Marie Antoinette meets Montsalvat: Ally and Denis’s fairytale wedding
Like something lifted from the pages of a fairytale, Ally and Denis transformed the enchanting grounds and Great Hall of Monsalvat into a celebration that was equal parts romantic, intimate and beautifully theatrical.
Inspired by the whimsical grandeur of Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola, Ally embraced a fashion-forward vision, wearing a breathtaking gown that nodded to an 18th-century robe à la française. Paired with bridesmaids in shades of blue, an abundance of blue and white florals, flickering antique candlesticks and timeless styling, every detail felt elegant without ever tipping into excess.
Following a heartfelt ceremony with a striking floral installation, the celebration continued inside the historic Great Hall before Ally surprised guests with a second look – a modern reimagining of her mum’s wedding gown, lovingly recreated so she could dance the night away.
Beautifully captured by Nikola Janev, it’s a celebration of timeless romance, meaningful fashion and the magic of bringing family history into a wedding day.
Style inspiration.
Denis and I were so awestruck by the beauty of Montsalvat and its grounds when we first visited. We felt like we’d been whisked to a castle in the French countryside, so we wanted to lean into that with the style of our wedding. I had a vision of antique candlesticks and an overflow of flowers, and hoped it would feel romantic, intimate and a bit extravagant, but not necessarily over-the-top. We also really wanted to make sure everyone danced and had a really fun time at the wedding. Before Denis and I were engaged, we would say that we just wanted to celebrate our relationship together with the ones we loved the most, with amazing food, great music and plenty of dancing – and that’s exactly what we got!
Planning process.
Planning the wedding was a constant mix of anxiety and excitement; I would ebb and flow between these feelings almost every single day. We had a little over a year-and-a-half to get everything done, so I made sure to prepare and book as much as I could early on to prevent any added stress. But the stress found me anyway!
About three to four weeks before the actual day, all of the vendors and plans were coming at us at full speed, so it felt like we were being swamped with everything all at once. After months of planning everything early and sort of putting it aside, it suddenly felt like everything was happening so fast. That being said, I’m glad I booked everything so far in advance, because I was surprised how fast everything and everyone gets snapped up, like makeup artists and DJs.
The creative journey.
I went everywhere I could to find inspiration. Denis and I had a rough idea of how we wanted the wedding to look, but I was also very open to ideas. So, I pored over every moodboard, pinned everything I loved on Pinterest, followed Instagram accounts dedicated to weddings – the works. Some of my favourite Insta accounts were: @wed_vibes @thewed @ivorytribe @vogueweddings
I was also buying Australian wedding magazines from the news agency to help source vendors and get more inspiration. Some of the magazines I read were: Hello May and Melbourne Wedding & Bride.
I also found the Easy Weddings and Ivory Tribe sites super useful for finding and contacting vendors, as well as attending bridal expos – it gives you a good chance to speak to vendors one-on-one and see if they’re the right fit.
The ceremony.
My goodness, where do I even begin? There actually wasn’t a part I didn’t love. One of the things I absolutely adored was our celebrant, Australian TV royalty Greg Evans. Since he was so well-known for hosting Perfect Match and Blind Date in the ‘80s and ’90s, my mum sort of joked about having him as our celebrant. Well, it turns out he is a certified celebrant, and he was brilliant. He was so charming, kind and professional, and made the day really personal and about us – we couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
I also loved the venue where we were married. Montsalvat’s Great Hall Gallery is so stunning, with its white stone walls, wooden beams and art scattered around the room. It felt like we were in a fairytale.
But the thing I loved the most, as cheesy as it sounds, was seeing Denis at the end of the aisle. I immediately welled up with tears when I saw him, I couldn’t help it.
The outfits.
I always knew the kind of wedding dress I wanted. Something changed in me after watching Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola when I was younger, and I always imagined myself in a modern interpretation of an 18th-century robe à la française or something straight out of a fairytale.
