Real Wedding – Alexsandra & Dimitrios, Red Hill VIC
Sasha and Dimitri’s dream day encapsulates these two nature-loving souls who don’t shy away from an epic party. With nods to their cultural heritage, style sense of modern timelessness with a touch of rustic realness and fun-filled vibes, this is one authentically upbeat occasion.
Tribe superstar Khya dressed the stunning Sasha in a two-piece gown, giving equal parts party goddess and elegantly euphoric bride. With an effortless bouquet of crisp white roses entwined with olive leaves alongside her wedding party in sleekly chic muted ecru, the effect is pure contemporary chic.
Under the fairy-lit canopy of Dromana Estate Winery, bold neo-noir decor accent tablescapes of soft linens and abundant candlelight. Raw wine barrels backdrop the scene, giving that vintage vibe to punctuate the modern styling.
For us, the dazzling smiles on both Sasha and Dimitri’s faces, evident in every shot by photographers Blossom Daisy Creative, make this day. This kind of magic elevates a party to the emotion-filled wonder of a wedding.
To experience every delightful detail, scroll on!
The meeting.
We met on Hinge and began speaking on the 24th of January 2020. We met one beautiful evening at the beach a week later and enjoyed the magical sunset together while joking that we weren’t going to drown and kill one another in the water – and that was the beginning of our forever together!
The ‘one’.
As cliche as it sounds, both of us felt a solid, natural connection from the first day we met at the beach. We both expressed our love for the simple pleasures in life, our love for animals, the outdoors, and exploring new adventures.
The proposal.
We moved out together, after dating for nine months, during the start of Covid-19. After a year of dating, we began talking about the next steps of marriage and began designing our engagement ring together. We then purchased our first home together, and Dimitri felt that it was a great opportunity to move into our new home as Sasha’s fiancé, and he was so eager to get down on one knee and make it official! The house and the ring all represented a new stage of our relationship and the start of our forever together.
Planning process.
Exciting, overwhelming, and expensive bonding process! Truth be told, I had already found a gown before we had even found a venue and picked a date! At that point, we were struggling to find a venue we really liked, but then one day, we happened to go past Dromana Estate on the way home – and it took one look to know we had found the one!
The process was fairly straightforward after that. I immediately jumped onto our amazing photographer and the live band I had already lined up, and then there was a bit of back and forth between other vendors trying to find available dates and quotes, but eventually, we were lucky enough to find a florist who was also able to do all of our styling which saved us a lot of stress!
Style inspiration.
The theme of the venue was inspired by Sasha and Dimi’s love for all things rustic, the outdoors and the natural environment. Dromana Estate was the perfect combination of everything we loved, and we were also able to incorporate the classic white and green florals, which included olive branches from Dimitri’s Greek culture. When we are not working, we always find time to be out in nature on Sunday drives, or tending to our garden and playing with our Lassie dog, Nigel.
For inspiration, we looked at lots of styled photoshoots and real weddings on Instagram, styles of photography and portrait posing, and Pinterest for hair and make-up inspiration, bouquets and so forth!
We also asked our guests to RSVP through a website which enabled them to answer a question: “wish the couple well or share some wisdom for the future!”. Sasha then turned these quotes and well-wishes into a beautiful bespoke book that included photos of their love together and their little family with Nigel.
The ceremony.
We wed in a quaint Greek Orthodox church in Red Hill which incorporated both Sasha’s Russian Orthodox heritage and Dimi’s Greek Orthodox heritage. It was pouring rain all week leading up to the day, and even the morning of the wedding seemed a little gloomy. However, upon taking our first steps into the church, the sun shone magically through the skylight windows, and it felt like a blessing to be able to share those moments together for our ceremony. Dimi also loved sharing his culture with his new wife, and what made it even more special was that our ceremony was one of the priest’s final weddings before his retirement.
The look.
Sasha: My mum is my rock, and I know she tells me how it is, so I only invited her with me to all the dress fittings. We went to about five different stores before settling on a slinky fit and flare style. However, before purchasing, I felt the need to have another look in the store ‘just in case’. I found another style – the same top but a completely different skirt that was asymmetrical, voluminous and made of pleated tulle. When I tried it on it just felt like me – fun and playful! And I could dance all night in it!
As for Dimitri, suit hunting is hard! He thought he wanted a white suit to honour our fathers as they both wore white to their weddings; however, we struggled to find the perfect one. We then fell for the classic black tuxedo and black bow tie, which made Dimi look handsome and debonair!
Favourite moments.
When we first locked eyes at the altar, the sun came through from the skylight windows above, and it was purely magical.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is continuing to learn about one another and growing together as a team. It means that no matter how tough things may get, we will always be able to have a laugh and never go to bed angry at one another.
The reason why we make a great couple is we can always have a laugh with each other, and we just understand one another. We have very similar humour, and Sasha loves Dimitri’s ‘punny’ dad jokes and his love for all things nature, animals and parallel parking. Dimi loves that Sasha is an avid adventurer and loves a good Sunday drive or a weekend away to the snow!
Wedding soundtrack.
Reception entry: The Four Tops – I can’t help myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
First dance: It is you (I Have Loved) by Dana Glover, choreographed by Dearne from Peninsula Wedding Dance and played live with an acoustic band (Lua Lua Trio from Unplugged Entertainment)
Funny stories or near disasters.
Sashi: On the wedding morning, I had a wardrobe malfunction – mum was zipping up the top of the gown (two-piece top and skirt), and then she thought she broke the zipper! Luckily one of my bridesmaids who is in the ballet industry has dealt with many wardrobe changes and issues and came to the rescue to fix it! Poor mum was completely stressed and on the verge of tears, and I was just blank, thinking, wtf am I going to wear now on top? Small freakout moment!
Planning surprises.
Not particularly, except for how expensive everything came to be!
Words of wisdom.
Start early and figure out your non-negotiables. For example, our non-negotiables were photography and band/entertainment. Also, don’t argue over money – have a backup budget instead, and it will all come together.
Looking for ways to make your wedding day the perfect blend of fun-filled, meaningful and memorable? We’ve got the top tips on how to personalise your reception, to create a day that feels perfectly you.
SASHA & DIMITRI’S VENDORS
Ceremony venue: Greek Orthodox Church of Australia, 135 Arthurs Seat Rd, Red Hill
Reception venue: Dromana Estate Winery
Photography: Blossom Daisy Creative
Videography: Del Mar Films
Florist: Woops A Daisy Florist
Dress: Chosen by Kyha
Shoes: Charlotte Mills
Suit: Peter Jackson
Bridesmaid dresses: Bec + Bridge
Rings: Anny’s Jewellers
Hair: Runway Room Sorrento
Make-up: Kate Peta
Stationery: Peep Designs
Cake: Mad About Cakes
Entertainment: Lua Lua Tri from Unplugged Entertainment
Honeymoon: Nelsons Bay
