Real Wedding – Lisa & Tom, Brookfield QLD
Lisa and Tom’s wedding was a celebration deeply rooted in meaning and memory. Held at a venue laced with nostalgia from their younger years, every element felt intentional. From the aisle walk set to her father’s favourite song, to handwritten letters left for each guest, there was a quiet sentiment woven throughout the day that made it feel deeply personal.
Visually, the day struck a bold and romantic note; think rich red minimalist florals, chic black accents, and elegant touches of bows, with Lisa’s sculptural Bernadette dress setting the tone. Tom looked sharp in a signature P. Johnson suit, while the wedding party echoed the modern palette in timeless all-black attire.
It was a day that felt both effortlessly stylish and emotionally grounded; a true reflection of two people who value connection above all else. Their emotive and strikingly contemporary celebration was captured with heart and artistry by Tom Judson Photography, preserving every quiet glance and joyful moment as it unfolded.
The meeting.
Like any good love story, we originally met throughout our high school years at various school dances and parties. Though, love didn’t immediately blossom. Fast forward to 2011, Tom and I had our first kiss. At the Royal Exchange Hotel in Brisbane, outside the bathrooms. Lucky me. Love missed us this time, also. Thanks to Bumble, in early 2020, we ‘bumped into each other’, and had a socially distanced walking date in Brookfield. Tom was meant to move to London later that year, but that never happened. A silver lining in Covid. I felt love was coming.
The ‘one’.
On one of our early dates, Tom handmade me fresh pasta to go with a ragu and a nice bottle of wine. He didn’t quite know at the time just how much I love pasta. Ever since, we have loved cooking together, and I am his trusty taste tester. He found his way to my heart quickly through pasta!
The proposal.
In late December 2023, we had just finished our first year in Melbourne, and Tom suggested a lunch at Osteria Renata – a gorgeous Italian restaurant near where we live. I woke up suspicious and way overexcited. Tom sensed it and cooled my jets over breakfast. So, thinking nothing big was on the cards, I went shopping for a beach hat for a holiday in Port Fairy the next day. I didn’t know it, but a nervous Tom was pushing lunch back every 30 minutes because I was running late to get back for lunch. I got home, and took forever to get ready (per usual), and when Tom (with a jacket on) suggested a glass of champagne before lunch, I said, “We’re running late, let’s just go and have it after lunch”. I’m terrible at reading rooms. He twisted my arm and got me into our backyard holding a champagne, and then… a removalist truck started reversing in the lane five meters from us. Beep, beep, beep, and vulgar chat as the door opened. Romantic. He grabbed my hand and took me into our kitchen and dropped to his knee. I burst into tears. I never got the hat by the way; they were sold out.
Planning process.
Tom jokes that immediately after he proposed, it was like I had pulled out a huge scrapbook of wedding inspo and a vendor shortlist, because I was so quick to pick each vendor. He doesn’t know it, but that was (semi) true. Each vendor was so incredible to work with and help plan the wedding – from the venue (which covered so much of the day), to the hair stylist, make-up artist, photographer and entertainment. Poor Lynn from Fig Flowers, she probably had the most twists and turns (five) – which she was always so amazing with!
About two months before the wedding, we started writing our personal cards for our guests’ placemats. It was such a special moment (12 hours…) to sit down and remember so many great memories about everyone and be reminded about why they would be there on the day. It made the day become so real!
Style inspiration.
This whole experience was truly a journey. At one point, I felt completely overwhelmed by the endless inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest. Thankfully, Lynn from Fig Flowers was incredibly gracious and patient, responding to my weekly emails and reviewing all my vision boards—she honestly deserves a medal. With her help, I eventually decided on a bold, romantic, and elegant aesthetic. I especially loved the hanging baby’s breath, which added a soft, ethereal touch to the overall style, plus the pop of red brought everything to life in the most striking way. And of course, bows were an absolute must.
There was a lot of Pinterest scrolling, Instagram deep dives, and general soul-searching throughout this process. I found so much inspiration from real weddings and tagged photos on Instagram; it definitely led me down a few rabbit holes, but it was all part of the journey! Funny enough, I screenshotted our photographer Tom Judson’s information before we got engaged. I had come across his work through real weddings and couldn’t believe my luck that he was available for our day.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was filled with so many special, heartfelt moments that we’ll never forget. One of the most significant was walking down the aisle to my dad’s favourite song. It was a complete surprise to him, and such a meaningful way to honour him. As a subtle touch, he and I were the only ones wearing red flowers, which made the moment even more personal.
