After a proposal on a surprise trip to Noosa, “we were engaged by sunset, and approximately 13 bottles of Moet deep in our balcony hot tub by 9pm,” these two were immediately providing some serious couple goals. Then we saw the arbour (of epic proportion!), the dreamy dress and photos by the talented Katie Harmsworth and we simply had to publish. Scroll down for all the details, guys. This couple put so much thought into each and every one…
THE VENUE “Mitolo was the first venue we went to. We initially wanted to get married in Italy, but didn’t want to sacrifice having friends and family who couldn’t travel there. Mitolo ticked absolutely all the boxes – Italian, modern, architecturally stunning, with a beautiful fireplace in winter and divine food and wine menu – which included a pasta course – a non-negotiable for our wedding (and relationship).”
FAVOURITE DETAILS “Choosing the little details was one of the most fun parts of wedding planning. To accentuate the wintery theme, we had frosted acrylic accents, a mirrored neon sign, acrylic ghost chairs, gold and silver foiling on our menus and bright and colourful flowers to contrast and add some fun. We had an ice-carved oyster bar, a custom felt cake topper made and shipped from NYC of our two cats, Lenny and Meryl and for our first dance, we had a snow machine. Once the party kicked into full gear, we had French fries brought out in custom made boxes boxes which said ‘I only have fries for you #themattorimony and we had stickers made for lighters which said ‘Love is Lit’, to scatter along the dining tables – our take on a bonbonniere.”
THE DRESS “I was so lucky to work with Paul Vaseliff of Paolo Sebastian on my dress. I met him with four references that I definitely didn’t expect to be combined into one dress: draped, cold shoulders, ostrich feather embroidery, bishop sleeves, and lots of tulle. He nodded along as I showed him my ideas, then disappeared for 10 minutes, walking back into the room with the sketch of my dreams. To top it off, Paul and I selected the most beautiful lyrics to Aladdin’s ‘A Whole New World’ which he hand drew on the skirt of the dress to be embroidered. I sing it (and coerce Matt into the duet) regularly at home and at karaoke.”
REFERENCES “I always thought Pinterest would be it (I’ve had a ‘secret’ wedding board since I created my account), but Instagram was really where I lived during the creative planning. It was a great reference point for me (I stalked cool wedding hashtags, followed wedding inspiration accounts, photographers and stylists to get ideas). Bridal websites like Hello May were also super helpful – I particularly soaked in the ‘word of advice’ element in all the real wedding articles.
THE TUNES… Our aisle song was Glasgow Love Theme and the recessional, a Kanye medley, both played on the harp by my godmother. She’s incredible and has played for Michael Jackson and Kanye West. For our first dance, Mariner’s Apartment Complex by Lana Del Rey. We wanted a short first dance and the first verse wasn’t as fitting, so we cut it out. I’m your man’ became the words on our neon sign which featured during our first dance whilst snow fell. We also had the chorus made into a floor decal on entering the reception.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Got married in winter – it was wonderful! Being a quieter time of the year event-wise, every vendor was available. We also found our guests were extra excited because it was something to look forward to at that time of year. Allowing 3 months in between the wedding and honeymoon also turned out great; we were able to reflect on the wedding with family and friends, send thank you cards, and then properly plan and look forward to our honeymoon. It definitely helped avoid the post-wedding blues too.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Our florist, Twig, completely got the vision and absolutely nailed the flowers – they were just so beautiful and nothing was too hard. Sharon from Magnolia Press created all our invitations, menus, signage, designs for our French fry boxes, lighter stickers, and floor decal. She was absolutely wonderful to work with and the combination of Katie Harmsworth and Humdrum Films was ace. You spend the whole day with these guys so it’s important to choose people that are fun (and also fab at what they do)!
Tori and Matt’s McLaren Vale wedding was originally published in Issue 27 of Hello May magazine. Grab yourself a copy via our online store. You can even score a free gift, so head here for all the deets and don’t miss more real weddings Katie Harmsworth has captured by heading to our handy Directory.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Katie Harmsworth Cinematographer Humdrum Films Florist Twig Stationery & Signage Magnolia Press Ceremony, Reception & Catering Mitolo Cake & Desserts Sugar & Spice Cakes Custom Cake Topper Facci Designs Hire Items White Marquee, Hygge Studio, Kiera Blanden Events Lighting & Sound Hire Caso Light N Sound Entertainment Pat Deegan Celebrant Marina Whitman Rings Sarah & Sebastian Transport SA Limos THE BRIDE Bridal Gown & Veil Paolo Sebastian Robes La Perla (Bride) Topshop (Bridesmaids) Shoes Christian Louboutins (Ceremony) & Miu Miu Earrings Sophie Bille Brahe Ring & Bridesmaid Necklaces Sarah & Sebastian Hair Amy Creten Makeup Lesley Nemer Bridesmaid Dresses Rachel Gilbert Bridesmaid Shoes Sam Edelman Bridesmaid Gift Diptyque via Mecca THE GROOM Suit & Shirt Canali Tie Lanvin Cufflinks Vintage Cufflinks Shoes Gucci Groomsmen Suits Joseph Uzumcu