Real Wedding – Danni & Leigh, South Melbourne VIC
It’s safe to say Danni and Leigh brought all the ‘wow’ when it came to their wedding and we can’t get enough!
While planning a wedding during a pandemic proved difficult at times, Danni and Leigh took it as an opportunity to refine their plans and what resulted was a wedding experience for their guests and themselves, like no other.
They began their day with a sensational ceremony, led by Ivory Tribe favourite Megan Thompson, with a lush green backdrop that complemented beautifully Leigh’s suave suit by YSG Tailors and Danni’s magnificent Kyha Studio’s gown. Megan had their guests laughing one moment, and crying the next as they exchanged their vows while their guests enjoyed a drink or two and relaxed in each others presence.
Taking the celebration to South Melbourne, their guests couldn’t believe the stunning signage, neon signs and fabulous florals that adorned the space, as they soaked up the atmosphere and hit the dance floor to the tunes of Baker Boys Band.
It was the celebration of a lifetime and one Danni and Leigh will never forget and lens legend, Kyra Boyer, captured every moment to perfection.
The meeting.
We met at a former workplace place back in 2008. Leigh had been at the company for a couple of years, and I was a naïve 20-year-old doing a Uni placement year. We were friends for a few years before we started dating. We do always joke that Rhianna’s lyrics ‘We found love in a hopeless place’ was written about us!
The ‘one’.
Danni: I don’t know (or remember) if there was an exact moment?! I just always remember feeling so loved around Leigh and quite quickly I just couldn’t have imagined my life without him in it.
Leigh: I honestly don’t think I can pinpoint the exact moment that I knew Dan was the one. I do know that it was very early in the relationship. Everything was just so easy with Danni, and it all felt so comfortable so quick. It sounds a bit corny to say, but I feel like I have been in love with her from day one.
The proposal.
We had planned to go to Tasmania to attend Dark Mofo with friends. While we were there we were planning to do a few things including going to MONA. On the day we were to go to MONA, everyone got really dressed up which I thought was a bit odd. So, I got dressed up too and put on a new hat I had bought thinking I was looking very ‘artsy’. Everyone kept telling me my outfit looked better without the hat – which I was just not having a bar of!
We arrived at MONA and out the front they had a huge trampoline. Of course, I had to go on it. Meanwhile, as I was distracted the ring was being slipped from one friend to Leigh and our other friend was getting ready to take some pictures. We had a few group pics together in front of the spectacular views and then Leigh said he wanted some photos of him and I. As we posed for pictures, Leigh had taken the ring out of his pocket and was holding it up to the side out of my sight line.
Once the pictures were finished, I turned to him, and he was down on one knee. I automatically started crying and I have no idea what he actually said to me! I remember saying ‘yes’ and then the crowd of people around us all cheered. The first thing I said to our friends was “why did you let me wear this dumb hat?!”
It was the best surprise in an amazing location. Leigh did a really good job orchestrating the plan and it is a moment that I will certainly never forget!
Planning process.
We were engaged in June of 2019 and wasted no time in starting the planning process. We knew that once we locked in the perfect venue we could really start to focus on the details. We love to travel for a wedding, but really wanted to do something different to the recent weddings we had been to and decided to keep ours in inner city Melbourne. We looked at a handful of venues and instantly fell in love with Half Acre in South Melbourne.
After this, we reached out to a friend that does some wedding planning and she was happy to work with us on all the details. This isn’t her current day job (so she would prefer to remain anonymous) but we were then lucky enough to tap into her network. One of the incredible people she introduced us to was Susie Jenkinson. Susie worked on the overall styling as well as the graphic design for the invites and on the day stationary. She has an amazing eye for detail and was an absolute dream to work with.
We obviously had to provide Susie with a brief and vision of what we wanted for the day so that meant many, many hours on social media, Pinterest and perusing wedding magazines. Our local newsagent got to know Leigh very well and would put all the new wedding magazines behind the counter for him to come and collect!
Then of course, covid hit and caused lots of havoc in our planning! Over the course of the process, we planned a wedding in each season and after 5 postponements, finally had a summer wedding. With every postponement, we added extra things and the little thing called ‘budget’ was well and truly blown!
Style inspiration.