We also loved how involved our families were. Tom’s sisters, Prue and Georgie, walked down the aisle with his niece Grace and nephew Charlie, and my best friend, who’s also my sister-in-law walked down with my nephew Harry, who absolutely stole the show in his tiny five-piece tux! Tom’s sister Georgie handed the rings over to us, while Prue did a beautiful reading.
Having all of our best friends up there with us, including our two witnesses when it came time to make things official, made the ceremony feel so full of love. It was such a joy to be surrounded by a big group of people who mean the world to us.
And of course, our incredible celebrant Jude brought everything together beautifully. She made us both feel so comfortable and grounded in the moment. Her thoughtful words, calming presence, and warmth made the ceremony feel deeply personal and truly unforgettable.
The look.
I booked in to go to different bridal stores in Melbourne to try on dresses. One night in my scrolling I saw that mother-daughter duo designers Bernadette in Belgium were releasing their first bridal collection! When released, I ordered one of their dresses online – it arrived – I loved it! But then the scrolling continued and I realised that I loved another dress by the same designer. Yes, two dresses. I settled on the second dress that I ordered. I love it so much. I’m keeping it and shortening it to wear again. It was just very me, nothing too frilly, a little different but also classic.
Tom went to his favourite tailor in Melbourne, P. Johnson, so that was an easy decision for him. I asked the bridesmaids to pick their own dresses in black so that everything felt cohesive and so that everyone felt comfortable. They all looked so, so beautiful.
Favourite moments.
Aside from “I do”. There’s two more… We wrote personalised cards for everyone, which sat on their placemats. When everyone was taking their seats, Tom and I were peeking and watching everyone smile, laugh, and share theirs with those next to them. It was worth the 12+ hours of writing. Seeing the candlelit room filled with flowers and watching our closest people, eating, smiling and laughing. It was so special. And then the absolute favourite was Rose – one of my bridesmaids did a rap instead of a speech. It had a chorus and everything. It was hilarious and witty and definitely a highlight of the night, and her rap got a standing ovation. “She’s a lasagna girl and he’s a Bolognese guy”.
Meaning of marriage.
To me, marriage isn’t about grand gestures or a picture-perfect life. It’s about the little things like going to the markets on the weekend together, making dinner together after a long day, walking our dog and having a laugh in our own weird way. It’s about being each other’s support and cheering each other on and picking each other up when things get tough. Marriage is having my favourite person to share a simple, meaningful life with. That’s what marriage means to me.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Signing: My Happiness by Powderfinger
Recessional: She’s Electric by Oasis
Reception entry: Crazy in love by Beyonce
First dance: Yellow by Coldplay
Exit song: How I need your love by The Extremes
Funny stories or near disasters.
We were super lucky that we had no near disasters in the lead-up to our day!
Planning surprises.
The two weeks leading up to the day were such a mixture of excitement, nerves, and so many last-minute and small things to do. Also, everyone always says the seating chart was so hard to do. I was naïve about that, until I wasn’t. A big few nights!
Words of wisdom.
The whole day really was a whirlwind—everyone says that, and it’s so true. You blink, and suddenly it’s over! Tom and I were given a great piece of advice that we actually took, and I’d recommend it to anyone getting married.
We planned to sneak away to a quiet spot, just the two of us, while the mains were being served. From there, we could look back into the marquee and just take it all in, watching all the people we love, gathered together, sharing a meal and some beautiful wine.
It was such a special moment. Despite the rest of the day flying by in a blur, that little pause stands out so clearly. So here’s my advice: take a moment, just for the two of you.
Garden style weddings have a habit of taking our breath away and we’ve done all the work in putting together selections of weddings that suit this vibe for your own inspiration right here.
Ceremony & Reception venue: Wild Canary , Brookfield – We chose Wild Canary in Brookfield because it holds so many special memories for both of us. When I was younger, my mum and I would often go there for breakfast, and I grew up visiting the nursery next door for plants. Tom worked there during his university days, he even helped clear out the “old shack” that’s now the restaurant and kitchen area. So this venue was close to both of our hearts and always will be. Saying our vows beneath the canopy of the big fig tree was incredibly meaningful. The event organisers were absolutely lovely and made us feel so relaxed throughout the day. And the food and wine? Absolutely 10/10—flawless from start to finish.
Celebrant: Jude Thompson – We feel incredibly lucky to have had Jude as our celebrant. On the day, she was the calm, grounding presence I all needed. Even though she had officially retired, she agreed to marry us because we connected so well (especially over the first wine in Melbourne when she was on holiday) —and we’re so grateful she did. Jude is someone we’ll always feel a deep connection to. We’re lucky to have her in our lives, and we’ll always cherish her wise words. We love her very much. Jude, you were the heart of our ceremony.
