Guys. GUYS. Michael and Michael got married in this urban wonderland wedding (after nine years together, no less) and the writers we are (not to mention alliteration lovers) are loving life itself. Also, we love a city celebration so are here for this one in spades. They involved a bunch of our fave vendors, too – Georgia Verrells Photography, One More Song, and Wendy Does Weddings. So scroll down for all the pics and our chat with the couple…
LITTLE LOL “Having the same name always makes for interesting introductions and it was no different as we met people to plan our wedding. Our amazing celebrant Wendy Does Weddings was particularly amused by us having the same name – so when it came time to do the paperwork she couldn’t believe it when we shared that we also have the same middle name.”
THE VENUE “Higher Ground was the last venue on our list and as soon as we walked in we knew it had the atmosphere we were looking for. It had such a great presence on the night and combined with an awesome staff who got on board with the party vibe it really was everything we had hoped for.”
FAVE DETAILS “The people we worked with for our wedding really contributed to the day in ways we never expected – particularly our celebrant Wendy Does Weddings and Georgia Verrells Photography (with an expert assist from Stina Evjan). In the planning, they helped us ensure we were creating the celebration we wanted and not getting caught up in tradition or expectation. On the day itself, they were by our side to make it all work. Looking through the photos from the day makes us so happy because there are so many memories that were beautifully captured. [Also] I love our minimalist invites. We designed them ourselves and when it came time to send out a new invite for the rescheduled date (thanks COVID) we simply changed up the paper colour and added a cheeky ‘fingers crossed’ to the design.”
THE SUITS “When we were planning our outfits we both agreed that we didn’t want to be completely formal, we still wanted to feel like ourselves, and we didn’t want to be ‘matching grooms’ as we have different styles. We were able to achieve this with a lot of help from Brian H at MNDATORY who consulted with us to create made to measure suits we both love.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “I (MR) was quite nervous about saying my very personal vows out loud in front of everyone but in actual fact, I found it to be a very empowering and uplifting moment. There was something quite special about expressing my love for Michael in public and having people clap and cheer and celebrate our love.”
ON MARRIAGE… “Marriage is a privilege that has been denied to so many beautiful people for so long. I’m furious that relationships like ours have somehow been deemed as ‘less than’ and unworthy of a public declaration of love for so long in this country and around the world, so I’m so happy that we got to use our wedding to show the world that our love is just as important, as special, as worthy and as lasting as anyone else’s.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Asked our guests not to take photos during the ceremony, not because we were trying to control the photos, but because it made everyone really present for the event and not watching it through a screen.
STANDOUT VENDORS “We can’t say enough good things about Georgia Verrells Photography and Wendy Does Weddings – such awesome humans who helped make our dream wedding a reality. Aleks from One More Song immediately understood what type of music we wanted to set the mood for our event, helped us set a good foundation and then DJ Emma expertly delivered on the night and the whole team at Higher Ground.”
If you want to see more from Michael and Michael’s highly recommended vendors, head to their Directory listings with us at the following links (after you’re done perusing the pics below, of course!). You won’t regret it! Georgia Verrells Photography, One More Song & Wendy Does Weddings.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Georgia Verrells Photography Stationery DIY Printer Stichpress Ceremony & Reception Higher Ground Cake Lamanna Patisserie Wedding Favours National Justice Project & Indigenous Literacy Foundation (Donations) Signage DIY using IKEA & Avenue Media Sign Makers (Vinyl Lettering) Entertainment & Sound Hire One More Song (DJ Emma Peters) Celebrant Wendy Does Weddings Rings Welfe Transport Uber Hotel (Photos) QT Melbourne GROOM Suit MNDATORY Shirt & Shoes Calibre Grooming Michael Di Matina via Room 53 GROOM Suit MNDATORY Knit Tom Ford Shoes & Scarf Saint Laurent Grooming Michael Di Matina via Room 53