TANYA & KIM'S MELBOURNE WEDDING

This Melbourne wedding is one for the books. Tanya and Kim were just 19 when they hit it off at the Rochester Hotel. First impressions weren’t ideal (Kim split beer all over Tanya’s shoes on the d-floor). But you could argue that a soggy pair of kicks is a small price to pay for stumbling upon your forever love. “I turned around to ask this ‘jerk’ to stop. Next minute, we were sharing a cheeky kiss. Who knew that fateful night would lead to us getting married.”

These lovebirds knew they “wanted to have the most ‘Melbourne’ wedding possible”. Embracing the warm, retro energy of their venue, Panama Dining Room, they truly made the space their own with a suite of super cute stationery designed by the groom and printed by the talented Stitch Press team. Meanwhile, behind the camera(s), Love By Colour Captured went “above and beyond” to immortalise the day in digital, film, AND Super8. Check out their joy-inducing pics below…

THE VIBE “We knew we wanted to have the most ‘Melbourne’ wedding possible. The overall vibe was a fun, retro theme, so we designed the welcome sign, menus, and placecards ourselves with an old-diner-style look and feel. [It] worked really well with the industrial brick interior, beautiful large windows and many indoor plants. We also knew we wanted lots of colour and chose flowers and decor based on this.”

FAVE DETAILS “The flowers were definitely a highlight. North St Botanical did such an amazing job on the bouquet and the window decorations. Our bonbonnière from Prohibition Chilli Co was also a massive highlight, with many of our guests still raving about how good the chilli oil is. Kim personalised the jars by making up a label that matched the rest of his designs, and they turned out to be amazing. And, of course, I can’t forget Kim’s personalised cufflinks made to look like our little kitty cat Cholula! It was the perfect way to have her included on the day.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “Definitely leave yourself enough time to secure your favourite vendors. It’s also a really good idea to set aside time during the week to plan together. We found scheduling in time was the best way to not get too overwhelmed.”

MEMORABLE MOMENT “Our photoshoot before the ceremony was a highlight. We were able to go to some of our favourite spots around Fitzroy and get amazing photos. It meant we could really take our time and soak it all in together before walking down the aisle. We had a drink at the Rochester, where we met 10 years earlier, filmed some Super8 clips in a Fitzroy back street and had a lovely stroll over to Piccolina for ice cream before all the serious stuff. It was amazing.”

WE’RE GLAD WE “At the last minute, we decided to set up a polaroid taking station in place of a guestbook. As cliche as it was, one of the best experiences was spending the next afternoon flipping through everyone’s ridiculous photos..”

Whether you’re going down the DIY route or prefer to hand stationery off to the pros, Stitch Press REALLY knows their stuff, and their pretty portfolio speaks for itself. Drop them a line here. Browse more Melbourne weddings here (your moodboard will thank you), or, if you need a good summer read, Issue 40 of Hello May is available online now. It’s absolutely jam-packed with real wedding inspo, vendors we love, gorg gowns and much more – enjoy!