After visiting several boutiques across Melbourne, nothing felt quite right until I walked into Raffaele Ciuca with both my parents. The team immediately understood my vision and pulled the NF095 by Nicole + Felicia—a perfect blend of rococo and ’90s minimalism. With exaggerated panniers, an elongated basque waist and luxurious Mikado silk balanced by clean, minimalist lines, it was everything I’d been searching for. The moment I tried it on, I couldn’t stop giggling and spinning around. Once they added the French lace veil, I was completely sold.
Because the gown was relatively understated, I had fun with the accessories. I found a pair of Rene Caovilla-inspired slingbacks on eBay and even replaced the crystals myself. My mum lent me her diamond tennis bracelet and surprised me with a locket containing photos of my grandparents, which we wrapped around my bouquet—one of the most meaningful details of the day.
My second dress was even more personal. I’d always dreamed of wearing my mum’s 1991 Mariana Hardwick wedding dress for the reception, but unfortunately it didn’t fit. Instead, I designed a modern interpretation inspired by the original, while drawing on the iconic gowns from Funny Face and Christian Dior’s 1948 Flamant Rose dress.
I kept the drop waist and signature silk roses, reimagining the design with an off-the-shoulder neckline and a dramatic tulle skirt that I could comfortably dance in. Melbourne dressmaker Carmen Licuria spent months bringing my sketch to life, hand-pleating the bodice and creating 14 silk roses. Sharing the entire process with my mum made the dress even more special—it truly was a dream come true.
Denis wanted something timeless and found inspiration in classic three-piece tailoring, particularly the navy and grey suit David Beckham wore to Harry and Meghan’s wedding. Guided by friends, he visited Black Tie Classic in Carlton and chose a navy three-piece suit with a grey waistcoat, navy tie and polished black Oxford shoes, finishing the look with vintage cufflinks from Chapel Street Bazaar.
I wanted the bridesmaids to feel both comfortable and beautiful, so I chose a palette of navy and twilight blue and encouraged each of them to select a dress they genuinely loved. The result was five unique gowns that complemented one another perfectly. The groomsmen also wore classic navy tailoring, creating a timeless look that carried seamlessly from the ceremony to the dancefloor.
Favourite styling detail.
Every part of the styling was done by Denis and I. One thing I really loved was the collection of candlesticks and vases we sourced in the lead-up to the wedding. I found some cute ones at a boutique and Chapel St Bazaar but made an effort to get the rest from Camberwell Market. I was looking for antique brass candlesticks and candelabras that had character and looked like it could tell a story and was laser-focused on finding as many as I could.
I was also looking for vases for the flowers, which would sit on every table. They didn’t necessarily have to be vases, they could be milk jugs, or in one case, a brass Victorian woman’s shoe. It didn’t matter if they matched or ‘went’ with each other, it was supposed to give an eclectic vibe, like something you’d find at Calke Abbey or an old castle.
That was such a fun part of the planning process, because we were slowly building up this collection of antiques, but also enjoying the fruits of our labour at the wedding. They all looked so spectacular on the night!
Best bits.
There was this moment shortly after Denis and I signed the wedding certificate, where we got to wait back while all the guests filed out of the venue for the group photo. We were standing to the side by ourselves and dancing to the music, just soaking it all up. I can still feel the pain in my cheeks I was smiling so much. It was only a few minutes, but it’s one of my favourite moments.
Wedding soundtrack.
We kept things pretty timeless for the soundtrack. I walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon in D and had Louis Amrstrong’s What A Wonderful World and You Go To My Head and Nat King Cole’s L-O-V-E as we signed our legal documents, which were classic and light.
But I think everyone would remember our first dance song – a mashup of Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Prestley and You’re the One that I Want from Grease. We wanted to blend something traditional with something a bit more high-energy but still wanted it to be something everyone enjoyed. We spent ages learning the dance and had such a blast performing! Totally worth every lesson.
Funny story (or near disasters).
