Real Wedding – Emily & Joel, Melbourne VIC
With perfect weather and more than 300 guests gathered in the gardens, Emily and Joel’s wedding was always going to be unforgettable. From the outset, the day struck the perfect balance between heartfelt and high-energy, unfolding as a celebration on a grand scale.
Emily stunned in a Luci Di Bella gown, chosen with the support of her mum and dad, who accompanied her to every fitting. The craftsmanship of the boutique and the care she received throughout the process made the experience as special as the dress itself. Joel, never one to shy away from a statement, embraced the day with confidence and colour, taking a stylish risk in a pink suit that set the tone for the celebration.
A pink palette threaded its way throughout the day, complemented by mismatched bridesmaids and thoughtful styling that felt effortless and fun. As the sun set, the celebration only grew, with the dancefloor packed well into the evening, and every moment was beautifully captured by Sandy Rogulic.
The meeting.
Two of our best friends set us up, they asked if I was interested in Joel. I was recently single and said ‘maybe!’ They went back to him and said ‘yes she’s definitely interested!’ We had a lot of mutual friends and ran into each other a few times over the summer of 2019/2020. A kiss at The Espy in St Kilda was all that was needed on 25 January 2020 and then Joel proposed on 25 January 2024.
The one.
When we had been on a few dates and stopped playing it cool, we would always say ‘so what are you doing tomorrow?’ and kept seeing each other almost every day or every second day. We found we always had more to talk about, and Joel didn’t get bored of me. I was having so much fun and thought maybe we have got something here!
The proposal.
Joel had organised a whole day out for our fifth anniversary. We went away the week prior, and he sat me down to say nothing is happening on this trip, but I didn’t really believe him. He asked my parents for permission to marry me on the trip and as soon as we got back everything was set in motion.
Joel organised a photo album with all of our significant memories printed out, each envelope was categorised into years, and we would open the envelope and album at each location and fill it in! Very sentimental, because I love photos!
We went to all our favourite spots and enjoyed an espresso martini at Village Belle (many nights out), a Fireball shot at Abbey Road (where we first met), an Aperol Spritz at The Espy (first kiss), and a gin and tonic at Captain Baxter (first date). Then he said, “That’s all I’ve organised, let’s go home!” I was like, WHAT? No way! and suggested we take a walk on the new pier at St Kilda Beach.
Little did I know, Joel knew me so well, he knew I wouldn’t let the day end there! He had a photographer organised at a specific spot and had been planning this all along. I was completely blown away. When I saw the lady with the camera, I jokingly said, “Let’s get a pic!” – and that’s exactly who he had organised for us!
Style inspiration.
In our speech, Joel joked that there was no style, I just chose things I liked, and somehow it all worked together! I really wanted our ceremony in the park, while Joel wanted to make it easy for our guests. In the end, the ceremony was in the park (thanks, Joel!) All we really wanted was a fun vibe and to share the day with all our special people.
We aren’t too serious, so a spring cocktail wedding was perfect for us! Joel had wanted to wear a pink suit, so we settled on a pink theme.
I loved looking on TikTok and Instagram for ideas, it was hard because I liked so many different looks, sometimes you can get overwhelmed with so many options!
The ceremony.
It was such a beautiful day we were so lucky – thirty degrees and sunny. Everyone made fun of me in the week leading up to the wedding for buying a spell from Etsy to ensure the weather held up, but it worked!
We had the ceremony in the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden in the Royal Botanic Garden. The spot was secluded, surrounded by a hedge, and we had never even been there before planning our wedding! We walked down the aisle with both of our parents, our brothers walked with our grandmas, and our friends came up to say a prayer for us. It was so special to involve everyone in such a meaningful way.
The outfits.
I went to Luci Di Bella in Armadale. Their team is so professional and really helped me find the dress of my dreams. Both of my parents came with me throughout the dress journey. Only one percent of dads attend dress fittings, so I felt proud and found it special that he was part of mine. I didn’t want a dress I couldn’t walk or dance in, so we settled on an A-line gown with an overskirt. I felt completely comfortable all night, and I had never seen anything like my dress before.
Joel knew he wanted to wear something outside the box! He found an amazing jacket at MJ Bale but was disappointed they didn’t have matching pants. When I went to have a look, I asked if they could make a pair – they were worried about the material and whether it would work. In the end, it was absolutely perfect, and he looked incredible! It’s so fun to take a risk and have it pay off. Go Joel!
Favourite moment.
Seeing Joel for the first time was unforgettable. We had spent a week apart, and he walked toward me surrounded by a circle of all his friends and family, with his dad and my dad linking arms by his side. It was so special to finally see him, surrounded by all the people closest to us.
