Real Wedding – Eimear & Richard, Melbourne VIC
With a wedding motto of “Drink French; Eat Italian; Party Irish”, Eimear and Hobby’s wedding was bound to be as epic as it gets. And boy, did they surpass their statement; equal parts fantastically fabulous styling and ecstatically upbeat party, this celebration is one huge feel-good hit.
The couple of the moment looked exactly that. Hobby wore a cream-on-cream slim-cut suit and cornflower blue shirt, elevated to meet the Italian theming with a pair of brilliantly bold tangerine loafers. The only thing brighter was the expression on his face as he caught sight of his bride; Eimear was the epitome of their dress code, “f*&king fabulous”. Her Kyha creation was layer upon layer of ruffled tulle, forming a sweetly stunning mini dress with an exquisitely glam train. This new Mr and Mrs are giving contemporary chic, summer dream vibes.
Underpinning this blissfully beautiful styling are florals in hues of sunflower yellow, neon Scarlett and cotton candy pink, interspersed in artful arrangements throughout the tablescapes. A vintage-style Miss Trixie Drinks Tea cake adds a pop of pink and boldest red, speaking to the arc-shaped signage, adding an old-world Italy flavour.
We can’t get enough of this gorgeous affair, captured to perfection by lens legend Motta Photography. Scroll on to see every incredible element.
The meeting.
We were early adopters of Tinder and met in 2014. Hobby (Richard) was living in Sydney at the time but came back to Melbourne every couple of weeks. We met for a drink at The Prince in St Kilda for our first date. He made the mistake of telling me he had a spare VIP ticket to Coachella, so obviously, I sent him a photo of my frequent flyer details.
Fast forward a few weeks, and we met again at the diner in LAX and drove to Palm Springs… for our THIRD DATE. We had a fab time at Coachella, and then I flew back to Melbourne after (he stayed on to travel a bit longer).
The ‘one’.
When he used correct grammar on Tinder.
The proposal.
We were on our way to Europe in 2019, and I had a feeling it was coming. But he loses everything. So, on the flight, I just kept saying, “have you got the ring? Is the ring in the EU?” – generally being annoying about it. Then, the next morning in our hotel in Rome, he asked me in Italian, but I wasn’t even listening. Anyway, it was a great way to start the trip as we celebrated all through Puglia, Amalfi and then Hong Kong.
Planning process.
We only decided to get married six months out from the day, so I quickly found myself with RSI from scrolling Instagram. Pages like Ivory Tribe that feature real weddings were great as you can then click off to all the suppliers and stalk more and more weddings.
I also looked at what brands were doing at influencer events etc. and picked up a few ideas from there. For example, our dress code was “F**king Fabulous”, so we had decals made for the bathroom mirrors saying, “You look f**king fabulous… let’s party!”.
Style inspiration.
Our wedding and now life motto is “Drink French; Eat Italian; Party Irish”. We wanted to create a fun party atmosphere that was warm and inviting. The main things we cared about were having top-shelf booze, amazing food and classic music that encouraged people to let their hair down.
We knew we would have a number of people travelling from Ireland and interstate, so we wanted something that was easy for people to get to. We’ve always loved Pepe’s – even back when it was Trunk. It’s such a great intimate space, and we loved the idea of having the ceremony and reception in one location. We also knew it would be social suicide to send the Irish contingent home at midnight, so we needed a venue that was within walking distance to kick-ons. We were lucky enough to host an afterparty at Arlechin, just a five min walk away.
Our non-negotiable was having a piano from many fun nights out at Murmur Piano Bar, so we essentially turned Pepe’s into a piano bar for the night. We wanted a big singalong and to play classic hits that everyone could get into; even the staff were singing and dancing – it was awesome.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was super relaxed; guests had Aperol Spritzes in hand. We used A Stand Up Celebrant, who is (as his name suggests) actually a comedian, so it was a very funny ceremony, with a few roasts here and there. He was brilliant, though, and so many people thought he was a mate of ours. The most significant part of the ceremony was that our one-year-old daughter Maggie was there, along with Hobby’s two kids from a previous marriage.
The look.
I went dress shopping on my own. I was a tad early for the appointment, so I had an Aperol Spritz across the road from Kyha Studios. Then, when I got in, I was like, “let’s try that one in the window”, so we did, and that was the one. I didn’t even try on anything else as we felt they’d all be underwhelming. I loved the idea of having a mini for later in the night, so it worked out perfectly. I could remove the train after dinner and add a belt. I was going for a Sex and the City vibe, and I think it worked out… at least the groom rocked up!