Leigh and I work within the supply side of the events industry, so we felt a certain amount of pressure to ‘wow’ our guests. Weddings are certainly not our forte, but once the researching started, we saw that the possibilities were endless. Initially we were going for a dark and moody cigar bar vibe, however after the first postponement and many months of Melbourne lockdowns, we decided to reassess this and really shake things up. While we kept some of the elements, we changed the colour pallete completely and lots of our inspiration came from giving our guests an ‘experience’.
We knew from very early on that we somehow wanted to have the vibe of a cocktail wedding but still have beautifully styled tables. This led to the decision to have a separate ceremony venue and partly treat this as a cocktail party before the real party began! We decided on Glasshaus Inside in Cremorne as the greenery is just stunning for a ceremony backdrop, but also allowed for us to have The Prosecco Van inside to serve prosecco and beer to our guests, throughout and after the ceremony.
While we did want certain elements of our wedding to be classic – the number one criteria was that it had to be fun! If it was different, we wanted it and I think that was reflected in all the details throughout the day.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was so personal and well executed and that was all thanks to our fabulous celebrant Megan Thompson. Megan captured all the important parts of our story and ensured that our guests were engaged the whole time; whether that be laughing or shedding a tear. We particularly loved how she introduced / roasted the bridal party at the very start of the ceremony! It was so incredible to include them in the ceremony like that, as often the bridal party is overlooked. The venue also was a point of difference and made it feel special because it was so light and bright and allowed for such a relaxed atmosphere.
The outfits.
The dress process was exactly that, a process, and the part that I was least looking forward to. Not being a sample size, I was very nervous to go and try on dresses as I thought nothing would fit! I was actually pleasantly surprised by the amount of dresses, across different designers, that I could try on in my size and the experience started to become a bit more enjoyable after that.
I had always envisioned myself in something sparkly and dramatic and just assumed that it would have more of an a-line or ball gown silhouette. After trying these styles and not having much luck, I allowed for the stylists to start choosing dresses for me and the styles they were selecting better suited my body shape. I never imagined I would end up with a perfectly plain, fitted dress, but we still managed to capture some drama in the front at the bottom as well as extending the train.
By having a more classic dress, it meant that I could really go bold with my accessories and shoes. The shoes were a nod to my great grandmother (Gramma O) who I am sure I inherited my love for sequins and all things glam from! I was able to wear her engagement ring on my pinky finger on the day which was very special and ticked off my ‘something old’ and ‘borrowed’.
Leigh from the beginning knew that he wanted to compliment the groomsmen’s black tux’s, but he also wanted to have a jacket that would set him apart. He tried on coloured styles, velvet styles and patterned styles across a variety of different designers and nothing was hitting the mark for him. We then discovered YSG Tailors on Instagram and instantly fell in love with their vibe. Their style of tailoring and showing a bit of ankle really worked for Leigh’s vision. Leigh decided on a black brocade pattern as the base for his jacket and was able to customize all of the other elements, with the lining being one of this favorite choices.
Favourite moment.
Danni: There were so many ‘best bits’ but the ceremony was extra special with my dad walking me down the aisle after having a health scare the week before, followed by Leigh’s vows that absolutely blew me away. Seeing the styling in the reception space for the first time and our first dance which we really worked hard on! It’s been so fun hearing all our guest favorite parts and re-living the day with our favorite people.
Leigh: Watching Dan walk down the aisle will be ingrained in my brain forever but also looking around on the day and seeing our families and friends all mingling so seamlessly despite all not knowing each other. How everything went ahead as planned despite the setbacks leading up to it and the Best Man speech by Ash, that was certainly something! I do have to mention that seeing my new wife up on a couch with a microphone singing ‘Teenage Dirt Bag’ with the band, was also a pretty spectacular moment!
Meaning of marriage.
Danni: Making a commitment to your best friend, always having someone in your corner to have your back and most importantly, doing life with the one that you love, building memories together.
Leigh: Marriage to me means being there for the other person. Staying with that person through thick and thin and supporting them with whatever it is they need. Marriage means together forever!!
Wedding soundtrack.
Pre Ceremony Entry: 20th Century Fox Fanfare by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
We really wanted to set the tone for the whole day by making our guests laugh from the get go! It also eased our nerves and lightened the mood, right before the bridesmaids and ring bearer walked down the aisle.
Aisle: Love Someone by Lukas Graham
Signing: Simply The Best by Tina Turner and I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers; performed acoustically by Alex Hughes for Baker Boys Band
Recessional: Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Stevie Wonder
Reception Entry (for wedding party): Good Feeling by Flo Rida
Reception Entry (for Bride & Groom): A Little Party Never Killed Nobody by Fergie, Q-Tip, GoonRock
Dinner Background Music: A selection of our favourite 60’s songs that we love to dance around the kitchen to!
