Real Wedding – Brenton & Lisa, Richmond VIC
On their dream day, Lisa and Brenton chose to do it their way. For them, this meant shaking off those traditions that didn’t feel right and adding in some of their own: waking up together in the morning, pre-drinks with their nearest and dearest, and having their pooch by their side. We love a day filled with perfectly personal touches, and this is one to please the heart and the eye.
Letting their foliage-filled venue, Glausshaus, shine, Lisa and Brenton chose only a few divine details to enhance the atmosphere – soft tea lights, crisp ivory florals and Diptyque candles to scent the space.
Against this sweet backdrop, these stunning souls outdid themselves style-wise. Brenton looks pure laid-back chic in his suit from Trunk Tailors, while Lisa is every bit a contemporary goddess in not one, but two gorgeous gowns. The first, a sleek sheath from the amazing Khya, was the perfect ceremony choice. Changing it up into a stellar separate-style gown from Prea James via Bluebell Bridal took the look from elegant to party perfect.
We can’t get enough of the visual journey by the ever-talented Elsa Campbell – so scroll on for more incredible imagery!
The meeting.
We met in year nine on the school bus – that was 2007. After that, we became best friends pretty quickly, with a cheeky kiss or two at a party after too many Cruisers. However, we didn’t quite build up the courage to make things official until 2013.
The ‘one’.
I knew Brenton was the one when I kept dumping all my other boyfriends because I liked Brenton more (oops). Taking the plunge from being friends to being a couple was a big deal for us and cemented that we were in it for the long haul.
The proposal.
The question was to be popped on holiday in Japan, one of our favourite places. Unfortunately, Covid happened, our trip got cancelled, and Brenton couldn’t wait any longer (the ring had arrived in the mail a grand total of two days earlier).
I came home from walking the dog in the torrential rain in peak lockdown, absolutely clueless, to Brenton sobbing on one knee. Once I realised nothing horrible had happened, and those were happy tears, I managed a head nod. It was a very wet affair, and kind of perfect, as public displays of affection are not really our thing.
Planning process.
Working in weddings meant I had a pretty sound idea of the kind of day I wanted and things I wanted to avoid. We both agreed that we wanted something intimate, fun, and ‘non-weddingy’.
I really believe weddings should be personal, not prescriptive. We didn’t feel the need to do anything that didn’t feel like ‘us’ just for the sake of tradition. For us, this meant no first dance, no bridal party, no cake, no bouquet toss. It did mean waking up and spending the morning together, doing a first look, having pre-drinks with close friends and our parents before the ceremony, and having our dog, Watson, be part of the day.
Planning began with securing the venue, which I did within a week of getting engaged. I knew I was getting married at Glasshaus before Brenton even proposed. He had totally no say in that one, so lucky he liked it! Once we had our venue and date sorted (which ended up changing, thanks, Covid!), we sourced the caterer, as the food was the next most important thing to us, and things got rolling from there. We booked everything else based on things we’d seen on wedding blogs or things we’d loved from friends’ weddings.
I love stalking Real Weddings, even when I’m not planning a wedding. I’m nosey and just really love weddings, but I did find it so useful because you can find a couple whose style might be similar to yours, and look at all their vendors, how they styled it and what traditions they did/didn’t do on the day. I found this way, even if the wedding wasn’t local, you could still get ‘vibe’ inspiration.
Style inspiration.
The venue really set the scene. With so much greenery, we didn’t really add anything else other than some flowers on the table, also done by Glasshaus, and Diptyque candles because I love a bougie candle and am huge on scent memory. We didn’t have a theme, but we certainly had a ‘vibe’, and we wanted it to feel intimate, relaxed and to avoid anything stuffy at all costs.
We wanted the day to feel more like a party than a wedding while still respecting that getting married is a big deal. We opted for a more casual wedding but were set on a sit-down family-style dinner with lots of booze, as we love a good dinner party. Luckily, the formalities of a sit-down meal didn’t impact the dance floor, which went from the moment we walked into the venue to the moment we left.
The ceremony.
Glasshouse Outside is a relatively small venue, and I remember waiting to walk down the aisle and feeling quite shocked that I could see everyone’s faces so clearly! It’s so green and unique, and it was 34 degrees and torrential rain on the day, so it had a really moody, glossy (and slightly sweaty) vibe.
Our celebrant Sophie really nailed the brief in creating a ceremony that was lighthearted, to the point, but also romantic. We wrote our own vows, and there were lots of laughs and tears.
We’re dog people through and through, so we had our dog, Watson, at the alter with us. After the ceremony, she pottered around off-lead, socialising with her favourite people and following behind my train, being careful not to step on it. 10/10 good girl.
The look.
I had always thought I’d buy something off the rack, as I’m not very bridey. I had imaged something very non-traditional, perhaps separates, maybe a suit. This turned out to be harder than I thought, and so I went the traditional bridal route and went to try on the two dresses I had screenshotted on the day we got engaged. Spoiler: they were the ones.
The Kyha gown was so far from anything I would typically wear, but I felt like a goddess in it. The Prea James gown was so incredibly me. I couldn’t decide between the two and ended up getting both, and thank goodness I did because I got absolutely saturated on the day and was so thankful for a dry reception outfit. Brenton absolutely loved my first dress, but as he helped me to get changed into my second dress, he said, ‘now this is what I had imagined you’d wear’.
Brenton found Trunk Tailors online and made an enquiry. Jack and Chris were super chill and knew that Brenton was after something modern and cool. Chris was wearing a brown suit on the day we visited, and Brenton loved it. He tried it on, and it looked so beautiful against his colouring, and that was that! He then decided he wanted a pair of brown loafers, and so opted for the classic Gucci Jordaan loafers, and then promptly forgot about a tie until the week before the wedding. I ended up panic ordering him a blue Gucci tie online, which worked really well with the brown.
