Real Wedding – Bryony & Oscar, Richmond VIC
With fun over perfection central to the wedding day ethos for Bryony and Oscar, their celebration is a kaleidoscope of sweet emotion, genuinely effortless romance and effervescent fun.
But none of this comes at the cost of style – leaning into the striking setting of Butler Lane and choosing to enhance rather than overpower their surrounds makes for a day that feels intentionally elegant and freshly chic.
Wanting to honour her late Mum through her dress design, Bryony worked with the brilliant Luci Di Bella to weave the feel of her mother’s dress into Bryony’s gorgeous gown. The result is one beautifully personal and stunning silhouette – timeless, modern and imbued with meaning.
Scroll on to see every joy-filled moment of this dreamy day through the poetic lens of Jess Nicholls.
The meeting.
We’ve known each other for years. We had a lot of mutual friends through school but met officially on a night out in 2013 and then reconnected playing football at the same club in 2017. We were friends for a few years and began dating in 2020.
The one.
There was no specific moment for either of us. We had known each other for a long time and always got along really well, we loved spending time together and made each other laugh, and we slowly became one another’s favourite person.
The proposal.
We were staying in a 7th-century tower in Tuscany. It had been raining the whole first day, and that morning, the sun finally came out. Oscar convinced me begrudgingly – I wanted to sit by the pool and enjoy the limited sunshine – to go take a photo to send to our families from the rooftop (I should’ve twigged here because he hates photos, but somehow I didn’t and I grumbled about it the whole time). While he pretended to set up a self-timer photo with the view in the background, he switched it to video and asked me to marry him on top of the tower overlooking the vineyards of Tuscany.
Planning process.
The wedding planning process is extremely overwhelming, and once you start looking at wedding content, it really takes over your algorithm. We found that the best approach for us was to work out what style and aesthetic we were after, and then find vendors within our price range who could help us achieve it. Sites like Ivory Tribe are a lifesaver because it’s so easy to get lost in all the content and research, so having one place where you can go to compare styles and vendors saves a lot of energy. I also found scrounging the Instagram accounts of wedding photographers helpful, as you can easily compare things like floral arrangements and bridesmaid dresses and see what you like!
Style inspiration.
We didn’t have anything specific in mind going into the planning process, so we used Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok to research different styles and ideas. We ultimately decided clean, classic and understated suited us best as a couple. We spoke to lots of vendors and found a few that matched our aesthetic and whose approach resonated with us. We both hate making big decisions, so we took inspiration from the social media accounts of our chosen vendors, and we let them help guide a lot of the decision-making process.
We aimed to design a ‘fun’ day rather than a perfect, fairytale wedding. For us, that meant keeping things simple and designing a day that we were going to enjoy, rather than a day that followed a traditional wedding script. For example, we did a first look and photos prior to the ceremony so we could enjoy the post-ceremony buzz with our friends and family, rather than racing off for photos. We also chose to give our speech first at the reception to get it out of the way, so we could enjoy the night without more public speaking looming over us!
In terms of styling, our venue had a stunning courtyard with a big green ivy wall, and a converted warehouse-style interior which didn’t need much to make it perfect. We kept the outdoor florals to a minimum because the space really didn’t need them, and instead committed the florist’s energy and most of our floral budget to the reception area.
Having a laid-back approach worked perfectly for us – we went into the day knowing things likely wouldn’t go perfectly, which meant when something went wrong, we didn’t let it upset us or ruin the moment!
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was more perfect than we could have imagined – it was definitely one of our favourite parts of the day!
We did things a little differently and had Oscar’s sister Pepi perform the role of “celebrant”. It was perfect; she spoke so well and was able to give the ceremony a much more intimate, personal feeling because she could weave her own personal experiences with us into the ceremony. It also helped us both feel more calm, because it somehow felt a little less formal than having a professional celebrant who we’d only met a handful of times. It also allowed us to be more involved in the whole process, which we both enjoyed.
We also had an official celebrant present to do all the legal stuff to make sure we were actually married! And Stef was amazing, she gave us so much help and direction on how best to structure the ceremony and was more than happy to offer advice and guidance to Pepi, which was a huge comfort.
