A Fancy-But-Loose Melbourne City Wedding
A little bit fancy, a little bit loose and completely centred around connection – Emmanuela and Tim’s wedding was the kind of day that felt effortlessly, quintessentially Melbourne.
The pair chose the iconic Portico Balcony at Melbourne Town Hall for their ceremony, where the sounds of the city hummed in the background and their daughter completely stole the show as flower girl, melting the hearts of everyone there.
From there, guests made their way to Higher Ground for a reception that was elevated, beautiful and seriously fun. Inspired by the idea of creating an experience rather than just an event, Emmanuela and Tim carefully designed the day to build in energy from ceremony through to dance floor.
Fashion-wise, the pair absolutely delivered. Emmanuela stunned in a timeless strapless gown that transformed for the reception when the skirt was detached, allowing her to dance the night away, while Tim wore a custom tux from the only place he trusts: Institchu.
Working in the wedding and events industry herself, Emmanuela knew exactly the kind of team she wanted around her. After meeting Tess Follett, she immediately knew she had to shoot the day – a perfect fit for a celebration that felt equal parts stylish, heartfelt and wildly fun.
The meeting.
Tim: We first met at my 23rd birthday party. It was casual drinks with friends at a venue on Chapel Street. Hoo Hah’s maybe? A mutual friend of ours (Lyndsay) brought Emmanuela along. Lyndsay (who is now a dear friend of mine too) at the time worked with Manni and was also dating one of my best mates, Mika (who is still a best mate). Emmanuela and I were introduced; we spoke briefly, kissed, and I asked for her number. She acquiesced, probably just because it was my birthday.
However, we didn’t get together until much later. Shortly after this initial meeting, I went overseas to study for a few months. When I got back, we saw each other again at a few events but didn’t really talk much. However, we later met again at a friend’s party where we finally had a proper conversation beyond surface-level topics. I remember being really impressed and smitten, and we commenced texting each other after that. We were dating shortly thereafter.
Emmanuela: We met at Hoo Ha’s on Chapel Street. My friends convinced me to come out after my gig to their mate’s birthday drinks, who I hadn’t met before – the mate being Tim. Tim had just got back from his spiritual journey through India and was rocking a man bun. I’m a true basic bitch through and through, so it’s safe to say the hippy vibes have never been my thing. We chatted and pashed, but nothing much eventuated that night.
However, Tim, naturally, thought I was adorable (he’s only human) and asked for my number. He text me a few times but I was a little hesitant. Crazy I know because, well just look at him…The man is sculpted by the God’s… but I got the impression he was a bit of a party boy (and of course there were the hippy vibes), and I wasn’t after a fleeting little fling!
I saw him at our friends’ New Year’s Eve party a few weeks after. His ego was definitely a little bruised (fair because he wouldn’t have been used to rejection), so he just flat-out ignored me the whole night.
We then saw each other again a few weeks after. The man bun was cut off, and the pants were a LITTLE tighter. But most importantly, the chat was GREAT. I remember thinking, “Why didn’t I just give this guy a chance the first time?” I asked him to text me to catch up. I promised I wouldn’t blow him off this time. And I didn’t, so here we are.
The one.
Tim: To be honest, I don’t think there was ever a lightbulb moment for me. Or at least, I can’t recall it. But at some point, relatively early in our relationship, I just knew. And I knew that she felt the same way, and that was it. In the past, when I was seeing someone, the passion just fizzled as quickly as it had started. But that never happened with Emmanuela.
Emmanuela: Shortly after we made our relationship official, I headed to the States with one of my girlfriends. My parents weren’t too tech-savvy, so Tim, who had only met them once very briefly, went over to their house and FaceTimed me so they were able to chat with me while I was overseas. This was the moment I knew he was the one.
The proposal.
Tim: It was our 10th anniversary. I arranged a long weekend away in Lorne to celebrate and propose. Before I go on, I should note that we had been trying to fall pregnant at this stage for a few months without success.
My plan was to propose at a scenic location in the Otways, such as Hopetoun Falls or the Redwood Forest. I hadn’t really decided when and where, though; I was just going to wing it a little and wait for the right moment. However, the first day of the trip wasn’t going to plan at all. Emmanuela was nauseous and feeling quite ill. We thought it was due to the winding roads through the National Park, so after visiting a few spots we decided to head back to the Airbnb in Lorne so that Manni could lie down and rest.