Joel’s favourite moment of the day was walking back down the aisle together after our ceremony. We loved seeing all our family and friends, everyone who had come just for us, witnessing our marriage and celebrating that we had the whole night, and our whole lives, ahead of us.
Meaning of marriage.
Being able to spend the rest of our lives with our best friend, we are excited to share everything together and build our lives hand in hand.
Wedding soundtrack.
Joel chose an upbeat aisle song to dance down the aisle to! You Make My Dreams Come True and it was a hit. I walked down to Everlasting Love which was also upbeat and fun!
Our first dance was a unique version of Can’t Help Falling in Love. There was a really cool drop in the music, and our dance lasted about 30 seconds, something we made up just two weeks before the wedding! We couldn’t practise for a whole week because we were apart, so we squeezed in a rehearsal during our photos and right before giving our speech in the back room. And it went amazingly.
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Joel: I had a few mishaps with the tailoring of my suit; in the end I picked it up on the Saturday for our Sunday wedding. It was perfect in the end but was a little worried!
Emily: I cut myself and bled onto my dress right before walking down the aisle, but I wiped it off with a baby wipe and it was perfect. Lucky my cousin was there with her baby Milo and some baby wipes!
Planning surprises.
How generous our families were to give us the wedding of our dreams. We feel so lucky to have had the best day ever and it was so special to see them all so happy.
Words of wisdom.
Disagreements are normal. In time, you will laugh at the things you cared about so much when you realise nothing really matters except for marrying the love of your life and sharing the day with everyone you care about.
Just have fun with it! It’s a day that represents you two as a couple make sure to stay true to yourself and create a feel that is a mix between the two of you.
EMILY & JOEL’S VENDORS
Wedding planner: We had an amazing wedding planner Jackie Jacobson! She worked so hard to make everything happen for us. She had great suggestions for suppliers and we loved everyone of them!
Ceremony location: Pioneer Women’s Memorial Gardens at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne
Reception venue / location: Glasshouse by The Big Group
Celebrant/Officiant: Rabbi Glasman. Our friend Jessie Peer made the Ketubah for us, a wedding document we signed. It was so beautiful to have this made by someone so close to us!
Photography: Sandy Rogulic
Videography: Where the Heart is, Matt is amazing!
Hire: Weddings of Distinction put together the whole thing! Waters, the Chuppah, chairs, welcome signs, parasols, even rain umbrellas which luckily we didn’t need!
Styling: A mix between The Big Group, Nicole from Pickled Willow Flowers and Jackie Jacobson
Florist: Pickled Willow Flowers, Nicole just knew what we wanted from the start and worked so seamlessly to make it happen.
Hair: ROC.M, Rochelle has been my hairdresser for years and it was so special to have her there.
Make-up: Ellie Zuker
The dress and veil: Luci Di Bella
Shoes: Milano , Aquila
Rings: Our family friend, David Gabriel from Lenrose, made them for us!
Bridesmaid’s dresses: All the girls chose their own. The vibe was different colours and they looked amazing!
Suits: MJ Bale, Joel , our brothers and my dad all went there!
Bow ties / ties: P.Johnson, Joel found the tie before anything else and was so excited about it!
Catering: The Big Group , our guests said it was the best food they’ve had at a wedding.
Cake: Siora Tiramisu , Jasmine served tiramisu for us by the dance floor, it was a great surprise! She also made us Mr and Mrs cocktail glasses of tiramisu for our cake moment!
Stationery / Signage: I made everything, with a lot of help from Joel, my mum and my brother’s girlfriends! A mix of Canva, Paperless Post and Etsy.
Entertainment: Zac Blum and team from Isaiah, DJ Stuart Fayman, Sax Jazzy B
Décor: I made ribbons with guests’ names on them as their table settings. It was a lot of work, but so worth it! I used the Cricut machine and had lots of help from Joel – he cut the ribbons to size, and I tied them in bows on the menus. My mum, along with my brother’s girlfriends Coco and Tyler, helped put it all together the week before the wedding.
Hire: Bangin Hangins were amazing! We loved their installation in the roof Glasshouse.
Content creator: Mia from Jimi Jean Social
Football banner: We ran into the wedding reception through a footy banner. Joel plays footy and loves watching any game he can, so I surprised Joel with this on the night. It was really fun and something different. Rick from Milestone Banners was amazing!
Ice-cream cart: We had an ice-cream cart that was really popular given the weather. Vanilla & Co was great and really helpful with choosing favours and making sure there were no allergens for our guests with dietary requirements.
Honeymoon: Thailand – we are here as I write this. So nice to spend time together debrief and relax