When it came to my shoes, I was in Scanlan Theodore one day, and the girl serving me was wearing them, so I was like, “ummm can you walk in those for your whole shift?” When she said yes, I was sold. They were so comfortable; I definitely recommend a chunky heel! For my bag, I got the Mini Jodie in white from Bottega Veneta for something I will keep and pass on to Maggie when she’s older.
Hobby got his suit made by The Bespoke Corner Tailors in South Yarra, he was pretty ballsy to pick a cream suit, but it all came together really nicely. When we were in Paris in July, we saw his orange shoes in the window of J. M. Weston; they worked perfectly with the whole Italian vibe of the day.
Maggie’s outfit was the third option I bought her. Every time I bought her something, I saw something cuter on Instagram. Her outfit from Pipiroo ended up being the perfect match for my material – tulle and Hobby’s suit colour – cream.
Favourite moments.
The Father of the Bride speech was a highlight as my dad (with the help of the Piano Man) surprised everyone by breaking into Aretha Franklin’s I Say A Little Prayer. My mum’s favourite movie scene is the restaurant scene in My Best Friend’s Wedding, so dad recreated that, and the whole place erupted into a massive singalong.
We also had a trumpet player come and escort everyone on foot through the city to the afterparty; it was so much fun.
Meaning of marriage.
To be honest, not much has changed day-to-day as we already had a house, a dog and a baby together. But it was such a nice experience to share and celebrate our story with our nearest and dearest. So, if you’re on the fence about actually getting married, I say do it!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Your Love is Lifting Me Higher
Recessional: Uptown Girl
Reception entry: Another One Bites the Dust
First dance: Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
Father / daughter dance: Bright Side of the Road
Funny stories or near disasters.
None, really, but obviously, being in Melbourne, the weather is always going to be unpredictable. As a result, I’m still driving around with 48 clear umbrellas in my boot that we got on Facebook Marketplace the day before the wedding. The funny thing is if I hadn’t bought them, it would’ve rained.
Planning surprises.
Just how much you talk about it, maybe it’s a post-covid thing, as everyone is so pumped to have events to go to again, but every catch-up for the last six months with mates has been wedding chat. Now we don’t have anything to talk about!
Words of wisdom.
Have fun! I think some people get so caught up in it all that their wedding doesn’t reflect what they’re actually like in the end; essentially, the wedding can become bigger than you if you let it. I would list out all the aspects of a wedding and then put your money and effort into the top 3; for us, that was booze, food and music.
Hire an on-the-day coordinator, we used Events by Emma Currie, and she was amazing; she ran everything perfectly and was such a laugh.
And if you get a super styled venue, you really don’t have to spend much to make it look great. Oh, one more thing – HAVE A RECOVERY. The day goes so fast it’s great to be able to actually have proper conversations with people the day after.
For another glammed up gathering with a difference, check out Tempestt and Adam’s stunning South Melbourne soiree, here on the blog.
EIMEAR AND HOBBY’S SUPPLIER
Ceremony and reception venue: Pepe’s Italian and Liquor
Celebrant: A Stand Up Celebrant
Photography: Motta Weddings – Alex is amazing – everyone has been blown away by our pics, not just how they came out but how quickly he delivered them to us. Book him now… run don’t walk!
Videography: Iconic Pictures – Faz is a legend. We haven’t seen the final video yet, but if the teaser is anything to go by, it’s going to be 11/10.
Coordinator: Events by Emma Currie – Do yourself a favour and book Emma to run your day so you can let your hair down. She’s down to earth, relaxed, funny and just gets shit done!
Florist: Flower Jar – Angie is the best. You don’t even need to know what you want, just tell her what you don’t want, and they will make it happen.
Hair: Jamie @ Tonic – Jamie was awesome; she is cool/calm and has a laugh. If you want a relaxed vibe on your wedding morning, her and Lauren were an epic team.
Make-up: Lauren @ Tonic – Lauren will make you look photoshopped; what more could you want??? LOVE her work!!
The dress: Kyha Studios – Nina at Kyha was a delight to work with. If you’re not sure about dresses, it’s worth going in for a look, as they have so many different looks available.
Shoes: Scanlan Theodore
Rings: Craig from Lucy Folk
Suits – if applicable – The Bespoke Corner Tailors
Cake: Miss Trixie Drinks Tea
Stationery / Signage: State of Elliot
Entertainment: Tim the Piano Man
Honeymoon: Pre-wedding Paris, Sardinia, Mallorca trip
Other: Maggie’s outfit – Pipiroo and Getting Ready outfits – Piyama
