Real Wedding – Jen & Tom, Richmond VIC
Timeless black-tie attire and sophisticated styling made love the focal point of the Jen and Tom’s summer nuptials in the city.
The pair lent into the modern warehouse meets secret garden aesthetic of Butler Lane, Richmond, layering soft and subtle textures against the venue’s lush green hedge, festoon lighting and classic brick.
A pop of blue amid the reception florals and the pearl detailing of Jen’s d’Italia veil added vibrant, contemporary touches that mirrored the venue’s seamless fusion of the old and the new.
Maegan Brown Moments was an inspired choice of photographer, capturing all the dreamy details in her editorial yet artistic way.
Relish in the refined beauty below.
The meeting.
We met through Jen’s brother – Sam – in Melbourne, 2015 when Jen flew down for a weekend holiday. We didn’t stay in contact, but fast forward a few years, Jen moved to Melbourne and we met again this time staying in contact. Sam was our wedding MC and witness, as he was the glue for us.
The ‘one’.
When I (Tom) shared a pizza with Jen on the first date; Jen chose mushroom. Little did she know, I hate mushrooms! We laughed together over food and wine for the following dates and realised we’d both found our person.
The proposal.
We’d recently purchased our first home together, and Tom had booked dinner at SK in Brisbane for 8:00pm. A few hours prior, he arrived home with wine, some cheese and a platter. He poured me a glass of wine and disappeared to ‘get something’ from the bedroom. Next thing he was on one knee and asking me to marry him. Off we went to SK to celebrate!
Style inspiration.
We knew we wanted black tie; a timeless theme and attire that never dates. Our choice of venue – Butler Lane – played a key role in how we wanted to style the space. We describe it as soft and chic vibes. The colour scheme was refined; black, white and shades of blues and soft colours. We wanted it to be classy yet still vibrant which we achieved through the florals in tandem with the beautiful fairy lights in the courtyard and dining area.
The ceremony.
We loved having our ceremony in the same venue as the reception but in a different space. The outdoor courtyard was divine against the lush green hedge. This was a wonderful backdrop for photos. We also curated a signing the registry playlist and post-nuptial drinks playlist. Many guests commented on this. I guess curating all this ourselves and enjoying it in the process is what made it special, to know our hard work and finishing touches paid off and added to the enjoyment of the day.
The outfits.
I knew I wanted to purchase a dress in Melbourne and many of the stores were closed over the Christmas period when we were down so I researched couture gowns and found my designer. My dress was custom made by Vassi Couture. Vicky was just gorgeous to work with, she was so attentive and really listened to what I wanted while making recommendations based on her experience. I flew down for a total of three fittings so it was a seamless and enjoyable process. Tom purchased his suit from Eddy Elias Menswear, Geelong, who also tailored his suit. We were both very happy with our experience and final product.
Favourite moments.
We really enjoyed mingling with guests in the courtyard after the ceremony. That was an important aspect to us and we wanted to maximize it as much as possible between photos and sitting down for dinner. We decided to have a quick ceremony, I think it ended up being 15 minutes from when I walked down the aisle to when we signed the paperwork! Guests also said they enjoyed how quick it was, it just meant we could put more time into what mattered most to us and that was catching up with everyone, seeing everyone we loved in the one space. That’s what made it so special.
Meaning of marriage.
Having someone to share the highs and lows with, the achievements, the setbacks, someone who brings out all the best parts in you and helps you develop the parts that need work. Marriage is hard work but that’s what makes it worth it, right?
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle song: Say Yes to Heaven by Lana Del Rey
Entrance: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! by ABBA
First Dance: L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole/Thriller by Michael Jackson (my dad and I broke into a choreographed sequence after slow dancing for a bit!)
We also curated our own playlist for cocktail hour on Spotify which guests loved. Never underestimate Spotify!
Funny stories or near disasters.
No near disasters! I’d like to think we were lucky but I also know we planned it meticulously and had a wonderful crew who helped us bring our vision to life. The night before after our welcome drinks with our bridal party, we headed back to the hotel. Tom’s boys were rehearsing the speech with a bit of Dutch courage so they kicked him out of the hotel room and told him to bed!
Planning surprises.
The hardest thing to wrap my head around were timelines. I love to plan in advance, but didn’t register that there were plenty of weddings before ours! We locked most of our suppliers in 9-12 months in advance, so it felt odd doing that and not speaking about styling, songs, floral arrangements, food etc. for months! However, it did give me time to collect different ideas and inspiration for when we did meet with suppliers so we were ready to hit the ground running. My advice is chip away at it rather than trying to do it all at once. Make it a mini project! I definitely had the post-wedding blues after our big day because the planning was my baby for a year, it’s what consumed me! So it felt surreal when it was all done.
Words of wisdom.
- Push through! It can feel tedious but I promise it is worth it, all the little details.
- Each choose a non-negotiable: if you had one thing you wouldn’t budge on, what would it be? Communicate that to avoid arguments or blowing your budget. For me it was the photographer, for Tom it was the music. So, we each took charge of that.
- Delegate tasks – so often planning falls on the bride or the ‘organiser’ of the two. Figure out your strengths and plan to them. As the date creeps closer, there is a lot of liaising required, so reducing the number of emails swarming your inbox, work out who will liaise with which suppliers.
- Meet your celebrant ahead of time so they can get to know you, it makes it much more special when it comes to telling your story to your loved ones. Ask them to wear something neutral and to step out of photos for the big kiss!
- Take at least two days off in the lead up to your wedding. We had four days from when we arrived in Melbourne and every day we were doing last minute errands. You definitely need that time because you want to relax on your day.
- Something we didn’t do but wish we had of – photos before the ceremony. We were hellbent on doing it after – I wanted that aisle shot of Tom crying! But considering we wanted to maximise mingling with guests, we should’ve done photos prior. Our photographer was awesome, capturing candid photos quickly because we had locations close to the venue.
For more inner-city romance see Aaron & Nikita’s Real Elopement.
JEN & TOM’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony & reception venue: Butler Lane, Richmond
Celebrant: Laura Van Zyl (she is family – Brisbane based)
Photography: Maegan Brown Moments
Florist: Little Stag Floral Couture
Hair: Hair by JC
Make-up: Kathryn Marrone
The dress: Vassi Couture
Veil / headwear: d’Italia
Shoes: Tony Bianco (ceremony) Loeffler Randall (reception)
Rings: Engagement ring – Custom Diamonds International . Wedding band – By Baby
Suits & ties: Eddy Elias
Favours: Custom stubby holders
Stationery / Signage: Peppermint Press
Entertainment: Rutherford Entertainment
Honeymoon: Elements of Byron, then Europe
