Real Wedding – Kate & Brent, Brunswick East VIC
Kate and Brent’s wedding was just as sweet as the tantalising tiramisu they served their guests up for dessert. Every detail was thoughtful and considered, and when they reflected on what kind of wedding they wanted, it very much revolved around the idea of being relaxed, easy, and enjoyable with a killer dance floor.
Their friends and family certainly brought all the good vibes, with one of their friends delivering part of their ceremony, but they also had an expert at the helm of capturing it all – cue Nikki McCrone, whose talent lies in not only taking vibrant photos, but creating an atmosphere that makes every one of her couples smile from ear to ear. There to give an unforgettable aural soundtrack and underpin the energy to perfection, were stellar musicians The White Tree.
Old Palm Liquor provided the perfect backdrop for their cozy winter do, bringing together warmth, style, and an intimate setting for a celebration to remember.
The meeting.
We met at work about seven years ago and had some mutual friends, but didn’t often enter each other’s orbit. Over COVID, we became close under the guise of walking our dogs together – Kate had a sweet, calm, lazy old man dog who Brent was hoping would rub off on his unruly 16-week-old puppy. It didn’t work.
After a year or two of being unaware of our mutual crushes, Brent finally (bravely!) made a move.
The ‘one’.
For Kate, it was when he opened the front door to greet her on their second date. Brent claims it was during the crush era!
The proposal.
We were walking our dog at the river near where we live like we do most days. Brent got down on one knee in a special spot and Kate said, “What are you doing, get up?” followed by the easiest “Yes!” ever!
Planning process.
We mostly just wanted it to feel like us – we wanted a quick casual ceremony, a warm, delicious, cozy, wine-y dinner and then to dance for a few hours.
Style inspiration.
We relied a lot on advice from friends who had recently been married. There was so much we didn’t realise we had to think about. The Melbourne Brides Facebook page was really useful for recommendations – especially with the things we knew nothing about like alterations, hair and make-up artists. Once we decided on a venue and a photographer, we also got a lot of advice from them regarding other vendors – they’ve been involved in a lot more weddings than we ever will be, so we relied on the experts!
The ceremony.
We had the bulk of our ceremony performed by one of our best friends; then a legal celebrant stepped in for the “I do” bit. We are still getting comments on how amazing he was and how what he wrote captured us both so well.
The look.
Kate went dress shopping with her mum and bridesmaids and had a totally beautiful moment where maybe she found the dress, in a beautifully lit showroom, with fake tan on and hair and make-up done. But couldn’t get one dress that was only available online out of her head. So took a risk and ordered it, tried it on with hair in a messy bun, pale, tired, wearing the wrong underwear, in a poorly lit bedroom and knew it was the ACTUAL one.
Brent got a black suit. There was a bit less involved in that.
Favourite moments.
We got married at 5pm, and didn’t want to spend so much of our wedding day apart. The boys went and played golf while the girls started getting ready, and then we spent the day together from about 11am. It was so nice to have that time with our wedding party, and being together was better for both of our nerves.
Our favourite part of the day was that time together, and getting to the venue – our photographer Nikki brought a speaker and we walked around taking silly photos with our bridal party, and then ended up catching the tram.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is about becoming a team and a family. The wedding was about celebrating that in front of the people we love.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle (bridesmaids): Let’s Get Married by Jagged Edge
Aisle (bride): Simply the Best by Tina Turner (Noah Reid version)
Signing: Love you for a long time by Maggie Rogers & 500 Miles by The Proclaimers
Funny stories or near disasters.
Kate’s uncle totally forgot about the wedding – we had tasked her older brother with organising family photos, so he called their uncle after the ceremony only to find out he was at home. He rushed to an Uber but panicked and ended up at the wrong venue. But he made it by the main course!
The singer and DJ also both got COVID the day before the wedding, so the entertainment company sent in substitutes. For this reason, we would really recommend using a company, this would have been so stressful otherwise.
Another issue that felt like a major disaster at the time – the wrong wedding ring was delivered the week before the wedding. Kavalri were so helpful in sorting it out, and we got to get married with the right rings after a super quick turnaround.
Planning surprises.