Later that afternoon, I think I was having a wine in the hot tub, reassessing my proposal plans, when Emmanuela called me into the bathroom. She didn’t say why, and I thought that I was being summoned to help her fake tan her back or something like that. In I came, and sure enough, a positive pregnancy test was sitting on the bathroom counter. Needless to say, we were overjoyed. That night, we went out to dinner at Totti’s to celebrate. I decided to hold off on the proposal until the next day, so that we could soak in and enjoy the pregnancy news first. I then proposed to her the next day on our balcony overlooking the ocean. It was a really special weekend for both of us. However, Emmanuela’s pregnancy meant that she was unable to order the buratta from Totti’s, which caused some minor disappointment on her end.
Emmanuela: On our 10-year anniversary, Tim planned a beautiful weekend away and rented this stunning cliff-top accommodation in Wye River. I had a feeling he was planning to propose because he had packed a bottle of Moët and neither of us are big champagne drinkers. Plus, the weekend was all very “extra” for Tim. And… IT HAD BEEN 10 BLOODY YEARS!!!!!
It was day two of our little getaway, and Tim was trying to look for the right moment, but I just felt super unwell the whole day. I was due for my period that weekend, but we also had been trying to get pregnant. So, I had packed tampons and a pregnancy test – just to cover all bases! I kind of ruined all the potential “moments” by nearly throwing up, so we just went back to the accommodation where I secretly did a pregnancy test in the bathroom. That’s when we found out we were having our little girl. I think Tim felt we couldn’t really top that, so he decided to get down on one knee on day three, just before we left our beautiful clifftop rental. It was perfect. Simple and exactly how it was meant to be.
Planning process.
Given that I work in the events and wedding industry, I naturally took the reins when it came to planning. Tim and I are so aligned when it comes to what we like, and we had a clear vision of how we wanted the day to feel, so it was really special being able to bring that to life. I’m also so fortunate to have access to so many incredible suppliers through my work, so I already knew exactly who I wanted to work with before we even properly started planning. For example, I met our incredible photographer Tess Follet at a wedding we were both working, and we hit it off straight away. I hadn’t even seen her work, but I told her she would be my photographer for our wedding in that moment. She was the first supplier we locked in. We didn’t really “shop around” which I think made the planning process a lot less stressful in the early stages.
A big part of the lead-up was shaping the overall experience – especially the music and creating the right flow. I had a few site visits with my entertainment/AV team, florist and venue coordinator to ensure we were all on the same page. My dear friend, Mike Snell, was the MC for the night and we worked together to create a really nice flow for the day/night. I also created a very thorough run sheet and then on the week of the wedding, I handed it over to an event coordinator colleague of mine, Nicole (Verve Events Co), who then became the point of contact for the big day. Best decision ever! To be honest, the hardest part wasn’t the planning itself – it was coordinating our families and our daughter!
Style inspiration.
The inspiration behind our wedding really came from who we are as a couple. Our personalities, our love of music, our appreciation for a touch of glam, balanced with our love for a really good party and ending with eating some dirty takeaway food! We also love Melbourne, where we have lived our whole lives, and that’s such a big part of our identity, so that also inspired the style of our wedding and the venues we chose (even our wedding date being in winter!)
We wanted something that felt elevated and beautiful, but also fun and vibey. We were also inspired by the idea of creating an experience, not just an event, and taking our guests on a journey from ceremony through reception. Our ceremony at Portico Balcony was a little more formal, and then, of course, with music being such a huge part of who we are, we heavily leaned into a party atmosphere for our reception. From the lighting to the overall flow of the night, everything was meticulously planned, designed to build the energy throughout the day/night, and bring people together. Our wonderful friend Mike Snell was the MC and opened our reception with an interactive crooner set, which really kicked off the good vibes for the night. We also ended the night with finger-licking good KFC buckets of chicken as our late-night snack. Those who know us well know that we loveeee our KFC and always serve it as part of catering if hosting a party.
Overall, the vibe was a reflection of us – timeless with a modern edge, a little bit fancy, a little bit loose, and centred around connection.
The ceremony.
We had our ceremony at Portico Balcony at Melbourne Town Hall – an iconic Melbourne venue that felt like us from the moment we saw it. With the trams passing by and the city buzzing around us, it perfectly captured our love for Melbourne, our home, and the life we’ve built here.
