Bridgette & Lachlan's Brunswick Wedding

Bridgette and Lachlan, a self-described “Hinge success story” spent their four-year anniversary getting hitched in Brunswick, Victoria. The lovebirds embraced romantic autumnal hues “with a dash of tasteful twee glamour,” inspired by the late 2000’s Tumblr aesthetic that shaped their teen years. “We wanted the reception to feel like being at a gig at The Forum, raging dance floor, dark lighting, and everyone having the time of their lives,” said the newlyweds, who even created custom merch for their adoring fans (aka guests). “Instead of throwing a bouquet towards the end of the night we threw T-shirts”.

The crew responsible for bringing this epic gig to life include Moonstruck Bride and photographer/“all around amazing person” Jules from Love By Colour Captured, who the couple really can’t recommend enough. And it was through reading Hello May that the pair stumbled upon cake legend Mali Bakes and DJ Eddy Mac from One More Song DJs. “We were obsessed with Hello May, I think I’ve read almost every single Real Wedding feature.”

Quick, scroll on before we start blushing!

Large Melbourne wedding venue

“I have a huge family, so front of mind when searching was our pretty large guestlist. We visited really cool converted warehouse locations that would have easily fit everyone but nowhere we saw really felt like us. As soon as we stepped foot into The Hall at Welcome to Brunswick we instantly knew it was the place for us. The hanging vines, high ceilings, and Sydney Road location spoke to us. We also loved the fact that it didn’t need a lot of styling to look magical. We also loved the idea that we could have a ceremony and reception in the one spot – straight to the party! The Hall is an old masonic lodge and both of our grandfathers used to be Freemasons!”

Vintage-inspired bridal gown

“I was so sure that I was going to go for a short dress, every long dress I had tried had felt like it would have been too formal for our venue and I thought a ‘60s style mini was the answer. I had been to four or five bridal stores and found some beautiful options, but nothing felt like ‘the dress’. I had resigned myself to having a dress made and booked an appointment. But in the interim, I saw an ad for Moonstruck Bride and was drawn to their less traditional gowns. Shopping there felt like I was with my oldest friends, and Amelia and Martine made such an effort to get to know me and my personal style. I had described to them my vision and they presented me my vintage-inspired dream, realised with a modern take: the Maverick By Watters. Ironically I ended up with the most traditional dress they stocked but it was perfect.”

Advice for wedding planning

“We made little dates out of planning, every Friday morning before work we would walk up to our favourite café and sit down with a coffee and bang out any wedding admin and check in with each other. Having the dedicated time was something we really looked forward to and it meant we weren’t trying to squish the planning in and adding stress.”

A surprise speech

“Lachlan’s surprise speech is a favourite memory from the day. He had prepared a flip chart presentation listing 452 reasons he loved me and presented it to our guests (an abridged version, there wasn’t time for all 452). I was so blown away by the effort he had made and it was so entertaining for all of our guests.”

Standout vendors

“We were so lucky to have Jules (Love By Colour Captured) with us on our wedding day. Not only because she captured the day so perfectly but also because she’s just an all around amazing person who made everyone feel so comfortable in front of the camera. From the moment we met with Jules we knew she would be fantastic and her communication in the lead up to our wedding was amazing and left us so confident that we had made the right call. Her work is phenomenal and we can feel the love radiating from the images. To us, music is so important. Eddy Mac from One More Song DJs went above and beyond for us when it came to spinning tunes on the day, from yacht rock at the reception cocktail hour to selfishly indulgent late 2000s indie rock on the dancefloor. He gave such a personal and unique touch to our day. All these months later, we still have friends tell us how great the music was at the wedding – even the 80-year-old great aunt who was boogying up until the end on the dancefloor.”

Take a leaf out of Bridgette & Lachlan’s book and look to couples who have been there and done that for inspo-hunting. The real wedding blog is packed with more retro nuptials (or really any other vibe you can imagine!) Or bookmark the directory to streamline your vendor search. It’s where you’ll find Moonstruck Bride, Eddy Mac celebrant and DJ, One More Song DJs, and Love By Colour Captured.