Wedding | Laura & Daniel

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Our beginning was technically high school, we were both in the same house (ironically red house - the colour of love). Daniel was the year ahead of Laura. Even though every morning of our 5 years that crossed over were spent probably within a few meters of each other, there were no stolen looks happening - we were basically strangers to each other! In fact, Laura didn't even remember that Daniel was House Captain (which he was quick to remind her of...). Plus, we were both too busy having high school relationships.

Fast forward 12 years – travel and life in between – our paths crossed again. A sense of familiarity and ease quickly transitioned our relationship and just like that, we were in love. We live in Brunswick East in a home we hope to renovate and make our own. We spend our days in our 9-5pm corporate jobs, with a touch of side hustle – Laura crafting jewellery and Daniel creating a healthy energy drink.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We loved the idea of a winter wedding (also enticed by the idea of going on a European honeymoon straight after)! I have always loved autumn and winter fashion and there’s something about a winter city wedding that feels romantic. You can be darker and moodier in styling; deep burgundy, chromes, mixed with the heritage features of an old building. The Trust met the brief perfectly. Given it was winter and weather was a factor, it allowed us to have the entire wedding in the same place but also move guests from area to area to naturally build momentum. 

Melbourne was also easy for our friends and family – something we talked about a lot. It meant babysitters, Sunday plans and transport was simple and people could focus on enjoying the night!

How many guests did you have?

105.

What was your budget?

$65k which quickly expanded a fair chunk beyond…!

Tell us about your outfits.

Laura: I knew what I loved from early on! I had a picture saved and always came back to it. The vibe mixed modern and elegant thanks to beautiful lace gloves and a cathedral length scarf which gave the drama of a veil or a dress train (as I didn’t want to wear one). I definitely prioritised a dress that I could move in and wanted it just above the floor so my shoes peaked through.

Instead of a dress change, I wanted a styling change, so I kept the dress on for the reception but changed out of the gloves and scarf (practical reasons) and opted for a modern bolero that worked with the cut of the dress. It also meant I could wear these crystal embellished Prada shoes I had bought ahead of time but that didn’t match the vibe of the ceremony look. The bolero and the shoes made it all a bit more party ready.

Daniel: I tossed up between a black or white tux jacket, but in the end, created a beautiful double-breasted, peak lapel tuxedo jacket with a tux pant. I didn’t want the pant too narrow and had a satin trim added.  

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We weren’t super set on a “wedding” and were open to a big dinner party or celebration. I have never really dreamt of a wedding day, but I have dreamt of sharing my love in words – kind of like the refined version of screaming it from the rooftops. Including vows put us on the path to a more traditional wedding and of course, it cascaded from there…!

For Daniel, he wanted us to hold onto the small moments and made sure to have them planned into the day, like just after we walked back down the aisle, we had a quick champagne cheers together, away from everything. 

We focused on a venue that brought to life Melbourne in all its winter glory. We also wanted to gradually build up the evening so thought about little ways to do this, for example ahead of our speech we had a round of espresso martinis brought out on trays to shift the mood to be ready to party on the dance floor.   

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

We chose not to have a bridal party. Whilst we adore our friends and love the tradition to share the moment, I personally found the idea of more attention and fuss over me overwhelming.

However, we did love the idea of incorporating our siblings and grandmothers, the last of our grandparents. Between us we just happen to have three brothers and three grandmothers, so our ‘flower grandmas’ walking arm-in-arm with our brothers was a perfect fit and was special to honour these people. We also loved the idea of live music and a harp – a grand instrument - fit the vibe of the day but became modern through a modern song and harpist.

Any tips for couples getting married?

At the end of the day, a wedding is one day in the rest of your lives together and that’s what matters the most. Keep it in perspective as it’s so easy to get swept up in more…styling, details, outfits, money! Pick three things you will prioritise and focus on – try to go for things with the biggest emotional impact for you as a couple and your guests. These are the things you and they remember and tell you about.

A small (and fun) thing we chose to do is buy some beautiful Stoff Nagel candlestick holders that would be displayed on our bar, instead of renting them as part of the styling process. It means we now have them in our home and they’re a memory of our day beyond photos.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

We couldn’t recommend our photographer and videographer enough – Maegan Brown Moments and Luca Zarik are a couple themselves and created the best vibe for our first look and photos. We felt so relaxed and excited about the ceremony, the nervous energy completely disappeared.

Jess from The Goodsmiths was also absolutely wonderful and went above and beyond in the lead up and on the day.

Photographer: Maegan Brown Moments @maeganbrownmoments | Planning & Styling: The Goodsmiths

@the.goodsmiths | Flora: Anatomy of Flowers @anatomyofflowers | Videographer: Luca Zarik @luca.zarik | Ceremony & Reception Location: The Trust @thetrust_melbourne | Celebrant: Boglarka Marffy  @bm_celebrant | HMUA: Stella Tu @stellatu | Catering & Beverages: Refresh Catering @refreshcatering| Cake: Beurre @beurrecakes | Stationery:  Etsy Designer | Entertainment: Liana Perillo @lianaharpist & Perolas @perolasmusic | Dress: Mia Ateliers @miaateliers | Suits: Local Melbourne tailor | Gloves: Blanc Wear @blanc_wear | Engagement & Wedding Rings: Lott Studio @lottstudio | Shoes: (Ceremony)Neous & (Reception) Prada | Earrings: Laura's grandmothers