Real Wedding – Bianca & Tim, Richmond VIC

 

 

For a day brimming over with authentic, effervescent emotion, understated elegance and style, and the absolute cutest pooch you ever did see, Bianca and Tim’s magical Melbourne celebration has it all.

In a move absolutely appropriate for a couple who first bonded over their hometown of Melbourne, we love that their photographer and videographer, Be Here Be Now, lead the lovers on a journey to some simply superb city spots throughout the day. From their emotion-filled first look, a wander through the streets of Melbourne with their dog Winston and a milkshake snack-stop surrounded by a fantastic fuchsia floral wall, this was an incredible celebration.

Melbourne’s laneways provided a striking backdrop against the midnight blue colour scape of the bridal party, accented with florals in dramatic moody shades of aubergine and vermillion, with sweepings of vanilla.

Simple, stunning stationery by typography talent State of Elliott was the perfect finishing touch to a theming vision of contemporary class and warm elegance, illuminated by the genuine emotion echoing in every image.

 

The meeting.

We were introduced by a mutual friend at a café in Sydney in 2015. We immediately bonded over the fact we are both from Melbourne. It took us a couple of months to get our act together and go on a date, but once we did, the spark was undeniable.

 

The ‘one’.

There were a few things that confirmed to each of us that we had found the one. We both knew we had found the one when we realised that we could truly be ourselves when we are together.

Bianca knew Tim was the guy for her when she noticed how often he makes her laugh and how he supports her in everything she does.

Tim knew that Bianca was the one when he came home one day, his Netflix profile had changed completely (hello rom-coms), and he did not care in the slightest. Otherwise, for Tim, he says it was a natural realisation and that things ‘just clicked’.

 

The proposal.

Tim proposed on the McCormack bridge in Milawa in 2018. The bridge is situated near farmland that had been in Bianca’s family for generations. The bridge is not intended for foot traffic, but Tim figured that since it is in a quiet part of the country, there wouldn’t be any issues. Naturally, as he got down on one knee, three cars drove past! It was hilarious, and we both didn’t mind the unexpected spectators.

In any event, Tim earned some serious brownie points with Bianca’s family for his choice of proposal location!

 

Style inspiration. 

We loved the look and feel of our venue, Butler Lane, so we ensured that our theme complemented the venue.

Pomp & Splendour styled our florals to be moody (with a touch of brighter colours), and we hired large festoon lights to create a magical atmosphere over the dance floor. Combined with light and happy music, these elements together created a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

 

The outfit. 

My gown was by Suzanne Harward. I always knew that I wanted a gown by a Melbourne designer, and it did not take me long to find my dream gown at Suzanne Harward. I loved the A-Line cut and the customised neckline, but I loved the laced most of all. I had never seen anything like it.

Tim and his groomsmen all wore a fantastic navy MJ Bale suit. The bridesmaids wore navy dresses by Bec + Bridge. It was important to us that our entire bridal party felt great and loved what they were wearing. They all looked stunning!

 

Favourite moments.

There were so many favourite moments! A poignant moment early in the day was the ‘first look’ when Tim and I saw each other before the ceremony. It was emotional and so beautiful.

An extra special moment for us was our first dance, as we had a blast taking dance lessons before the wedding and could not wait to put on a bit of a show for our guests. The cheers from our guests during the lifts were the best!

 

Meaning of marriage.

To us, marriage means unconditional support and choosing each other every day. It means appreciating each other as we truly are. It also means finding the fun in life together!

 

Wedding soundtrack.

Tim’s entrance with our dog, Winston: Get Lucky by Daft Punk

Aisle: Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac

Reception entry: 24K Gold by Bruno Mars

First dance: Moondance by Van Morrison

 

Funny stories or near disasters.

The day before the wedding was uncharacteristically hot. Bianca said goodbye to Tim and drove over to the Air BnB in Richmond, with a car full of healthy pre-prepared meals for her bridesmaids. Bianca planned to drop off the meals in the fridge, then drive to her parents’ house to pick up her dress. She arrived at the Air BnB, and the lockbox with the key wouldn’t open. It turns out the owners were overseas, and the property manager lived two hours away.

Tim and his best man came and tried to open the lockbox, without luck, then ended up waiting for the property manager to arrive while Bianca dashed off to get her dress. Three hours later and with all parties sweating heavily, the lockbox was smashed open by the property manager, and Bianca made it inside with her dress! The healthy meals had to be tossed and were replaced with takeaway (no complaints about that though!).

 

Planning surprises.

We were surprised to realise during the planning process that not all wedding traditions were suited to us, and that we were happy to do things our way. We enjoyed doing a ‘first look’ before the ceremony and opted out of a cake in favour of investing in the spirits package!

 

Words of wisdom.

Don’t be afraid to pick and choose which traditions you follow. Taking this approach will help you plan a wedding that truly suits who you are as a couple.

Your wedding is going to be one of the best days of your life, but it is not the only day – so don’t sweat the small stuff. If some things go wrong, it is not the end of the world. The disasters end up becoming the hilarious stories you recount in the future anyway!

 

 

 

Want to adopt Bianca and Tim’s approach in choosing only traditions that have meaning for you, but don’t want to upset your nearest and dearest? We’ve got you. Check out our advice on how to plan your day when opinions get in the way…

 

BIANCA & TIM’S VENDORS

Ceremony and reception venue: Butler Lane. The team at Peter Rowland were a delight to work with. The event plan was executed without a hitch so that we didn’t have to worry about anything on the day. Our guests were talking about the fabulous food and drinks for months after the wedding!

Celebrant: Sophie Cleary, Macushla Weddings. After the ceremony, a number of our guests asked us if Sophie was a close friend of ours because she seemed to know us so well! Sophie took the time to get to know us and to put together the perfect ceremony, which reflected our personalities.

Photography and videography: Be Here Be Now. To say that Christian and Shani were amazing would be the understatement of the century. They were not just our photographers and videographers: they were our friends and confidants in the lead up to the big day and on the day itself. Christian and Shani made both us and our guests so comfortable that they were able to capture the true, unscripted happiness of the day. We are still gushing over our wedding photos and video and have no idea how they managed to capture so many candid moments!

Florist: Pomp & Splendour. Petra and Asha are true artists.  We showed Petra a few floral arrangements we liked, then said ‘you are the artist, we trust you’. Petra ran with that and came up with the perfect brief. We are so glad we trusted them because our wedding flowers were so beautiful and fit our styling perfectly!

Hair: Pearly Hairstylist

Make-up: Cosmetique Makeup. Thank you, Dani, for being the highlight of the wedding morning! You made Bianca and the bridesmaids look and feel beautiful and distracted Bianca from a few nerves with some great conversation

The dress: Suzanne Harward. The team at Suzanne Harward were a joy to work with. They helped Bianca find her dream dress without any fuss and made the modifications easily.

Shoes: Bared

Rings: Australian Diamond Company

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec + Bridge

Groomsmen’s suits and bow ties / ties: MJ Bale

Catering and bar: Peter Rowland

Stationery / Signage: State of Elliott

Entertainment: Top Dog Entertainment. Chris from Top Dog was a highlight! You should have seen the surprise on our guests’ faces when he started playing the saxophone during our first dance!

Hire: The Small Things Co

Honeymoon: Anantara Kihavah

Other: First dance choreographer – Sophie Contreras. Thanks to Sophie, we were able to spend time learning how to dance together and ‘wow’ our guests with a phenomenal first dance. Sophie made each lesson fun and easy to follow. She was also incredibly patient when we forgot a step! Our dance lessons were the best part of our wedding preparation