Real Wedding – Amy and Michael, Albert Park VIC

Amy and Michael’s small but stunning wedding is a masterclass in blending beautiful contemporary style, layers of personality and a celebration true to the couple’s wishes. The result is a wedding day full of feels that look as gorgeously fun as it was to experience.

Keeping things simple meant the couple chose to forgo the elements that didn’t resonate with them and instead focus on no fuss, fancy and fabulous as their underlying theme. After a simple yet meaningful registry office ceremony, photographer Tahnee Jade captured perfectly candid moments in exquisite style as the couple made their way through the city – even including a little pram drop-off of their baby son!

We love the aesthetics of the day; Amy in her fabulously fun min dress by Rachael Gilbert, completed in epic style with the addition of a red lip and statement Lucy Folk earrings. Michael gave a nod to his father by wearing the modern version of his 1980s wedding suit – an oh-so-handsome Oscar Hunt white jacket and crisp bow tie.

The Albert Park Hotel was the perfect setting for cocktails and dance floor antics with their nearest and dearest. As the sun went down, the good vibes merely escalated – this is one party worth a scroll.

The meeting.

We’re a Bumble success story from back in July 2018. Our first date started at 6pm on a Monday night and wrapped up at a cocktail bar on Flinders Lane at 2am. We’ve been inseparable ever since.

The ‘one’.

Michael: I knew I’d found ‘the one’ less than an hour into our first date. We were sharing food at a bar, and Amy sucked nachos off my thumb! We also quickly worked out we both loved cooking and telling sick jokes.
Amy: It may sound silly, but after the first date, I just knew. It was a feeling that even now I find hard to put into words. That – and our relationship is also entirely founded on humour and silliness!

The proposal.

Amy: We were back where Michael grew up in Ballina, northern New South Wales and went for a sunrise swim one morning at Angels Beach. After a quick dip and with a towel wrapped around his waist, Michael tried to get down on one knee but instead could only manage an awkward crouch. Amidst tears, he managed to pop the question and caught me completely off guard with a beautiful custom-made ring by Lucy Folk. After many tears and a huge embrace, I obviously said yes.

Planning process.

We wanted a simple wedding; our personal brief was ‘no fuss’. We got engaged between lockdowns in 2020, so planning a wedding wasn’t a focus for a couple of years; then, in February 2022, our little boy Louie was born. Becoming parents reignited the importance of being married, and whilst we were already a family, we wanted to make it official (whilst putting on a big party in the process)!

Planning our wedding, in the end, was pretty straightforward because we didn’t have too many moving parts. We used Paperless Post for our invites, kept numbers to a minimum, inviting just our immediate family and close friends, and stripped everything back to the fundamentals: no wedding party, no decorations, no wedding cake and no flowers (aside from a surprise bouquet brought to the ceremony by Amy’s sister in law).

Style inspiration. 

The dress code of our wedding was ‘Fancy and Fabulous’, and the whole day and night truly embodied that. In essence, those two words became the inspiration. It was great to see our family and friends interpret that theme with some outstanding outfits on the night!

The outfit. 

Amy: I wanted a short dress and love Rachel Gilbert – I have always been drawn to her modern aesthetic. The dress was called the ‘Xavier Mini’, and it was the only dress I tried on; I loved the exaggerated sleeves of the cut whilst it still feeling slimline and tailored – it felt like a true party dress. I also love gold, so I wore beautiful crocheted earrings from Lucy Folk and also used my grandmother’s gold clutch from the 1940s. The only other non-negotiable was red lippy!

Michael: My only prerequisite / vision was wearing a tailored white jacket that Oscar Hunt made. The whole outfit mirrored what my Dad wore at his wedding in 1984.

Favourite moments.

We had two favourite moments. The first was the intimacy of the ceremony with our immediate family and close friends – also made all the more special by having our little boy Louie in the room squealing and giggling.

We also loved the moment we walked down to the main public bar at The Albert Park Hotel just before our reception started upstairs to see all of our closest friends waiting and ready to embrace us. We have truly never felt more loved by those around us!

Meaning of marriage.

Being a family.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Don’t Worry Baby by Beach Boys

Reception entry: Twist and Shout by The Beatles

First dance: Real Love Baby by Father John Misty

Funny stories or near disasters.

We were kept humble having our little boy Louie as part of our day – in the midst of the glamour, we still had to make sure he had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and snacks during the ceremony. We also had to drive him back home before the reception, so we have amazing photos of us all dressed up wheeling a pram across Collins Street! The routine comes first, even on your wedding day!

Planning surprises.

Despite not having a big wedding and keeping everything pretty simple, it still required a lot of thought and energy and was quite stressful in parts. Our advice would be to get started planning earlier than you think you should.

Words of wisdom.

Take moments during the day to pause and reflect on what is happening around you. The day flashes by in an instant, and before you know it, it is over, so really try to savour the special moments.

Thinking about following Amy and Michael’s lead and holding a smaller ceremony followed by a separate celebration? Many couples are doing the same, and we are here for it. Read more about how this might work for you, here on the blog.

AMY & MICHAEL’S VENDORS

Ceremony venue: Old Treasury Building, Victorian Marriage Registry.

Reception venue: The Albert Park Hotel. The Albert Park Hotel’s events team (in particular Luke) made everything ridiculously easy. They were amazing in the lead-up and were incredibly sharp on the day. It was the first time they had hosted a wedding, and they nailed it.

Celebrant/Officiant: A lovely guy named Kevin from the registry office

Photography: Tahnee Jade Photography. We wanted someone who cared that we were getting married. We didn’t want an auto-pilot photographer. Spending the day with Tahnee honestly felt like we were shooting with a close friend. She made it so easy – which fit with the overall theme of our wedding. Tahnee is a thinker. She was always thinking about the next shot. We could tell even when she was shooting and offering up banter and making us feel comfortable; she was also planning ahead. We were never standing around wondering ‘what next’. From the moment she said hello to us, she was on. It was a true masterclass in photography. Plus, she is genuinely such a warm and wonderful human being.

Hair: Three Blind Mice Hawthorn

Make-up: Madison Tipett

The dress: Rachel Gilbert

The suit: Oscar Hunt

Veil / headwear: Lucy Folk (statement earrings in lieu of veil)

Shoes: Loeffler Randall (Camellia Knot Mules)

Rings: Hamish Munro

Catering, bar & entertainment: The Albert Park Hotel

Transport: Uber (haha)!