Real Wedding – Dani & Dan, Fingal VIC

 

 

Dani Wales and Dan Reilly became Aussie household names after their work on Channel Nines The Block, and given their eye for style and detail on the building front – it’s no surprise their fabulous Fingal wedding was also a feast for the senses.

Set on a luxurious private property, the pair brought a touch of the Mediterranean to their special day, through thoughtfully selected food, drink and styling – resulting in the party of a lifetime.

Dani looked flawless in her custom Capellazzo Couture gown and despite some small hiccups – a groomsman took an oyster shell to the eye and groom Dan got so ‘low’ on the dance floor, there may have been a split pants situation – it was a day and night to remember.

This dream day is a doozy – all captured by the brilliant Beck Rocchi.

In Dani’s words…

The meeting.

Dan and I met at a mutual friends birthday party in London almost 10 years ago. We were both living there at the time.

 

The ‘one’.

I’m not sure to be honest… We’re both fairly cruisy with things like that and I think the moment you stop thinking about other people is probably the time when you realize the other person is your person. Having been together almost 10 years that moment was quite some time ago now haha.

 

The proposal.

Dan is not the romantic type so had it been some big romantic gesture I would have been onto him right away. So he planned a very intimate dinner at Dinner by Heston in Melbourne and he proposed just before desert. We are both foodies so it was the perfect setting. I also LOVE the flames that go off along the front of Crown on the water so I found it all very beautiful. The wait staff had been clued in, but only one other table actually saw the proposal, which meant it was very private and personal. Perfect really.

 

The process.

What was the inspiration behind the style of your wedding? I had desperately wanted to get married in Italy, however it was proving a tough one cost wise for certain members of my family so we decided to get married on the Mornington Peninsula but bring a little Mediterranean into the day with our food, beverages and overall vibe.

 

The dress.

I’ve been lucky enough to wear some amazing designers on the Logies red carpet so I knew the style of dress that would suit my body best and also had an idea on fabric. In addition to this, I always knew I wanted to wear a custom Cappellazzo Couture gown. There’s really nothing like wearing a dress that was made especially for you… it fit me like a glove! Booking my first appointment with Sonia was actually the first thing I did, before we set a date haha.

 

Favourite moments.

There are so many it’s almost hard to choose. I think though walking down the aisle with my dad losing it, to my future husband who was also losing it. I was so incredibly calm and together for the day I didn’t cry at this time but I was able to really take in the emotion from both of them and it made me so, so happy. I’ll treasure that memory.

 

Meaning of marriage.

Neither Dan nor I have been a big believer in marriage. I feel it’s become incredibly commercial and often rushed into without much thought or as a way to fix a relationship that might not be quite right. I think now though, I feel incredibly lucky to be Dan’s wife and to experience the love I did on the day is something everyone should have the opportunity to experience. Nothing about our lives has changed, but there has been a shift in our connection. Almost every facet of our lives is connected so to formally connect as husband and wife has been very nice.  Think the timing was finally right.

 

Wedding soundtrack.

I walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of Benny Benassi “Cinema” sung live by Sean Marchetti. We walked back down the aisle to “September” and into our marquee to “A little party never killed nobody” by Fergie.

We also had a live saxophonist at that time so it was super fun and all of our guests were up dancing. We chose not to have a first dance; however there were some solid old school RnB bangers going on that caused Dan to split his pants while attempting a booty drop of some sort.

 

Funny stories (or near disasters).

Not really. Although we were all over the weather like hawks given our engagement party literally that weekend the year before, was almost a washout. We also had a family member miss two flights and then the same family was 30 mins late to the ceremony, lucky everyone had a glass of champagne in hand though otherwise there may have been a few unhappy campers haha. Also one of Dan’s groomsmen copped an oyster shell to the head the night before which cause a decent open wound. It was nothing a little concealer couldn’t hide though.

 

Planning surprises.

The cost! Both Dan and I were quite bitter during much of the process at the sheer cost of everything. We travel a lot so always thought “imagine the holiday we could have!” but when the day came those feelings disappeared very quickly and we’ve both said how worth the expense it was.

 

Words of wisdom.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. I hear some horror stories of couples who get caught up in relatively unimportant minor details and it makes me sad. Enjoy the day, breathe it in, and practice mindfulness so you can really appreciate each moment rather than mentally rushing ahead to the next. Also remember that it’s your day so don’t let anyone tell you what you should and shouldn’t do.

 

Last words.

Don’t go broke trying to impress people (I hear it all too often) and only invite the people you really want to be there.

 

 

Unsure of where to start with planning your big day? Invest in our wedding planning book Bride Business and she will show you the way.

Private property weddings, we love them! Check out Emily and Zac’s Bendigo bash here. 

 

DAN & DANI’S TRIBE

Ceremony venue / location: Private venue in Fingal on the Mornington Peninsula.

Reception venue / location: As above.

Celebrant/Officiant: The fantabulous Brodie Young.

Photography: Beck Rocchi – LEGEND!

Videography: Scott Baker at Cyan Wolves – LEGEND!

Styling: A Combination of me, Superbloom, and our unbelievable caterer Provider.

Florist: Superbloom.

Hair: Boda

Make Up: Tess Holmes

The Dress: Cappellazzo Couture

Veil / head wear: Cappellazzo Couture

Shoes: Jimmy Choo via Net-a-porter

Rings: Dani by Charles Rose, Dan by Blue Nile

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Rebecca Vallance via The Outnet

Grooms suit: Joe Black – Styled by Ramzy

Grooms Shoes: Prada

Bow ties / ties: Joe Black

Catering: Provider

Favors: Hydrodol

Cake / Cake topper: No cake – We had a gelato by Vespas Mornington and cupcakes by Cupcake Central.

Stationery / Signage: State of Elliott

Entertainment: Sean Marchetti

Transport: No bridal party transport, however we hired golf carts to transport guests from the front gate to the main house (around 500m). They were hired through ADE Turf.

Décor: DANN Event & Havwoods International (timber flooring for the marquee)

Hire: DANN Event & Peninsula Party Hire

Honeymoon: Yet to be decided haha but most likely an extended trip to the US in August/September 2019.

Other: What a F*cking EPIC day!!!