For Simone and Martin, marriage means “always have someone to overcome challenges with and enabling each other to grow as individuals, together. It may also mean adopting a few more greyhounds one day!” We are here for that, friends (you know we love a doggo around the Hello May office…)
For their big day, Simone and Martin put together a dream team of vendors, from I Got You Babe on pics and Pomp and Splendour taking care of the flowers, to an Alca Line Bride gown and M.J. Bale suit (complete with dapper velvet jacket), a stunning Black Finch ring… And we also need to pause a moment to reflect on that cake by Zephyr & Bloom – a spiced carrot, pineapple and walnut cake filled with orange mascarpone cream cheese icing on the bottom, and a vanilla blueberry cake soaked in lemon and elderflower syrup and lemon curd, all wrapped up in white chocolate meringue buttercream. We’re not ashamed to admit we’re drooling a little right now…
THE PROPOSAL “We were never too fussed about getting married. Our families would always ask about it but we never felt like it was something we had to do. After being together for almost a decade we started to feel that it would be nice to bring our families and friends together and have a celebration. We just decided one day to book an appointment at a jeweller that I had walked past lots of times – Black Finch. We designed the ring together, which was really special, and then Martin went and picked it up when it was ready without me knowing. One rainy Saturday afternoon, we were just hanging out in our apartment. Martin surprised me by tying the ring to our rescue greyhound Finn’s collar. Poor Finn has never really been good at following commands and just ran around the apartment until I eventually got the hint!”
THE VENUE “Panama Dining Room and Bar was actually the only venue we saw! We knew we wanted a Melbourne wedding and for the ceremony and reception to be at the one place. We also knew we wanted good food and drinks, which is always our no. 1 priority in life! As soon as we walked into Panama and saw those windows and that cocktail list, we knew we didn’t have to look any further.”
FAVE DETAILS “The flowers by Pomp and Splendour were just incredible – I still dream about them! Everything from the bouquets, to the window display and the bar arrangement was so, so beautiful. I just sent the team at Pomp and Splendour a random assortment of photos I liked and they completely went above and beyond my expectations! The cake was another standout. We were so glad we let my mum talk us into having a one, as it wasn’t in our original plan! Jemima at Zephyr & Bloom made the most delicious, beautiful-looking cake for us and also gave us a hot tip about ordering a bigger size so we could enjoy leftovers the next day.
THE DRESS “I was really nervous about the process of finding a dress because I am so indecisive! I knew I wanted something fun and not overly traditional. I first saw Alca Line Bride’s Darcy dress on Instagram and fell in love with the sleeves. I thought I might need to make a trip to NSW where Amy, the designer, is based, but Bluebell Bridal boutique in Melbourne just happened to be stocking the dress at that exact time. It was meant to be!”
THE SUIT “Martin spotted his navy velvet jacket on M.J. Bale’s website one afternoon, not that far out from the wedding. We popped into the store and they were so helpful – his whole outfit was complete in less than an hour!”
REFERENCES “The venue gave us the name of our celebrant, Charis White & Co. We found most of our other vendors through Instagram, Pinterest and of course Hello May! We were really lucky in that most of our vendors had worked together before, so everything flowed really naturally.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT “The dance floor was a highlight! It was never empty once it got going and it was so incredible to have all our family and friends mingle and have fun. Our DJ from Hey Jack did a really good job of playing the type of music we had asked for and avoiding our extensive ‘do not play’ list!”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “We are so glad we took our photos before the ceremony. It gave us time to relax and have fun before any formalities and really put us at ease. It also meant that we didn’t have to miss a second of the reception!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Our photographer, Lilli, of I Got You Babe, was just incredible! We were really drawn to her candid and natural style. Neither of us are super comfortable in front of a camera but she made us both feel so at ease from the moment she arrived. She blended into the background and captured the mood of the day perfectly. We feel so lucky to have her beautiful photos to look back on. Our celebrant Charis White & Co. was another standout. She was so warm, approachable and helpful, and was so reassuring on the day. She really took the time to get to know us and as a result, our ceremony was unique and personal. And of course, Petra, Asha and the team at Pomp and Splendour! They completely exceeded our expectations and we really don’t think the day would have been what it was without their amazing work.”
We can officially say that every single vendor in Simone and Martin’s lineup did a bang-up job, and you can get in touch with some of our favourites over on the Hello May directory. Hit up I Got You Babe for amazing pics, Pomp and Splendour for fab florals, and Black Finch for amazing jewels – not to mention M.J. Bale for sweet suiting. Happy planning!
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer I Got You Babe Florist Pomp and Splendour Stationery & Signage State of Elliott Ceremony, Reception & Catering Panama Dining Room and Bar Cake Zephyr & Bloom Wedding favours Three Foxes (cocktails) Hire Items Table Art (tablecloths) Entertainment Hey Jack Celebrant Charis White & Co. Rings Black Finch Transport Kombi Haus THE BRIDE Gown Alca Line Bride Bridal Boutique Bluebell Bridal Reception Top & Pants Arnsdorf Robes Sleeper (Simone), Big W (bridesmaids) Shoes Gucci (ceremony), By Far (reception) Earrings By Nye Bracelet & Ring Lucy Folk Hair & Makeup Valentina Arjona via Tonic Hair & Makeup Agency Bridesmaid dresses Bec & Bridge Bridesmaid shoes Betts, Jo Mercer, Spurr, Diana Ferrari Bridesmaid gifts Reliquia Collective (earrings) THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie M.J. Bale Shoes Aquila Barber Barber Black Sheep Groomsmen suits Opal Formal Wear