Real Wedding – Megan and Anthony, Abbotsford VIC
For Megan and Anthony, their wedding was always going to be an epic party, equal parts fun and laid-back. Collingwood Children Farm was the perfect choice of venue to provide the country-festival-meet-city-party vibe they were after. Enter Tribe favourites Elderberry Event Hire to step up the styling with a magical marquee and furniture, and the wow factor followed.
Megan struck a stunning silhouette in her beaded One Day Bridal gown, the sparkle only rivalled by her effervescent smile, which shines through in every pic.
It’s obvious that these two loved every minute of their day, captured to perfection by Tribe star One Spoon Two Spoon. We loved how relaxed and comfortable these two appear in front of the camera, making for a series of incredibly authentic and beautiful shots.
The night finished off as vibrant as the day started, to tunes by our favourite dance floor maestros, The White Tree.
The meeting.
We met at our friend and celebrant Cribbo’s 30th birthday,
The ‘one’.
When Anthony went away to the World Cup in South America we missed each other, and when he came back it felt like something had changed and it all just felt right.
The proposal.
We went on a trip to Tasmania and drove up the east coast. Anthony popped the question three days in on a beach on Bruny Island; it was special – just the two of us.
Planning process.
Anthony’s background is Greek Cypriot & Italian, so we always knew that it was going to be a big wedding. We wanted it to be a fun and relaxed day with all our friends and family together and a good party, of course!
Style inspiration.
We wanted to find a venue where we could fit everyone, that felt special to us. The marquee was the perfect fit, and Collingwood Children’s Farm instantly felt right. The farm and marquee style was the perfect mix for us, being in the city but having a touch of country. The paddock was like a secret garden; you wouldn’t even know you’re in the inner city.
The outfit.
I wanted something classic that I felt amazing in! Initially, when I started trying on dresses everything I thought I would love didn’t feel right. When I tried on the dress I never thought I would go for the beaded style, but it was a classic cut and the beads were beautiful, adding an extra touch of sparkle.
Favourite moments.
For Anthony, it was so nice greeting everyone before it all started; the calm before the whirlwind of the day. I loved walking back down the aisle as a married couple, so much excitement and so special to see everyone there with us.
Meaning of marriage.
Going through life together and being there to support each other whatever life may bring.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Reception entry: All I Do Is Win by DJ Kaleed
First dance: Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars.
Funny stories or near disasters.
There was a bit of a near miss, I forgot my bouquet! I only realized once I got to the venue and the girls asked where it was. Luckily, we had a spare one to throw so I ended up using that one although not sure if Jules our Florist has quite forgiven me. It did mean it was in perfect condition though the next day.
Planning surprises.
The amount of little things that you need to do in the two weeks leading up to the day is a lot; don’t underestimate it. I love a list and that really helped but also allowing enough time to get everything done really helped.
Words of wisdom.
Be present and enjoy it all, even the planning. Don’t sweat the small things; it won’t matter on the day. All that counts is that you have everyone you love in the one place and you’re in it together.
We love that a country wedding can give you freedom and fun without losing compromising on class. If you’re considering a blank canvas to create your vision, backed by incredible natural settings, check out our collection of county style weddings here.
MEGAN AND ANTHONY’S VENDORS
Ceremony and reception venue: The Paddock, at Collingwood Children’s Farm – The Collingwood Children’s Farm instantly felt right for us, the food was delicious and all of the team were so friendly and professional. Angelina our wedding planner was amazing! We couldn’t have done it without her, in the week leading up to it she stayed calm even when we thought it was going to be 40 degrees and made last-minute changes to everything to accommodate for the weather. Angelina didn’t dismiss any of our crazy ideas to keep everyone cool, we now have an excess stash of Zooper Doopers that didn’t get used on the day!
Celebrant: Anthony Cribbes – Cribbo is our friend and we’ve known him for a long time, we even met at his 30th! It was so special to have him there as celebrant & MC on the day, his knowing us was an incredible personal touch. He was also a big support in the lead-up and gave us a lot of recommendations, we feel very lucky to have had him there and he made it all so fun!
Photography: Hailey Birch, One Spoon Two Spoon – Hailey is AH-mazing! She made our day so much easier keeping everyone on track and making sure we took in the moments that mattered. Hailey puts in so much on the day, her passion and personal touch make it all so special. All while capturing the day – the photos are absolutely incredible we love them!
Videography: James, a professional cameraman we knew through a friend
Florist: Jules Dowling – Jules is also our beautiful & talented friend, she was incredible in the lead up to the day. No task was too much, even with such a big space to fill she remained calm and laid back throughout. Using a mood board for inspiration ensured everything was beautiful and exactly what we wanted.
Hair: Hair by Amanda Audrey
Make-up: Make-up By Kathy – Kathy & Amanda are amazing, they are so easy to work with and made everyone feel special. They both came recommended through a friend and were happy to work through any little fixes with the girls on the day. It was so fun chatting with everyone and they made the preparation so natural and fun!
The dresses: One Day Bridal – The team at One Day Bridal were fantastic, everything was so well organized and timed perfectly without a hiccup. They kept me updated throughout the process, locking in all the fittings well in advance and it always felt special coming in to try it on.
Rings: All Diamonds – Engagement Rings & Wholesale Diamonds Melbourne
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Mixed styles in navy by Shona Joy
Groom’s jacket: Politix
Groomsmen’s jackets: Tony Barlow
Bar: The venue bar staff were from the venue & we could supply our own drinks! This was fantastic it meant that we could choose what we wanted, including cocktails, and we definitely saved money doing it this way.
Favours: Etsy – Liz was fantastic, so easy to work with and so accommodating in creating a design that worked with everything else.
Cake: Stephanie, Dessert 4 Me – Stephanie’s cakes are delicious, we loved the lemon yoghurt & white chocolate combo and should have probably ordered a bigger cake it all went so quickly!
Stationery / Signage: Etsy, KindredPaperCoShop and Snap Printing Carlton – Loved the design from Kelsey at KindredPaperCoShop, she was very quick to respond to all our questions and help out with any resizing we needed. Snap printing Carlton were great, the quality was fantastic and they were incredibly flexible considering we were only a week out from Christmas.
Entertainment: The White Tree – The White Tree created an incredible vibe on the day with everyone getting up and involved. Mark was brilliant in the lead up super organized and responsive we had heaps of compliments and everyone loved a dance.
Décor: Elderberry Event Hire, furniture and marquee. – Elderberry Event Hire were absolutely incredible. We had to have the biggest tent they had because of our numbers, but we had plenty of space for everyone and the set up with the lights was even better than we expected. Orla was fantastic and so patient and easy to work with in the lead-up, the Farm also said that it was all so professional and organized for bump in on the day. We would definitely recommend Elderberry to anyone looking to hire a marquee!
Honeymoon: Indonesia
