Real Wedding – Kimberley & Nicholas, Collingwood VIC
Kimberley and Nicholas’ chic modern wedding has certainly set our hearts alight, and to think it all began with one flame emoji. Theirs was a day grounded in being true to themselves, their vision and ensuring they were surrounded by those whom also aligned with not just the visual aesthetic (which is undeniably Vogue-worthy) but the feeling overall; one of sentiment and warmth.
Megan Thompson as their celebrant wove their story so thoughtfully to capture the essence of their love, Jess from Fern and Stone with her snapping prowess caught every raw and intimate emotion of the day, d’Italia created a classic silhouette for Kim with sheer ties that fell delicately past her shoulders, all tying in perfectly with the dreamy drapery, dappled light and floating calla lilies that framed their ceremony.
For the two of them, although creating a day and a look that reflected them took countless hours of pinning, scrolling and deep diving within the wedding algorithm, they never wanted to lose sight of what it was all about – the act of marrying their best friend, being a true partner, celebrating with those they love most and dancing the evening away with Married to the Groove.
The meeting.
Nick came across me on a mutual friend’s Instagram and slid into my DMs with a fire emoji. Unfortunately for him, it went straight to my message requests and I ended up leaving him unread for about two months. Eventually, he started replying to my stories with actual words instead of just emojis. I let him out of the request folder and we started chatting from there.
The ‘one’.
Nick – For me, I knew it early on. I can’t really pinpoint it as one moment, as it was a slow buildup from the very beginning. We constantly worked on our relationship and built the foundations over time. Talking to Kim made me feel warm, and I wanted to tell her everything. But I could also feel something was different with her. Something was unique and special.
Kim – Let’s just say I was thorough in my research. Nick was put through a few important tests; love languages, astrology charts, attachment styles and passed them all (with no complaints). There wasn’t one specific moment, but very early on I knew there was something different about him. We were instantly comfortable together and able to talk about things we’d never shared with anyone before… which, given he opened with only a fire emoji, was a pretty good plot twist.
The proposal.
Having already designed the ring together a few months prior, our anniversary was coming up which we decided would make the perfect date to make it official. We planned a day at one of our favourite low-key wineries in the Yarra Valley, Fin Wines. We had each written a letter to the other, which we read aloud. Then Nick got down on one knee and gave me a ring, and I in return gave Nick a watch. It was important to us that it was a mutual, equal decision that we came to together.
Planning process.
We had actually started planning the wedding as soon as we designed the ring, which was about three months before we got engaged. By the time the proposal happened, we actually had the majority of things locked in. We told our families the news along with “be here on the 8th June 2025!” From that point, we then had a bit of a break until around three to four months prior when we had to start confirming the finer details.
Style inspiration.
We loved the idea of a city wedding (very Melbourne of us) and were drawn to a style that felt modern, elegant, and simple. Our inspiration was something you might see in the pages of Vogue – refined, chic, and timeless. We wanted it to be relatively simple, but with thoughtful details that made it feel slightly out of the ordinary. The goal was a look that felt carefully considered and cohesive, something that reflected us, but also wouldn’t feel out of place in a magazine.
We used wedding blogs and Instagram mainly to visualise the aesthetic we were after, as well as some style cues and tips. We really liked seeing some real weddings at Rupert on blogs online as it was great to see how the space was used, and what sort of things people did to make it their own. Same with photographers, it was cool to see some real weddings online to see what style of photography we liked and help build out some of the shots we really wanted, which our photographer nailed! She was amazing!
The ceremony.
Having the calla lily installation and drapery as the backdrop made the ceremony feel so ethereal. Our celebrant, Megan, told our story in such a thoughtful and genuine way, and made sure it felt like us – the coming together of two equals. One part that really stayed with us was her wording about vowing to “continue to keep each other as our favourite person.”
The look.
Kim – I knew from the beginning that I wanted a less traditional wedding dress, something that aligned with the guiding elements of the whole wedding: simple, elegant, and modern. After what felt like an endless search without falling in love with anything, I decided to design my own. Toward the end of the dress-making process, I made a couple of key decisions: I chose to forgo the long sleeves I’d originally planned and instead added two pieces of flowing fabric from the back of the shoulders. That detail felt like it really captured the overall vibe of the day. Instead of the sleeves, I styled the dress with an oversized ivory blazer for some outdoor photos after the ceremony; an alternate look that felt very me.
My shoes were a bit of a Cinderella moment. I first spotted them on Instagram, an older style from Charles & Keith and instantly loved them. Unfortunately, they’d been discontinued and were sold out worldwide. I searched the entire internet and eventually tracked down a second-hand pair for sale in my exact size, in Singapore. By pure luck, Nick had a friend living nearby who was able to buy them for me and even more coincidentally, he happened to be flying to Melbourne the following week and brought them over.
Nick – I knew I wanted a classic suit, but not a tuxedo. After chatting with the team at Trunk Tailors, I was confident they could bring the look to life. We landed on a double-breasted, six-button jacket with double-pleated cuffed trousers – timeless and exactly what I had in mind. I love my wedding suit so much and I can’t wait to wear it again.
Originally, I’d planned to wear my patent leather oxfords, but with the suit they felt too much like a tuxedo. I’d started to like the idea of loafers, and Jack at Trunk Tailors assured me that loafers would be the right look I was going for. I tried on the classic Prada penny loafers with the suit, and when I walked out of the change room we knew they were “the shoes”.
The perfect finishing touch to the outfit was the Rolex Explorer that Kim gave me the day we got engaged.
