Real Wedding – Hannah & Ryan, Melbourne VIC

March 16, 2022 In Church, Peach, Real Weddings, Victoria By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Hannah & Ryan, Melbourne VIC

Given they have a long and magically meaningful history between them, Hannah and Ryan chose to honour their story and their families with a wedding day filled with ultra-personal, super special touches. Against a background of classic, timeless romance, these darling details shone to create a truly memorable celebration.

Taking it back to where it all began, these two high school sweethearts exchanged their I-do’s in their stately school chapel with Hannah wowing her groom in her glorious By Kinsman gown. Underpinning the celebrations following was softly lush styling in warm tones of rich amber, muted peach and latte, and the florals by Ivory Tribe talent State of Nature, effortlessly elevated the look to one of modern romance.

For Hannah and Ryan, having chosen vendors they connected with meant that the rollercoaster of covid changes were cushioned, and on their special day, they were able to truly relax and enjoy. Photography wonder Maegan Brown captured every visually vivid, emotion-filled moment to perfection. Scroll on to see every dreamy detail.

The meeting.

It was a long time ago now. Year ten PE was the first subject of that year, and the two were placed in the same class. On the high school basketball court, Hannah had her eye on Ryan from the very beginning. But, like a typical boy, it took him over a year to realise she was a catch. Their sweetheart romance grew and although there are many pages to this novel, with highs and lows, let’s just skip to the good part and say they lived happily ever after.

The ‘one’.

When asking this aloud, the response was – always. But if we deep dive to just a single moment, when the two were very young, they drew their dream house on the back of a piece of paper. It was this small, scrappy piece of paper with a grand plan of the house that had every wall thoroughly thought through. They would say at that moment they knew they were planning their life together. The innocence of that moment held no barriers; they could do and have anything they wanted. Life doesn’t always work that way, but they say nothing has changed, they wanted each other then, and they still do now. In all the hard times, they have remained best friends, wanting what is best for one another and supporting that. They are so excited for their future as husband and wife, and who knows, they might get that grand house – someday.

The proposal.

Stitch up. For years Hannah was convinced Ryan would never pop the question. She laughs and says, “when it didn’t happen on the day we brought our first home or the day we moved in, I had my doubts, but after the most romantic trip to Europe, travelling to the most unimaginable places, I accepted that this is never happening!”

Ryan says, “Hannah is one person you cannot surprise, she knows everything, and even if she doesn’t, she will guess it, so to propose and take her by surprise was a challenge”. The two planned another adventure across the globe, this time to the United States. After a full day of shopping, Ryan had to stop. Hannah, of course, wanted to continue, so she passed the bags across, and they parted ways. Ryan sprinted the New York streets to get back to their hotel and plan the biggest moment of his life in time for her return. Hannah unknowingly went about spending up big. On her return, Ryan planned to surprise her by first tricking her into thinking he had destroyed her new purchases. She stormed over to the bags on the floor and saw a little black box. Opening the box, she still had not clicked. When she opened the gift and turned to see the love of her life on one knee, she burst into tears, in complete shock. For the rest of the evening, she couldn’t take her eyes off her hand and kept saying, “I cannot believe it, I am going to be your wife”.

Planning process.

Hectic, scary, fun and always overwhelming. But Hannah says, “after your big day, you don’t even remember the planning. You just remember how wonderful it was, and you are so grateful that part is done. But you might want the party again!”

Style inspiration.

Classic, timeless, memorable. Together Hannah and Ryan think they nailed it, but they know it wasn’t possible without the amazing team behind them. Every Pinterest board, Instagram share and tagged post made this day a creation beyond just one person’s vision. It was a collaboration of love.

The best advice here. If you find a supplier you like, look to their tagged images on Instagram. You probably think Ryan and Hannah are crazy; however, you will gain so much insight, inspiration, unfiltered real-life humans, and it helps. This is why the two love Ivory Tribe and this section in particular. It tells the true story and helps you create your own fairytale, piece by piece.

The ceremony.

This wedding was special. Special in so many ways, and it was exactly what the two wanted.

Ryan and Hannah’s love started on the school grounds of where they met. And so, on the biggest day of their life, they invited their friends and family to the beautiful chapel at their high school. Taking that moment back to where it all began.

One of the most significant moments was how the two brought Hannah’s late father into the celebration. Hannah carried a photo of her father on her wedding bouquet so he could walk his daughter down the aisle and be part of each special moment. They ensured he was also mentioned often, along with all those they have lost.

