Real Wedding – Bianca and Alex, Melbourne VIC

 

 

Bianca and Alex’s downsized day may have been mini in numbers, but was maxed full of feeling. Surrounding themselves with only their family was a decision true to the values that bind these two stunners together, and resulted in a day of unforgettable emotion and love.

The gritty, gorgeous streets of Melbourne provided the perfect backdrop to their theme of urban, modern magic, and Bianca and Alex’s choice of crisp monochrome tones contrasted strikingly against the city landscape. We love that micro-weddings allow so much freedom for couples, and legendary photography Tess Follett took these two on a truly gorgeous romp through luminous laneways and stunning streetscapes.

Bianca glowed in her gown by Khya Studios, a vision of contemporary romance in the chicest of soft silhouettes. But outshining all of it was the love and laughter between Bianca and Alex, bursting from every image. For a huge happiness hit, we recommend giving this one a scroll!

 

 

The meeting.

We had a quick kiss on a dancefloor when we were just 17. Nothing eventuated from that initial meeting, but we were in and out of contact for years. It wasn’t until we both found ourselves single in our late twenties that we finally went on a date, and we’ve been inseparable since.

 

The ‘one’.

Neither of us can pinpoint an exact moment, but Al says about a month in he thought “I’d have to have rocks in my head to not make this girl my girlfriend.”

We introduced each other to our friends and family pretty early, and our lives merged into one really seamlessly. Our relationship has always been easy, and while our personalities are very different, our views on life are very much the same. We both have strong ties to our friends and family, we think it’s important to be kind and generous, and we respect each other immensely.

 

The proposal.

Al proposed on a Sunday morning, at our home in the midst of our usual routine. I was making coffee while we chatted and I turned around to find him on one knee with a gorgeous ring in his hand.

It was very unexpected, and I cried hysterically! Al had also arranged for us to meet both of our parents for lunch, so we were able to share the news in person and on the day.

 

Planning process.

We got onto planning really quickly. Within a month of being engaged, we had looked at three venues and booked our favourite. While our wedding date was 18 months away, we had most of our suppliers booked within a few months. We started with the items that were most important to us (photographer, videographer and band) and gradually worked our way down the list.

Then, six months from our wedding date, Covid hit! As a result of restrictions, we re-planned our wedding three times, which was far more stressful than I could have imagined. It was then just after our original wedding date had passed that we decided to scrap the 200 guest wedding and elope! We contacted our suppliers to see when they were available and found they all were, in just three weeks time. We decided it would be us, our parents and siblings, totalling just 11 guests. We crossed our fingers restrictions would ease to allow our elopement and one week before the date, they did!

 

Style inspiration. 

Modern and little urban. We looked for venues that were inner city and had an industrial vibe.

 

The outfit. 

I found dress shopping quite overwhelming. I went to many stores with all of my bridesmaids in tow but struggled to find anything that really grabbed me.

I was very much running out of time when one day, I was scrolling through Instagram and came across a dress from Kyha Studios. I contacted them, and they advised it was a custom gown they had made for a bride and not available off-the-rack. Then just a few days later they reached out and said they had contacted the bride who was happy to provide her dress to try on! So after work, I popped in, tried on the dress and knew it was perfect!

 

Favourite moments.

Hard to pick one!

But just before Al was ready to head to the church, he snuck into my room at Crown for a kiss goodbye. Luckily I wasn’t in my dress, but Al was ready to go and looking gorgeous in his suit. It really hit me in that moment that after all of our attempts at re-planning, we were finally getting married.

Another favourite was heading out for sunset pictures. While it was too overcast to actually get sunset pictures, our photographer Tess found a gorgeously lit alleyway where we were able to practice our first dance. We had an absolute ball; I don’t think we’ve ever smiled so hard.

 

Meaning of marriage.

Marriage to us is really about going through life as a team. Yes, we’re individuals, but we make decisions together and we back each other 100%. We are each other’s biggest cheerleader and confidant.

 

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Hold My Girl by George Ezra

Recessional: Paradise by George Ezra

Signing: I’m With You by Vance Joy

First Dance: Hey Ho by The Lumineers

 

Funny stories or near disasters.

Ah, Covid!? The months leading up to our original wedding date were very stressful, and restrictions were changing so much at the time it was really difficult to make decisions with any sense of certainty. Liaising with all of our suppliers was also quite challenging.

We also booked our elopement in the hope restrictions would ease in time, and luckily they did!

 

Planning surprises.

The sheer amount of decisions you need to make when planning a wedding.

 

Words of wisdom.

Try not to get caught up on the minor details and remember what it’s about – walking away as husband and wife.

It isn’t about having the prettiest flowers or perfect first dance. It’s all of the love and happiness you feel from your partner and loved ones in the room that truly makes your day unforgettable. Our planned wedding went completely out the window and our day was still perfect!

I think it’s easy to get caught up in the idea of what a wedding is “meant” to be, but it’s so important to make it your own and do what feels right for you. If there are traditions and expectations that don’t work for you, don’t be afraid to not have them.

 

 

Loving Bianca’s stunning dream of a gown? You can find some of the most talented designers with fabulously fresh, unique vision, in our directory. Get comfortable for some seriously stylish scrolling, here!

 

BIANCA & ALEX’S VENDORS:

Ceremony venue: St Peter and Pauls, South Melbourne

Reception venue: Arlechin – A great venue! The food is to die for and the service impeccable. Guy Grossi even came to say hello, which was a highlight.

Celebrant/Officiant: Father Bernard Morawksi

Photography: Tess Follett – What a talent! A girlfriend of mine had been a bridesmaid in a wedding Tess photographed, and after seeing the photos, I knew I wanted her to photograph our wedding. Al and I are by no means naturals in front of the camera, but Tess made us feel comfortable on the day. Our photos are beyond what we could have hoped for.

Videography: Ryan Lee Adams – A total legend! Our original videographer was unavailable on our new date, and we were going to skip videography but decided at the last minute not to. I’m so so glad we didn’t! Ryan was unobtrusive, laid back and captured our day beautifully.

Florist: Flower Head Events – I highly recommend Helen. She was always super helpful and free to answer my questions. She was also one of the easiest suppliers to work in light of covid for both changing dates and changing our order.

Hair: Megan Harrison

Make-up: Sophia Pafitis

The dress and veil: Kyha Studios

Shoes: Steve Madden

Rings: Abrecht Bird

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec and Bridge

Groomsmen’s suit and bow tie: Menzclub

Barber: Taper and Fade

Favours: Letter and Label Co

Cake / Cake topper: Miss Ladybird Cakes

Transport: iChauffeur Melbourne