Real Wedding – Lauren & Ross, Fitzroy VIC
Choosing to embrace some of the wettest weather on record, Lauren and Ross were not about to let a little rain dampen their spirits.
Having to use their ‘plan B’ for their ceremony, a beautiful conservatory in inner city Melbourne that also acted as their reception venue, set the scene for the fun fiesta that unfolded.
The whole time, this perfect pair never let the wet weather interfere with the magic feeling of just becoming husband and wife.
Their positivity and good vibes are reflected in their fabulous imagery by Dee of Bonavita Photography.
In Lauren’s words…
The meeting.
Ross and I have been together for 8 years. We met through a mutual friend.
The proposal.
It was Christmas Eve and we were going to see Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne for the first time. That morning, I had barely woken up when Ross presented me with Day 24 of our homemade Advent Calendar. Inside was a message telling me to check my phone – Ross had made an amazing video of all of our Christmases together so far. The video ended with Ross holding up my engagement ring and real-life Ross was there next to me doing the same!
The planning.
We were engaged for two years and almost ran out of time planning everything! But it all just fell into place perfectly in the end. We wanted to use as many local vendors as possible. St Andrew’s Conservatory was the only venue we looked at. As soon as we saw it, with its amazing ceiling lanterns, natural light, fantastic food and drink package and great proximity to both our house and ceremony venue (it’s only one street away from where we live), we knew that it was the one!
Style inspiration.
No theme, but we tried to keep everything as relaxed and as local as possible. Fairy lights a must-have details, with everything else being kept pretty simple. The colour theme was white with splashes of bright colour from our flowers and the warm twinkling lights and candles.
The dress.
After not being able to find a dress in-store that felt 100% “me”, I was really lucky to find local dressmaker Linda Doble, who made a beautiful skirt for me in a very short amount of time, which paired perfectly with a lace top I had bought online from the wedding store BHLDN in the US. The overall look was exactly what I was wanting.
Favourite moments.
Lauren: It was amazing to walk into the ceremony and see all of our most loved family and friends plus Ross there smiling back at me. There was so much love! Another of my favourite moments was going outside in the rain to get our photos taken after the ceremony. That was when we got to have some of our first “alone together” moments for the day.
Ross: I loved running through the rain getting our photos taken and meeting people along the way – every person that we passed along Brunswick Street smiled with congratulations and then immediately said “I’m so sorry!” about the weather, which was really funny. Another highlight was stopping in at our favourite café, Bon Ap, after the photos for a quick coffee before heading back into the reception. It was a moment to just chill and soak it all in.
Meaning of marriage.
Lauren: It means that you’ve committed to being by the other person’s side forever, no matter what happens. It’s also trusting that the other person will do the same. One of my favourite moments in planning the wedding was when we sat down to decide what we wanted to say during the ceremony – it was a great reminder of the love we share for each other and what a wonderful commitment and celebration the day was going to be.
Ross: It’s saying I love you, but forever!
Name your wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
Recessional: Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
First Dance: Hey Ho by The Lumineers
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Lauren: The bridal car pulled up at the wrong entrance to the ceremony location and, as it was raining and a narrow one-way street, we had to reverse all the way back down the street before we were able to turn around and drive around the entire block to the other entrance. Another funny moment was when I couldn’t get Ross’s ring on – in the end, Ross had to put it on himself!
Ross: The place we had the cake made was a little bakery near where I used to work. They didn’t have a delivery service so I went to pick it up in the morning with my brother and Dad. When we were moving the cake to the venue, Dad’s belly slightly pushed the box in which left a very small indent on the cake. His belly was too big!
Planning surprises.
We left a lot of things to the last minute, with the belief that everything would fall into place, and it did, but there were a few tense moments (especially with my dress) I guess we didn’t realise how long some things can take to plan and orgnise.
Words of wisdom.
It doesn’t matter if it rains! It really doesn’t. Your day will be so amazing regardless of the weather. Also, pick vendors that you’re comfortable with and who really reflect your style and vibe – on the day, it’s so easy to be able to just trust in what they do and be able to relax and enjoy the day.
Last words.
Our wedding took place during Melbourne’s ‘once in a generation’ rain event. It was so wet!! Our amazing photographer Dee, from Bonavita Photography went above and beyond to ensure the day ran smoothly. When the weather forecast came in Dee went into Fitzroy the day before asking the local businesses if we could use their indoor spaces to photograph in. We relocated our ceremony from Fitzroy Gardens to St Andrews Conservatory (originally just our reception venue) and we had our photos taken inside a stationery shop as well as our local coffee hangout. In the end, it was perfect, and we couldn’t imagine it any other way!
Mother Nature not playing fair? Embrace it! Lucy and Jackson made the most of their rainy wedding day – check it out here.
ROSS & LAUREN’S TRIBE
Ceremony and reception: St Andew’s Conservatory, Fitzroy – All of our vendors were amazing – we were so lucky with how professional but still easy-going everyone was, especially given that the whole day had to be reorganised at the last minute to accommodate for the very wet weather. Jasmin, our reception manager was all over it, were so grateful for how smoothy the whole day ran!
Celebrant/Officiant: Julie Byrne
Photography: Bonavita Photography – Special shout-outs to Dee, our incredible photographer, whose enthusiasm, creativity, energy and organisation really helped us to embrace the rain
Florist: Thrive Flowers, Collingwood
Hair: Dana Leviston
Make Up: Margeaux a.k.a. The Distinctive Dame
The Dress(es): Lace top from BHLDN and skirt made by dressmaker Linda Doble
Shoes: “Natalie” pumps by Naturalizer
Rings: Cliveden Jewellers
Bridesmaid’s dresses: JJs House
Groom’s suit: Gibson
Groomsmen suits: Tarocash
Bow ties / ties: OTAA
Catering: Pumphouse Hotel (as part of St Andrews Conservatory)
Favours: Loose leaf tea (from Mamor Chocolates in Fitzroy), presented in test tubes (from Custom Favours) together with a heart-shaped strainer and swing tag.
Cake / Cake topper: Three tiered cake (Orange almond, Vanilla with fresh strawberries and cream and Devil’s chocolate cake) with buttercream icing from Swan Street Bakery, Richmond
Entertainment: Phil Nevin
Honeymoon: New York
