After a semi-disastrous start to a holiday in Bali (featuring one expired passport, discovered on arrival at the airport…), JP popped the question to Zoe while lapping up the vacay vibes. “The moment JP decided was ‘just right’ was when it was just us two sitting by the pool in our villa late one night after a cheeky skinny dip,” spills Zoe. “It was so perfect. The next day we FaceTimed all of our family and friends from our villa pool and shared the happy news.”
Cue the planning – no small feat thanks to perpetual Melbourne lockdowns, but these guys made it happen with the help of some rockstar vendors. There was a drool-worthy three-tiered buttercream cake with dried pressed florals by Mad About Cakes that tasted as good as it looked; stunning ‘fits courtesy of some of our faves, Lola Varma and Oscar Hunt Tailors; and, of course, the piccies that prove it all, by the always incredible I Got You Babe. What a winning team!
THE VENUE “We wanted to feel connected to nature in our ceremony, and we love that Heide Museum of Modern Art has both beautiful gardens and architecture while being only a short drive from home. We had our ceremony underneath the large oak tree next to Heide. It was such a special place because we were surrounded by the enormous tree and encircled by our friends and family. We chose Half Acre as our reception venue because it was open and airy with lovely character.”
THE VIBE “We wanted our overall vibe to be reflective of us – easy-going, vibrant and sentimental – and to feel more like a love party than a wedding. We wanted to create a fun and idyllic ambience, and for the overall aesthetic for the day to be full of colour – soft tones with contrasting bold hues, and imperfect organic forms.”
FAVE DETAILS “Lucinda from Florence Jean did an incredible job sourcing beautiful flowers and transforming them into works of art. Lucinda perfectly interpreted our brief of soft, warm, autumnal tones with pops of bold clashing colour. My bouquet was phenomenal – the arrangement looked as if it had been plucked straight from the garden and was stunning from every angle.”
THE DRESS “I was booked in for a dress fitting at Lola Varma in July 2020, shortly after Melbourne went into lockdown 2.0. After many re-scheduled appointments, I finally went in September as soon as the lockdown ended. It was such an honour to be fitted by founder and creative director Courtney, who shared the inspiration and intention behind the design of her garments. I immediately fell in love with the top and skirt I chose (the Val Blouse and Delfina Skirt).”
THE SUIT “JP had a similar experience finding his suit. Shortly after coming out of lockdown, he ordered a custom suit from Oscar Hunt Tailors, but cut it very fine with production times as his suit got held up in customs overseas! He was looking for something relaxed and classic, to feel his best and most comfortable version of himself.”
LITTLE LOL “We both crowd surfed to the Zorba 2000 dance remix after a few too many espresso martinis!”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Do invest in an amazing photographer – this was by far the best thing we spent money on. Your photo memories are forever! Don’t order 130 espresso martinis and then drink the ones that your guests don’t drink because you don’t want them to go to waste…”
STANDOUT VENDOR “Lilli, our photographer from I Got You Babe. We absolutely adored working with Lilli. She is seriously such a pro. The way she captures light, romance and the small, special moments in-between the big moments is remarkable. Lilli and her second photographer, Laura, were such a dream to work with; they had such great energy and presence on the day.”
If you’re yet to book in your vendors, we’ve got a directory full of the best of the best of them. We highly recommend checking out I Got You Babe for amazing pics, Mad About Cakes for delish dessert noms and Oscar Hunt Tailors for swish suits.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer I Got You Babe Cinematographer Popcandi Florist Florence Jean Stationery The bride Ceremony Heide Museum of Modern Art Reception venue Half Acre Catering Heide Café, Food & Desire Cake Mad About Cakes Entertainment Press Club Band (ceremony), My Best Friend’s Wedding DJs (reception) Celebrant Lisa Greenfield Rings Amy Renshaw (engagement ring), Seb Brown (wedding bands) THE BRIDE Gown & Veil Lola Varma Shoes Loeffler Randall Bracelets Suru Studio, Búl Necklace Ada Hodgson Hair & Makeup Killer Queen Creative THE GROOM Suit Oscar Hunt Shoes Crockett & Jones via Double Monk Watch Mondaine
