Actors and newlyweds Stef and Aaron have had a lot to celebrate of late! Just months before their big fat Greek wedding in Melbourne, the pair purchased their first home. Plus, the bride wrapped up her run playing ‘Mary’ in the national tour of Mary Poppins The Musical. “Whilst I thrive under pressure, juggling a property purchase and wedding planning alongside this particularly demanding job was almost laughably ridiculous. If only Mary Poppins’ magical abilities translated into real life!”
The lovebirds of five years might not have had a bottomless handbag of tricks, but they did have some pretty magical vendors by their side, like caterers Nudo Events, wedding planners The Goodsmiths, Anatomy of Flowers, and the venue where it all went down, Two Ton Max.
Maryna Cherednikova was the lens lady responsible for this super(califragilisticexpialidocious) wedding album, and we chatted with the stars of the show – it’s all below…
THE VENUE “Aaron and I have always loved city life, particularly the industrial warehouse feel. When we first viewed Two Ton Max, we instantly fell for it and its polished concrete, brick walls, hanging Edison bulbs and exposed beams. We wanted a venue that could function as both a ceremony and reception space. Two Ton Max executed that wish perfectly. The space is extremely versatile, and presents so beautifully as a blank canvas to really make your own which was super important for Aaron and me.”
THE VIBE “We knew we wanted a standing cocktail-style reception – due to our high guest numbers and knowing how social our family and friends are we didn’t want to restrict them to designated seats. This decision opened up some great opportunities to create different areas/zones. I wanted to compliment the natural minimalist vibe of the space with simple green and white florals, but also add in pops of colour with the furniture, streamer wall and decorated desserts.”
TALK ABOUT TRADITION “Aaron and I have Greek heritage. It felt only right to acknowledge that part of our story, so we played a Greek Zorba to unite the families and kick off the dancing portion of the evening. The Zorba ended in the wildly fun tradition of lifting the bride and groom up on chairs, which neither of us expected but made for a very memorable and unifying moment.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Got ready for our wedding together, surrounded by close family and our wedding parties, in a rented house close to the venue. We shared our official ‘First Look’ at the house and took all our photos pre-ceremony. We are SO glad we structured our day this way, as it allowed us to spend more time with our guests post-ceremony.”
THE TUNES “Aaron and I shared the aisle on our wedding day. Aaron proceeded down the aisle first, escorted by both his parents, followed by me with both of my parents. We walked down the aisle to White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes and walked out to True Love by Toots & The Maytals – both songs were Aaron’s suggestion. He really does have the best taste in music! However, the first dance song was my choice and I went with Frank Sinatra’s version of Have You Met Miss Jones, acknowledging my maiden name. This song was performed live by Hamilton Band with two of my best friends as guest singers – Luke Kennedy and Naomi Price, who are very successful performers, having both been finalists in previous seasons of The Voice!
A WORD OF ADVICE “Being the organised person that I am, I didn’t think I would need a wedding planner. But now, being on the other side, I am SO glad we had one. If your desired venue comes with planners, I highly recommend using that resource.”
Sage words from our bride and groom – let’s say it in unison folks, ‘Delegation is not a dirty word’. Because sometimes you just need to call in the professionals, like when it comes to food for instance! Drop our friends Nudo Events a line to learn more about their catering services and ecosystem of vendor connections. Need a little more help keeping things coordinated? Perhaps a safe space to store all your ideas? We make this Hello May Planner and Notebook just for you.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Maryna Cherednikova Photography Cinematographer Alex Giles (Friend) Event Planner The Goodsmiths Florist Anatomy of Flowers Stationery The Goodsmiths Venue Two Ton Max Catering Nudo Events / Refresh Hospitality Desserts Kris Jones (Family) & Tsindos Restaurant (Family) Hire Items One Big Day Event Hire Lighting Hire Carl McKinnon – Tech Tech Boom (Friend) Entertainment Hamilton Band Celebrant Chris Stalley (Friend) Emcee Gabrielle Fancourt (Friend) Rings Grew & Co Transport Prime Chauffeur Cars Accommodation Sofitel on Collins THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer Pronovias Bridal Boutique & Veil Raffaele Ciuca Second Dress Billy J Shoes ASOS & Jimmy Choo Accessories Christie Nicolaidis (Earrings), Lisa Ho – Vintage (Second Look Belt) & Evan Lever (Friend) (Second Look Headpiece) Hair Ingrid – Tonic Agency (Bride) & Justine – Tonic Agency (Bridesmaids & Family) Makeup Jessica – Tonic Agency (Bride) & Justine – Tonic Agency (Bridesmaids & Family) Fragrance Giorgio Armani Bridesmaid Dresses Venita Drennen, Model Chic, Zara, Calexico THE GROOM Suit, Vest, Shirt & Pants Suit Supply Bow Tie The Brothers at Otaa Shoes Windsor Smith Watch Citizen Barber / Grooming Zelko Nedic – Ambo Ars Hair Salon
