Real Wedding – April & Adam, St Kilda VIC
April and Adam were at a loss of what to do following their wedding, it consumed so much of their thoughts and time, but in a fabulous and fun way!
Wanting to create a relaxed environment so they and their guests could let their hair down, The George Ballroom played perfect host in making this happen.
They had a ball throughout their ceremony and reception, chatting and giggling for much of the day.
Describing their planning as a big, happy, messy blur that was incredible, see the beauty of their magical moments captured by Elsa Campbell.
In their words…
The meeting.
We met at University. We were both studying and I was also working at a café on campus. He came into the café one day and I made him coffee and from that day on we kept running into each other. One day he casually mentioned that he would be getting coffee after class. Would I be getting one too? We met up later that day and have been inseparable ever since.
The ‘one’.
I knew Adam was the one for me when I couldn’t picture my life without him. But it’s never just one moment. It’s a complete novel of tiny moments that make you so incredibly happy and fulfilled.
The proposal.
He took me to Lake Daylesford and we went for a lovely stroll. As we were walking back he casually mentioned that he had to tie his shoe. I told him not to be silly and that I would do it (he has a habit of ripping his pants when he squats and I didn’t want that to happen out at the lake). We tossed up for a while about who would do the shoe tying and both got on one knee. I jokingly said to him, “the only time you should be on one knee is if you have a ring”. He said, “well actually…” and pulled it out of his pocket! I was so shocked I stood up straight away and felt like an idiot for almost ruining the proposal! I was so shocked I forgot to say yes! I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect proposal.
Planning process.
I looked at wedding blogs a lot. Like, a lot a lot. And I am obsessed with the hard copy magazines I love flipping through them! We had two years to plan our wedding but we tried to get things started nice and early. I found it difficult because a lot of little details you need to do in the last month and I’m the kind of person that wants things organised well in advance. The process was a real learning curve for me, but I consider myself an expert at weddings now. All of our vendors were amazingly helpful though as we stumbled through the process at times. Having never been married and attended very few weddings there were a lot of firsts for us and a lot of things to consider that we hadn’t thought of, but we got through it together. I was so lucky to have so much family support and an amazing mother in law who did all the flowers and styling for the venue. By the end of the planning, everything was a blur. A big, happy, messy blur and it was incredible.
Style inspiration.
I really wanted things to be timeless and classic. We also tried really hard to make the wedding as relaxed as possible. We just wanted everyone to have a great night and celebrate our love with us. We liked the idea of having the ceremony and reception at the same venue as we didn’t want people to have to travel. We wanted the ceremony to flow straight into the reception which the George Ballroom coordinator Victoria helped us do wonderfully. We wanted to insert our own relaxed style into the wedding and to just focus on being present in the moment with everyone that we cherish.
The dress.
It took me a while to find a dress that I loved. I originally wanted lace and sleeves and when I went to try them on, I just didn’t like how anything looked on me. I ended up getting a dress that was the complete opposite of what I was looking for and after a few alterations I was in love. My dress was Ralea by La Sposa from Raffaele Ciuca in Armadale. The ladies there were lovely, and I just felt so comfortable in the dress. I was really surprised as it was a dress I had never pictured myself in. I loved the satin and I got some of the pleating taken out, the train cut off, buttons at the back and pockets put in. I was obsessed with the idea of pockets! Once those changes were made, I really felt so comfortable in the dress which is all I wanted, and it added to the relaxed feel that we both wanted for our big day.
Favourite moment.
Adam: After all the formalities were over and we got to relax and everyone was so happy and warm and loving and it just felt like the perfect night had come together
April: When we were having private photos after the ceremony and Adam leaned in and said, “so, are we married now?” and I thought “OMG yes we are!” It was a moment of realization for the both of us. We just giggled like children.
Meaning of marriage.
Adam: It means always having my best friend to come home to every night.
April: It means loving someone unconditionally and knowing that you are loved in return. It also means that I found someone who will put up with me forever which is just great.
Wedding soundtrack.
Bride entrance: Stand by Me – Florence and the Machine
Bride and Groom introduction: First day of my life – Bright Eyes
Reception entry: Downtown – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
First dance songs:
Bride and Groom: I can’t help falling in love with you – Ingrid Michaelson
Father of the Bride and Bride: Harvest Moon – Neil Young
Father of the Groom and Bride: Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Adam forgot his belt in the morning (thankfully we were able to get a spare from one of his cousins) and when walking over to the ceremony he lost a button on his shirt! It just popped right off. Thank goodness we had a wonderful wedding coordinator who sewed the button right back on before the ceremony. He was so flustered by the experience that he just wanted to chat and tell me everything the second I walked down the aisle. Our poor celebrant had a giggle because we were just so chatty during the ceremony! Apart from being fashionably late myself, there were no major dramas with the bridal party.
Planning surprises.
