Real Wedding – Hugh & Tayra, Melbourne VIC
For a wedding that showcases to perfection so many of the current trends, look no further than Tayra and Hugh’s showstopping inner Melbourne celebration.
With a background as a wedding planner, it’s no surprise that Tayra would have her finger on the pulse when it comes to styling a dream day, but infused into her own celebration is that untenable element – the soft, effortless romance that comes from lives enmeshed and future promised.
Adding to the genuine feel are vivid, dramatic details – bold vermillion florals juxtaposed against blues so vivid they’re almost electric, hints of metallic and pops of personality. Tayra stuns in her princess gown by d’Italia and Vassi Bridal Couture, switching into a jaw-dropping dance floor dress for later on.
We’re seeing so many more ceremonies leaning into tradition, honouring the intention of the day, and we love that Tayra and Hugh offset this with a chic cocktail-style reception.
Captured with exquisite artistry by the ultra-talented Kinship by Kristy, this dream day is one to bookmark for elevated planning inspiration.
The meeting.
We were introduced by a mutual friend who thought we’d be a great match. She arranged a double date for us at The Bridge Hotel in Richmond back in 2015.
The one.
There wasn’t one moment. It was more so realising over time that, compared to all the other guys I dated, Hugh understood my dry sense of humour and allowed me to be myself.
The proposal.
We were sailing around Mykonos with a close group of friends when Hugh took me up to the top deck of the boat. With the sun setting, he surprised me with a ring and asked, ‘Will you marry me?’ Of course, I said yes! We popped champagne and celebrated with everyone right then and there, it was the perfect setting.
Planning process.
As a wedding planner, I had no trouble finding great suppliers, but making decisions was another story! Having seen so many weddings, I wanted ours to feel a little different. It took about a year to find the right venue, as I was exploring options across Australia, New Zealand, and even the UK. Once we locked that in, everything started to come together smoothly. Our vendors were incredible, which made the planning process very relaxed.
Style inspiration.
The venues really set the tone and inspired us to have a mix of garden party charm and the understated elegance of a Melbourne bar.
We wanted it to feel quite modern so we incorporated a lot of silver and metallic details. There were touches of this in the reception styling, the mirrored plinths at the ceremony and my shoes and bag.
Real weddings gave the most inspiration, especially for garden style weddings but styled shoots helped to see upcoming wedding trends.
The ceremony.
I’d always dreamed of a garden ceremony and became set on finding the perfect hedge as a backdrop. After wandering through what felt like every garden in Melbourne, from Fitzroy to Brighton, I finally found it at Villa Alba. The historic building was a bonus and made for the perfect spot for our wedding portraits. We kept the ceremony fairly traditional to contrast with our more relaxed, cocktail-style reception.
We had a formal dress code, and guests enjoyed post-ceremony bubbles for an hour before heading to our reception venue.
The outfits.
Hugh knew he wanted to use P Johnson after his friend had his wedding suit made there. It was such an easy process choosing the fabrics and cut of the suit, and it was great having a custom fit for Hugh as he is 6 foot 3.
I tried on around 20 dresses but couldn’t find the exact style I was after, so after finding d’Italia, I chose my dress fabric and created my own design. I then worked with Vassi Bridal Couture to create my two-piece dress.
Favourite moments.
Tayra: Seeing Hugh tear up as I walked down the aisle and my dad’s speech (all our guests were raving about it!)
Hugh: Celebrating with all our friends and family and the cocktails at Nick & Nora’s.
Meaning of marriage.
To us, marriage is enjoying all the moments together, from the silly little ones to the major life-changing ones. It’s about showing up for each other, always being supportive and continuing to laugh together.
Wedding soundtrack.
We wanted to stick to a jazzy/swing music vibe, but I wanted to be a bit dramatic with the aisle song, so I had a last-minute change to Elton John’s Your Song, the Vitamin String Quartet version.
Our reception entrance song was Feel So Close by Calvin Harris, and our first dance song was Nat King Cole’s L.O.V.E.
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Around four weeks out from our wedding, we found out that our original reception venue closed down, so we quickly had to find a new venue! We found Nick & Nora’s, which gave the intimate bar feel that we were after. The team at Nick & Nora’s were such a dream and made it so effortless for us, we are so grateful! We definitely think it worked out for the best.
Words of wisdom.
Aim to have everything organised four weeks out from your wedding so you can go into your wedding week feeling relaxed, excited and not overwhelmed.
Love Tayra and Hugh’s stunning outdoor ceremony? See our style guide to garden-based weddings for more on-trend inspiration.
TAYRA & HUGH’S VENDORS
A perk of working in the events industry is already having relationships with suppliers, which we definitely utilised. I still did a lot of research, mainly through Instagram.
Ceremony venue: Villa Alba Museum, Kew.
Reception venue: Nick & Nora’s, Melbourne CBD.
Celebrant: Kirby Steele.
Photography: Kinship by Kristy
Content creator: Hayley Gordon
Styling, stationery, signage: The Goodsmiths
Florist: Evolve Floral
Hair: Tonic Agency – Stephanie Kate.
Make-up: Tonic Agency – Effie.
The dress: d’Italia and Vassi Bridal Couture.
Suits: P Johnson
Catering: Nick & Nora’s
Cake: Baked by CC
Entertainment: Heartbreak Hotel.
Transport: Always Classic Cars
Ice Sculpture: Navy Strength Ice Co.
Honeymoon: Tasmania
