Real Wedding – Isobel & Callum, Melbourne VIC
Isobel and Callum began their wedding planning knowing they wanted the impossible: slightly unconventional, yet elegantly traditional but underpinned with a unique sensibility and point of difference.
After gathering a dream team of vendors around them and leaning into their creative talent and refined signature style, this darling duo surpassed their expectations with a day that is both aesthetically gorgeous and filled with personal expression.
Focusing on the finer details, they turned to real-life events, real weddings, interiors (hello Nancy Meyers!), garden designs and old Hollywood for inspiration, realising them to perfection against the stunning backdrop of The Terrace.
We love a couple who are considered and intentional in their choices, and Isobel and Callum are all that and more.
From the custom-designed fabric for Isobel’s gown to their exquisite colour palette of deep, lush greens and pops of electric blue against sweet rose and lemon, every image is pure artistry, captured by visual poet Kinship by Kristy.
See every divine detail at the link in our bio.
The meeting.
We met through our mutual friend group back in 2012 (when we were 17) – and we’re all still friends! It wasn’t until we were 21 that we started dating, and the rest is history!
The one.
Once we grew up a little and started dating, I knew almost straight away (as corny as that is!). Cal felt like home, and I couldn’t imagine life without him by my side.
The proposal.
Despite waiting for what seemed like a lifetime, it was a complete surprise! And it was not an easy task to catch me off guard. Before we were supposedly heading to drinks on a Friday afternoon, Cal insisted we take our two beautiful Golden Retrievers (Barney and Wally – our whole world!) for a walk first. Near the end of our stroll through Hedgeley Dene Gardens, our favourite local walk, we were in a quiet little pocket with the dogs playing nearby, and I turned around to see Cal on one knee!
Planning process.
It was surprisingly calm for the most part! Not long after we got engaged, we booked our venues and some leading suppliers and then put it on the back burner for a little.
In about August we went into full wedding planning mode for our December wedding. This is where our suppliers and planner were lifesavers who continuously went above and beyond. I was very clear and set on what I wanted for our wedding day, so it was essentially a matter of executing rather than needing to start from scratch. I largely took the lead being the creative, and Cal was happy to trust the process and be the deciding vote when I would get stuck.
It wasn’t until the last month or so that the pressure was on, and all the finer details needed to be decided and refined. Whilst it was stressful for the last few weeks, the vision was coming to life so beautifully, I knew it would all be perfect.
Style inspiration.
I wanted the impossible – slightly unconventional yet traditional with a point of difference. My main focus and inspiration was creating an elegant garden party aesthetic. This then determined the location, décor, florals and the rest! My brief was essentially to create an event that was a touch provincial, a touch modern, a sprinkle of coastal/Hamptons, and full of love.
We decided the finer details would be the way to achieve all of the above, so this is where we really got to be creative. The décor, floral arrangements, table shapes and sizes, and settings were all slightly different to give nods to each of the key aesthetics we were trying to achieve. A lot of my inspiration came from sources unrelated to weddings, such as interiors (hello Nancy Meyers!), garden design, and old Hollywood black-tie galas.
For inspiration, we definitely turned to real-life weddings and events! Some of my greatest inspo was referencing images that came from photographers capturing the natural moments that really told a story. I found this to be really grounding and also a great reminder of what the day is all about – marrying the one you love and your own unique love story. There is so much beauty in the imperfections (no matter how hard you try to make it perfect), and sometimes these are the parts you love the most (I never in a million years thought I would let my hair go curly thanks to the rain, but I was having too much fun to care and it really shows in all our beautiful photos). I also found articles and checklists incredibly beneficial, especially for those minor details that are easy to miss. Personally, I think it’s important to have a day that reflects you as a couple and is true to yourselves, so I tried to stay away from the perfectly styled photoshoot inspiration with beautiful models and really focus on what I liked other real couples had created.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was held at the Taxodium Lawn in the middle of the Royal Botanic Gardens. We loved being surrounded by nature in the middle of the gardens and being able to hear all the beautiful sounds of the water and birds. Our garden party set up was thoughtfully curated to blend into the natural surroundings and was there to add to the space rather than distract from it (i.e. the rusted urns blended with the colours and textures rather than white that would have been too bold and taken away from the views). We felt relaxed and at ease, and the environment created such a beautiful and calm atmosphere.
