Two wedding pros plan their dream party wedding
When two adored wedding vendors set out to make their wedding day a festival meets house party, the result is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
As owners of Melbourne Entertainment Company, and DJs themselves, Nathan and Lani chose to centre their wedding around the entertainment – creating a truly immersive and vibrant atmosphere for their guests while celebrating their love in a way that feels ultra-true to them.
With so many years in the industry, they knew to lean into Kate’s planning talents at Hey Lovers, who coordinated a day that ran as smoothly as it did impactfully.
Their words, and the stellar images by superstar Tess Follett capture this electric day better than we could – scroll on to enjoy it all!
About the couple.
Nathan Coul is the founder and owner of Melbourne Entertainment Company (MEC), a brand he launched in 2011 and has since grown into one of Australia’s most well‑respected event entertainment agencies. He remains a high‑demand DJ and saxophonist—having worked with the likes of Nova 100, held major residencies, and pioneered the DJ‑Sax format in Melbourne.
Alana (Lani) blends her professional background as a nurse with her vivacious edge as a DJ for MEC. Drawing on her acute capacity to read a room and deliver high‑energy sets, she brings a uniquely personal and musical touch to the company’s events. Her dual role gives the team insight from both sides of the industry—the backstage and the dancefloor.
Together, Nathan’s legacy of raising the bar for event entertainment and Alana’s hands‑on expertise in both music and real‑world rhythm make them an entirely complementary team. Outside of running MEC and performing, they share a genuine joy for connecting with friends, and creating unforgettable peak moments for everyone in their life. This is the story of how they turned a typical wedding day into an Extravagant Entertainment Experience.
The meeting.
We met on Grand Final Day, 28 September 2013, at a house party hosted by a mutual friend – Lachie. Hawthorn was thrashing Fremantle, but neither of us cared in the slightest. Our eyes locked when we both reached for the same cocktail frankfurt.
Lachie introduced us under the strict condition that Nathan wasn’t able to pursue any romantic attempt on Lani… this lasted about two hours. By the time Fremantle mounted a half-hearted comeback, we were deep in conversation, utterly obsessed with each other, scrolling through Nathan’s business Melbourne Entertainment Company, his gym-mirror selfies and Lani’s endless nursing stories. The rest unfolded from there for a magical 12 years together.
The one.
For Nathan, it was the minute Lani started sharing her grotesque nursing stories without flinching. Her sense of humour matched his immediately, and he realised—this woman isn’t just his match; she’s his equal. For Lani, it was absolutely the same. The immature jokes and endless belly laughs kept drawing her back to Nathan; this type of playful energy couldn’t be ignored.
The proposal.
We got engaged on a party boat during our joint 30th birthday, surrounded by 150 of our closest friends. Mid-speech, Nathan pulled out a Cheezel box—very on-brand—and revealed the ring. After the screaming, crying, and a mild amount of confusion subsided, we surprised our guests with a six-piece marching band, leading everyone off the boat and through the CBD to the venue. It was chaotic, loud, joyful, and exactly us.
Planning process.
Being the owners of Melbourne Entertainment Company was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, we had access to world-class talent, DJs, musicians, and roving entertainment. On the other hand, we had access to world-class talent, DJs, musicians, and roving entertainment … so the pressure to curate the “ultimate entertainment wedding” was real. But the payoff was enormous—the entertainment became the backbone of the entire day. We wanted all our guests to be immersed in an entertainment wonderland, and we were both so aligned on this decision. It was a wedding designed around atmosphere rather than aesthetics—festival-energy, immersive sound, and high-impact live performances.
Style inspiration.
We knew we didn’t want anything cookie-cutter. Because entertainment is our world, we wanted the wedding to feel more like a festival-meets-house-party than a traditional ceremony. The inspiration was simple: create an atmosphere our guests had never experienced before, anchored by live performances, bold energy, and the signature Melbourne Entertainment Company flair, and NO BORING BITS.
We chose not to have our reception at a wedding venue (having performed at the vast majority of venues across Victoria). The thought of the lights coming on at 11pm and being told to go home made us shudder, and we needed something that didn’t ‘feel like work’, hence we chartered everyone in a Party Bus from the beautiful ceremony in the gardens in Abbotsford back to our home in Kew East.
Inspiration-wise, it became very overwhelming very quickly. Lani had many thoughts, “Do I want to do this because Tikok is telling me to, or do I actually want it?” It’s so easy to get swept away in the market of needing an aesthetic wedding, and it can take you away from the main point of the wedding, which is our love story. Following many amazing photographers from the industry helped, as real weddings are easier to envision yourself in. As well as being DJs ourselves! We are exposed to the best of the best, so during the process, Lani was snapping photos of styling and inspiration.
The ceremony.
The ceremony was made even more absolutely perfect by the sun shining just as Lani walked down the aisle. We had the most magical weather at Abbotsford Convent in the Heritage Gardens and risked the 6mm rainfall that was scheduled to happen. Luck was in our favour.
Our beautiful and very special family friend Eva sang Lani down the aisle to Yellow by Coldplay. Lani has been like a second mother to Eva and her two sisters, having babysat them all since they were toddlers.