Probably how quickly the lists grew – both the list of guests we wanted to include and the lists of things we had to think about. We both preferred the idea of a much smaller wedding, but we have big families, so it was never going to work.
Words of wisdom.
Try to choose what feels most right to you both, especially with regards to venue, guest list and budget – then, if it all gets too much, remember that the only thing that really matters is who you’re marrying.
We tried to interact with every guest twice on the day and set aside time to purposely do this – first, we greeted everyone as entrees were served, then we walked around dishing out tiramisu (made by my maid-of-honours mum) to all of our guests for dessert. It wasn’t flawless in its execution (people were busy dancing by that point), but it was fun and a point of difference and most importantly, it’s the best tiramisu in the world.
Cosy, warm, intimate – just a few words that come to mind when we think of a divine winter wedding. If you’re thinking of hosting your own cooler climate nuptials we have some expert advice for you to consider right here.
KATE & BRENT’S VENDORS
Ceremony & Reception venue: Old Palm Liquor – this was a Melbourne Brides recommendation. Nick (the manager) was great in the lead up, as was Gus who helped us choose amazing wines within our budget. They were really flexible and allowed us to BYO dessert and serve an extra entree. The food, wine and service was 10/10 on the day. The venue is also so beautiful that it barely needs decorating.
Celebrant/Officiant: Friend
Photography: Nikki McCrone – we LOVE her and all of our photos. We are not comfortable in front of the camera but were so reassured after a Zoom meeting with her and can’t believe some of the photos she got of us. We wanted lots of candids, fun, laughter and colour and she delivered!
Florist: Antheia Florals – we also LOVED our florals on the day and got so much great feedback. The brief was bright and colourful. The bouquets, feature and table flowers were beyond what we could have hoped. We also got Bianca to come back at 11pm for a pack down service including making up some guest-of-honour bouquets.
Hair: Hair by Amanda Audrey – Amanda is so talented, professional, and easy to deal with, she understood exactly what I wanted and was so quick/efficient.
Make-up: Make up by Kali Grace – I found finding a make up artist a bit of a challenge because I have no idea what I’m doing, and a lot of them were slow to reply, but Kali was so communicative and again, insanely talented. She did my mums make up too, who usually hates getting her make up done, but she was super happy with the result too!
The dress: Clio Peppiatt and altered by Alterations by Emily who is a godsend!
Veil / headwear: borrowed from a friend
Shoes: Wittner
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Posse
Suits: Daniel Hechter from Expedition Apparel
Favours: Homemade chilli oil
Entertainment: White Tree
LINKING POST
KATE & BRENT’S VENDORS
Ceremony & Reception venue: Old Palm Liquor – this was a Melbourne Brides recommendation. Nick (the manager) was great in the lead up, as was Gus who helped us choose amazing wines within our budget. They were really flexible and allowed us to BYO dessert and serve an extra entree. The food, wine and service was 10/10 on the day. The venue is also so beautiful that it barely needs decorating.
Celebrant/Officiant: Friend
Photography: Nikki McCrone – we LOVE her and all of our photos. We are not comfortable in front of the camera but were so reassured after a Zoom meeting with her and can’t believe some of the photos she got of us. We wanted lots of candids, fun, laughter and colour and she delivered!
Florist: Antheia Florals – we also LOVED our florals on the day and got so much great feedback. The brief was bright and colourful. The bouquets, feature and table flowers were beyond what we could have hoped. We also got Bianca to come back at 11pm for a pack down service including making up some guest-of-honour bouquets.
Hair: Hair by Amanda Audrey – Amanda is so talented, professional, and easy to deal with, she understood exactly what I wanted and was so quick/efficient.
Make-up: Make up by Kali Grace – I found finding a make up artist a bit of a challenge because I have no idea what I’m doing, and a lot of them were slow to reply, but Kali was so communicative and again, insanely talented. She did my mums make up too, who usually hates getting her make up done, but she was super happy with the result too!
The dress: Clio Peppiatt and altered by Alterations by Emily who is a godsend!
Veil / headwear: borrowed from a friend
Shoes: Wittner
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Posse
Suits: Daniel Hechter from Expedition Apparel
Favours: Homemade chilli oil
Entertainment: White Tree