What made the ceremony really special though, was having our beautiful daughter, Francesca, be part of it. She walked down the aisle with my cousin, who was my maid of honour, and completely stole the show. It absolutely melted us (and our guests).
One of the most significant parts of the ceremony was exchanging our vows. We’ve been through so much together as a couple – 13 years together is a loonnggg time – and being able to stand there and put our love into words, in front of the people closest to us, was an unforgettable moment.
We chose to have an unplugged ceremony, which made it feel even more intimate and present. Our celebrant, Shelley Amar (You’ve Got The Love Events), was absolutely incredible. She captured us so perfectly and told our story in such a genuine and beautiful way. Every word felt like it truly reflected who we are, and it really set the tone for the day.
To make it even more special, our friend Garth, sang me down the aisle to a song that’s very close to my heart, in French. It was such a personal and emotional moment.
The outfits.
Tim knew exactly what kind of tux he wanted and has all his suits custom-made from Institchu, so it was a no-brainer for him to go there for his wedding tux.
I was six months postpartum when I started trying on wedding dresses. I kept it really simple and knew straight away that my dress was “the one” when I put it on. I wanted something simple and elegant, but that still had a bit of wow factor. My dress had a removable skirt which I just loved having for my ceremony and photos. My dress underneath had a gorgeous train with buttons all the way down the middle. I loved it. It was very me.
Favourite moment.
This is such a tough question, but we would have to say seeing our beautiful little girl walk down the aisle and having her involved in our ceremony.
Meaning of marriage.
It’s about choosing each other intentionally and solidifying the commitment we already live every day. It’s a way of saying, in front of our closest friends and family, that this is it – this is our person and our future. It’s about having each other’s backs, remembering that you’re a team, and that together you can do anything.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Edith Piaf – La Vie En Rose
Registry signing: Oasis – Slide Away
Recessional: Moony – Dove (I’ll be Loving you)
Reception entrance: Fat Boy Slim – Praise you (purple disco machine remix)
First dance: Tina Arena – Sorrento Moon
Funny stories (or near disasters).
In true me fashion, I decided a week before the wedding that I absolutely needed a second dress. I couldn’t really do our first dance in my wedding dress, and I didn’t want to compromise the choreo we worked so hard on in the lead-up. Naturally, I ordered about six options…and the one I actually ended up wearing arrived the day before the wedding. It was a little bit chaotic at the time, but also very on brand for me – I tend to thrive in a bit of last-minute pressure! Thankfully, it all worked out perfectly, and the dress was exactly what I wanted.
Words of wisdom.
As an industry gal, and now having had my own wedding, my advice would be:
- Don’t try to do everything yourself just to save a few dollars here and there. The stress really isn’t worth it.
- Your guests will remember how well they ate, what they drank, and how much they danced – so be intentional about where you allocate your budget.
- Think about the overall feel and vibe you want as a couple, and choose a venue that can truly bring that vision to life. For our reception, we wanted it to feel like one big party, so having a venue with no sound restrictions and full flexibility with things like AV and smoke machines was really important.
Tim and Emmanuela Vendors.
Ceremony venue: Portico Balcony – Melbourne Town Hall
Reception venue: Higher Ground
Celebrant: Shelley Amar – You’ve Got the Love Events
Photography: Tess Follett
Videography: Didn’t have but we had a content creator who was Jasmine from Australia Weddings
Styling: Shane Boyd – Flower Gangsta
Florist: Shane Boyd – Flower Gangsta
Hair: Sharah – Harlen Hair
Make-up: Merton Muaremi
The dress: Eternal Bridal
Veil / headwear: Eternal Bridal
Shoes: Paris Texas
Rings: Unique Diamonds
Suits: Institchu
Bow ties / ties: MJ Bale
Catering: Higher Ground & KFC for our late night snack which was buckets of KFC chicken
Bar: Higher Ground
Cake / Cake topper: Proof Bakehouse
Entertainment: Ceremony: Garth Ploog and Melb Piano Shell Hire for AV & piano / Reception: Mike Snell (MC & arrivals set), Dj Stefan Lewis, Sammy on Percussion, Ashley James on Sax, Divine Audio & Village AV
Transport: Star Chauffeurs
Décor: Ceremony: Active Draping / Reception: The Big Letter Co & Higher Ground
Hire: The Big Letter Co
Wedding coordinator/ on the day contact: Nicole Marie (Verve Events Co)
