The fact that this couple recreated their first date for their wedding day (The Art Gallery, followed by dinner and a movie at a local cinema) on a Thursday – ‘cause that’s date night for them – was enough to pique our interest. Add the Messina choc-tops as wedding cake and wedding rings represented by a circle drawn on with a Sharpie (they got them tattooed the next day), along with some fun AF music by the Event Entertainers and style choices in spades (that gown and Grew & Co engagement ring! That M.J. Bale suit!) and we were sold. Scroll down for all the other details, along with pics by Lei Lei Clavey…
THE VENUE “We wanted something unexpected, yet classic. Shortly after getting engaged, I saw a fashion editorial shot at the Art Gallery NSW, and it just hit me all at once. That’s where we’d be married! Surrounded by Australian and international art, the location of our first date and so many date nights since! Our reception venue, on the other hand, took some time. We originally planned for something more warehouse-like. However, our investigation and searching lead us to the Golden Age and it couldn’t have been more perfect.”
THE INSPO “Our main inspiration was doing something that was uniquely ‘us’. Our first date is a story neither of us gets sick of sharing, [so] why not make it the ultimate date night?! For us, this meant, simple, fun and full of eating and drinking our favourites! Mexican with mocktails for dinner, followed by a movie and choc-tops, anyone?”
FAVE DETAILS “It was the details that really made this event unique, including playing on the fact that we were partying inside a cinema. For the entirety of the evening, we had an old black and white movie playing and instead of a traditional wedding cake, we served our guests choc-tops. [Also], we decided to remove a lot of the traditional parts of the reception. There was no big entrance, no speeches, no first dance, nothing. This made for an absolutely epic, uninterrupted party!
THE DRESS “This decision was almost instinct. I used to stop and stare at the window displays at J. ANDREATTA, so that’s where I headed! I had my sights set on one of Jessica’s most romantic, and flirty dresses but tried them all on just to be safe. In the end though, it was that first dress that had me feeling like a teenager in love. Working with their team to create my dress was the giddiest part of planning.”
THE SUIT “I knew from the moment that I wanted to marry Tyler, that I’d be doing it in an M.J. Bale suit. The team at the Martin Place store were extremely helpful in helping me find, size and customise the perfect suite for the wedding.”
REFERENCES “C’mon do you even have to ask? Hello May, of course! Reference upon reference from other incredible Real Weddings from recent times and years past.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “It might sound weird, but reduce your timeline. Our wedding planning went from a six-month timeline to five weeks [radically moved forward due to COVID and construction at the gallery]. If we had our time again, I wouldn’t change a thing. The reduced timeline allowed us to really focus on the elements that were absolute must-haves, and throw out all other fluff. I truly believe this helped make the celebration as unique and amazing as it was.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Worked with our photographer Lei Lei Clavey. Lei is an amazing editorial and wedding photographer who captured our day perfectly and made reliving it through photos so much fun. We wanted a photographer that not only would be able to capture all the in-between moments but introduce an editorial feel to the photos. Lei not only delivered there but brought so much peace to the whole day!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Definitely the venues – both the Art Gallery NSW and Golden Age. Duke, the band we hired (via Event Entertainers) for the evening was incredible and kept the party going the entire night. And the food!”
Keen on taking more of a look at the key vendors Tyler and Ben used to bring their dream day to life? Check a few of our faves out over on our Directory at the following links and scroll down for info and other real weddings we have published that include their work; M.J. Bale, The Future Mrs and Grew & Co and Event Entertainers. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Lei Lei Clavey Cinematographer Nick Hodgskin (Friend) Florist Bess Paddington Stationery & Wedding Website DIY (Groom) Printer Fast Printing Ceremony Art Gallery NSW Reception Golden Age Catering Urban Cooking Collective via Golden Age Other Desserts Messina via Golden Age Entertainment Duke Music (Trio & DJ) via Event Entertainers Celebrant Grant Hoyle (Pastor) via Glow Engagement Ring Grew & Co Wedding Rings Thirteen Feet Tattoo Transport Sydney Driver Accommodation &Robes The Old Clare Hotel THE BRIDE Bridal Gown & Veil J. ANDREATTA Shoes Spring Court Hair & Makeup Kim Pham via The Future Mrs THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Tie M.J. Bale Shoes Country Road