Real Wedding – Matt & Mitchell, Albert Park VIC
For Mitchell and Matt, it was when each other connected so seamlessly with their friends and family that they knew this was something truly special. And naturally, those themes of connection, friends and family became the underpinning feel of their refined, elegant and effervescent celebration.
Choosing to style their dream day around Matt’s favourite green hue, combined with his Grandma’s love of eucalyptus, gave a natural look to the florals, elevated with infusions of crisp white. Complementary suits by the talented team at Instichu, in silk linen cream and midnight green, added the perfect aesthetic focal point.
There to create the perfect feels focal-point was the iconic Precious Celebrations. Always the consummate entertainer, Precious kicked off the celebrations with an uplifting ceremony that had all the happy tears flowing.
From there, the disco-themed dance floor took off in the hands of Popchops, all proof that when you centre what matters most in your wedding planning – love, laughter and really good champagne – an epic, unforgettable celebration unfolds. Enjoy every darling detail through the indomitable lens of Glen Nicholls.
The meeting.
Like most people these days, we met on Tinder. It was just after the first covid lockdown in 2020, and we were allowed out and about (albeit briefly). We soon realised that we both lived on the same street! We didn’t chat on Tinder for long, and we were both interested in meeting in person. We decided (again, like most did at the time) to go on a walking date with each other. We met and got coffee and sat in the park near our places. We talked about anything and everything. Mitchell vividly remembers asking Matt if it was okay to kiss him there and then (so forward!).
The one.
Mitchell: I knew we were right for each other when he fell so naturally into my life. Whether it be with my friends or family, he was able to connect instantly. As family and friends are a big part of my life, this was a massive sign for me that he was special.
Matt: Mitch and I met when we were both looking for a partner. I knew he was the one each time I introduced him to someone in my circle of friends and family because he fit effortlessly. He is known to have a great chat with my Mum over a glass of wine or two and is always providing a laugh with my friends.
The proposal.
We organised a Euro trip for August 2023, and earlier that year, Mitchell knew that he wanted Matt to be in his life forever. So, he got a ring made by one of Matt’s best friends, Leah, and on the coast near Galway, Ireland, Mitchell asked Matt to marry him. Luckily, Matt said yes!
Style inspiration.
We didn’t have a specific theme at first, but Matt’s grandma always had eucalyptus around, and his favourite colour is green, so that was the starting point. We then wanted to keep the theme earthy and natural and add clean white flowers to complement the different shades of green.
We got the majority of our inspiration from other weddings we had been to and extensively scrolling through Pinterest. Both our photographer and celebrant we had seen at friends’ weddings, so we knew we wanted them to be a part of ours. The rest of the style and theming came from family and friends who helped us out along the way and set up on the day.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was simple yet meaningful. We had our close friends walk down the aisle, then our ‘Grooms Girls’, then our parents walked us down, Matt and then Mitchell. Our celebrant, Precious, had a lovely introduction, talking about how we met and also how we never thought we would be able to get married. That was a significant moment in the ceremony (lots of tears from all). We had Matt’s friend Rachel do a lovely reading that really captured what leading into married life will be, and ended with our lovely vows and Matt’s friend Leah presenting our wedding bands. It was a very emotional yet heartwarming moment.
The outfits.
For our suits, we knew we wanted one of us in green and the other in another shade or complementary colour. We got help from the stylist Aimee at Instichu Armadale, who helped us come to Matt having a silk linen cream-coloured suit and Mitchell in a midnight green suit. We knew these colours suited us and were a focal point for the rest of the wedding styling as well.
Favourite moment.
There was not one favourite moment as all aspects of the day were so amazing. From our ceremony, everyone’s speeches, the many dancing moments, the laughs, the tears and everyone having fun. The days after everyone mentioned that it was the most fun wedding they had ever been to and we couldn’t agree more.
Meaning of marriage.