Cake Cutting: This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole
First Dance: Dance With Me Tonight by Olly Murs
Bouquet Toss: Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce
Reception Exit: You’ve Got The Love by Florence + The Machine
Funny stories (or near disasters).
On the day we did have a couple of funny moments, the first being with our gorgeous ring bearer; Rafferty.
Raff was acting as our ring security for the day and was all set to go with his sunnies, ear piece and briefcase containing our rings. As soon as he stepped inside the venue and saw all the guests staring at him, he lost his nerve and dived straight under a chair where he spent most of the ceremony…with our rings! My veil also was a contentious point, it fell off twice as we were walking down the aisle which was hilarious.
A minor mishap was the neon wall short circuiting right before our arrival at the reception due to some water dripping from the foliage. Luckily it was able to fixed just in time!
Planning surprises.
How many hours that you can spend researching things and how much of a stalker I became! Not in a bad way, just that I wanted to know about every single little detail and would get so frustrated when items weren’t tagged or vendors noted. I must admit, that I did reach out to a few brides via social media to ask for details about certain things and everyone was more than happy to share!
The other thing was how difficult the seating allocations were – glad we don’t have to do that again!
Words of wisdom.
While we know that the focus of a wedding is all about celebrating your love, if you are anything like us, the details do matter. Get yourself a wedding planner! Even if your budget only allows you to have someone on the day and not during the lead up, this person/ people can really take away a lot of stress and you can focus on being present and enjoying the day.
Also, make sure you keep the traditions that you love and ditch those that don’t really work for you. That goes for styling as well – if you love everything, your personalities will shine through and make your day unique and a reflection of you as a couple.
Real weddings inspired Danni and Leigh when it came to planning their sensational celebration, so for a peek at an abundance of real weddings to help you plan your own dream day, head here.
DANNI AND LEIGH’S SUPPLIERS
Ceremony venue: Glasshaus Inside – Initially we were planning to have our ceremony and reception in one location, but this venue is so beautiful and so unexpected that we couldn’t pass it up! Explaining to our guests that we were getting married at an indoor plant nursery was also part of the fun. Glasshaus have 3 venues, but we chose ‘Inside’ because we didn’t want to have a wet weather plan B! Nada and her team are absolutely wonderful.
Reception venue: Half Acre – This venue is exceptional, in our opinion! We were after a warehouse feel / blank canvas that we could style to suit our vibe and knew straight away this was our venue as soon as we walked in. I’m pretty sure there was a small gasp from me as we entered through the arched doorway and admired the soaring ceilings and exposed beams. As they say, IYKYK!
Celebrant: Megan Thompson – Megan was recommended to us by another celebrant and we feel so, so lucky to have found her. Working with Megan felt like hanging out with a friend and she made the process so easy. We particularly enjoyed completing our ‘love homework’ which she included elements of in our ceremony. On the day, Megan was the first face I saw as the car was pulling up and she instantly made me feel at ease. She is fabulous!
Photography: Kyra Boyer – Kyra’s relaxed style was what we were instantly drawn to when we discovered her work. We knew that we didn’t want too many posed pictures and just wanted her to capture all the natural moments and she absolutely nailed it! Kyra was amazing to be around all day and she has beautifully captured our day, we regret that we didn’t have her stay until the very end because we just wanted to see more pictures! We cannot thank her enough.
Videography: Stevan Ostojic – We stumbled across Stevan after following celebrity hairstylist, Marie Uva’s wedding on Instagram. Marie and her husband also held their wedding at Half Acre, so already we felt like it was a sign! I feel like you know a videographer is good if you cry watching random people’s weddings and Stevan made me do just that! He is amazing at what he does and we hardly even noticed he was there on the day, making us feel so comfortable.
Styling: Susie Jenkinson – We feel so lucky to have worked with Susie on the styling and design elements. Sus really understood our brief and pushed the ideas to the next level.
Florist: Birdy Floral Stylist – The flowers and foliage were an absolute highlight of the day and that was all thanks to the amazing Bridget. She took our colour pallet and very loose brief and ran with it. Bridget was an absolute gem when we had to postpone one of the times and the flowers had already been ordered. She just dealt with everything. She also provided the service of coming back at the end of the reception to wrap the flowers for our guests to take home. It was such a special touch.
