Real Wedding – Angus & Isabelle, Melbourne VIC
Like a garden party with a glow up, Isabelle and Angus’ micro-wedding was a treat of delicate details, modern glam and effervescent emotion.
Gathering just their closest friends and family allowed these two stunning souls to create a celebration filled with fun and effortless elegance. Set against the classically beautiful backdrop of Gardens House in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, a long lunch full of festive vibes unfolds.
With such sublime surrounds, the choice to keep the colour palette to creamy alabaster and soft vanilla, alongside simply stylish monochrome typography and crisp white linens, was inspired. Blossom bouquets by St Germain added layers of gentle texture to truly elevate the look.
Of course, the centrepiece to this flawless vision is our captivating couple. Angus is top-to-toe classic cool in his suit by Oscar Hunt, whilst Isabelle oozes radiance and contemporary romance in equal parts in her gown by Mariana Hardwick. We especially love the perfect playfulness of their portrait shots, captured like visual poetry by the incredible Katie Harmsworth.
The meeting.
Angus and I met at our workplace about six years ago. We become really close as we worked in the same role and became really good friends. After a few years, we went out for drinks one night, one thing led to another, and we never looked back.
The proposal.
Angus took me out for dinner for my birthday. Just before we left, he lit some candles and got down on one knee.
Style inspiration.
Angus and I wanted to keep our wedding simple and enjoy ourselves. We both have a more classic style, but we wanted to put a modern and fun twist on it. We kept it very simple and classic from the very beginning – including the engagement ring that Angus designed.
The most helpful thing for me was seeing a range of photos from real-life weddings, whether that be on blogs like Ivory Tribe or even people we know who have gotten married recently. We also knew what we wanted when it came to the colour scheme and the overall theme, which made it really simple.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was on time (probably the only one ever), quick and straight to the point! We are not lovey-dovey people and prefer to keep our relationship private. Although we only had close friends and family there, we wanted to keep it short and sweet and make sure we enjoyed most of the time during the day with the people we love.
The outfit.
My wedding dress was perfect, and I am so happy with how it turned out! I only went to one dress shop and had a completely different picture in my head of what I thought I would get. One of my friends, Lara, is a dressmaker at Mariana Hardwick, and I think I tried on about ten dresses with her, none of which looked good. Lara asked me to try on the one she chose; I was hesitant as I did not think I would like it. I never thought I would go strapless, but as soon as I put this dress on, I knew it was the one. I was lucky to have her expert advice!
Favourite moments.
The entire day was amazing, but at the end of the ceremony and for our first kiss as a married couple, Angus dipped me at the end of the aisle – it was definitely a first kiss to remember!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: You and Me by Lifehouse
Signing: Iris by Goo Goo Dolls
First dance: Wonderful World by Sam Cook
Funny stories or near disasters.
None! Which was lucky because when I first started planning the wedding, I didn’t realise I needed to book a celebrant…
Planning surprises.
No, I don’t think I knew enough about planning weddings to have any preconceived ideas about the planning. This could have been a good or really bad thing; I think it ended up running smoothly!
Words of wisdom.
Enjoy yourself – it just seems to work! I don’t think it helps to stress about the small things.
Micro-weddings are the star of the moment mid-pandemic, but, if you’re not entirely sure what they’re all about, or why they might be right for you, we’ve laid it all out for you, here.
ANGUS & ISABELLE’S VENDORS:
Ceremony & reception venue: Gardens House, Botanical Gardens Melbourne. Vicki was our event manager, and she was fantastic, as were all of the staff working that day! I barely had to do a thing; everything was organised for me, even things I didn’t know had to be done. We could not have chosen a better venue.
We had the ceremony out the back of the house. Then, they had set up a long table out the front for all of our guests. We also had a backup plan if the weather turned on us, but it was a nice sunny day in the end. We spent a lot of time at the gardens, which was our dream, but we were worried it might be too difficult and expensive if we needed a marquee.
We had only looked at this venue, and it could not have been more perfect and easy. It was a no brainer for us to book!
Celebrant: Lauren Malouf. Lauren was very caring and invested in our wedding, and she spoke exactly as we asked. We wanted a short ceremony, and she delivered perfectly.
Photography: Katie Harmsworth – best photographer ever! We could not have asked for a better photographer; she knew exactly where to take the photos and honestly felt more like a friend at the wedding. I found Katie on Instagram; I just loved her style and am so lucky I did! She took great photos, and I had so much great feedback about her, both on her presence on the day and the amazing photos we received!
Styling, catering & bar: Gardens House did everything for us.
Florist: Flowers St Germain. I found them on Instagram after I noticed they had done a few weddings at Gardens house previously. I am not a creative person and don’t know a lot about flowers, so I emailed Sonia the colour scheme, and she did the rest. The flowers were perfect and suited our taste perfectly!
Hair & make-up: Hilary Holmes Makeup. I was recommended to Hilary through some friends in Geelong, but she is based in South Melbourne. It was so much fun going to her studio with my sister to get ready, Hilary did our makeup, and Bri did our hair. They did such a great job, and I am definitely going back for any makeup needs in the future!
The dress: Mariana Hardwick. My good friend Lara works there, so I am very lucky to have an expert to support me. The process was seamless, and I could not have been happier with my dress!
The suit: Oscar Hunt. Angus had a really good experience with them and would highly recommend them. The suit looked great!
Veil: My friend Lara made my veil for me; it was perfect and suited the dress very well!
Shoes: Christian Dior. I splurged a lot on my shoes, but I thought it would be the only time I would do this. I absolutely loved them.
Rings: Michael Albrecht. Angus designed my engagement ring with Michael, and we got the wedding band through him too. He was so relaxed and flexible, very easy to work with, and we would highly recommend!
Wedding party attire: I only had one maid of honour, and she wore a white Bec + Bridge dress.
Cake: Get Caked by Lisa, who was recommended by Gardens House. We had a two-tier vanilla cake, and the florist brought some loose flowers for Lisa to decorate the cake with. It was beautiful and delicious – it was exactly what I asked for and suited our wedding perfectly.
Stationery / Signage: Peppermint Press, who I found on Instagram. Anna was great to work with and very patient with me as I ordered everything very last minute! Everything came to me with plenty of time, and it was simple and elegant, which is exactly what we were after.
Entertainment: Andrew Healey was our one-man band, he was absolutely fantastic, and he was perfect for the day. I found him through my Dad, who saw him at a wine bar and thought the music was great. I booked him only a few weeks before the wedding and he was so easy to deal with and so lovely.