Photography: Tom Judson Photography – I had seen Tom Judson’s work well before I got engaged, and I loved it – there’s such a beautifully natural and stunning trait to the photos. He is so easy going and calming, and we felt like he was another guest on the day, and there were plenty of laughs during the sunset photo time. He captured the most stunning abstract photo (in black and white) of our first dance – we have a massive framed print of it in our living room. It’s a bonus that he is a fellow cats supporter!
Florist: Fig Flowers – Lynn was so lovely to work with and was genuinely excited for us – from our first coffee at Wild Canary I loved Lynn’s welcoming and caring vibe. She made the whole planning process feel truly special. No change was ever too big or small—she was always quick to respond to my many emails, offering incredible ideas and showing endless patience and grace.. even when my indecisiveness lead to many changes to the whole aesthetic of our wedding (on multiple occasions). Like I said earlier – Lynn deserves a medal!!
Hair: Isabella Jane Hair and Makeup – Bella is an absolute talent. She brought my vision to life perfectly when it came to styling our hair on the day. She’s a total pro: calm, confident, and she really knows her stuff!
Make-up: Lou Hansen Makeup – Lou is the woman that you want with you on the morning of your wedding! Not only is she amazingly talented, but she is also someone that you want to be around – which is perfect for the morning of your wedding. I ended up getting my makeup done by Lou for my hens party as well – which was 70’s vintage makeup and for the wedding I wanted something more natural – but with a pop of red on my lips. Lou can do it all.
The dress: Bernadette
Veil: Something borrowed, something blue, and something new – my veil was borrowed from my gorgeous sister-in-law – Georgie, who only wore it 10 months earlier. Something blue was the Emerald cut blue Topaz stones by Natasha Schweitzer – a special gift from Tom. Something old was my bracelet that a dear friend gifted me many years ago. Something new – my Gucci shoes!! Which I love so much – the real MVP’s.
Shoes: Gucci
Rings: Bakker Diamonds – Tom: Peter is an absolute legend! Buying an engagement ring is nerve racking, designing one yourself is another thing. I had some ‘inspo’ (champagne coloured diamond) from Lisa after a not so subtle text of a ‘vibe’ for the ring Lisa sent me late one night after some vino. From seeing ‘the’ diamond on the day of designing the ring, to the hand drawn sketches, I couldn’t wait to see the real thing. Lisa loved it. Peter then did both of our wedding bands. Lisa thinks that there is a Bakker Diamonds tennis bracelet coming in a few years. Nice try Lisey.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Lidee, Staud, Matteau, Aje
Suit: P. Johnson – Tom: Tom had followed P. Johnson for a while on Instagram and loved their vibe, and there was no time like the wedding to dip his toe in. He loved the wide lapel cut on his dinner suit and the gold shirt studs, and loved the experience of designing it. Though, I think I’ll need to ban him from going back to see Andrea in the Windsor showroom. That place is bloody dangerous!
Bow ties: P. Johnson
Catering & Bar: Wild Canary – Wild Canary’s kitchen did such an incredible with the food – the beef was simply beautiful, and the chicken was tender and delicious. We couldn’t recommend their food more! We absolutely loved the range of wines Wild Canary had on their list – each was unique and not something you often come across in the big bottle shops – it was a special touch, the Pinot Noir was absolutely beautiful!
Cake: Wild Canary – What a dream cake!!! Wild Canary you absolutely nailed the brief!
Stationery / Signage: Paperlust – Paperlust was a dream to work with – they had so many great designs we could have chosen from, and we loved the final design – including the personalised place setting cards for everything. They were incredibly flexible with the multiple changes, and were very good at printing to a tight deadline.
Entertainment: Saxomarphonist – Brad was an absolute ray of sunshine and such a joy to have with us throughout the day. When our original saxophonist/DJ couldn’t make it, he truly saved the day by stepping in—and what a fantastic choice he was. Brad has this incredible energy that lights up the room, and his professionalism is second to none. He handled all my many requests throughout the night with such patience and good humour. As we entered the reception he freestyled on the Saxophone to our song – what a vibe. We love you Brad, thank you!!!
Hire: Brisbane & Gold Coast Fairy Lights
Honeymoon: Italy – Rome; Siciliy (Taormina and Cefalu); Tuscany (Montepulciano); Florence. Ft. Countless pasta, Spritz, and good times.
