“At the end of the day, the most important thing is you and your partner, and creating a day that feels true to you both.” We couldn’t have said it better than Ben and Mel, who got hitched at QT Hotel Sydney. Mel knew from the get-go that a mini bridal frock was more her vibe, styling her custom ARA Experience dress with Meggan Morimoto heels. While Ben scrubbed up more than alright in M.J. Bale, personalising the look with his favourite bolo tie.
“Honestly, we got so lucky with all our vendors,” this cool couple reflect, and it’s always a joy to see some HM mates in the mix, like Sea + Paper and Luke Fletcher Photo. “Have you seen his photos?” The newlyweds exclaim. “Completely. Obsessed”.
With a guest list of 35, the pair shared that keeping it small was the “perfect choice” and, if the idea of a micro-wed piques your interest, then you’ll be pleased to hear that we got all the BTS details from Ben and Mel below.
INTIMATE SYDNEY WEDDING
“We didn’t really have a theme, but from the start, Ben and I knew we wanted the day to feel small, intimate, and chill. Nothing over the top or fancy – just us, celebrating with our closest family and friends over a beautiful dinner. When it came to the overall vibe and décor, we actually struggled a little to find common ground at first, we were definitely on opposite pages! Eventually, we landed on something that felt like us. I remembered Ben mentioning that he liked blue flowers so I knew I wanted to incorporate some, and we had both agreed we wanted to bring red into the day. From there, everything started to fall into place, with hints of red and blue weaving through our details and tying it all together. QT already had a quirky, moody vibe on its own, so we really didn’t need to add much. The venue itself set the tone, and our touches of red and blue just tied in beautifully with what was already there.”
UNIQUE WEDDING CAKE
“Our cake was a total full-circle moment. On our first unofficial date, Ben and I met at a park halfway between our places and grabbed Gaytime ice-creams from the servo. So when I found out Stacy Brewer Cakes made Gaytime-inspired cakes, it just felt right. One of my absolute favourite details was our polaroid cake topper. During our cocktail hour we snuck away briefly, snapped polaroids of each other, and popped them on top of our cake. It was simple but honestly one of my absolute favourite details from the day.”
BRIDAL MINI DRESS
“My dress was short, with organza long sleeves and pearls, made by ARA Experience. I knew pretty early on that a full-length gown just wasn’t me or the vibe. But when I started looking, I just wasn’t in love with any of the short-dress options out there, so I figured I’d need to have one made. Working with ARA Experience was incredible. They made the whole process pretty easy. I booked an appointment where I got to try on their modular pieces, which we mixed and matched parts to see what worked. By the end of that appointment, I had a pretty clear picture of what my dress was going to look like. And it turned out exactly as I had dreamed.”
WE’RE GLAD WE…
“One of the best things we did was a fragrance consultation together to find our wedding scents. We both ended up choosing perfumes we wouldn’t normally go for, and now whenever we wear them, it’s like stepping right back into our day. I’m so glad we chose to get ready and walk into the ceremony together. Having Ben by my side for the entire day was incredibly special. And keeping it small was the perfect choice for us – it took the pressure off and it meant we could actually spend time with everyone… and really soak it all in. That was so important to us.”
Luke Fletcher has really outdone himself this time, don’t you agree? Get to know this NSW-based photog and shoot off an enquiry on the directory. While you’re there, why not go for an explore? Our handy dandy directory is basically your bestie in wedding planning, featuring all our faves including stationery pros Sea + Paper Creative Studio, designed-in-Melbourne Meggan Morimoto shoes, and men’s formalwear experts M.J. Bale. Looking for a modern, non-traditional dress à la Mel? Here’s a bunch you’ll LOVE.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Luke Fletcher Photo Florist Blom Aska Stationery & Signage Azure Paper, Sea + Paper Venue QT Sydney Cake Maker Stacy Brewer Cakes Cake Topper Jinghai Small Shop via Temu Wedding Favours PerfectOccasionStore via Etsy Celebrant Chris Pinto Celebrant Rings Tink Jewellery Floral Preservation Haus of Eufloria THE BRIDE Bridal Boutique ARA Experience Veil TheWeddingBoutiqueAU via Etsy Hair Piece Panarin via Etsy Getting Ready PJs Gingerlilly via The Iconic Shoes Meggan Morimoto Accessories MalunaClay via Etsy, OhMyGauges via Etsy, Bogocraft via Etsy Hair Bowies Salon Makeup Makeup with Jah Fragrance Jo Malone via Mecca THE GROOM Suit, Jacket, Shirt & Pants M.J. Bale Suspenders, Belt & Shoes R.M. Williams Tie / Bow Tie Route 66 Grooming The Mandem Barbershop, Bowies Salon Fragrance Maison Francis Kurkdjian via Mecca
