Real Wedding – Claire & Berin, Melbourne VIC
Claire and Berin combined their love for a black tie affair with the magic of a sweet garden celebration, resulting in a sophisticated and lively party to mark their first moments as husband and wife.
They called upon their individual strengths and a host of local talent to create the day of their dreams, and some of their most memorable moments include Claire taking to the aisle, and the inclusion of their nearest and dearest.
SB Creative was on hand to capture every minute of this day, a celebration of a couple who has lived a full life and seen the world side by side, but who in one another will always find home.
In their words…
The meeting.
We met on a night out over the Queens’ birthday long weekend. Claire was out with one of her girlfriends. Berin, was supposed to meet some friends there that night and after walking by not wanting to go up, made a snap decision to go upstairs. There he found Claire and her friend Laura struggling to open the door to the bar. He opened the door for them, and the rest as they say is history.
The ‘one’.
Claire: I can’t narrow it down to one moment. But after moving in with Berin, the times I am happiest with him is when we are just being us doing normal day to day things.
Berin: Claire has a vivacious personality and a thirst for life’s experiences, but when I found a friend that I equally enjoy doing life’s mundane with, I knew I found ‘her’.
The proposal.
Claire: We had planned to surprise Berin’s best friend (and soon-to-be best man) in England for his birthday. Berin and I had travelled so many places together, but have never been to the most romantic city of them all, Paris. Berin told me that he had it all sorted. Our first afternoon in Paris Berin took me to Hotel Particulier in Montmartre (the old home of Hermes) where he had booked out the garden restaurant for a private picnic. He must have been nervous, because as soon as champagne arrived, he took my hand and asked me to be his wife.It was the most amazing start to our holiday. We spent the rest of the afternoon drinking champagne at a rooftop in Paris.
The process.
We had quite a long engagement which meant we had plenty of time to do things. We are very different, as Claire makes quick decisions and Berin likes to take his time. This was the perfect combination when it came to planning the
wedding to make sure everything was perfect.
The last few weeks were stressful, but we were lucky to have a handful of individuals who provided us with so much support. Having a brother who worked in the industry made our life a lot easier.
Style inspiration.
Our theme was black tie garden party. We both love dressing up but love the softness and magic that comes with a garden wedding. We wanted the evening to transition to a sophisticated seated dinner, black tie, live jazz, and cocktails, inspired by metropolitan city living.
Favourite moments.
Claire: There are too many to narrow it down to one. There were a lot of special moments throughout the day that I will cherish forever. We included many of our family members in our day which I absolutely loved. My eldest brother played the piano at the ceremony and for our first dance, while the other brother married us (he actually became a celebrant just for our wedding). Our mums were our witnesses and our sisters were involved in the ceremony.
It was also incredibly special to me having my mum and uncle walk me down the aisle.
The part of the day that made me the happiest was reaching the end of the aisle, and being able to hug Berin for the first time that day.
Berin: Without question, seeing Claire for the first time on the day, beginning to walk down the aisle. I was stunned to see how amazing she looked, and I immediately lost composure. I cried and gasped at the same time, which came out as a loud snort! Luckily no one was watching me!
Meaning of marriage.
Claire: I am so lucky to have married my best friend, and my soul mate. Marriage for me officially marked the day we began our journey as one. Since being married, through the ups and downs, I never forget the importance of saying ‘I do’ to one another.
Berin: Partnership. Walking hand and hand through life together, helping each other over obstacles, consoling and comforting the other when needed, while enjoying the triumphs, joys and and all the laughs along the way. While marriage brings two together to live as one, keeping one’s own self is important. I fell in love with Claire, and I cherish the things that make her her.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Perfect (sung live in English and Italian)
Recessional: My Girl
Reception entry: I say a little prayer for you
First Dance: Dream a little, Dream of me
Last Song: Simply the Best
Funny stories.
The groom struggling to tie his bow tie immediately before the ceremony! Traditional bow ties have more gravitas and look great untied right at the end of an evening, but nervous hands, rusty skills, and time pressure didn’t help! Luckily he was rescued by his now sister in law, who was the bow tie expert at University – a skill that apparently made her a popular party goer!
Planning surprises.
The way the time accelerated and rushes past in the last months! While planning is required at the start, it’s a slower process, and lots of decisions can’t be made early. At the end, the amount of planning detail increases massively and it all happens at once!
Words of wisdom.
Enjoy every step – enjoy champagne and include your family and friends in all the special moments.
Invest time and money in capturing memories. Know and communicate what outcome you want from your photographer, and consider strongly a videographer.
Don’t loose sight of what it’s all about!
A city soiree, is that your jam? Check out some of our top picks of Melbourne wedding venues here.
CLAIRE AND BERIN’S TRIBE
Ceremony venue / location: Gardens House, Botanical Gardens, Melbourne
Reception venue / location: Alto Event Space, Melbourne
Celebrant/Officiant: Ryan Deery (bride’s brother)
Photography: SB Creative – There are no words to describe the beautiful soul of SB Creative, Skye. She added so much spark and joy into our day, we will forever be grateful. Our photos were absolutely everything we wanted – and more.
Videography: Duuet
Styling: Own styling, with help of bride’s brother Ryan Deery
Florist: Florian Florist, Toorak. Leigh was so easy to deal with. After one quick meeting and a few emails, Leigh created everything we had dreamed of.
Hair: Celeste Jackson – The queen of hair, Claire wouldn’t let anyone else near her hair for the big day.
Make-up: Chantelle Baker / Abby Gilmore
The dress: Rosa Clara
Bride’s shoes: Dolci Firme
Rings: Renato Jewellers – Renato Jewellers and Berin designed and created Claire’s engagement ring. As family friends, it was so special working with Mauro and Marissa to choose our wedding bands also.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Mixed
Groomsmen’s suits: Hackett London
Bow ties / ties: Charles Tyrwhitt of London.
Catering: Alto Catering (Reception) and Short Batch Ice Cream Co. (Ceremony)
Favours: Donuts – Bistro Morgan. The Bride LOVES donuts. It made perfect sense to bring these out at the end of the night for all those looking for something sweet. Bistro Morgan did the most amazing job, choosing the flavours and design of the donuts (vegan options included!)
Cake : Butter Baking
Stationery / Signage: Olympia Collections
Entertainment: The Mad Hatters, Shannon Deery of Blue Train Entertainment and Liana Tafatu
Honeymoon: Mini moon – Elements, Byron Bay. Honeymoon Africa to come!