Favourite moments.
Nick – Walking around the city streets together after our first look and before the ceremony was really special. It had been raining all morning, but the sun peeked out just in time, giving us the most beautiful light for photos. There were some hilarious moments too, like being told to “sexy whisper” the alphabet in Kim’s ear, and the constant reactions from strangers telling us how amazing we looked as we walked past.
Kim – Our first look. It was such a calm, quiet pocket of the day. So much goes into a bride’s look, and it was hard not being able to share any of it with the one person I usually tell everything to. I was genuinely excited for him to see it all and to finally be able to talk to him about it!
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is so much more than just the wedding, and we never wanted to lose sight of that. The real act of marriage is lived every day, over and over, in our devotion and in the little things we do for one another. Showing up and striving for a marriage that is equal, full of kindness, laughter, and above all, love.
It was also never about “completing” each other, we are already whole. It’s about wanting to share a life — a life built not from expectations, but from intention. A life designed entirely by us.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk – we purchased the cover from an amazing local Australian artist, Sidney
Reception entry: I’M HIS, HE’S MINE (feat. Doechii) by Katy Perry
First dance: Until I Found You (Piano version) by Stephen Sanchez
Funny stories or near disasters.
About five weeks before the wedding, Nick went away for work for a week, which left me with plenty of spare time, most of which I spent deep in the wedding algorithm. When he got back, I told him I’d had this incredible new idea… but that it would mean changing the entire brief for the florist and updating the stationery to match.
Thankfully, our florist still had enough time before placing orders and was absolutely amazing and excited to bring this new vision to life. I redesigned our stationery to include matching calla lily shaped name cards (with the help of Nick’s graphic designer friend & colleague), and we had to scramble to find a printer last minute who could handle the custom shapes. It was definitely a rush to the finish line, but we were both so happy with how it all turned out. Honestly, the flowers ended up being one of the standout elements of the whole day!
Planning surprises.
The budget. We already knew we wanted to strip out a lot of elements from a traditional wedding – we didn’t have a bridal party, hens/bucks parties, cake, videography, and kept to a small guest list – but were still surprised by how quickly it all adds up. Luckily, with the 18-month long engagement and Kim being Head of Finance (both at home and at work), the budget was carefully managed from start to finish. It was just a little initial shock to the system!
Words of wisdom.
Nick – Don’t rush it. Having a longer engagement can really work in your favour. It gives you time to book the vendors you really want and make considered choices without the pressure.
Buy the suit, shoes, ring of whatever else it is that you really want. Money comes and goes, but spending a little extra to get the shoes you really want (like I did) for your wedding day is not something you will regret, just buy them and feel good! You’ll always remember how good you felt on your wedding day! Don’t risk the regret of something you wish you didn’t skimp on… (but Kim says also don’t let yourself get sucked into the wedding vortex and be convinced you need expensive designer things if that’s not what you personally value. And definitely don’t go into debt for it!)
Kim – At the beginning, spend time really refining your vision board and come up with a few clear “guiding elements” for your day. Use those as a reference point for every decision. It’s so easy to get pulled in different directions by trends or things you like, but that don’t quite fit the overall vibe. I really struggled with decision-making (and ended up making some relatively last-minute changes!), and I think having a stronger foundation early on could have made the process a lot smoother. We got back to those core elements in the end but I wish we would have had that extra clear vision from the very start.
Also set up a joint email address at the very beginning for all vendor inquiries and communications. It can be hard when they forget to “reply all” and one person is left to do all the comms.
When it comes to refining your vision and guiding elements for the day, we have pieced together vibes to guide and save you countless hours. For wedding style inspiration, look no further than right here.
KIMBERLEY & NICHOLAS’S VENDORS
Ceremony & Reception venue: Rupert on Rupert
Celebrant: Megan Thompson
Photography: Fern & Stone – We are absolutely thrilled with the photos Jess captured on our wedding day. We were drawn to her editorial, Vogue-inspired style, it was exactly the look we wanted, and she absolutely nailed it.
The photos are stunning and full of emotion, and truly reflect the spirit of the day. Jess was such a joy to work with. She was friendly, professional, calm and incredibly kind. She was also super efficient and organised, which made everything feel easy. On the day, she blended into the background so seamlessly, capturing all the special moments without ever feeling intrusive. We had such a fun and relaxed day with her, and we’ll cherish these photos forever.
Florist: Salt Flower – Salt Flower (Zara and Tamasin) brought something really special to our day. We were drawn to their unique style and creative approach, and knew from the beginning they were the right fit for what we had in mind — something sculptural, modern, and a little unexpected.
The calla lily installation with the drapery backdrop was incredible. I couldn’t wait to walk down the aisle just to see it in full. The sketches they shared in the lead-up helped us visualise it, but the final result completely blew us away. Guests were commenting on the flowers all night — it was such a standout. One of our favourite touches was letting people pull down and take a handful of lilies home from the installation at the end of the evening. It was a beautiful way to share a piece of the day and not let the flowers go to waste.
Hair & Make-up: Tonic Agency – Juliana Benjumea
The dress: d’Italia
Shoes: Kim – Charles & Keith , Nick – Prada
Rings: Nick – Grew & Co, Kim – Parker Diamonds
Suit & bow ties: Trunk Tailors
Catering & Bar: Rupert on Rupert
Stationery / Signage: Papermarc
Entertainment: Married to the Groove
Content creator – Bridal BTS
Dance lessons – Next Step Co
Honeymoon: Italy!