Despite all the planning and stressing over the wedding day run sheet, there were a few things we missed on the day. Missing our speeches was the biggest one. Denis and I were so loved up and bubbling over with excitement after we cut the cake and toasted with everyone, we just plain forgot to say anything. It wasn’t until the next day when we realised. Oops! Luckily, I’m not really sure if many guests noticed, as we had plenty of other tear-jerker speeches on the night, plus we did a tonne of speaking during the ceremony anyway!
Regrets.
We had a specially-made model of our dog, Waffle, made for the wedding cake. It was complete with a little smudge of cake on his nose, so it looked like he had a bite. But I think it slipped through the cracks while the cake was being set up, and it didn’t end up there at all. It wasn’t really a big deal, but it would have been cute if it was there.
Top tips.
As cliche as it sounds, take a moment together and just take a big breath. Hindsight is 20/20, but you have spent months pouring over plans, finalising every minute detail and have had countless nights stressed out about this day – now is the only time to enjoy it, make the most of it!
Ally and Denis’ Vendors
Ceremony and reception venue: Great Hall Upper Gallery and Great Hall, Montsalvat – 7 Hillcrest Ave, Eltham, Melbourne. Montsalvat and its team were beyond our expectations, and we cannot thank them enough! We were absolutely flooded with compliments about the venue, service and food – everyone had an absolute ball, and we are so thankful!
Celebrant: Greg Evans. We were so gobsmacked by his professionalism, kindness, wit and energy. Every word, every smile, and every second we spent with him as our celebrant was so special.
Photography: Nikola Janev. Nik is the epitome of a professional – he’s kind, considerate and he understood our vision perfectly, giving us some of the most exquisite pictures ever. While taking photos can be kind of awkward, he made us feel completely relaxed and at ease in every aspect.
Videography: Together in Time (Tim Ashby). Tim was so kind, reassuring and understood our vision perfectly. Every part of the day was so thoughtfully captured, filmed with pure love and joy.
Florist: Studio Zgela. The most gorgeous florals ever! The team were so wonderful to work with, understood our vision and were amazing on the day.
Hair: Miss Jaye Salon. My go-to gal for my hair. She was so wonderful and did such a fantastic job for me and my bridesmaids.
Make-up: Micah Joy Beauty. A calm and lovely addition to our wedding. She did a great job on me and my girls, and we loved every second.
The dresses: Nicole and Felicia NF095 – purchased at Raffaele Ciuca Brunswick / Second dress was my mum’s wedding dress, a champagne Mariana Hardwick sample gown from 1991, which I redesigned and had made by seamstress Carmen Licuria.
Veil: French lace cathedral-length veil by Raffaele Ciuca
Shoes: Ally: A pair of dupe Rene Caovilla Veneziana slingbacks from eBay, re-bejewelled by me with some different crystals / Denis: Black Tie Classic.
Rings: Ally – Diamond wedding band from Browns Jewellers, Camberwell / Denis – His grandfather’s rose gold wedding band.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Azazie
Suits and accessories: Black Tie Classic
Favours: Personalised chocolates bought on Etsy
Cake / Cake topper: Something about Cake. The cake was so stunning and delicious! We decided on a white three-tier round cake with white appliqué and small pearls, with marble and white raspberry.
Stationery / Signage: Mix of purchases on Etsy, and designs done by me.
Invitations: Etsy
Envelope insert: Etsy
Entertainment: Radio Active Mobile Disco. Paul is a fantastic DJ, who we would absolutely recommend to others. He certainly knows how to make the room get up and boogie!! He was helpful the entire journey and listened to our needs.
Transport: Fleetwood Chauffeured Limousines. We hired two 1956 Armstrong Siddeley limos for the bridal party, and loved the experience! The team were so kind and professional.
Décor: All battery-operated candles purchased online. Candlesticks and vases found at op shops and Camberwell market
Pet Sitter: The Wedding Sitter. They took care of our boy, Waffle, so well on the wedding day! They picked him up from our apartment, dressed him up in his tux and took him to the venue for our group photos. He was so well taken care of, and even brought back home to treats and dinner.
Honeymoon: A two-week trip to Japan, exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka.
