlett Koehne who is a certified civil celebrant married us, which was extra meaningful.
Tell us about your outfits.
I didn’t want to get caught up overthinking the dress and wanted it to be a smooth process so I locked something in fairly swiftly. I was familiar with Danielle Frankel’s pieces and had spied a piece of hers online that I loved but at the time there were no stockists in Australia, so I took a leap and purchased it without seeing it in person. Mum was my trusty sounding board and I had a gut feeling it would be right. Thankfully, it was! I styled it with low slingbacks, diamond earrings and my late grandmother’s vintage watch.
Pete worked with a local tailor, Angela Nicolaides, to custom design a classic black tie suit with a few personal touches. He went with quite a slim pant and a slightly oversized jacket and topped it all off with a silky black bow tie and dress shoes. He looks good in anything but extra sharp in this suit!
Pete custom designed my engagement ring from scratch with a local jeweller, Andrew from Robert H Parker & Sons Jewellers. It’s by far my most treasured piece and feels very special knowing the thought he put into creating it. We returned to Andrew to design and make our wedding bands – mine is the perfect complement to my engagement ring and Pete’s is a beautiful gold band. Once again, Andrew (who we’ve referred a handful of friends to since!) did an exceptional job.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
It was important to us that it didn’t become a stressful event, otherwise what’s the point? At the time, we were also plotting our move overseas so we had a lot on our plates and we never wanted the wedding to be all consuming or overwhelming. We kept it simple, followed our instincts and tried not to lose sight of how fortunate we were to be doing it at all (thanks, in large part, to support from our parents). Most importantly, we did it together – good practice for married life.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Pete and I intentionally worked some down time for the two of us into the schedule. Both our families and lots of friends travelled to Melbourne for the weekend (including my 91-year-old grandma from Adelaide, Pete’s sisters and their families from Sydney and New Zealand and a bunch of friends from London) so it was a very social and fun time. We held a family dinner a few days before (highly recommend doing this) and drinks with our friends the night before (also highly recommend) but we were wary of making time for ourselves as well.
We checked in to the very beautiful Napier Quarter Guesthouse for the weekend so every moment outside of socialising or prepping last-minute details was relaxing and lovely. As well as that, we had dinner just the two of us the night before the wedding at Napier Quarter; having just come from the pub with all our friends and thinking ahead to getting married the next day, we were on a high and it was so nice to share that moment together.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Keep it simple and meaningful. Don’t give into unnecessary fads and frivolous trends, just do what makes sense for you and your loved ones. If it’s an expression of who you are as a couple, it’ll be all the more special for you as well as for everyone you’re sharing the day with.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our photographer, Reni of Deon and Reni, was so integral. Not only is she the most incredible photographer but she took the time to get to know us in the lead up which was invaluable. As an experienced wedding photographer, she gave us so much wonderful advice and was a delightful, calming presence for us both amidst the wedding madness.
The band at our ceremony was also particularly special. We saw them playing at a jazz club in Brunswick and fell in love with the lead singer, Lani Zimmer, and her band mates so it was perfect having them play during such an important part of the day. Their rendition of Donna Lewis’ I Love You Always Forever – the song I walked down the aisle to with dad – will endlessly play in our heads, reminding us of our favourite day.
Photographer : Deon and Reni @deon.and.reni | Getting Ready Location : Napier Quarter Guesthouse | Ceremony Location : Boffi Studio Melbourne @boffistudio_sydney_melbourne | Reception Location : Cutler & Co. @cutlerandco | Celebrant : Scarlett Koehne @happily.ever.scarlett | Entertainment : Orlando Mein (DJ) & Lani Zimmer (Jazz Trio) @orlandomein @lanizimmer | Hire : Social & Our Boys and Girls Wait Staff @social.eventhire @ourboysandgirlsaustralia | Flora : Flowers Vasette @flowersvasette & Katie Marx @katiemarxflowers | Makeup : Bride did her own | Hair : Stache Hair @stache_hair | Catering + Beverages : Pie Perkins Catering @piaperkins_catering | Cake : Torte by Mirjana @torte_by_mirjana | Invitation Artwork : Jo Mitchell @jo_at_home | Millie's Dress : Danielle Frankel Studio @daniellefrankelstudio | Pete's Suit : Angela Nicolaides, Richmond Melbourne | Engagement + Wedding Rings : Robert H Parker & Sons Jewellers @robertparkerjewellers | Millie's Shoes : Gucci @gucci | Pete's Shoes : Dolce & Gabbana @dolcegabbana | Millie's Watch : Grandmother’s vintage watch | Earrings : Anissa Kermiche @anissakermiche | Pete's Cufflinks : Lanvin @lanvin