Real Wedding – Grace & Alex, Barwon Heads VIC
Alex and Grace sealed the deal in a stylish seaside celebration featuring live oyster shucking and spicy margaritas.
Fusing relaxed romance and effortless elegance is a signature of Bellarine Peninsula venue, At The Heads, best known for its exquisite views and memorable culinary experiences.
Drawn to the space for its coastal yet customisable qualities, Alex and Grace infused elegance through timeless fashion and cohesive styling.
The vibrant colour palette drew inspiration from Alex’s burgundy Manolo Blahnik shoes and was woven into the storytelling as early as the invites, continuing through to the free-form, artistic florals and epic four-tier wedding cake.
To delight in the myriad ways class and comfort collided, dive into the gallery by the supremely talented Lou Lou Memphis.
The meeting.
We first met at a house party in 2018. I was having the best time partying with my sister when I noticed Alex from across the dancefloor – there was an instant connection. It was his smile and big, beautiful blue eyes that caught my attention. We eventually crossed paths at the end of the night, sitting outside in the garden – it was very early in the morning, and we continued to chat until the sun came up.
When my Uber arrived, we said goodbye and Alex boldly asked, “Can I have a kiss before you go?”. I said something along the lines of, “no, I have red lipstick on, it will go all over you”. Alex said he did not care and we shared a very brief kiss before I ran off with my sister to head home.
Within minutes of leaving the party, I received a Facebook friend request from Alex. I remember giggling with my sister all the way home.
‘The one’.
I don’t think there was a particular moment, but early on we realised that what we had was special – a feeling neither of us had felt before. It was a feeling of excitement, always wanting to be with each other, and, if not, constantly messaging, updating each other on what we had eaten for each meal, how we had slept or what our dogs were up to – never bored by any of these details. It was always a competition of who could send the most love hearts or GIFS when saying goodnight.
The proposal.
We were skiing in America. There is a run called “longshot” (no pun intended) at the very top of the mountain, where you take your skis off and hike up to the top. I was lying on the ground catching my breathe and remember Alex saying ‘ok, it’s time to get up now’. He then dropped down on one knee in the snow. I was so surprised. It was perfect.
Planning process.
To be honest, it was so much fun! I have a creative side which I don’t get to explore so much anymore with my job as a lawyer, so it really was a lot of fun pulling the whole day together and creating something special to enjoy with all our friends and family. We loved getting to know so many talented and incredible suppliers.
Style inspiration.
The styling theme for the wedding was seaside romance and modern elegance. We wanted to create a vibe that was elevated but laid back. We wanted everything to look stunning, but for everyone to feel comfortable and relaxed, and to have the best time.
We incorporated all of the things we love into the day – oysters, pearls, vibrant but modern colours and very free-formed, artistic and whimsical florals.
I was particularly inspired by my burgundy Manolo Blahnik wedding shoes, which I found overseas. I incorporated splashes of this colour and my favourite colour, purple, throughout the styling from the invitations to Alex’s buttonhole and the wedding cake.
The ceremony.
We had it outside looking out onto the water. I walked in with my Dad, and we had our families in the first row. Our aisle song was one of Alex’s favourite songs.
We surprisingly didn’t feel nervous at all. We were so excited to exchange our vows with each other and everyone who was there. It was an overwhelming feeling of joy and excitement.
The outfits.
My beautiful wedding gown was from Mariana Hardwick, and I found it on the first day looking, at the second shop. It just felt comfortable and beautiful. I loved it so much, I decided to do just the one dress.
Alex had a tux made at P Johnson, which he picked out with his Mum and groomsmen.
Favourite moment.
So many! For me, it was walking down the aisle and seeing Alex and the whole ceremony. It was so beautiful exchanging our vows, which we had been working on in secret for so long.
Also, walking into the reception and seeing how stunning everything looked set up.
Hitting the dancefloor was also great – the band was so fun and we could have kept dancing all night.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Closer – Dido
Entry: On A Night Like This – Kylie Minogue
First dance: Into The Mystic – Van Morrison
Planning surprises.
The cost!
Words of wisdom.
Just have fun! Don’t take it too seriously or put too much pressure on yourselves. The day is about you two and sharing your love with your favourite people.
ALEX & GRACE’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony/ reception venue: At the Heads. Where do I even begin?! Simply INCREDIBLE. Our wedding at At The Heads was more than we could have dreamed of; it was absolutely perfect. Maddy, the venue’s event manager, made the wedding planning experience so fun (so much so, that I honestly miss our regular telephone calls workshopping different ideas for our day). From our very first meeting, it was an absolute delight. If you are considering At The Heads for your wedding, trust me, look no further. It is both elevated and relaxed – something that is very hard to find – the perfectly chic seaside venue. You can also customise the venue’s offerings to really make your day uniquely you. On the day, the staff were phenomenal – we could not fault anything. We have received so many compliments that it was the best wedding food they have ever eaten. So delicious! The live oyster shucking and spicy margs in the courtyard were 10/10. We are so grateful that we came across this venue and for everything that Maddy and the Team did for us to make our day so special. We cannot recommend this venue enough!
Celebrant: Kahani Celebrant
Photography: Lou Lou Memphis. We cannot put into words how incredible Eliza and the team at Lou Lou Memphis are! They made us feel so comfortable on the day, and the photos are beautiful! People are still commenting on how beautiful our photos are, and we will treasure them forever. The perfect photographer if you are looking for more candid / documentary style wedding photos. We also loved the mix of digital and film photographs.
Videography: John Kurt. The film John created is absolutely perfect and still makes my family cry every time we watch it (which is many, many times now)! Mum said she now knows it off by heart. John is so talented, and we were so lucky to have him part of our day. The film will be something we treasure forever.
Styling: Bride
Ceremony styling & hire: Dress My Wedding
Florist: Sassafras. Our experience with Jess and the team at Sassafras was absolutely incredible! We were absolutely thrilled with our flowers – they were exquisite. From my first meeting with Jess, she completely understood our vision and how she and the team brought everything together on the day was magical. I literally squealed when I saw the reception space. Jess’s attention to detail and creativity with shapes, textures and colours is remarkable. We are so lucky to have worked with such talented people. The entire process with Jess was so seamless – she is very responsive, and nothing is ever too hard for her.
Hair: Fran Santa Cruz. What can I say – Fran is an absolute wizard! I am so grateful to have found Fran for my wedding hair; she is absolutely incredible! So, so talented. She made me and my bridesmaids feel 11/10.
Make-up: Trish Sousa. Trish goes above and beyond to make you feel and look perfect on your big day. She is so much fun to have there when you’re getting ready and is so talented. The prefect makeup artist if you are looking for a natural glam – a more elevated version of “you”.
The dress: Mariana Hardwick. From the first try on at the studio, the ladies at Mariana Hardwick made me, my Mum and Nan feel so special, it really was a dream come true and they are memories we will cherish forever. On the day, I felt like an absolute princess in my beautiful gown. The service they provide is exceptional.
Veil: Mum’s from her wedding 30 years ago.
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Faithfull
Suits: P.Johnson
Cake: Torte by Mirjana
Stationery/Signage: One Mimosa Please
Entertainment: Like This Entertainment. The most incredible wedding entertainment. You must lock these guys in immediately. It was honestly so amazing! Everyone was (and still are!) raving so much again how incredible they were. The whole night was such a vibe and just so, so fun! We are trying to think of another event so we can hire them again! Wish we could relive it all. We had so much fun.
