Three amazing gowns, including a fab red bridal dress, and the wisest words we ever did hear when it comes to planning: “The best advice we received was from my (Sarah’s) older brother who said: ‘if it’s not a fuck yes, it’s a no.’ We applied this to everything, from vendor selection to font choice, and it saved us from too much overthinking.”
We couldn’t love this more – and it came in handy when picking their talented team, which included LoveCo Hair & Beauty as glam squad, Celebrant Jam, InStitchu, Little Wolf Entertainment and She Takes Pictures He Makes Films on camera duties.
When it came to pulling it together, Sarah also tells us she pored through Hello May, “spending far too many hours wondering if we could ever pull off a wedding as effortlessly cool as the ones featured there.” Mission accomplished, see for yourself!
THE VENUE “I grew up in the rural South Island of New Zealand, so I wanted something that felt reminiscent of home: rolling green hills, fresh air, maybe a rogue chicken wandering past. But since my family was flying over, I also didn’t want to drag them too far out of Melbourne. The moment we were shown around the outdoor space at Collingwood Children’s Farm, we just knew, it was like a gut punch. We looked at one other venue to be sure, but really, the farm had already won.”
THE GOWNS “I wouldn’t usually class myself as an extra person, but I definitely went big on my wedding day with three dresses. The ceremony dress was a surprise find – I was just trying on dresses for fun when I slipped into an explosion of maroon tulle. I hadn’t planned on wearing colour, but the moment I saw myself in it, my whole face lit up. It was less rational decision and more pure, unfiltered joy. But I also had this inkling that my mum would love the challenge of making a wedding dress for her only daughter (her mum had made hers too). So, despite living in New Zealand, she made three separate trips to Melbourne, adapted some patterns she already had, and we hit up a bunch of fabric shops. With only a few meltdowns along the way, in literal weeks she somehow whipped up the most stunning white ‘first look’ dress, hunched over a makeshift trestle table using a borrowed sewing machine in the corner of our kitchen (I made a lot of witty references to Rumpelstiltskin). It felt so special wearing something she’d made, and it photographed beautifully. Then, because two dresses weren’t enough, I had a third.”
LITTLE LOL “In the lead-up to the wedding my (Sarah) dad kept asking what he should wear. I told him as long as he was there, I didn’t care – he could wear a clown suit if he really wanted to. My dad is not one to back down from a challenge. He arrived, thankfully, in a perfectly respectable wedding suit, but during his speech whipped out a clown hat and nose from his pocket. I never saw it coming (although really I should have).”
A TOUCH OF TRADITION “Neither of us are religious but we are sentimental suckers, so we wanted something symbolic that felt meaningful. Our celebrant, Jam, suggested a handfasting ritual, and we were immediately on board.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “We did the first look! We wavered on this initially because the whole ‘seeing each other at the aisle for the first time’ moment is special, but, honestly, the first look was so much fun and gave us some time to just be together before the madness. During the reception we had a two-hour long projection of our favourite film clips (expertly edited by Cam) playing on a loop. One of my best memories is boogying on the dancefloor and glancing over to catch a snippet of Heath Ledger blasting Frank Sinatra’s I love you baby in 10 Things I Hate About You.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Lucy and Al, our photographer and videographer, brought an indescribable magic. They didn’t just document the day, they bottled up the entire essence of it. Our celebrant, Jam, was the wedding whisperer – part guide, part storyteller, part unofficial hype woman. She took our chaotic thoughts about love, commitment, and inside jokes and crafted a ceremony that was the perfect mix of hilarious, heartfelt, and unique to us.”
Assembling your own dream team? You’ll find Little Wolf Entertainment on the Hello May directory here; LoveCo Beauty here; and Institchu here.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer & Cinematographer Shetakespictureshemakesfilms Florist Rose Studios Ceremony & Reception Venue Collingwood Children’s Farm Cake Cass Reid (friend) Signage DIY & Life Size Cutouts Entertainment Little Wolf Entertainment Celebrant Celebrant Jam Rings Bella Clark Jewellery Bridal Gown Designer (White) Made by mum (Red) Duchess Boutique Reception Dress ASOS Veil (White) Facebook Marketplace (Pink) Made by Mum Hair piece Moira Hughes Couture Shoes Forever Soles, Twoobs Accessories Ottoman Hands Hair & Makeup LoveCo Hair & Beauty Bridesmaid Dresses Acler, Flo and Frankie, ASOS DESIGN THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Tie YSG Tailors Groomsmen Suits InStitchu
