A little backstory on these legends: before getting together in their twenties, Maddie and Ben (Mads and Ben to their mates) actually went to the same primary school and played on the same soccer team – cute! Mads shared, “Ben actually asked me to the Year 6 farewell and I went with his best mate! He’s still dining out on that story.”
Ben and Mads explain that their Melbourne wedding was the sum of two “very distinct flavours”. The first, a garden party ceremony with champagne, croquet and live music amongst the flowers. The second, a cozy nostalgic New York-bistro-meets-Italian-trattoria style reception. Think oysters, meatball subs, Italian reds and a heaving dance floor.
Scroll on for all the pics (round of applause for lens lady Tess Follett, please). Plus, reflections from Ben’s exceptional InStitchu suiting experience, the couple’s inspo sources and how they kept the lead up to the big day stress-free.
AN INTIMATE GARDEN CEREMONY
“The Pioneer Women’s Garden was an easy decision for the ceremony; it’s a central, intimate garden flanked by flowers and a bubbling fountain. We wanted the reception space to feel like an authentic Melbourne establishment; somewhere warm and brimming with personality, with a superb wine list, excellent food and the kind of interiors you could lean into without obscuring with your own decorations. Crucially, it needed to offer multiple spaces as opposed to one big hall; where you could park up for cocktails at a retro bar, sink meatball subs on the balcony under the stars, or squeeze yourself into a room with a live band and heaving dancefloor. Rocco’s delivered on all fronts (and more).”
WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING IN SYDNEY
“The dress process was pretty straightforward. I’d seen the corset and skirt on Prea James’ instagram and tried it on/bought it from their Sydney boutique that same day. As per some advice I’d received, we went to another bridal boutique first to warm up to the experience.”
WEDDING SUIT SHOPPING
“I had my suit all planned out with another vendor, but I thought I’d do a sense check with somewhere else before I made the purchase. InStitchu had a free consultation offer (or something along those lines) up at the time. I went in one Friday after work – a nice showroom on a sunny Melbourne afternoon, with a beer provided on arrival. After the quick run through of tailoring options I was quickly made aware that the Black Friday sale was on… Safe to say, I left there, having pre-purchased my wedding suit without much of a second thought. I’m sure the beer helped grease the wheels. All that being said, Chloe and the team at InStitchu were exceptional, I was very happy with my wedding suit and definitely recommend them.”
WEDDING PLANNING INSPIRATION
“Hello May was our absolute bible!”
KEEPING THE LEADUP STRESS-FREE
“We loved organising a wedding that truly reflected us. Anything that started to stress us out was binned and as a result we really enjoyed the planning process as well as the day. That meant getting married at the courthouse a week prior so one of our greatest mates could “marry” us on the day. It meant no family friends or bridal parties. It meant a huge bucks and no hens. It meant booking a band after we saw them at a gig when we were many beers deep. It meant baking the world’s most average cake and laughing that we forced our friends to eat it.”
EXCEPTIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
“Our gorgeous photographer Tess Follett was worth her weight in gold – we felt confident whatever the day threw at us (e.g bad weather), Tess would work her magic and still serve up some beautiful shots (and maaaaan did she ever).”
Find more dream days captured by Tess Follett here on the directory, which, by the way, is also where you’ll find more on InStitchu’s *chef’s kiss* offering. In the inspiration-collecting phase of your ‘I do’ journey? Find more real garden soirees and city nuptials here. Or get your hands on our latest Real Wedding Special featuring 210 pages of awesome wedding day ideas from local newlyweds.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Tess Follett Florist Molly Cusack Stationery Canva Printer Officeworks Ceremony Venue Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden Reception Venue Rocco’s Bologna Ceremony Catering South Melbourne Market, Tyrrell’s Wines Cake Madeleine (Bride) Hire Items Weddings of Distinction Sound Hire Jens Radda (Family) Entertainment Rosie Darcy (Family), Lachlan Bartlett (Family), Jacob Bartlett (Family), Harrison Music Celebrant Cameron Bourke (Friend) Rings Janai Transport JGMA Pty Ltd (No Website) THE BRIDE Bridal Gown & Veil Designer Prea James Shoes Jo Mercer Accessories The Traveller Series Hair & Makeup Tonic Agency THE GROOM Suit, Jacket, Shirt & Pants InStitchu Shoes Florsheim Grooming Blunt Barbers
