Guys. Stop everything. This wedding was, put simply, epic, and Alex and Meera hired a huge bunch of our go-to vendors to bring their day to life. Peppermint Press was responsible for the place cards, tags and menus and the venue, Audley Dance Hall, decorated with blooms from the incredible Eden + Bell. It’s thanks to M.J. Bale for the dapper groomsmen attire, Baker Boys Band the the non-stop entertainment and Karen Willis Holmes for the bride’s look, complete with heels from Forever Soles and hair and makeup from Veronika Moreira. Samantha Heather Photography caught the good times on camera, so scroll down for all you need to see and know…
THE PROPOSAL “Meera’s family tells a great story of how she wouldn’t like to share any swing sets with anyone when she was a toddler. There is a small urban park near our old place that has a swing set, and I knew that had to be the end location for when I popped the question. To make it a bit interesting, I sent Meera on a treasure hunt around the neighbourhood, having left sections of a haiku at our favourite local cafes.”
THE VENUE “I came across Audley Dance Hall on Hello May just after we got engaged. We decided to visit on a whim because one of my bridesmaids was in town. We fell in love with it immediately.”
FAVE DETAILS “The florals from Eden + Bell were even more incredible than we could’ve imagined. Sophie was such a joy to work with and [made] the most magical flowers out of our brief of ‘bright and bold’. The whole set-up at Audley Dance Hall was fantastic – from our outdoor ceremony surrounded by bush to the beautiful dance hall itself. The whole day moved so seamlessly from one part to another, which added to the relaxed feel of the day. And the food was honestly some of the best wedding catering we’ve had.”
THE DRESS “My dress was the Darcy from Karen Willis Holmes, and actually ended up being the very first one I tried on. I had prepared myself to not necessarily find ‘the one’ on my first day of looking and went in with no expectations – but as soon as I tried it on it felt right. The dress felt a little glam, a little relaxed and was very comfortable.”
REFERENCES “I read the Real Weddings section of Hello May pretty religiously when we first started planning and found a lot of our vendors through there.”
TALK ABOUT TRADITION “Meera’s family is Indian and her parents and grandma hosted a Mehendi a couple of nights before the wedding. This essentially kicked off an extended weekend of celebration. It was a beautiful way to connect both families. We were also lucky enough to have Meera’s dad (who is a deacon) perform our ceremony for us. Going through the whole process with him and having someone that knows you that well was priceless. And we also chose to have our mums walk us down the aisle. With Alex’s Dad having passed away a few years ago and Meera’s Dad officiating the ceremony, it worked perfectly.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Set aside a dedicated date night each week to chip away at wedding tasks. We’d cook a nice dinner and have a glass of wine so that it was special and didn’t feel like a chore.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer Samantha Heather Photography went above and beyond and truly felt like family by the end of it! She was a joy to have around, and all our guests adored her. The photos are incredible and perfectly capture the feeling of the day. And we can’t say enough nice things about Baker Boys Band. With everyone keen for a celebration, the dance floor started before entrees even hit the table, and Baker Boys quickly sensed this energy and adjusted accordingly. It made for the best dance floor ever. And we can’t say it enough – the team at Audley Dance Hall took such great care of us from the get go, and were always available to field our questions. It meant we could sit back and relax on the day.”
This lovely couple used a long list of our go-to vendors, who you can find out more about over on their Directory listings with us at the following links. So go and make yourself a tea, and when you’re done with the below, click on through to each and every one. Samantha Heather Photography, Eden + Bell, Peppermint Press, Audley Dance Hall, Baker Boys Band, Karen Willis Holmes, Forever Soles, Veronika Moreira and M.J. Bale.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Samantha Heather Photography Florist Eden + Bell Stationery Paperless Post (Invitations) & Peppermint Press (Place Cards, Tags & Menus) Ceremony & Reception Audley Dance Hall Post-Ceremony Cocktails Husk Distillers Wedding Favours Candy Bar Sydney & Etsy Hire Items Ava Party Hire (Glasses for Post-Ceremony Cocktails) Signage Peppermint Press Entertainment Baker Boys Band Celebrant Deacon Anthony Gooley (Bride’s Dad) Rings Axel & Quill Transport Murrays THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Karen Willis Holmes Pyjamas Piyama Shoes Forever Soles Accessories Atto Studio (Earrings) Hair & Makeup Veronika Moreira Bridesmaid Dresses Shona Joy Bridesmaid Gifts Izoa THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Tie The Bespoke Corner Shoes Aquila Groomsmen Suits M.J. Bale Groomsmen Gifts Otaa (Ties)