Real Elopement – Isabel & Adam, Melbourne VIC
What single person hasn’t had a (typically loved up) friend ask to swipe around on their dating apps for fun?
What’s far less common, is finding your future husband or wife that way – which is exactly what happened to Isabel and Adam.
The pair opted to tie the knot in a low-fuss legal ceremony at Melbourne’s beautifully art deco Old Treasury Building.
The formalities and intimate celebration that followed were elegant and a little old-worldly, without feeling too traditional or overly styled.
When the designer Isobel had always imagined wearing on her wedding day closed down before the pair became engaged, she found the perfect outfit on a secondhand car sales website (yes, that’s right, a car website!) – listed by a man named Kev, based in Dublin.
For that perfectly cosmic story and so much more behind-the-scenes brilliance – plus a full gallery by the epically talented Keera Hoogendorp – see below.
The meeting.
We met in March of 2020, right before Melbourne went into its first of many lockdowns. One of my colleagues, who was about to go on maternity leave, asked if she could kill some time playing around on my Hinge account on a quiet Monday afternoon. I said yes, not thinking much of it. When I got home, I saw a message from Adam and instantly recognised him – I’d seen him from a distance at Johnny’s Green Room a few nights before. We hadn’t spoken, but something about him stood out to me at the time. We had our first date later that week and have been inseparable since.
The proposal.
Adam proposed at Tallebudgera Creek on the Gold Coast a few days before Christmas. We’d gone for a sunset walk, and he waited until most people had cleared from the beach so it felt quiet and private. Tallebudgera is easily our favourite spot on the Gold Coast – we’ve spent many summer days there, so it already held a lot of meaning for us. It was simple, thoughtful, and very ‘us’. I couldn’t have imagined a better moment.
Planning process.
We’d already had plenty of conversations about what we wanted for our wedding before we were engaged, which definitely helped make the planning feel pretty seamless. At one point, we were toying with eloping in Copenhagen – which would’ve been a very fun experience – but in the end, we both felt it was important to celebrate with our families. Once we landed on Melbourne as the location, the rest came together quite easily. We were aligned on most of the big decisions and shared the planning fairly evenly, which made the whole process feel very manageable.
Style inspiration.
We wanted something that felt timeless, elegant and slightly old-worldly, without feeling too traditional or overly styled. We both love art deco buildings, so it was important to us to weave in elements of Melbourne’s beautiful architecture where we could. I spent a lot of time looking at and taking inspiration from real weddings, particularly registry ceremonies and elopements. I mostly sifted through blog posts, Instagram pages, and Pinterest. Once I found a supplier I liked, I’d look at tagged photos to get inspiration from other weddings.
The ceremony.
We got married at the registry office in the Old Treasury Building with our immediate families and Isabel’s best friend. It was short and sweet, just how we wanted it!
The outfits.
I had my heart set on wearing a dress from The Vampire’s Wife — we both love Nick and Susie Cave, and her designs have always felt very me. When the label closed last May, I started trawling resale sites and secondhand platforms in the hope of finding something special. Eventually, I came across a French lace dress with gathered shoulders, a ruffled neckline, and a cut-out back with bows. I fell in love with it straight away and bought it before we were even engaged!
Favourite moment.
Our first look was pretty special. Because we got married at the registry office, we didn’t have the traditional first look at the altar. Instead, we met behind the Old Treasury Building about 15 minutes before the ceremony and had a special moment together, just the two of us. It was a chance to take a breath and soak it all in before everything began.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Sea of Love, Phil Phillips
Signing papers: Baby I’m Yours, Arctic Monkeys
Funny stories.
Funnily enough, I actually found my dress on a secondhand car sales website – listed by a man named Kev, based in Dublin. He was selling it for his wife, but god knows why he chose that site in particular! It felt risky, but I was besotted with it, and I’m glad I put my faith in him. Thankfully, Kev came through – the dress arrived safely, and it was even more perfect in person.
Words of wisdom.
As tricky as it can be, try not to get caught up in all the external noise. There’s so much pressure around weddings – expectations, opinions, trends – and it’s easy to lose sight of what the day is really about. Stay focused on what matters to you as a couple.
For more small-scale, big love style unions, check out our back catalogue of Real Elopements.
ISOBEL & ADAM’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony location: Victorian Marriage Registry, Old Treasury Building
Reception venue: French Saloon
Photographer: Keera Hoogendorp – Our photographer was an absolute dream to work with. She truly made our day so special and cannot recommend her highly enough. Not only does she have an incredible eye, but she is also warm, kind, and a pleasure to be around.
Florist: Astro Daphne
Hair: Salon Mace
Make-up: Mecca Cosmetica Armadale
The dress: The Vampire’s Wife
Veil and dress alterations: Charli Couture
Shoes: Country Road
Rings: Kallure Jewellery
Earrings: Shrimps
Bag: Vintage, Etsy
Suit & tie – Charles Tyrwhitt
Cake: Kerri Cakery – our dear friend and the most incredible baker/cake decorator!
Stationery / Signage: We made the place cards after watching a few calligraphy videos on YouTube!
Honeymoon: Europe
