These two lovebirds first met when Melanie called 000 and Scott was the police officer who arrived! “We both felt a spark but Scott was in a relationship at the time,” Melanie tells us. But thankfully, seven months later they connected on Tinder.
A beautiful at-home proprosal followed that involved “100 candles, flowers, music, a bath and the ring on the bath stand surrounded by rose petals” (ummmm, romantic!), before they said “I do” in inner-city Melbourne with “Lots and lots of colour! I wanted vibrant colours to pop out at every touch point for the guests.”
Amanda Alessi was on-hand to catch all the beautiful moments, and we can’t wait for you to see…
THE VENUE “Those windows at Panama Dining Room just got me when I saw someone else was married there! The trees behind each window are honestly magical when they are lit up at night. I loved how it was both the reception and ceremony in one, so guests didn’t have to travel between, and it had a cosy feel. We knew it was the venue for us, so we didn’t go look at any others.”
FAVE DETAILS “The flowers by Astro Daphne were my favourite. I told our florist the colours I wanted, and let her have entire creative control where I had no idea what flowers she was even going to use. And when I arrived the first thing I saw was the wedding arbor, it was honestly jaw-dropping. No one had seen anything so vibrant and whimsical.”
REFERENCES “Friends of ours had used our photographer Amanda Alessi and we loved their photos, and then from there I used Hello May blog and instagram to find vendors that were tagged in photos and weddings I loved.”
MARRIAGE MEANS… “Having each other’s backs. Supporting that person through everything. Unifying us as a family, as I have three daughters from a previous relationship, it felt so beautiful to have my girls there and see their Mum marry their step-father.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Had a babysitter come and pick up our three children so we could fully enjoy the reception and let our hair down! Also so glad we had the reception and ceremony at the same venue, the guests loved this. It meant that no one was travelling or wasting hours between venues. Also glad we did a cocktail wedding instead of a sit-down wedding – we saved a lot of money and I find it hard eating three-course meal at a wedding then getting up to dance and drink!”
A TOUCH OF TRADITION “Scott’s family is Scottish, so during the ceremony his mother got up and preformed a hand fasting. This ancient Celtic ritual involves tying the hands together to symbolise the unity of two people.”
STANDOUT VENDOR “Our photographer Amanda Alessi felt like someone we had known for years and honestly I think clicking with them is the most important part. They are with you from start to finish, and you want to feel so comfortable around them so that when you’re getting your couple photos taken you feel at your most relaxed and chilled, so you can just have fun!”
Still searching for the perfect shoes or a smashing suit? Check out more from Bared Footwear here and M.J. Bale here. Wanna see more magic from the uber-talented Amanda Alessi? Head here, and then get scrolling, folks.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Amanda Alessi Florist Astro Daphne Ceremony & Reception Venue Panama Dining Room Cake My Pantry Door Signage Danger & Moon Entertainment Frankie Says Sax Celebrant Megan Jordan Rings The Australian Diamond Company, Louise Jean THE BRIDE Bridal gown designer Kyha Studios Veil Amelie George Shoes Bared Footwear Accessories David Jones Hair Talia Jade Makeup Stefany Bond THE GROOM Jacket, shirt, suspenders, bow tie & cufflinks M.J Bale Shoes RM Williams Watch Bleau watches Barber The Gentleman’s Barbershop
