Real Wedding – Hannah & Tom, Melbourne VIC

Fresh, modern, elegance and heartfelt emotion in a picture-perfect setting is Hannah and Tom’s dream day. From the exquisitely luxe reception to the beautifully lush ceremony setting, this celebration is all about the tasteful details and stunning moments.

Elevating the vibe for the day was a relaxed yet funny, sweetly lighthearted ceremony by one of the best, Michelle Kiernan. The best ceremonies are those that hold space for all the emotions, and we love that Hannah and Tom’s happiness is overwhelmingly evident throughout.

The newlyweds look perfectly on point, with Hannah in a glam gown by Khya, perfectly encapsulating contemporary chic in the silhouette, with the soft, buttery fabric giving a touch of gentle romance. Tom cuts a dapper figure in his MJ Bale classic black suit.

Gardens House, nestled in the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens, always creates an epic timelessness and sense of old-world glamour. Against the foliage, Hannah and Tom and their wedding party in sleek black look simply striking. Every sun-dappled moment is captured to utter perfection by superstar Motta weddings.

Scroll on to see the chic magic unfold!

The meeting.

Essentially, we met through my twin brother. Winding back the clock approximately 12 or so years, Tom and I met at a house party. Tom says my twin brother, Mitch, made it quite clear that I was off limits, but he thought stuff the rules, I am going to give this a go.

The ‘one’.

I knew after the first date we had at The Groove Train, and Tom split tomato sauce all over me!

The proposal.

NYE 2020. We were camping in Beechworth. We didn’t have any plans, so we called a winery to see if they had any availability for lunch. They said they had a spot available within the vineyards, and we could BYO a picnic. We thought, hmm, this is too good to be true.

It was a really, really hot day. We packed our bags and started walking to the winery. The walk was further than we anticipated, but we got there. When we arrived at the winery, we were a bit confused. We approached the staff, and the staff explained that it was a cellar door rather than a winery. They offered a wine tasting and suggested we purchase some wine. So that is what we did; however, I could sense Tom was becoming quite agitated. We scoped out the vineyards, however, they were rather overgrown and didn’t seem suitable for a picnic. Following this, the lady at the cellar door suggested the local Botanical Gardens. We thought, great idea! We managed to book a taxi, and we headed there. As we approached the gardens, the taxi driver told us that the grounds used to be an ex-asylum. The vibes dropped instantly.

Tom became more flustered.

At this point, I knew something was up. We got out of the car and strolled around while I tried to make out like it was ok, but it was a no-go from Tom.

Tom suggested we go back to the lake by our campsite. By this point, it was approximately 4pm.

We settled by the lake, unpacked our picnic, and then he popped the question pretty much

straight away!

Planning process.

We started planning well in advance. It was seamless, but there was a lot to organise. A lot of little things that you seem to forget! We got a lot of advice and recommendations from friends who recently got married.

Style inspiration. 

Tom and I envisioned and loved the idea of a garden ceremony. I took quite a lot of inspiration from Instagram; however, my sister-in-law helped me immensely with the styling. We were aiming for simple, chic and classic.

The ceremony.

Our celebrant nailed our ceremony. She was so relaxed and funny, yet so professional. She made our ceremony so special.

The Waves Duo from Unplugged Entertainment also did an amazing job.

The look. 

I wore a dress from Kyha Studios. It was one of the first dresses I tried on. My experience at Kyha was great. The girls there were really friendly!

Tom’s suit was from MJ Bale. I think it was also one of the first suits he tried on as well.

Favourite moments.

The day was perfect in every single way, but I do have a few favourite moments from the day. The first one was seeing Tom at the end of the aisle. I felt so incredibly nervous until then. The second was the time we had taking photos with Motta, and the third was the speeches.

Meaning of marriage.

Having a respectful, trustworthy, and fun relationship. Lots of laughing, smiling, travelling, and sharing new experiences together.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: Pretty Lady by Tash Sultana

Recessional: Higher Love by Kygo, Whitney Houston

Reception entry: One – Radio Edit by Swedish House Mafia

First dance: Anyone by Justin Bieber

Exit: My Universe by Coldplay

Funny stories or near disasters.

We were incredibly lucky and did not have any disasters in the lead-up!

Planning surprises.

I enjoyed the process and all the planning, but I must say it was a roller-coaster between enjoyment and stress.

Words of wisdom.

Take it all in, every single step. It is such a special time!

Loving Hannah’s bridesmaids in chic black? This is one super-trend we don’t see going anywhere fast. So, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite noir looks to inspire your scrolling, here on the blog.

HANNAH & TOM’S VENDORS

Ceremony & reception venue: Gardens House, Botanical Gardens

Celebrant: Michelle Kiernan

Photography: Motta Weddings

Videography: Luca Zarik

Florist: Wildflos

Hair: Harlen Hair

Make-up: Issy Quinn

The dress: Kyha

Shoes: Nakedvice

Rings: Cartier

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec and Bridge

Suits: MJ Bale

Catering: Atlantic Group

Cake: Fig & Salt

Entertainment: The Waves Duo – Unplugged Entertainment