Real Wedding – Carrie & Mitch, Brunswick East VIC
Just as their friends to lovers journey was a slow burn, so too was Carrie and Mitch’s wedding planning experience – but both delivered the most excellent of results.
Their two-year engagement meant that every single vendor on their wish-list was available to help them say ‘I do’, including their dream photographer, the incomparable Maegan Brown Moments.
Their vision for the day was a relaxed party that centred and celebrated all the cherished relationships in their life. They scrapped formalities and traditions that didn’t serve them – like the inclusion of a bridal party – and focused their budget and energy on the elements that resonated most.
For her bespoke bridal look, Carrie paid homage to a 1960s aesthetic and worked with her year 12 sewing teacher (now a good friend) to design and create the entire ensemble. The addition of a chic, sheer blouse for the reception delivered two understated yet impactful looks from the one timeless gown.
While they passed on common musical moments like an official reception entrance or first dance, the long-time lovebirds provided their guests with the most epic end-of-night dancefloor memories thanks to three carefully curated encore songs. Scroll on to find out what they were.
The meeting.
Our first proper meeting was at a Halloween Party in 2011. Mitch was dressed as Frank from Donnie Darko, and Carrie as Sandy from the final scene in Grease. Our friend, whose party it was, was very keen to introduce us and got a special shout-out in our wedding ceremony for it!
‘The one’.
We were friends in the same circle for some time before it progressed into something more. We then re-connected again after some overseas travel so we’d probably known each other for a couple of years before we finally made it official. In short – it was a slow burn!
The proposal.
We’d been together for so long by the time Mitch proposed, I was genuinely so surprised. It was on Bruny Island, Tasmania, on the most beautiful summer’s day at Adventure Bay, which is now a really special place for us. The following day was New Year’s Eve, and we got to celebrate with all my family.
Planning process.
We had plenty of time to plan as we had two-year engagement. We started with our photographer’s availability as Maegan was a non-negotiable, but then, because we had so much time, we got every single vendor we approached! I am very task-oriented, so having a spreadsheet from Logan Events was a lifesaver. We didn’t necessarily stick to any traditions and only did what we wanted, which meant we could focus our money and energy on the things that mattered to us.
Style inspiration.
Definitely a mix of many. There was never anything I saw that perfectly represented ‘us’, so it was a combination of many sources, and, of course, the need to keep in mind the summer setting and location. As my sisters and I did the flowers (and we didn’t have a professional to guide us), I really needed to make sure they were cohesive with the theme. My mood board for the flowers was “cottage garden”.
Real weddings were definitely most helpful for me. I had Canva mood boards for each aspect (a skill I adapted from an interior decorating course), which really helped to tie it all together. It helped to hone in on styles that coordinated well. It’s easy to get caught up in a million different beautiful objects or examples, but they cannot all style together cohesively. Thankfully, Dani at Logan Events had a huge array of styling options that fit our theme.
The ceremony.
Kim, our celebrant from Dear Henri, was such a joy to work with in the lead up and really curated the most heartfelt ceremony. There was so much laughter and some tears, too. I was so grateful to have my Dad walk me down the aisle. There’s nothing quite like seeing all your friends and family assembled in one place.
The outfits.
I wanted to pay homage to a 1960s aesthetic, as it’s always been my favourite era. I worked with my year 12 sewing teacher who is now a good friend to design and make my entire outfit. The veil was inspired by my Mum’,s and changing into the blouse meant I got two looks from the one dress.
Thankfully, Mitch’s style paired well with mine. His suit had a vintage feel with wide leg pants and high waist, but we wanted to keep it more casual with an open neck and linen shirt (and it’s important for summer in Melbourne). He worked with Christian Kimber on his design.
Favourite moment.
Carrie: Hearing Mitch read his vows, so special.
Mitch: Seeing Carrie walk down the aisle with her Dad.
Meaning of marriage.
As we’d been together 11 years by the time of our marriage, we honestly just hope for a continuation of the life we’ve already made. We were really keen to bring together our friends and family to celebrate all our relationships in one epic party!
Wedding soundtrack.
We skipped a reception entrance song and first dance, but our key moments were:
Walk down aisle: Baby – Donnie & Joe Emerson
Kiss at end of ceremony: This Must Be The Place – Talking Heads
Final three end of night encore songs: Sunchyme – Dario G, Strings of Life – Soul Central, Sorrento Moon – Tina Arena
Near disasters.
We weren’t told until the day after, but our brother-in-law was in charge of tying the wedding rings in a bag to our dog’s collar (our dog was the ring bearer). A few minutes before the ceremony started, the ring bag was GONE! Thankfully, it was found about 30 meters away, lying next to a water fountain in the public park at Carlton Gardens.
Planning surprises.
Not really, we had a pretty smooth run of it – likely owing to the long engagement.
Words of wisdom.
Having plenty of time really worked in our favour, so if you can plan well in advance, you’ll get to work with all the best vendors. Spend money where it’s important to you, if something doesn’t resonate, leave it out. We didn’t have a bridal party, for example, there’s no rules!
CARRIE & MITCH’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony location: Carlton Gardens
Reception venue: Old Palm Liquor
Celebrant: Dear Henri
Photography: Maegan Brown Moments
Styling and décor: Logan Events
Florist: Bride’s sisters
Hair & Make-up: Jodie Porter at Tonic Agency
The dress(es): Designed and made by family friend
Veil: Designed and made by a family friend
Shoes: By Far
Rings: Bella Clark
Suit: Christian Kimber
Cake: Ladybird Cakes
Stationery & Signage: Polka Dot Paper
Entertainment: Friend
Transport: Uber
Hire: Mux Events
Pre-ceremony catering: Terror Twilight
Honeymoon: Noosa
