This duo work well together – literally, physically, metaphorically… you get the point. Not only are they cute as heck, but Johno is a carpenter, who just built the dream home that Loz, a draftsperson, designed. Clever cats. This carried this into their big day, too, as they worked together to plan the wedding in four months! Four. Months. People. “Sometimes the less time you have, the better! Be confident with your decisions – just think about planning a night you would enjoy and your guests will too.” Enchanted Wedding Photography was on photo duty, so scroll down for all…
THE PROPOSAL “Johno suggested we go for a walk one day after with our five-year-old twins along the river. When we parked he pulled out a small, crumpled McDonald’s bag and said he had ‘chicken nuggets’ to eat down on the sand. I believed him right up until I could hear some bottled cocktails clanging about in his pockets and realised there were no chicken nuggets at all. The bag was hiding an engagement ring, plus two lolly rings for the twins. Needless to say, we were all pretty thrilled.”
THE VENUE “We were living in a small temporary cabin in the in-law’s front yard whilst building our house and I could quickly visualise how we could make the wedding work in the gardens and outdoor space around us. It is such a picturesque setting, and I felt like it would be so special to share that with all of our guests. We spend a lot of time with our extended Greek family enjoying meals and I could envision a huge banquet with tables down the driveway under strings of lights. Once we had convinced our families everyone got to work tidying the gardens, landscaping, hanging festoon lights (we had almost 200m of lights!) and it was very much a team effort.”
THE INSPO “We wanted it to be like many of our family events; great food, fun music and Greek dancing. Usually our Greek family like to cater their own events so it was probably hard initially for them to sit back and relax but The Grecian Kitchen were amazing – they felt like family cooking the meats on the charcoal and serving delicious dips, bread and salads (without the work and the cleanup!)”
FAVE DETAILS “It was so special to arrive back at the reception and see everyone laughing, chatting and enjoying cocktail hour by the girls at Ginger & Blondie Coffee And Bar with Luke Legs via Bellarine Entertainment Co playing in the background and the sun setting. Our flowers were by She’s a Wildflower who is also a close friend. Alice is incredibly talented and it was really special to see her doing her thing and make the most incredible bouquets and arrangements.”
DIY “The tables were set with handmade blue gingham napkins (with fabric I bought from Etsy), and I printed each name on a circle shaped card with a lemon illustration. It was fun to sit and chat with family and friends and work together cutting up menus, folding napkins and sorting cutlery. We cut olive branches from friend’s trees to scatter town the table centres, and the morning of the wedding worked with cousins, bridesmaids and friends to get all the tables set and ready. We also made all of the favours – a collection of our most loved foods and condiments, and it was really special to gift these to all of our guests in old fashioned jars.”
THE DRESS “I instantly looked at Karen Walker’s bridal range online, as a fan of her ready-to-wear collections. I loved nearly all of her styles, so booked a flight and convinced my sister to come on a quick two-day trip to Auckland, New Zealand. Her team were amazing – I honestly could’ve picked so many of her pieces, but finally decided on the one that I felt the most like myself in. I added the oversized veil and classic white pumps to add a bit of fun to the feminine, intricately detailed beaded dress. My dress arrived in the most beautiful peach box with a lovely hand-written note from Karen, which was really special as she is one of my all-time fashion idols.”
TALK ABOUT TRADITION “Once the formalities were out of the way at the reception we cleared an area for some more traditions including Greek dancing, which was hilarious fun. People take turns taking whisky shots from the ground without using their hands, a very entertaining tradition. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Greek wedding without smashing plates, which all of the guests were pretty excited to take part in.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Sonia (of Enchanted Wedding Photography) is incredible – she made it so easy and relaxed. Receiving our photos was like reliving the whole day. We can’t wait to print and frame so many special ones. Ginger & Blondie Coffee And Bar were fabulous. Mel from The Grecian Kitchen had everything running so smoothly and even wrapped the leftovers for a BBQ the next day. Our band – Luke Legs via Bellarine Entertainment Co – did such an amazing job of ensuring the sound was spot on. He plays such a fun mix of tunes that had every single person up and dancing their heart out on the deck. [And] Zoe Starr was a truly amazing celebrant.”
Loz and Johno’s wedding was originally published in Issue 31 of Hello May magazine. You can snag yourself a copy on our online store if you want to see it (and many more) in print. And if you want to check out the couple’s incredibly talented photographer, look no further than Enchanted Wedding Photography’s Directory listing with us here. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Enchanted Wedding Photography Cinematographer TW Films Florist She’s a Wildflower Stationery DIY Ceremony & Reception Private Property Catering The Grecian Kitchen Food Truck Ginger & Blondie Coffee And Bar Cake Family Other Desserts Dolce Fantasia (Baklava) Hire Items Memphis Hire (Chairs, Tables & Umbrellas) Entertainment Luke Legs via Bellarine Entertainment Co. & DJ Moluck Celebrant Zoe Starr Rings Ernest and Joe THE BRIDE Bridal Gown & Veil Karen Walker Shoes Sam Edelman Accessories Lucy Folk & Christie Nicolaides Bridesmaid Dresses Zara, Bec + Bridge & Country Road Hair & Makeup Jasmine Little THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie Bellington Estate Cufflinks Vintage Geelong Football Club Groomsmen Suits Bellington Estate