Real Wedding – Matt & Shani, Thornbury VIC
Matt and Shani planned a day that was one big party with their loved ones, and a gorgeous Melbourne cafe was the perfect spot to bring this party to life.
Pulling together a trusted Tribe of suppliers who understood their vibe and aesthetic, they let the venue do the talking and then just added some DIY. Lucky for Shani and Matt they have a host of talented family members who added the finishing fabulous touches which made the day even more special.
The ceremony was a perfect moment and their speeches had them all in stitches before their fantastic photographer Nikki McCrone stole them away for some golden hour shots that they will remember forever.
In Shani’s words…
The meeting.
We met 11 years ago at a mutual friends debutante ball.
The ‘one’.
We just clicked!
The proposal.
We were having a quiet dinner at home to celebrate my birthday, and Matt proposed!
The planning process.
Matt and I really just wanted to have a big party with all our loved ones to celebrate, so once we found Little Henri it all just came together! We tried to keep everything low key and fuss free, and having a group of really amazing, talented vendors who understood our vibe and aesthetic made it really easy for us. We wanted to keep all the extras as DIY as possible and had lots of help from family. Matt’s mum used to be a sign writer and made us a beautiful sign board for the entry. My mum is famous for her short bread,and made our gorgeous Mr & Mrs cookies. To top it all off Matt’s Auntie is a fabulous baker and made our stunning cake from scratch!
Style inspiration.
We loved the old-world style of Little Henri and wanted to keep a warm and relaxed atmosphere. As the organising and planning went along, we found lots of ‘deco’ details kept popping up!
The dress.
I had come across a few Made With Love gowns on Instagram, and really loved their elevated boho look. After visiting their salon and trying on a few options, the look on my cousin/ Maid of Honors face when I put on ‘Harlie’ told me straight away I had found the one!
Favourite moment.
We loved it all! Our ceremony was pretty special, and the speeches had us in stitches. Nikki our photographer took us outside for some golden hour shots and we really loved having a few minutes together just the two of us as the sun began to set – to just breathe and take it all in for a minute. Once all the formalities were done it felt great to just kick off our heels (me literally) and let loose on the dancefloor!
Meaning of marriage.
I think because we have been together for so long, not much has changed since we tied the knot! Marriage for us is more about what it symbolizes and celebrating the commitment we have already made to each other.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Stand by Me- Ben E King
Signing: Say you won’t let go- James Arthur
First Dance: Perfect-Beyonce & Ed
Funny stories (or near disasters).
We didn’t realize until about 5 minutes before the ceremony that I still had the rings in my bag! Luckily Matt’s brother and best man Dean remembered and we got them to him before the ceremony began.
Planning surprises.
How lovely, helpful and supportive everyone has been throughout the process, from friends and family all the way through to our wonderful vendors.
Words of wisdom.
Try not to stress, everything will come together! And don’t scrimp on the photographer, we are so glad we didn’t! Once it’s all said and done, we are so happy to have such amazing images to look back on and reminisce!
Need to nail the final details on your dream day? Here’s how.
SHANI AND MATT’S TRIBE
Ceremony & reception venue / location: Little Henri: Thornbury – We had a cocktail reception and wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat!! We needn’t have worried, the team at Little Henri had it covered, the amazing grazing table, stacks of canapes and supper meant everyone had plenty to eat.
Celebrant/Officiant: Jo-Anne Wells- Priest @ St Matthews Glenroy – Being Matts family’s local church priest and having known her for many years, we loved having Jo-Anne perform our ceremony.
Photography: Nikki McCrone Photography– We truly loved having Nikki as our photographer. Neither of us are very comfortable being photographed, but Nikki made it so easy and relaxed for us. She captured everything beautifully, suggested the most perfect locations and we loved all the small details she managed to catch.
Photo Booth: Heartbreak Booth
Styling: Self styled
Florist: Jo-Anna Giarusso
Hair: Emily Ferrato Hair
Make Up: Katia Amarena
The Dress(es): Made with Love – Harlie
Rings: MDT Design
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Sheike
Groomsmen’s suits: Bell & Barnett
Bow ties / ties: Next
Catering: Little Henri
Bar: Little Henri
Favors: DIY (Brides Mother) & Oxfam
Cake / Cake topper: Ana Chiefalo (Grooms Auntie)
Stationery / Signage: Stationary- DIY & Vistaprint / Signage- DIY ( Grooms Mother)
Entertainment: Sarah Stone & Joey Cirillo – Instinct Entertainment – Joe and Sarah were incredible!! They brought the perfect vibe to the day and had everyone up on the dancefloor as soon as the sun set!
Transport: Uber premier
