Real Wedding – Ame & Ben, Daylesford VIC
Ever wondered what a retro-inspired, mad wedding-singer meets 80s prom vibe wedding looks like? Look no further than Ame and Ben’s breathtaking neon dream of a day.
When someone from within the industry celebrates their own wedding, it’s always a true treat to see what they create. In this case, florist extraordinaire Ame has whipped up a tradition-breaking celebration filled with vibrant colour and epic emotion.
Choosing to say their I-Dos surrounded by their closest family made for an intimate affair, but not one lacking in impact. Vivid streamers overhang an incredible floral arrangement, all in the day’s colour palette of candy pink, my-little-pony purple and shots of bright tangerine. Against this brilliant backdrop, fabulous celebrant Megan Thompson struck the perfect balance of laughter and poignant, personal moments.
As the newlyweds joined their guests to kick on into the night at stunning cocktail venue Palais Hepburn, Ame switched up her incredible cream Misha Collection gown for a Rotate pink party frock and white ankle boots, prom-queen perfect to heat up the dance floor. There to capture every beautifully bold moment was photographer Stevie Lee Fisher.
The meeting.
Ben and I have mutual friends, so naturally, he took it upon himself to slide into my DMs on Instagram.
The ‘one’.
Ben knew quite soon after we met; however, it was a little longer for me.
The proposal.
Ben proposed while we were up on the Sunshine Coast, visiting his home.
Planning process.
Overall, the colour palette was the starting point for our theme. As a wedding florist, I wanted to create a combo I hadn’t used before, so once that took root, the rest of the styling flowed from there.
Style inspiration.
The dress theme was retro-cocktail, with the styling and colour scheme chosen to reflect that. We wanted a fun, intimate party. Our after-party choice definitely had mad wedding singer/ 80’s prom vibes which were accentuated by our choice in styling and colours as well as the venue’s charm.
The ceremony.
We had our ceremony at an Airbnb in Daylesford with 16 of our closest family members. I stayed at the venue prior to the day with my daughter Raven and best friends so we could do the flowers and styling there. All my family stayed nearby and helped chip in; I was so thankful to have their help with set-up!
I walked down the aisle with my daughter Raven and my dad. My niece and nephew decided they would like to walk down the aisle on the day, so we whipped them up some flowers, and away they went.
During the ceremony, I surprised Ben, with our friend Tara singing an acoustic version of If I Could by 1927 in memory of his Dad, Paul. It was a pretty emotional moment and something we won’t forget. My sister did a bible reading and poem for us, while my parents and Ben’s mum shared a blessing/advice for our marriage.
Megan, our celebrant, did the most amazing job at ensuring everyone knew who was the funnier one in the relationship was, too (me)!
We enjoyed drinks and food at the house straight after the ceremony, and it was a nice relaxing way to soak up the moment and enjoy proper conversations before everyone made their way to the reception later on.
The look.
I had a lot of trouble settling on one outfit; I’d ordered something online which I didn’t love, so naturally, I ended up opting for two. The best part was that I hadn’t even tried on my ceremony outfit until the day before the wedding when my friend Elle went out and purchased it for me when we saw how cold the weather was going to be. I still have the video she sent of her dancing around in the changeroom with it on! Ben opted for something more timeless – a black suit. As he says, “I’m a simple man.”
Favourite moments.
Definitely the ceremony for me. The second would be walking into our reception space because it honestly looked insane!
Meaning of marriage.
It’s a bond like no other, a covenant between two people. The ultimate partnership and commitment with the highest rewards. Two are better the one!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: A song by the Paper Kites, sung by our talented friend, Tara.
Recessional: Electricity by Dua Lipa
Reception entry: Kiss Me by New Found Glory
First dance: Linger by The Cranberries
Funny stories or near disasters.
I feel like we had plenty! The day before the wedding, the weather was insane, and my grand plans to prep everything and relax that evening fell by the wayside. Instead, we decided where would be the best place to have the ceremony that wasn’t going to be affected by the wind and sideways rain.
There were a few hiccups with prep and even a trip to emergency when my littlest niece fell and cut her head (she was ok)!
Our guitarist for the ceremony, Stu, was sick and couldn’t make it but still managed to record the music for Tara to sing to, like an absolute champ!
Ben, on the other hand, enjoyed a peaceful prep with his mum and brothers just down the road…!
On the wedding day, we woke up, and everything felt new and relaxed. I was glad that all the stressors that happened to us were the day before!
Planning surprises.
It shouldn’t have, but definitely the weather; I think it was the freakishly coldest day we’d had all year.
Words of wisdom.
Focus on what you both want as a couple and block out all the other noise.
Love a wedding filled with bright, bold and punchy tones? These days, there are no rules when it comes to your colour palette. So, let your imagination run wild as you browse our collection of vibrant, multi-toned real weddings!
AME & BEN’S VENDORS
Ceremony venue: Foxglove Villa, Daylesford
Reception venue: Palais Hepburn. I found this venue just from walking past. After we had a meeting with the owners, Richard and Brendan, and chef Lizzy, I was absolutely sold. They went above and beyond with the service; Richard did a phenomenal job putting his own flair on our theme and transforming the venue, and Lizzy absolutely killed it with the food. I’m still dreaming about it.
Celebrant: Megan Thompson. Megan is a friend of ours, so it made it even more special to have her officiate. She did a killer job of crafting our ceremony and carving up the dancefloor later. She is a true wedding hero.
Photography: Stevie Lee Fisher. Stevie is a long-time friend of mine and has taken all the family shots of Raven and me over the years. While she prefers family portraits, we absolutely loved what she captured for us on the day.
Styling & Florist: Raven & the Rose. My beautiful friend Elle and I did the flowers; I wouldn’t have asked anyone but her to make my bouquet. We used mostly all local blooms and were absolutely treated by our farm friends, the Rook Blooms and Soho Rose farm.
Friends and family also did the grazing platter, styling and set-up for the ceremony while Elle, Zara, Kristina & Tom styled the flowers and candles at the reception. It was a solid group effort, but it all came together beautifully.
Hair: Hair by Kirsty. Not only a friend but the perfect presence to have on the day, she’s a true talent. Ben’s hair is by James Roberts Hair, who happens to double as his brother.
Make-up: Emily Mcgrath Make-up. I’d worked with Emily before, so I knew I loved her but having her around on the day was such a bonus; she instantly fits in with whoever she’s working with and makes herself at home in the best possible way! Not to mention her brush skills.
The dresses: Ceremony dress – Misha Collective. After Party dress – Rotate Christensen.
Veil: Anza Bridal Etsy
Shoes: Django And Juliette, Vans, Betts, Converse.
Bridesmaids dresses: Tutumonde
Suits: Bell & Barnett
Catering & bar: Palais Hepburn. Brendan at the Palais covered all the drinks. He even made a special cocktail for our special bridesmaid – Daigh.
Favours: Candy Heart cookies by Baked on Macedon
Cake: Mister Nice Guys
Entertainment: Scooter Stevens, The DJ from the other night. He played our requests of 50-90s beats, including lots of alternative hits, perfectly and made sure it felt and sounded nothing like a wedding. I don’t think people stopped dancing the whole night.
Décor: Hire: Bar cart, cake stand and candles – Small Things Co. Paula & Tom are great friends of mine, and they really looked after us. Bangin Hangins streamers added some extra to our ceremony spot – all sustainable, it’s a win-win in colour and fun.
Honeymoon: No honeymoon for us; I was straight back to flowering weddings a few days later; it was a super whirlwind, but we are so thankful we were able to have it, especially with so many couples having to postpone this year.
