Real Wedding - Daniel & Katy, Fitzroy VIC

May 6, 2024 In Real Weddings, Red, Urban, Victoria By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Daniel & Katy, Fitzroy VIC

Lush, saturated tones, cosy vibes and vivacious glam were the style notes for Katy and Daniel’s wonder-filled wedding. With a brief to lean into Katy’s mid-2000s emo era and embrace the drama of a mid-winter wedding, the style was bold, epic, and elegant and the feelings vibrant to match. A sense of warmth, enfolding community and a swept-up feeling of effortless romance permeates every stunning snap of this gorgeous day, captured by photographer Madeleine Kate.

Florist extraordinaire Elle of Love Alfalfa realised Katy’s mood board to perfection – taking the rich scarlet and vermillion hues and adding layers of architectural form to create a sumptuous vision, interspersed with decadent fruits and sleek glass candleholders to elevate the overall effect into the contemporary.

Katy chose a strikingly stunning gown by Georgia Young couture, perfectly encompassing the themes of throw-back dramatic sophistication and soft, effortless romance in a gently draped off-shoulder gown with chic split. Accessorised with Katy’s bold red lip and truly effervescent smile, it was a dazzling effect. Daniel looked every bit a dapper gentlemen in his classic black sit and bow tie by Institchu.

As the party vibes ramped up a notch with One More Song DJs behind the decks, Katy switched out her fresh white gown for a dance floor friendly sequin number, perfect to party the night away.

For a dream day with a strikingly stunning aesthetic style, scroll on.

The meeting.

We are a workplace love story. We worked together for nearly three years before anything happened and can both honestly say our romantic feelings snuck up and surprised us both. All of a sudden, our after-work drinks were increasingly more frequent and extra fun. A few cheeky pashes later, and the rest is history.

The ‘one’.

The first time Daniel cooked for me, he put in so much sweet effort, and his nerves were showing. It was then, amidst the clinking of cutlery and the warm glow of candlelight, that I knew I was a goner. It was (and still is) the kind of relationship where we could spend entire weekends talking in bed. It was just so easy and natural from the get-go.

The proposal.

Daniel got down on one knee on Christmas morning while we were walking our dog on the beach in Torquay. I’m easily embarrassed and was grateful that he did what he could to keep my blush subdued. The dog started pooping behind Daniel halfway through his proposal, which to me, was the height of romance. Thanks, Rusty!

Planning process.

We had a one-year-old, which, in retrospect, may have been a blessing. It forced our approach to wedding planning to be relaxed because it could never really be our top priority.

I’m guilty of having a taste for the dramatic (and Daniel is generous in that he let me lead), and this sparked our first planning item – to have our wedding in the most dramatic season (winter).

Style inspiration.

Once ‘dramatic winter’ was chosen, all decisions flowed easily. Our venue had to bring some drama, be weatherproof and be easy to get to. I wanted to channel aspects of my 2006 emo-leaning ways with high-contrast classic colours: reds, blacks and whites. Daniel looks *chefs kiss* in a black suit which was very convenient for the theme.

The candles, cosy feel and saturated colours were heavily influenced by decadent Christmas table settings on Pinterest. Luckily, we had the most amazing florist in the world (Elle) who took our messy inspiration points and turned them into something wonderful.

I was often lost in ‘winter table setting’ tag searches on Pinterest. I looked at Vogue a lot; I specifically loved the Berlin-based stylist Rachael Rodgers’s wedding – she made it to our mood board. Ivory Tribe was a great resource for looking through photographer’s styles. It’s overwhelming in the beginning so resources like this really help you crack the first step.

While we were leaning into the drama, we didn’t want to take ourselves too seriously, and we wanted a happy wedding that was authentic to who we are. I wanted to be caught ugly laughing in multiple photos. I wanted our happiness and sense of humour to shine and to look at our wedding photos and see us. Our photographer, Madeline Kate, stood out for her skills in capturing that lightness.

The ceremony.

Daniel and I lived together with the aforementioned child (another is on the way now) before our wedding, so we liked the symbolism of walking into marriage together, which is why we entered the room and walked down the aisle hand-in-hand.

We also wanted the ceremony itself to feel authentic. We were lucky that a friend who is a celebrant offered to cover the legal requirements of the ceremony while my brother (Luke) took on the role as our performative celebrant mouthpiece. Luke did an awesome job. He is close with both Daniel and me and was there as a confidant for both of us throughout our courting, so he was able to relive it all in great, gory detail.

The look.

I knew straight away that the Georgia Young Cobalt dress was the one for me. It had all the elegance and special feelings of a gown, but slits and sexiness that offered a little more fun. It gave me the opportunity to feel like a bride while still feeling like me.

My second dress was purchased due to anticipated boogie demands (which were more than met). I wanted something special (see: sequins) that I didn’t have to worry about and ideally facilitated a great twirl.

Daniel wore a custom-tailored black suit from Institchu. We liked the classic black. He looked so handsome (no wonder we’ve got another baby on the way).

Favourite moments.

We asked our friends to give us privacy for ten minutes to just chat, check-in and watch our wedding. Kissing my handsome husband was also pretty great.

Meaning of marriage.

The answer to this has changed over time for me. The process of signing our names and sharing words of love in front of everyone we know hit deeper than I ever could have thought. The word commitment doesn’t really cover it, but knowing that Daniel signed himself away to me gave me more comfort and happiness than I could have ever hoped for. It’s romantic.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Love you so bad by Ezra Furman

Recessional: Can’t take my eyes off you by Frankie Valli

Reception entry: Don’t worry baby by Beach Boys’

First dance: Blue Moon by Sha Na Na into Drunk in Love (Remix) by Beyonce, Jay Z and Kanye West

Funny stories or near disasters.

Three very drunk uncles, my mother’s apartment flooding, moving into our new home the week of the wedding, and our daughter choosing not to sleep the night before – smooth sailing other than that!

Thankfully, I had a team of supportive bridesmaids who tackled any and all dramas and reminded me every day why I love them (ily).

Planning surprises.

I loved learning what putting our mark on a wedding can look like. Choosing what traditions mean something to you and then adding our flavour was a true delight.

Words of wisdom.

No matter what happens, it’s going to be perfect. To make the process fun, choose suppliers to trust and like for all the right reasons.

Not sure where to start when planning your wedding? We’ve got you. Check out our very own guide, Wedding Plans, to help you realise your vision and take the unknown out of your party process.

DANIEL & KATY’S VENDORS

Instagram was my number one resource for supplier hunting (looking at photographer’s different florists worked with and vice versa), recommendations from friends, and Ivory Tribe.

Ceremony & reception venue: Panama Dining, Fitzroy

Celebrant / Officiant: Christina Johns (legally) Luke (Performer).

Photography: Madeline Kate

Florist: Love Alfalfa

Hair: Krystal Ngoc

Make-up: Ellie Zuker Makeup

The dresses: Dress 1 – Georgia Young Couture, Cobalt Dress. Dress 2 – Blaiz, Astrid Silver Stars Sequin Dress.

Veil: Georgia Young Couture

Shoes: Asos

Rings: Vic Market (Engagement Ring is Rhys Turner)

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Aje, Petal & Pup, Realisation Par, Tussah, Pearl & Roses

Suits & bow ties / ties: InStitchu