We both grew up in a time when gay marriage was not legalized, which meant that we had thought that we wouldn’t be able to get married. So, marriage means a lot to us. Marriage symbolizes the bond we have with one another and the strength we have in that bond that helps us be the best people we can be together. Our parents have given us examples of strong marriages, and we hope to follow in their footsteps.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Runaway by The Corrs
Recessional: September by Earth, Wind and Fire
Reception entry (Grooms Girls): Feel like a Woman by Shania Twain
Reception entry (Grooms): Absolutely Everybody by Vanessa Amarossi
Mother & son dance: Your Song by Elton John
First dance: Dancefloor Darling by Kylie Minogue
The dancefloor soundtrack was disco-themed, curated by Simon Lai from Popchops.
Funny stories (or near disasters).
We didn’t have any near disasters, thankfully. However, the morning of was very different at each house. Matt had his sisters and parents with him as he got ready, in a very calm and wholesome time. Mitchell’s, on the other hand, had his friends join him for a celebratory champagne or three while reminiscing on the lead-up to the day. This reminiscing meant they were late for the first look shoot (oops!).
Planning surprises.
We didn’t realise the many different things that you needed to prepare for leading up to the day. However, we found that doing these things ourselves (which we are aware isn’t an option for everyone) was so beneficial. As Mitchell’s late Gran was a florist, his mum wanted to pay homage to her by assisting with the florals for the day. This may have meant time was spent setting up and creating, but it saved us a lot of money as a result.
Words of wisdom.
It may mean you have to do a little bit of work yourself, but you can save so much money by organising things like flowers, linen, lighting and decorations yourself. Also, make sure you give yourself time to stop and enjoy the moment. We both made sure we did this several times and it really let us have warm memories of those moments.
Getting married is a massive life event and that it can be stressful leading up to it. However, the day is one of the most amazing days of your life, and it’s so important to have fun and basque in the love!
LINKING POST
MITCH & MATT’S SUPPLIERS
Ceremony & reception venue: GreenFields Albert Park. We chose this venue because a walk around Albert Park Lake was one of our very first dates. It is also in our neighbourhood and a beautiful location for the ceremony and reception.
Celebrant/Officiant: Precious Celebrations. Precious was an excellent celebrant. She married one of our closest friends and is an absolute professional. She wrote a beautiful ceremony and ran the day like clockwork. She also ensured that no one got any dirt or make-up on Matt’s white suit!
Photography: Glen Nicholls Photography. Glen took the most beautiful photographs of our day. Glen’s energy was exactly what we needed. He pumped us up when we got lost in the to-do lists, and he calmed us down when the night was going too fast. It was a real joy for us that he was there and captured every moment with us.
Styling & florals: Us. We chose to do a lot of the styling ourselves, including the florals, tables and decorations.
Hair: Rebecca Robertson – Salon Mace (girls and grooms mothers). Bec is one of our closest friends, and she did an amazing job with the groom girls and mother-of-the-groom’s hair. She has such great attention to detail and is exceptionally skilled at styling.
Make-up: Mecca (girls only)
Shoes: (Grooms) BOSS (Mitchell) and Saint Laurent (Matt). Matt was obsessed with his shoes!
Rings: Leah Ryan of Found Jewellery Studio. Leah is another one of our very close friends. She designed the engagement ring that Mitchell gave to Matt when he proposed. She made Mitch an engagement ring following this, and then our wedding bands. Her bespoke jewellery is stunning.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec + Bridge
Suits: Institchu – High Street Armadale. Aimee at Institu looked after us so well. We were so happy with our custom suits.
Bow ties / ties: Country Road (Matt) and Peter Jackson (Mitchell)
Catering & bar: GreenFields Albert Park
Favours: Our friends.
Cake / Cake topper: Matt’s Aunty Kerry. Matt’s Aunty Kerry makes all the family celebration cakes.
Stationery / Signage: Mitch’s sister.
Entertainment: DJ Simon Lai – Popchops. Simon was the perfect DJ with all the greatest Gay Pop Hits as well as songs guaranteed to fill the dance floor. We danced all night!
Honeymoon: Burleigh Heads, QLD
