Real Wedding – Cassandra & James, Fitzroy VIC

Bright, chic sophistication and unbridled inner-city fun in the sweetest of soirées is Cass and James’s dream day.

A little Harry accompanied Cass down the aisle, setting the tone for a scene bathed in a golden glow and sweet pops of watermelon pink against a backdrop of floral fronds in soft candy, apple cream and vibrant lavender.

Classic black suits cut to cast a dapper silhouette, and bridesmaids in elegant black gowns anchor the overall look in timeless elegance. Centre to it all is Cass in her gorgeous gown by ultra-talented designer Luci Di Bella. A contemporary cut with a modern all-over lace and floor-length veil combines classic grace with fresh contemporary feels to stunning effect.

As Cass and James exchange their I Do’s, the emotion is overwhelmingly infectious; it is obvious these two truly adore one another.

We love the fun-filled portrait session captured by photographer artiste Maegan Brown Moments. Scroll on to see the magic unfold.

The meeting.

We met in the early hours of the morning at a karaoke bar in Adelaide, where we are both from originally. Cass was on stage singing, soon after James asked for her number!

The one.

When James flew to Melbourne to see me only hours after returning from an international holiday to ‘drop my present off to me’. We had the best weekend in Melbourne together and knew that when it was time for him to leave, I didn’t want him to go.

The proposal.

On Christmas Eve we went down to some wineries in McLaren Vale with family. James surprised me with a night’s accommodation at Inkwell Winery and proposed that afternoon on the deck, overlooking the vineyards and some hopping kangaroos.

Planning process.

I knew I didn’t want a big fuss or for any part of it to be stressful. I mostly used Instagram to get ideas and as soon as I saw something I loved that felt relaxed and my vibe, I booked it immediately. The lead-up to the day was lovely, surrounded by friends and family travelling from interstate to celebrate with lots of long lunches, dinners and drinks!

Style inspiration.

Our idea was always to have good food, wine, and a dance floor that everyone loved! We basically just wanted a big party!

I loved looking at Instagram page of our venue to get ideas of vendors that were used to the venue and had been there before, so they would know how to style and what worked etc. I am a very visual person and made decisions quickly.

The ceremony.

Our ceremony was so special because we had our dog George run down the aisle before us. It gave us the best photos and memories to keep.

The outfits.

I think I tried on about 100 different dresses, all different styles. I quickly realised the styles I assumed I would end up wearing didn’t suit me at all and ended up with something completely different! I LOVED my dress, felt completely comfortable and natural and myself in it.

James chose to get his suits from a tailor that has its shop at the end of our street. We thought it was a nice touch and memory to have his suits made locally – they were fabulous classic suits.

Favourite moment.

Too many to choose – but being lifted on the shoulders of our guests for our final song, Florence and the Machine – You’ve Got the Love, is now a core memory I won’t forget!

Meaning of marriage.

The ultimate commitment and bonding of two families forever.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Watermelon Sugar High by Harry Styles

Reception entry: Homecoming by Kanye

First dance: Love is in the Air by John Paul Young.

When it comes to wedding gowns, there’s something about Luci Di Bella. The craftsmanship, creativity and care they show is second to none. We suggest you get to know them and take a peek at their stunning designs. 

CASSANDRA AND JAMES’ SUPPLIERS

Ceremony and reception venue: The Panama Dining Room, Fitzroy. Outstanding all-inclusive venue that made our lives easy. Amber was a delight to deal with in the lead-up and Wesley on the night.

Celebrant: Rob McLellan (Rob the Celebrant). What a guy! Relaxed, funny and made our ceremony so heartfelt and perfect.

Photography: Maegen Brown Moments. Where to start – Maegen is a true gem. She is exactly the energy you need on a day like your wedding. Maegen is super talented, relaxed, hilarious and brought the VIBES. She even had a speaker playing music while we were all off getting pics taken which was a great touch! I wish we could get married again so I could choose her another time. I will not stop recommending her to everyone I meet.

Videography: Ena Wedding Films. Elise was just as incredible! She took our direction of wanting the day to be very natural and relaxed and in no way set up/typical like lots of wedding films you can see these days. She made us both feel incredibly comfortable and we will 100% be recommending her. Maegen & Elise worked so well together and we would definitely recommend having them both!

Florist: North St Botanicals

Hair: Tonic Agency, Kim Travers. Kim & Eleanna on hair and makeup were INCREDIBLE. They really understood the styles we each wanted and we all loved their work. Our hair and makeup lasted all night!

Make-up: Tonic Agency, Eleanna Hingston

The dress and veil: Luci Di Bella. Luci is a dream, her nature made me feel right at home and no request was too much or too hard. I changed about a million tiny things on my dress until it was just right and Luci didn’t say no once! Her boutique in Armadale is so relaxing and not like many others around that can be very cramped and stressful.

Shoes: Country Road

Rings: Heirlooms & The Diamond Exchange. My engagement ring was a family heirloom and we had our weddings bands both created at the Diamond Exchange in Melbourne.

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Rachel Gilbert

Suits & bow ties / ties: P Johnson, Windsor

Catering and bar: The Panama Dining Room

Favors: HD Foods, Chilli Oil with personalised sticker lids. This was a fantastic gift for guests as they all took them home and are still raving madly about them!

Cake: Miss Trixie Drinks Tea – her cakes speak for themselves. They are the MOST delicious but also look phenomenal.

Stationery / Signage: Ink Hearts Paper. Great service and the product was amazing. We had many compliments on our invites!

Entertainment: Get Harry on Sax (Harry Cooper Music), Maya Vice Music. This was probably the best music/entertainment decision we could have made – Harry & Maya completely killed us on the dance floor. It was the best; I woke up the next morning completely sore from what felt like an entire body workout the night before. Their energy was outrageous and they kept us and all our guests on the dance floor for the entire night!