Finally, we had our pup Boston at the ceremony as the ring bearer, who excitedly charged down the aisle with the rings tied to his collar (risky, but just the way we wanted it!)
The outfits.
I tried on quite a few different dresses at different boutiques to get an idea of what suited me best, but found that the strapless styles I preferred were generally either too simple or too extravagant for me, and for our venue. I had been recommended Luci Di Bella by a few friends and decided to go speak with her. Luci was amazing – I tried on a few different dresses before deciding on a style that we both agreed suited me best. She really seemed to understand me and my personal style, and helped me design a dress that was timeless and classic without being too simple.
My mother passed away 364 days before my wedding, and I always loved the simplicity and timelessness of her wedding dress (which was unfortunately lost to time). It was hard going through that process without Mum, but Luci was incredible, and I spoke to her about Mum a lot throughout the process. With lots of guidance from Luci about what worked with the fabric and what suited my body, I was able to use my Mum’s dress as inspiration to design a wedding dress that felt contemporary and elegant and true to me.
Oscar’s suit was easy, but the harder part was picking the dress code first! While we wanted an informal wedding, we also agreed that black tie suited the venue perfectly – so a dinner suit it was. Once we decided this, the rest was easy – his suit was made by Oscar Hunt, and their consultants were really helpful in assisting us to decide what tailoring best suited Oscar.
Favourite moments.
Other than just spending the day with our closest family and friends, there were two parts that stood out for us.
Firstly, our vows. Bryony, in particular, is a pretty nervous public speaker and had a bit of anxiety around this, but we were both blown away by the feeling during the vows. Despite all the people around it, there was an amazing feeling like it was just the two of us, speaking to each other, with no one else around.
Our other favourite bits were the quiet moments you get to spend with each other. Be it in between photos, at the signing table, or before you enter the reception – the moments when it was just us two, taking it all in, were really special.
Meaning of marriage.
God, what a question. Honestly, we weren’t super caught up on the whole marriage thing. We love each other deeply and love our life, and certainly would’ve been happy to just go along as de facto partners without getting married, but neither of us are big celebrators – we both barely bother to celebrate milestone birthdays – so we figured, why not celebrate this together! How many opportunities in life do you have to get all your favourite people in one place to celebrate something as special and joyful as love. We were committed to each other forever, regardless of the wedding, but it was just such a special opportunity to bring our families and friendship groups together, and officially make that commitment to one another. People also make more of an effort to be there for weddings, so it was the perfect excuse to force everyone in from interstate, too!
We’re so happy we did it! It was the most incredible day either of us could have imagined and it was a great opportunity to sincerely thank our family and friends who supported us so much, not just through our relationship, but in shaping who we are as people, and it’s not very often in life when you get the chance to truly acknowledge how grateful you are to the people around you.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Shania Twain – From This Moment On
Reception entry: Gala – Freed From Desire
First dance: Frankie Valli – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Funny stories (or near disasters).
No disasters, but a couple of close calls.
Oscar got ready with his groomsmen at our house and, despite having all morning free, was running late for the photos! When he got there, he realised he’d forgotten his bowties, so a couple of the groomsmen had to drive back to our house and get them while he borrowed one of their bowties for our portraits.
We loved having our dog Boston as our ring-bearer, but he’s 40kg and is a bit of a weird mixed breed, and he has a scruffy little beard that carries dirt EVERYWHERE. Keeping him clear of the white dress was a challenge, especially because he was so excited to see us at the end of the aisle!
Planning surprises.
The time! Especially in the week before the wedding. We were engaged for 17 months, which felt like plenty of time, and I thought we were on top of everything, but that week before the wedding was absolutely manic. Between appointments, ensuring everything and everyone was where they needed to be, and last-minute contingencies, it feels like you hardly get a second just to relax!
Words of wisdom.
Just enjoy it! It’s so easy to put pressure on yourself to have the “perfect wedding”, but at the end of the day, your wedding should be the best day of your life. Do what makes you and your partner happy, and if you’re enjoying yourselves, everyone else will have fun too! Remember, your guests won’t remember the smaller details, they’ll remember the atmosphere and the energy, so have fun and try not to stress the small stuff.