How exhausting it was. I needed so long to recover afterwards. I guess you don’t realise just how much time and energy goes into a wedding in the lead up, but I really felt it the next day. I was also surprised at just how understanding everyone was at how utterly clueless we were at times. All of our vendors were so patient with us and we are so grateful.
Words of wisdom.
Start early and decide on the ‘wants’ and the ‘needs’. Also, it’s ok to have the vision in your head change. Planning a wedding means that you will always be seeing new ideas that you love so don’t be afraid to make changes. The day is about reflecting the two of you so make it as personal as you can and enjoy the process! You won’t know what to do with yourself when it’s over.
Final words.
We didn’t have an early ‘send off’ and stayed dancing the whole night. It was wonderful to spend every moment with our family and friends and we were glad we didn’t leave our own party early. That being said, make sure you take a few minutes alone during the night to just take a deep breath and be with each other.
Melbourne city certainly delights with an abundance of excellent wedding venues, be sure to take a peek at our faves.
APRIL AND ADAM’S TRIBE
Ceremony and reception venue: The George Ballroom, St Kilda – The George Ballroom was such an amazing venue and the staff were a dream! Our wedding coordinator was really on top of things and was always there to answer questions we had. Not only was the George Ballroom accommodating and professional, but they were so kind and made our day so special. The second I saw my coordinator Victoria I knew I didn’t have to worry about a thing.
Celebrant/Officiant: Georgia Mills – Georgia was just so perfect and so amazing to work with from start to finish. We loved that she really took the time to get to know what we wanted for the ceremony and who we were as a couple. On the day, Georgia made sure that all the guests knew where to go and what to do and she made sure that the entire bridal parties felt at ease. It was so comforting to know that Georgia had everything under control. Georgia took the time to personalize our ceremony and we were so grateful that she gave us a ceremony filled with love that she even tailored it to include our beloved pets! She really just understood what was important to us. We could not have been happier with Georgia. She not only made us feel so at ease during the ceremony but really connected with our guests and brought everyone together to share in our day.
Photography: Elsa Campbell – There isn’t enough praise in the world for Elsa. We were so incredibly blessed to have her capturing our day. Her ability to quietly capture subtle moments and fleeting glances has given us the most precious photos that we will treasure forever. Elsa made Adam and I feel so comfortable even when we are both normally very camera shy. We felt completely at ease with Elsa and her wonderful assistant Kyra and were able to have so much fun with the photos. From just a simple stroll down the street we have been given the most amazing memories to look back on. Elsa really took the time to find out what was important to us and what photos we wanted from the day. We think the photos capture our personalities perfectly and love the natural and candid shots. We will never be able to thank Elsa enough.
Styling: DIY
Florist: Grown Florists for bouquets and button holes
Hair: Salon Nine, Greenvale – The girls at Salon Nine were so great to work with. Everyone had a wonderful morning and was so happy with their hair.
Make Up: Dreamcatcher Bridal – Ally was so great with our makeup. We had 7 people to get done in a tiny hotel room but nothing seemed to phase her! She was happy to accommodate different styles and last minute changes as well as a very indecisive Bride which was wonderful.
The Dress: Ralea La Sposa gown from Raffaele Ciuca in Armadale.
Shoes: Shoes of Prey
Rings: Adam: Lord Coconut April: custom from Rhea Nikolaou Jewellery
Bridesmaids dresses: ASOS, BooHoo and Cooper St – The bridesmaids all picked their own dresses which worked so well. I just wanted everyone to be comfortable and to feel stunning and with everyone being so different I just couldn’t put them in the same dress. All my girls felt stunning on the day and the now have a dress they can wear time and time again.
Earrings: Verge Girl – I saw my earrings on a bridal page on Instagram and fell in love!
Cufflinks: ASOS – Noose & Monkey Structured Rose Cufflinks which I spray painted gold
Grooms suit: MJ Bale
Grooms Shoes: Julius Marlow
Catering: Damm Fine Food through The George Ballroom
Favors: DIY
Cake / Cake topper: DIY gift from a beautiful friend. We were so lucky to have a friend make our wedding cake which was just delicious!
Stationery / Signage: The stationary was DIY by Adam and the signage was a mix of Adams DIY and the smaller gold signs from ‘Fox and Hart’. You can find Fox and Hart on Etsy. Lisa was amazing and so wonderful to work with. The signs came out exactly the way I pictured.
Entertainment: Melbourne Ultimate Mobile DJs
Décor: DIY and assistance from wedding coordinator Victoria Chin
Vow booklets: A wonderful addition to our ceremony ‘Dabbling Creative’ on Etsy. The handmade paper and personalised covers are amazing and it is a wedding memento that we can keep forever.
Perfume: April wore Daisy White by Marc Jacobs
Cologne: Adam wore Andy by Hamish
Hangers: Custom decal hangers for the bride and bridesmaids from ‘Forever in a name gifts’ on Etsy
Honeymoon: We had a Bali getaway which was so lovely. After a day like that you need time to recover!