Our ceremony was full of love, and it was so beautiful to have our guests gathered closely to share the moment with us and our beautiful celebrant, Natalie Drum, who was incredible. Natalie was so authentic and shared our love story so beautifully throughout our ceremony. We wanted our ceremony to be casual and relaxed but also do our love story and the setting justice.
It was then followed by our Garden Party cocktail hour, where we drank Champagne and Aperol Spritz’s and enjoyed live music by the amazingly talented Angus Kaftan – a busker we came across on holiday in Byron Bay a few years prior (before we were engaged!) and both agreed at the time if we ever got married he had to play at our wedding.
Following the garden party, we had a surprise marching/brass band appear from behind the trees to play and gather everyone before leading us all to the reception at The Terrace.
The outfits.
Cal wore a stunning custom Oscar Hunt tuxedo – classic James Bond style – and looked incredibly handsome. Oscar Hunt’s meticulous tailoring really does bring out such a wonderful confidence and I could tell Cal was truly comfortable. Cal always knew he wanted a classic custom tuxedo for our wedding, so who better to go to than the experts!
I was also lucky enough to have a very clear vision of what dress I wanted to wear for my wedding day. For years, I had my mind set on the silhouette and pattern, however really struggled to find anything that lived up to my vision. When I knew I wouldn’t find my dress already in existence, my mum and I started the search for a dressmaker and found Liliana Cantone, who came highly recommended.
I spent months looking for the perfect fabric, an off-white silk base with a perfectly subtle yet statement-enough pattern in soft pinks and olive green tones. After searching probably every fabric store in Melbourne and gathering endless samples, I started the search overseas, facetiming fabric houses all across the world in New York and Milan in hopes of finding the perfect silk. Still not convinced, I decided to take it into my own hands and found the talented Jayne Branchflower (artist & illustrator), who I worked with to create my perfect illustrations and pattern. Once we perfected the florals, we purchased a roll of silk dupion, and Parlour Printing made it happen!
From there, Lily (dressmaker) masterfully created my dream gown with the patience of a saint. For two-three months we met nearly every Saturday morning to perfect the fit and details of my dress. To Lily, nothing was a problem or a hassle despite many ‘change of minds’ and endless questions. I felt so beautiful and confident in my dress, but also still felt like my true self. It felt authentic yet still so special and unique. Truly one of a kind, and I am so proud of the whole process.
Favourite moment.
How can I choose! A couple of standout moments:
Signing our wedding certificate in private post-ceremony with our witnesses, Isobel’s brother Henry and his wife Dora. We didn’t do a first look, so it was so fun to take a moment together, have a champagne and let it all soak in
Walking down the aisle with my dad, David.
Surprise marching band (Footscray Yarraville City Band)!
First Dance – our DJ was under strict instructions to keep it brief and spin it into a hit song to kick off the dance floor after about 20 seconds. We were so caught up in the moment we didn’t realize until we looked around after a little while to see the dance floor full and the whole wedding slow dancing to Elton John’s Your Song – so beautiful!
Dance floor tambourines and cocktails: Espresso Martini’s and Tommy’s Margarita’s – our faves!
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage to us means more than just a lifelong commitment. It is to love unconditionally, to support each other, and to continue to choose one another each and every day. Marriage to us is about being each other’s greatest cheerleader to help us achieve our goals both collectively and individually and to be there for each other through all the celebrations and challenges. It is building a life together that is full of love, respect and gratitude.
Wedding soundtrack.
