A couple of Aussies living in London, Beena and Declan, planned their Melbourne wedding from the other side of the world. The Button Factory (one of our fave city spots to say ‘I do’) proved to be the perfect ‘blank canvas’ space to build out their vision: ‘A night in Karachi’ – inspired by the Pakistani city in which Beena was born. “Weddings are such an amazing opportunity to show off what a culture is about and so my family really wanted to bring the best of what a Pakistani wedding entails, but consolidate it into a one-day event rather than having multiple days of celebration as is traditional.”
The groom wore Pakistani designer Faiza Saqlain and the bride described dress shopping as “quite an adventure!” You see, the Mother-of-the-brides’s timeless bridal frock was Beena’s first option. However, when it wasn’t quite right, Beena continued the search in London and would eventually, with Mum in tow, take a trip to Pakistan too. It was on the final days of this visit, surrounded by family, Beena re-tried mum’s dress, triggering a brainstorming session on how to re-work the sentimental piece. “In the end it came together beautifully and it was really special to get to wear this dress that had gone through so many women’s hands from across generations, with support from my girlfriends who helped with the logistics and styling to bring the final look together.”
We could yap all day about this one but we know you want to hear from the couple themselves and see those photos! They were taken by Brandon of WhySoGeneric, who, according to the newlyweds, has an “infectious energy” and “insane ability to be everywhere all at once”.
A MELBOURNE BLANK CANVAS VENUE
“We wanted to throw a big Pakistani celebration in Melbourne, with a follow up English celebration in the UK as our friends and family are split between the two places (Dec grew up in Australia but his entire family is English and lives in England). A key part of a Pakistani wedding is of course having Pakistani food and so we knew we wanted a venue that would allow us to bring in our own catering. We loved that The Button Factory was somewhat unassuming on the outside, but once you got inside it’s a really cool urban space that surprises you with the beautiful internal courtyard, and the amount of amazing light that streams into the upstairs area. Another key part of Pakistani weddings is that they are very colourful and I thought the venue was the perfect blank canvas to then inject colour through the decor. I also loved that there were multiple spaces within the venue. Our wedding was a dry-event so having ample on-street parking available in and around the area was also an added bonus.”
BOLD & BRIGHT WEDDING BLOOMS
“The team at The Goodsmiths led by Claudia did an incredible job of bringing together the details of the day. The colour palette was bold – pinks, reds, oranges and pops of yellow and green. In Pakistani weddings you typically have a ‘stage’ area where the bride and groom are seated once they enter the venue and Claudia did an amazing job of bringing the pinterest vision I’d put together to life and within budget. Anatomy of Flowers also did an amazing job with the floral and fruit styling around the stage and throughout the tables in the venue. They also provided a wrapping station so guests could all take the flowers and fruit home with them so they weren’t wasted which was a nice touch.”
HEARTFELT TRIBUTES & CULTURAL TRADITIONS
“We had numerous cultural traditions including a ‘mendhi rasam’ (henna blessing), dholki (folk songs sung by women on both sides of the family with a drum called a dhol), three choreographed dances and a live sitar and tabla performance as dinner was served. Dec’s dad passed away four years ago just as we first crossed paths and though he wasn’t there on the day he was there in spirit and given a nod to in most of the speeches so it was nice to be able to acknowledge him and his role in our lives despite him not being physically present.”
WEDDING-DAY ADVICE
“Ensure that you start to hand-off final details to other friends and family as the day approaches, so on the day you’re not the only person who understands what the seating chart is meant to look like, or has the contact details for a vendor that might be running late. Seems obvious but easily missed!”
Planning a destination wed from the other side of the world? Our directory is jam-packed with breathtaking venues to make your virtual search easier. You’ll also find photographers, planners, entertainers… basically every pro you need! If you’re a fan of rich red details you’ll also want to pin some ideas from this romantic styled shoot. Or check out more real inner-city nuptials on the blog.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer WhySoGeneric Stylist, Stationery & Signage The Goodsmiths Florist Anatomy of Flowers Venue The Button Factory via Nudo Group Catering/Food Trucks & Carts Irfan Catering Other Desserts Aditya Sound Hire DJ Priyanka Entertainment Ravi Ali THE BRIDE Accessories The Jewellery Trunk Hair & Makeup Madeleine Goldsmith via Tonic Agency THE GROOM Suit, Jacket, Shirt & Pants Faiza Saqlain Grooming Grays Inn Barbers