The couple was asked to write a letter to one another. The letter was supposed to be a declaration of love and why the two chose to be wed. The two gave these letters to their celebrant, and they thought he would just take sections of the letters, but instead, he read them on behalf of each other. This intimate moment was shared by everyone. The smiles and tears were all the more beautiful because they all shared in them together.

Family is everything to these two, and they wanted to acknowledge their families in a tradition they had seen before. Each family name is printed on a candle, and then in the centre, there is one with the couple’s name together. The two selected their mothers to join them and light each of the family candles, and then together, after their union, Hannah and Ryan took the flame from their family candles and lit one together, symbolising their union.

The look.

I am not sure everyone has such luck, but these two people knew what they wanted and were determined to make it happen. The mission was to have an outfit that they would look back on in thirty years and still love.

Ryan’s vision was a little easier to complete. In four hours, Hannah had dressed Ryan head to toe as what she would describe as a James Bond wannabe (but all hers).

Hannah said that she was lucky to find a fairy godmother instantly, although her dress took a little longer to sew than in the story! In this Cinderella tale, her fairy godmother was the fabulous Stephanie Kinsman. Stephanie created the most immaculate dress, and it truly stole the show.

Favourite moments.

The couple says their best moment is hard to describe because there was so many. However, at the end of their evening together, the two shared a slice of pizza and played their wedding songs as they talked about the whole day in chronological order. That was the best end to a perfect wedding. Together and happy beyond belief.

Meaning of marriage.

Ryan took the lead on this one and described the choice to be married as a moment to celebrate their love with their family and friends. Even in a relationship as long-lasting as theirs, the two would never share in a huge declaration of love in front of everyone. Embracing the day with everyone that is so important to them and allowing everyone to share as the two officially committed their lives to one another was what it was all about.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Wildest Dreams by Duomo (Bridgeton inspired)

Signing: Turning Page by Jae Hall

Reception entry: Pursuit of Happiness by Steve Aoiki, Kid Cudi, MGMT

First dance: Have I told you lately by Meg Birch (Both our parents claim this to be their love song together, so we just got a modern version and had our own spin)

Funny stories or near disasters.

Near disasters – oh yeah – Hannah almost got the Krispy Kreme doughnuts delivered to the wrong place! But Krispy Kreme pulled through and made this bride so happy. She had addresses and suburbs all wrong, and they called three hours before the wedding because they were positive it wasn’t a real address and figured it was most likely an order for a wedding. Wedding brain – it’s a real thing! Watch yourself; stress can make you do stupid things.

Planning surprises.

Hannah says, “Thinking I was organised and ready when each plan just kept changing. I swear I was cursed. Our original suppliers changed multiple times in 18 months, and it was devastating at the time, but I am so grateful because we got to work with exceptional and talented humans. It was truly our dream wedding.”

Ryan says, “The budget – just get ready to have a blank cheque or work out what is your priority. Ours was capturing memories; photos and films were non-negotiable. Maegan and Adam are the best humans ever.”

Words of wisdom.

The two would say that this seems obvious to some but plan the perfect day for you. You can get caught up in trying to make everyone happy, but ultimately you two will be left with lasting memories. Ones that are so special and unique, so make it ones that last.

Last words.

The two just want to say that they are thinking of all the couples waiting for their wedding day due to covid. They know they are so lucky that they got theirs, finally, and they don’t for a second take that happy moment for granted. They promise it is totally worth the wait and the party is that much better. And to all the suppliers and those in the industry, thanks for being on this journey with all of us. We know that your businesses have done it tough too, and we are thinking of you. Finally, we worked with the greatest of the greats. Book them – truly – they will not disappoint in creating your fairytale.

Defining your wedding details can be complex, but those dreamy details can be what makes your day truly memorable. For help on what to consider, check out our guide, here.

HANNAH & RYAN’S VENDORS

Ceremony venue: Ignatius Chapel, Loyola College, Watsonia

Reception venue: The Panama Dining Room, Fitzroy

Officiant: Family Priest – Fr Steve Rigo

Photography: Maegan Brown – Maegan Brown Moments

Videography: Film My Wedding

Styling: Laura Wills – Wanderlust Creative

Florist: State of Nature Florals

Hair: Bridal by Nicole Kene

Make-up: Makeup by May Lv

The dress & veil: Stephanie Kinsman – By Kinsman

Shoes: Alexandra – By Harlo AU