I wanted all our feature songs to be romantic and like a real-life rom-com.
Aisle: Can’t Help Falling In Love by Kina Grannis
Recessional: All Dressed In Love by Jennifer Hudson
Reception entry: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody by Fergie (Great Gatsby Movie)
First dance & father / daughter dance: Your Song by Elton John
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Honestly, no! Everything went very smoothly, largely thanks to our fabulous wedding planner, Melissa from Vagary Creative. Melissa had everything planned within an inch of its life, which meant I could sit back and (try to) relax!
Planning surprises.
I was actually genuinely surprised at how involved and all-consuming it gets! I consider myself a highly organised person and somewhat of a control freak so I truly thought it would be a breeze. It was definitely harder than I anticipated, especially once procrastination set in. What should take only an hour after work would haunt me for days, if not weeks, the more I put it off. Whilst I loved the creative and aesthetic side of planning (down to every last detail!), I found the operational and data aspects really challenging. Regardless of how exciting it was, sometimes it was really challenging to push through and get to it after long days at work. It’s like a whole second job!
Words of wisdom.
Even though it can get so overwhelming and stressful, try to step back and enjoy the process and lead up together. Make it fun! Set aside specific time to think about wedding details and planning so it doesn’t consume every waking thought. It’s all over so quickly, and I would give anything to do it all again.
ISOBEL & CALLUM’S VENDORS
Ceremony location: Taxodium Lawn, Royal Botanic Gardens
Reception venue: The Terrace, Royal Botanic Gardens (The Darling Group)
Celebrant: Natalie Drum, found via Instagram YEARS before I was engaged. I saw an AFL player’s wedding online and thought she was so beautiful and elegant, so followed her ever since! (officially influenced). The most gorgeous addition to our wedding day. She couldn’t have been more of a calming influence, and we felt she truly believed in our love story and shared it so beautifully with her gorgeous words.
Photography: Kinship By Kristy – found via Ivory Tribe, The Lane and Instagram. Kristy, where to begin! I found Kristy by chance via Instagram and knew straight away she was perfect. The way she captured the little split-second moments throughout the day was truly remarkable. From the moment she arrived, she was such a welcome addition and had the most gorgeous positive energy. Kirsty felt like a part of the wedding party who blended in perfectly. I am blown away by not only her artistic talent but also her reassurance, kindness and beautiful aura. Couldn’t have asked for a better photographer for our day.
Styling, planning, decor & florist: Melissa Ramsden – Vagary Creative. Found via word of mouth. An absolute powerhouse – there is no way our dream wedding would have come together the way it did without Melissa. We knew Melissa from her planning my brother’s wedding in 2023, so it was a no-brainer to contact her for ours. Both on the day and in the whole lead-up to our wedding, Melissa was outstanding. Full of ideas and solutions, nothing was a problem, and I was so confident it would be everything I ever imagined. As a creative myself with very high expectations and attention to detail, Melissa had my full trust in her execution, and I couldn’t have found anyone better. She went above and beyond and completely exceeded all expectations.
Hair: Franc Fortuna – Lune Hairdressing.
Make-up: Nicole Kene. Found via Instagram.
The dress & veil: Lily Cantone – found via word of mouth.
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Rings: Paul Epshtein Jewellery
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Shona Joy
Suits & bow ties / ties: Cal – Oscar Hunt, Groomsmen – Peter Jackson
Catering: The Terrace – The Darling Group. Taxodium Lawn – Curtis Stone Events.
Favours: Custom-wrapped chocolate bars
Cake: Millstone Patisserie (Malvern)
Stationery / Signage: Invitations & custom logo: Peggy & Polly, all other design and signage done by Isobel (@thestudio.au)
Entertainment: Ceremony/garden party music: Angus Kaftan. Marching/Brass Band: Footscray Yarraville City Band. DJ: Ed Cook.
Content Creator: Sammy Green
Honeymoon: Hayman Island, Whitsundays QLD