Favourite moments.
We both agree that the small chunk of time we had alone between the ceremony and reception was so special. We ducked back to the Air BnB, dropped Watson off, dried our feet, and Brenton helped me change into my second dress. Elsa snapped some pictures but also gave us a bit of time alone. The 15-20 minutes were perfect to take in the moment but quick enough that we didn’t lose momentum or feel like we were missing out on anything.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is backing yourself so much as a couple that you want to make it legally binding, even though you both already know it’s forever.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Eight Days a Week by The Beatles
Recessional: You’re My Best Friend by Queen
Reception entry and first dance: Sunny by Boney M (we entered to a full dance floor, slow dancing is not for us).
Funny stories or near disasters.
Poor Brenton turned up to the ceremony to find we had no furniture. Apparently, the truck from the hire company (who I won’t name) had broken down. It was fine, Glasshaus had a few chairs for family, and the rest of our guests stood. It actually worked out for the best as we needed standing space undercover for the cocktail hour as it was raining. Unfortunately, this truck also had our reception furniture. It ended up turning up ten minutes before guests were due to arrive, and the entire Fourside catering team were laying tables and lighting candles like crazy and set the whole thing up in ten minutes. Absolute heroes, no one was any the wiser, including us.
The torrential rain and extreme humidity were also not exactly what we planned, but I love the photos of us in the rain so much.
Planning surprises.
Stationery! Menus, drinks menus, seating charts, name cards, table numbers, there’s so much! And you sort of need to leave it to the last minute to have your final guest list sorted (particularly in the middle of an Omnicron outbreak). I was super glad I opted for a local stationery supplier as I did need a few reprints and just picked them up in person. Facebook Marketplace is also awesome for sourcing things like easels and table number holders last minute.
Words of wisdom.
Pick your vendors carefully! For us, this meant picking people based on their previous work along with recommendations from friends and other vendors. But, it was also important that some of them had worked together before to make sure things ran smoothly. It was also a huge priority that we got along! They’re going to be such a huge part of your day, and Brenton and I ‘vibe checked’ every element of the wedding. We were so selective with our guest list, so we wanted our vendors to be people we’d also be happy to have there on the day. We also had so much trust that they understood what we wanted from them, so that really eliminated any nerves. It’s amazing to watch people do what they’re good at, and all our vendors just nailed it.
I think it’s easy to get overwhelmed and to feel more stressed or overwhelmed than excited about the big day. Covid really helped us be grateful that we even got to have the day that we’d hoped for. Don’t sweat the small stuff! As long as you’re both there with your nearest and dearest, you’ll have the most wonderful day.
The adage goes that in order to break the rules, you need to understand them first. So when it comes to wedding planning, let us help you with a comprehensive guide to all the planning elements – so you can be like Lisa and Brenton, and choose which to make your own!
BRENTON & LISA’S VENDORS
Ceremony venue: Glasshaus Outside. A client told me about Glasshaus when we were discussing our hypothetical dream weddings years and years ago. I came home and stalked every photo I could on wedding blogs and was instantly obsessed. We both love Richmond, and I work around the corner, so it just felt right.
Reception venue: Glasshaus Inside
Celebrant: Sophie Cleary – we booked Sophie as she married one of my best friends, and I remember her being the perfect mix of lighthearted but personal and intimate. She curated a ceremony that felt really personal and romantic while still feeling casual.
Photography: Elsa Campbell Photography. Elsa is a total wizard. At times she was totally invisible, but then she was also forcing us into pretty lighting and making us look amazing when she needed to. As two people who sort of dreaded having our photos taken, she couldn’t have surprised and delighted us more with the photos she produced and the positive vibes she brought.
Florist: Glasshaus
Hair: Sharah from Harlen Hair – I booked Sharah because I’d worked a number of weddings with her before, and she’s just so quick, efficient and lovely.
Make-up: I did this myself because it’s what I do! Lisa Morts Make-up.
The dresses: Ceremony – Lennox Gown, Chosen by Kyha. Reception – Cara Gown, Prea James Bridal, purchased from Bluebell Bridal.
Shoes: Loeffler Randall
Rings: Louise Jean – Lisa’s engagement and wedding band, and Brenton’s wedding ring.
Suit: Trunk Tailors – These guys were so cool, chill and really quick and responsive. It was such an easy experience, and I will never get over how good-looking Brenton looked in that suit.
Tie & shoes: Gucci
Catering: Fourside Events. Fourside came recommended by Glasshaus, and we could not have been happier with them. The food was beautiful, they were so flexible with their packages and offering, and Katie was just so organised and energised on the day. Not to mention them saving the day when they had no furniture and hiding it so flawlessly we didn’t find out until the end of the night. Katie totally went above and beyond and ran the show on the day, and we’re so thankful.
Bar: We opted for the provide your own package with Fourside Events, which meant we curated all of our favourite wines, beers, seltzers and cocktails, and our guests bloody loved it.
Cake: We did Choc Pops from Piccolina Gelateria instead of cake. A handful of guests picked them up on the walk from the ceremony to the reception.
Stationery / Signage: Paperlust
Entertainment: Unplugged Entertainment. We booked Jack and Jordan because they played at one of our friend’s weddings, and we were so impressed by their ability to keep the dancefloor pumping.
Décor: Tealights from Ikea, Diptyque Citronelle candles from MECCA.
Hire: (won’t name them as I talked about our slight furniture fail)
Honeymoon: Brisbane, Noosa, Port Douglas, and Adelaide (a jumble of rebooked Covid trips).
Dog accessories: Lead and collar by Nice Digs, flowers by Glasshaus.
