Real Wedding – Amy & Tom, Albert Park VIC
Amy and Tom wanted to host the party of a lifetime and they sure did that.
With beautiful Albert Park lake as the backdrop, they exchanged heartfelt and personal vows in front of a fabulous floral installation, and their ceremony was met with laughter and tears as they wed in front of their family and friends.
The party then officially started and you could barely wipe the smiles from their faces or stop them from dancing all night long. Their live saxophonist and edgy DJ and rapper ensured that everyone was up on their feet.
Scroll these candid captures by Tess Follett and you will soon see exactly what we are talking about!
In Amy’s words…
The meeting.
In 2012, at a cricket club end of season ball. We were placed on the same table.
The ‘one’.
Friends and family are so important to me so when I discovered how important they also are to Tom and observed how easily he interacted around my closest friends and family members, I knew.
The proposal.
I had just resigned from my job and Tom took me away for the weekend to celebrate. As we were walking along the beach at Barwon Heads, Victoria, we came across a gorgeous wicker basket holding champagne and cheese on top of a picnic rug. Thinking it was a surfer’s, I ran up to it and thought I’d have a peek inside. Excited to see my favourite cheese and champagne, I turned to Tom, who was tearing up and fiddling around in his pocket for something. As he knelt down on the beach, I just laughed and cried and can’t remember him putting on the ring!
Planning process.
It was stressful because we spent the first six months of the planning time in Europe. I was not the type of Bride who had previously imagined their wedding, so I was starting from the very beginning. Ivory Tribe and my friend who worked in the industry were my lifesavers. After several conversations, Tom and I decided to invest in reputable suppliers who all created the magic of our day. For an anxious bride, employing these suppliers was the best decision we made. Two weeks before the day, I was given the best advice from my beautiful Event Manager; to trust in your suppliers and all will be well. I had this idea that I wanted the wedding to be perfect and at some points along the journey, lost sight of the real purpose of what a wedding is about.
Style inspiration.
Casual and modern.. a party!
The outfit.
My dress was divine. I cannot thank Sonia and her team at Cappellazzo Couture enough for helping me create my dress. I initially wanted clean and straight edges with no lace and beading. During the third fitting, I did not feel ‘bridal’ enough so Sonia suggested adding a layer of organza and tulle to the skirt. The result was incredible! As our wedding reception was a party, after our speeches, I changed into a hot pink cocktail dress from Aje.
Favourite moment.
SO many but one that comes to mind was during our party (reception). I was standing on the deck at Carousel with my husband, looking onto the dance floor. It was packed with our friends and family dancing and eating ice cream from the Bianco Latte cart. Tom and I felt so proud and lucky and held each other very tight.
Meaning of marriage.
Creating a life together and working as a formidable team.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle – Old Pine, Ben Howard
Signing – You’ve Got the Love, Florence and the Machine
Exit – Send Me On My Way, Rusted Root
We chose not to have a reception entry or first dance! We did end up dancing in the middle of a human circle to Can’t Hold Us, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis with our rapper singing the song!
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Oh my god, so many. As mentioned I found the process difficult so anything Tom could take responsibility for, I was only too happy to delegate. On the day of the wedding, Tom’s groomsmen suits arrived in packaging and one shirt was ivory when the other five were white! Thank goodness for my friend who was in the area; she went to the house and ironed and steam cleaned all the boys attire. I learned my lesson that I probably should have checked over what I delegated to Tom!
Planning surprises.
The budget and the pressure I felt to have the most amazing wedding. On the other hand, the generosity from others is forever memorable. We had many family members and friends who offered their expertise and support throughout the whole journey and on the day. We felt very loved.
Words of wisdom.
Make sure you have a friend or family member who can pull you back to remind you what is important and book suppliers who you trust, get along with and have brilliant reputations. Oh and also, when you tell someone they have five minutes to speak, this means they will take at least 10!
Final words.
Plan a wedding that you want! For the reception, we didn’t stick to traditions.
Love a party? Elly and Emmanuel’s celebration is a standout, scroll through all the moments here.
AMY AND TOM’S TRIBE
Ceremony and reception venue: Carousel, Albert Park – Rachel from Carousel was an angel. She was so generous with her time, my queries and cared all about the little details. We were so lucky to have her. The food and drink was exceptional, as was the manager for the evening Clare.
Celebrant/Officiant: Jimmy Hazelwood – Jimmy was great at helping us feel at ease and relaxed in the lead up and on the day. He encouraged us to write our own vows, which we are so pleased we did.
Photography: Tess Follett – what a star. She completely nailed our brief for the day and gave the perfect amount of direction to our non-model bridal party! We had a lot of fun with Tess, trusted her locations and subsequently love our awesome photographs. They are stunning and reflect the people we are at our core.
Videography: Lightbox Films – Pat was the perfect videographer and his video is a true reflection of our day. He followed Tess’s directions and our brief and captured our whole day and evening. We are so happy he was so flexible and stayed later than planned at our Party.
Styling: My friend Kate and I worked on this for months
Florist: Cecilia Fox – another hero of our wedding! Chloe and Mel were the dream team and absolutely perfected our brief. We totally trusted their creative flair and couldn’t believe what they had produced. It was hard not to cry when I first walked into the venue and saw what they created.
Hair: Secretz Hair and Beauty
Make Up: Makeup by Reannah and Allira Taylor
The Dress(es): Cappellazzo Couture and Aje
Veil / headwear: Cappellazzo Couture
Shoes: Wittner
Rings: World Gems and Co
Bridesmaid’s dresses: DeCre Dresses – Deb was so flexible and crafted the dresses so beautifully. I am indebted to her taking control and helping my six girls look so beautiful.
Groom’s Suit: Oscar Hunt
Groomsmen’s suits: Bell and Barnett (Chapel Street)
Catering: Food and Desire
Bar: Harry the Hirer
Favors: These were donations to charities that are very important to our hearts
Cake / Cake topper: My incredibly talented friends created our cheese tower. The cheeses were from Vangelis Deli (South Melbourne Market)
Stationery / Signage: Our own and Kwik Kopy printed them.
Entertainment: Dj Kimba was a brilliant DJ! We also employed a singer, saxophonist and rapper from Rutherford Entertainment. It was SUCH a party.
Transport: Uber (Groom) and Exotic Limos (Bride). I loved our 14 seat Jeep Limo.
Ice cream cart: Bianco Latte
Furniture: Harry the Hirer
Honeymoon: Hurawalhi, Maldives and Sri Lanka
