Personality over perfection: a Post Office Hotel wedding
It was important to Hannah and Connor their loved ones knew they had stepped into their wedding – not simply beautiful moodboard brought to life.
Every delectable detail was chosen with intention and designed to elevate the personality of the occasion by tapping into the energy of the couple themselves.
They found their first perfect match in The Post Office Hotel. Its relaxed, bohemian feel enhanced by exposed beams, cathedral ceilings and industrial textures.
Then the pair accessorised with beer boys instead of flower girls, an abundance of plants hired from a nursery, and cup noodles as bonbonnieres.
The soundtrack (read: ultimate mood setter) was taken care of by the entertainment pros at Paper Hearts.
When it came to valuing memorable over conventional, Down The Road Weddings was the ideal videographer to capture the unique magic of this day in a way that was just that – unique.
And, of course, the most lively of vendor ensembles wouldn’t be complete without Nikki McCrone Photography whose galleries are always bright, honest and fun.
Scroll on for all the behind-the-scenes details on how the day came together – including which non-fashion-related vendor helped Hannah avoid a disaster by sewing her into her dress.
The meeting.
I met Connor through mutual friends on a night out at The Worker’s Club, Fitzroy, while I was at university.
‘The one’.
It wasn’t a single moment where I knew Connor was my person, rather many little things. Like being able to sit together in comfortable silence, him accepting the most raw and unhinged versions of me, and his constant support.
The proposal.
Connor took me out to a random mid-week dinner at Sebastian’s in Williamstown. It was lovely although Con confessed later he was a little nervy. We went for a walk on the beach afterwards (which I thought was strange because Connor hates sand) and he popped the question. I was elated and very taken by surprise.
Planning process.
We had been engaged for about three years when we decided – after being a wedding guest many times – we wanted to have our own! We were ‘just browsing’ and then all of a sudden we’d booked in our venue and vendors 18 months out. This reduced so much stress and we were able to book everyone we wanted which was a big plus.
Style inspiration.
We wanted the day to represent us. It was very important that people felt like they were arriving to Hannah and Connor’s wedding. Our focus was to have a fun and relaxed vibe so we made sure to include all our favourite things, like plants, our dogs, cup noodles as bonbonnieres and a custom welcome sign that Hannah designed to ensure everything echoed our personalities.
While I had done extensive ‘research’ through Instagram, and creating shortlists for Connor, we found that once we booked in The Post Office Hotel, we were given their list of vendor recommendations and funnily enough many were already eager to chat with. When we got into the nitty gritty, wedding blogs and social media accounts – such as our venue and Ivory Tribe – gave us a better sense of what we wanted for our day. We were also very lucky to have vendors who answered all of our questions and helped us talk through our ideas.
The ceremony.
Our celebrant, Nat Sproal, did an incredible job of capturing us as a couple. She kept us calm and the mood fun for our guests. Hannah’s brothers were beer boys and went down the aisle handing out drinks to guests before the bridesmaids and Hannah and her Dad walked down the aisle. Sharing that moment with my Dad was something I’ll never forget. Styling wise, we had hired plants from a nursery, Green Envy, that both echoed our personal taste (and countered Connor’s hay fever)!
The outfits.
I tried on many dresses but struggled to find ‘the one’. Six months before the wedding we went on a holiday to Vietnam where they do amazing custom clothing and Connor suggested I chat with them and see what happens. I showed them a few photos of elements of dresses I really liked and the next thing I had my dream wedding dress – it was incredible!
For Connor’s suit, we had no firm ideas but one day we walked into Men’s Suit Warehouse for a look and the stars aligned – he found his perfect suit like it was meant to be.
Favourite moment.
Choosing ‘a’ moment is so tricky when the whole day was phenomenal. Our first look with the dogs, sunset photos on the rooftop and half an hour of ‘just us’ time post ceremony are tied for top spot.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is showing up for each other every day, being patient and accepting through life’s twists and turns, picking each other first for the team and always leaving room to be a little bit silly.
Wedding soundtrack.
Beer boys: Walk of Life – Dire Straits
Aisle: Breathe – Faith Hill
Aisle exit: Everlasting Love – Natalie Cole
Reception entry: Danger! High Voltage – Electric Six
Cake cutting: Ordinary – Alex Warren
Last song: This Is What You Came For – Rihanna & Calvin Harris
Farewell song – You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon
Near disasters.
We were very lucky that there were no real dramas in the lead-up or on the day. However, when getting into my dress the zip got stuck. We’d tried to yank it over with a bobby pin, which did work, but the zip burst on the other side. Just as one of my bridesmaids was working on how to sew it back together, Meg from The Post Office Hotel mentioned she made costumes and was happy to sew me into the dress! I was quite lucky and the needlework lasted all night!
Planning surprises.
The most surprising thing was how much time goes into planning a wedding. We had heard it can be time consuming but until we were on that side, we had no idea.
Words of wisdom.
Make every decision based on you! We spent so much time considering other people, which you need to do to an extent, but keeping us at the centre of our day – and reminding each other to do so – made sure we had the day of our dreams.
HANNAH & CONNOR’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony & reception venue: The Post Office Hotel
What an incredible team. Meg was so accommodating and made the planning and day an absolute dream.
Celebrant/Officiant: Nat Sproal
Nat is 11/10. Our guests said it was one of the best ceremonies they’d ever seen!
Photography: Nikki McCrone Photography
Nikki was absolutely brilliant to work with, she made us so comfortable and ensured there was non-stop laughter.
Videography: Down the Road Weddings
Ruby was amazing. Such a fun energy to have on our day. She captured us beautifully.
Styling: Green Envy (plants for ceremony) – I found Elsie through Facebook and she was fantastic. She sent us through some mock-up designs and set everything up the day of.
Florist: Des Flora – The team at Des Flora were fantastic. They sorted the bouquets and buttonholes as well as table flowers and vases. They helped us choose flowers to suit our colour palette and had it already for us.
Hair: The Distinctive Dame
Margeaux was fantastic. She offered great advice and suggestions. I was able to do a trial and make adjustments before the day. On the day, she took so much care with all of us and made sure we were all happy before heading off.
Make-up: Killer Queen Creative
Danee was so lovely to work with. I was able to do a trial to get a sense of what I was after and she really cared about making sure everything was just right.
The dress: Custom made in Vietnam
Shoes: Forever Soles (hers) and Rodd & Gunn (his)
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Billy J Boutique
Suit & ties: Men’s Suit Warehouse
Favours: Cup Noodles
Cake: Better Burnt
Entertainment: Paper Hearts
Ryan was insane as the DJ and MC combo and read the day perfectly! He took on board all our wild requests and questions with no fuss, he was exceptional to work with.