Love Bryony and Oscar’s inner Melbourne backdrops? Save our selection of Melbourne’s best wedding venues for some of our favourite locations that make for stunning photography and the ultimate celebrations.
BRYONY & OSCAR’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Butler Lane by Peter Rowland Group – they were amazing! It is such a beautiful venue, hidden away in the heart of Richmond. We’re still obsessed with the gorgeous courtyard, and because it’s Peter Rowland, you know the food and the service is going to be impeccable.
Celebrant: Stephanie Clark (The Melbourne Celebrant) & Pepi Hosking (The Groom’s sister). Again, Stef was incredible – we couldn’t recommend her highly enough. I actually came across Stef because she officiated my sister’s wedding, and she did an amazing job. Because we knew we wanted Pepi to do our ceremony, I was a bit apprehensive about approaching Stef, but she was so understanding and accommodating, and went out of her way to make sure the ceremony was absolutely perfect, even though she wasn’t the one conducting it.
Photography: Jess Nicholls. Jess has actually photographed two weddings I’ve been involved in before, and both times she was AMAZING! She made the whole wedding party feel relaxed and joked around with us, which really helped get the most natural photos. Oscar doesn’t love having his photo taken, and I knew he’d be awkward in front of the camera, so I immediately knew Jess was going to be the best person to get him to relax and smile properly for a photo (or a few thousand of them..)! We absolutely loved working with Jess, she was extremely helpful in suggesting great photo locations near our venue, and how to make the most of the natural light. I’ve been a bridesmaid for a few weddings now, and Jess is far and away the best photographer I’ve worked with, and I couldn’t recommend her highly enough!
Florist: Lucy Loves Charlie Flowers. We found Lucy Loves Charlie just by contacting local florists and asking for quotes, rather than going through one of the big commercial florists, who I found to be a bit dismissive. Juliette was so helpful! I was really all over the place with my floral vision, and couldn’t decide what I wanted, but she was so patient and helped us create a vision board based on seasonal blooms, which really helped me narrow down on a style. The team did an incredible job – the flowers were more beautiful than I ever expected, and they were unbelievably well priced compared to other quotes we got!!
Hair: Monique Ringeri. Monique was great! I found her just through a random Instagram search, and I’m so glad I did! I knew I wanted a slick bun and found one on her page that she’d done previously, and which I loved. Not only did she perfect my hair, but she also nailed the requests of all my bridesmaids! She’s so friendly and was a wonderful, calming presence on the morning.
Make-up: Claire Gourlay. I found Claire through an enquiry with Tonic, and she was fantastic! I’m not great at articulating what make-up look I’m after, but Claire was really accommodating to all my requests and feedback, and made suggestions based on my colouring and bone structure which was so helpful and felt comforting to know I was in good hands! Claire is really relaxed and easy to talk to and was another really calming presence on a very chaotic morning.
The dress: Luci Di Bella. I found Luci after recommendations from a few friends, and I’m so happy I did! She is incredible at what she does, she’s highly knowledgeable, and I absolutely loved her approach. I had a few trials before I committed to going with Luci (I’m indecisive), but she was never pushy or rude, and offered really helpful suggestions and feedback, which made the whole process so much more enjoyable. I’ve recommended Luci to all my engaged friends and truly could not speak more highly of my experience working with her.
Shoes: Tony Bianco. I just wanted something simple and comfortable and not too expensive since my my dress covered them anyway!
Rings: JGS Jewellers & William Edouard. John from JGS came as a recommendation from a few of my married friends, and he was wonderful! He’s been in the business for ages and is super knowledgeable, his turnaround times are quick, and he was much more affordable than the quotes I got from more commercial jewellers. Williams Edouardo were great too. Oscar didn’t really know what he wanted, and they were super helpful in helping him decide what suited him and his lifestyle best. They were even able to personalise Oscar’s ring, which was nice!
Suits: Groom – Oscar Hunt
Stationery / Signage: Officeworks DIY! It does add a bit of stress, but it’s really cheap and was super easy once I figured everything out!
Transport: Uber – haha – we were maybe a bit too relaxed here!
Honeymoon: Europe August 2025
