Real Wedding – Emma & Tom, St Kilda VIC
Emma and Tom wanted their wedding day to be a showcase of all they love most about their chosen home, Melbourne. So naturally, they unveiled a celebration that was pure contemporary chic; spectacular settings, delectable food and incredible wines, with lashings of on-point style.
We love the vivid snaps of warm peach, apricot and magenta in the florals by Richmond faves The Flower Jar. This elegant intensity contrasted perfectly against the floor-length ebony bridesmaid gowns. Centrepiece to it all was Emma’s Georgia Young Couture gown, a stunning creation of sleek lines and sculptural sophistication.
As the party heated up to the tunes of Melbourne Entertainment Services, Emma slipped from ivory elegance into a shimmery silver party dress worthy of the best dance floor moves.
Superstar photographer Sabine Legrand was there to capture every epic moment, culminating in our fave – the newlyweds, mid-dance floor, all incandescent smiles as Tom dips Emma in a classic movie star moment.
The meeting.
We met at university in 2008 but didn’t really get to know each other until much later. We slowly got to know each other through mutual friends and lunchtime catch-ups when we both started working as lawyers. We finally got together in late 2013.
The ‘one’.
Emma: Early in our relationship Tom gave me a handmade birthday card. It was such a small thing, but I loved that he had actually taken the time and effort to make something just for me.
Tom: When I agreed to travel around Italy with Em and her Mum for three weeks in 2016! Yes, three is a crowd.
The proposal.
Tom proposed very simply at home with rose petals from our garden and a bottle of champagne. It was low-key and very sweet.
Style inspiration.
We have a lot of interstate family and friends. We wanted to share the best of Melbourne, our chosen home, with our friends and family. This meant beautiful locations, delicious food and wine and lots of dancing!
The look.
I was lucky enough to find a dress that I loved very early on in the process at Georgia Young Couture. Georgia’s dresses are handmade in Carlton which really added to the ‘Melbourne’ vibe of the wedding for me.
Tom wore a bespoke tux from P Johnson tailors.
Favourite moments.
We loved every moment of it!
Exchanging vows was an incredible moment, particularly as our celebrant is one of our best friends.
Seeing all of our friends and family having a blast was the best feeling. And I may have shed a tear at the end of the last song.
Meaning of marriage.
Mutual respect, support and sharing the best of yourself with your partner.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles (bridesmaid and flower girls), Angels by The XX (Emma).
First dance: Take My Breath Away by Berlin
Funny stories or near disasters.
It actually went incredibly smoothly – we were incredibly lucky!
Planning surprises.
How genuinely excited all our suppliers and venue managers were for us. There was no sense that we were just another wedding – special shout out to our photographer Sabine and Angie at Flower Jar.
Words of wisdom.
For any couples who have had to postpone their weddings because of coronavirus – hang in there, your friends and family will be even more excited to celebrate with you when the big day comes.
And write your own vows!
Looking for somewhere quintessentially Melbourne to host your wedding festivities? We explored new Collingwood venue Chapel1885 so we could share our first impressions with you, here. And let’s be honest, this one is a stunner!
EMMA & TOM’S VENDORS
Ceremony location: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Reception venue: The Prince Hotel, St Kilda. The events team at The Prince made our wedding planning a dream. All our guests raved about the food and wine, and we were able to enjoy ourselves instead of worrying about what was coming next – the whole evening went so smoothly.
Celebrantt: Amy Minahan
Photography: Sabine Legrand. Sabine captured our day so perfectly, all of our photos are stunning. Sabine had so much positive energy throughout the whole day and sent 50 photos to us within 24 hours of the wedding – incredible!
Florist: Flower Jar. Angie and Rhiannon created the most beautiful arrangements for our wedding and were an absolute delight to deal with throughout the entire planning process and on the day.
Hair: Harlen Hair
Make-up: Catriona Speirs
The dresses: Georgia Young Couture (gown and veil), Retrofete (party dress)
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Rings: Hardy Brothers
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Camilla and Marc
Groom’s suit: P Johnson
Cake: Miss Ladybird Cakes
Stationery / Signage: State of Elliott
Entertainment: Melbourne Entertainment Services
Hire: Harry the Hirer. Worth every cent. We had a dedicated event planner who ensured that they had all the information needed to set up on the day. It was such a relief to enjoy our wedding without worrying about setting up and packing down furniture – Harry the Hirer did it all perfectly without the need to contact us on the day.
Honeymoon: Bannisters by the Sea