Hair: Vesna & Mary at Sleek’s for Hair – These ladies have been doing my hair for every special occasion since forever! So there was certainly no other option for the most special day of them all. They looked after my bridesmaids, my mum and myself on the day.
Make Up: Kerry Tseros – Kerry has recently moved to Sydney, much to my disappointment! I highly recommend her to any NSW brides as she makes you feel absolutely amazing and your makeup will not move all day.
The Dress: Kyha Studios – This wedding was so long in the making that it was named ‘One Day Bridal’ when I chose my dress! We had a great experience with the team and their studio was so beautiful allowing space for my mum and bridesmaids to be a part of the fittings. The material my dress was made from allowed for us to cut off the train after all the formalities so I could dance the night away!
Veil / headwear: Amelie George – Pearl Veil, Christie Nicolaides – Paloma Earrings
Shoes: Gucci – Marmont sandals in Gold
Dancing Sneakers: Keds – Keds x Kate Spade Glitter Sneakers in Rose Gold
Rings: Charles Rose – Bourke Street Store
Bridesmaid’s outfits & shoes: Sarah’s sequined mini; Forever New and Jaimi’s off the shoulder jumpsuit; Sheike. Shoes – Country Road
As the girls are different shapes and have very different styles, we told them they could wear whatever they liked as long as it was black. We had so much fun trying on outfits and really pushing the bridesmaid ‘norm’. We tried to keep the looks a little bit consistent with the same shoes and jewellery, but makeup and hair was again their choice to suit their personalities.
Grooms Suit & Shoes: YSG Tailors – YSG was the only place that we went to that provided an ‘experience’ for the Groom much like all Brides have when selecting a dress. Dylan was incredible and Leigh was particularly pleased he could watch sport, play some pool and drink a beer all while being fitted for his suit.
Groomsmen Suits: Uberstone via David Jones
Groom & Groomsmen Shoes: Aquila – Prince Black Penny Loafers
Ring Bearers Suit: Ollie’s Place
Catering, Bar & Cake: food&desire – The food was such an important part of the day for us and we were so happy with the level of service and quality of food that food&desire delivered. Rebecca was our event planner and she was absolutely exceptional in ensuring that all our requests were met and delivered on the day. Our guests are still talking about the food!
Cake topper/s: Posh Toppers
Post Ceremony Drinks: The Prosecco Van – I first saw The Prosecco Van at an exhibition a few years ago and I told Leigh at the time that we MUST have it if we ever got married. The van itself is aesthetically pleasing and the prosecco is even better! Trish was so wonderful and we are so happy we can keep buying her prosecco to remember our day.
Favors: Donations to both Cancer Council Victoria and MND Victoria – Each guest received a gold pin and keep sake tag in honor of Leigh’s mum; Lorraine and my Great Uncle; Danny.
Stationery / Signage: Susie Jenkinson – Graphic Design, Press Print – Invitation printing, Print on Wood – On the day stationary printing
Entertainment: Baker Boys Band – We cannot recommend the band highly enough! We were lucky enough to have a five piece band with Jeremy Diffey, Alex Hughes and Katie Weston all on vocals throughout the night. Jeremy also acted as our MC and played the saxophone during pre dinner drinks. They read the crowd and had everyone on their feet the whole night. They even worked with the best man on a special song for Leigh and I which we will not forget.
Transport: Checker Cabs – The cabs were perfect for our style of wedding and Sue & John were so lovely to deal with. The 8 seater is a newer car in their fleet and was so fun to have the bridal party travel all together between ceremony and reception.
Hire: Furniture, Linen, Crockery, Cutlery, Glassware, Signage, AV & Lighting – Harry the hirer: The real MVP’s of this whole production we like to call our wedding! There is literally nothing the team at Harry’s cannot do, even assisting with a very last minute signage decal a few days before the wedding. Their service and delivery was exceptional and there are too many people to thank but they know who they are!
Signage Stands – The Small Things Co
Neon Signs – Good Day Club
Guest Book Phone – At The Beep
Wishing Well – Sketch & Etch
Dance Lessons: The Next Step Co – Natalie made us look like we could semi dance! Her patience with us was amazing and she allowed us to tweak her steps when we thought they were too hard. Our first dance was very much unexpected and a great way to kick off the dance floor.
Honeymoon: Port Douglas – We highly recommend Nautilus Restaurant for dinner. The ambience and food was phenomenal!