Our celebrant, Leah, delivered a ceremony that was loud, proud, borderline offensive, and absolutely perfect. Leah nailed the brief, which was fun, banter and a whole lotta love. Her motto: “I’ll be your bestie till death do us part” was exactly how it went down. She threw many in-jokes into her speech, as well as sharing stories & secrets about members of the wedding party that got the whole crowd laughing, stories people were not expecting to hear at an altar.
Our flower boys were two of our best mates, Jason and Jordan. They surprised us by sprinting down the aisle with bubble guns, showering the guests and making for some epic photos. It was unpolished, hilarious, deeply personal, and everything we hoped for.
During a serious moment of the ceremony, while Nathan was trying to deliver his vows, there was an atonal flute player rehearsing in a nearby music room. Nathan was so distracted by the off-key notes that he was distracted multiple times. Lani had to pull him back on track to keep the vows flowing.
So many of our guests commented on how the ceremony felt so relaxed, fun and a big laugh. We all felt every emotion under the sun, from happy tears to laughing tears. The photos reflect it, and so many of our guests’ emotions were captured perfectly.
Post ceremony, we went straight into cocktail hour, free-flowing champagne and a four-piece jazz band: the Sunset Blue Quartet filled the rose garden with the most immaculate vibe. Mother Nature was still shining, and it was absolutely perfect.
The outfits.
Luck was in my favour. I had my dress from Grace Loves Lace saved on my phone and always felt it was perfect for my body. I did the traditional bridal try-on with some of the high-end stores and loved the champagne experience. Grace Loves Lace was the second store we went to, and once the assistant cinched me in with bulldog clips, I gasped, knowing this dress fit me like a glove. It was The Grace gown – fitted, sleek, backless, but a thick, supportive crepe silk. Goes back to my point, go with what fits your body and what you want, not what TikTok and social media are telling you is trending
My bridesmaid lent me her Mariana Hardwick veil, which was a very special moment for the ‘something borrowed’. We had a beautiful moment where she fitted the veil for me, and it was very symbolic of the sisterhood.
Nathan nailed the cream jacket and sleek black pants; he stood out very handsomely from his groomsmen, who all wore black suits with bow ties.
For the reception, Lani changed into a backless, halter-neck sequin white jumpsuit, perfect for dancing! It was the same jumpsuit she wore on our infamous 30th turned engagement party, so it was a nice homage to the day we got engaged.
Favourite moment.
Walking into our home to the sound of our Gospel Duo from Melbourne Entertainment Company serenading our guests was unforgettable. The champagne servers looked incredible, the atmosphere was electric, and in that moment, we felt the exact blend of chaos and magic we’d spent years creating for other couples—finally, it was our turn.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage, to us, means finding the person you can laugh with endlessly, trust unquestionably, and build every major life goal alongside. It’s choosing a teammate—one who encourages your madness, challenges your thinking, and celebrates your wins as though they’re their own.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Yellow – Coldplay (Eva Goudie Cover)
Reception entry: Mashup Nathan made: Carmina Burana > Greyhound – Swedish House Mafia > Booyah – Showtek
First Dance: Mashup of Come Away – Sons of the East > Thunderstruck – AC/DC
See Nathan & Lani’s reception entry that went viral!
Funny stories (or near disasters).
The forecast promised 6mm of rain, which felt like a personal attack. We tried everything—
- Planted a raw Coles beef sausage in the garden (a folklore weather superstition we put our full faith in).
- Paid $26 to an Etsy witch to cast a “good weather spell.”
- Purchased a collection of good-luck wedding umbrellas that never saw the light of day.
Miraculously, it worked. Not a drop. The sunshine poked its head out just as Lani was walking down the aisle, and Nathan shouted valiantly: “THE SAUSAGE!” – One of our fair-skinned groomsmen ended up getting sunburnt!
The second hilarious near disaster was right as we were doing our first look, when Lani noted Nathan had a different style jacket on. Not realising he was mic’d up, she asked, ‘oh you changed your jacket?’. Nathan proceeded to state he didn’t. We discovered that when we went to pick up his suit, it was way too large, so they had to do an efficient alteration. Turns out, he was wearing the wrong suit, with a different jacket, but he didn’t realise and went on with the alterations. So, some poor guy has received a suit that would have been too small. Classic nonchalant groom being left to their own devices! However, the jacket turned out amazing, if not better than the first choice, and he was as handsome as ever.
Planning surprises.
The party bus between the ceremony and reception at our house absolutely exceeded expectations. We knew it would be fun—but when All The Small Things started cranking it was next-level, energy-resetting, room-lifting, all-in chaos that kicked the second half of the day into gear.
As for planning, how helpful it is to invest in a third-party wedding planner. Despite being wedding gurus ourselves, having Kate from Hey Lovers to take control of the little things, but manage the whole day was an absolute godsend. She thought of things I would never have remembered and made the whole day look like a well-oiled machine. She took the mental load off all the decision fatigue, especially when it comes to crunch time where vendors start reaching out with questions.
Words of wisdom.
Trust your vendors, keep your non-negotiables tight, outsource what you can, and design a day that feels unmistakably “you.” And if entertainment is anywhere on your priority list: invest in it. It shapes the energy, the memories, and the entire guest experience.
Last words.
Running Melbourne Entertainment Company means we’ve spent years helping other couples create unforgettable weddings. Getting to craft our own—with the full weight of our team’s talent behind us—was one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our day was a celebration not just of our relationship, but of the community, creativity, and chaos that surrounds us.
LANI & NATHAN’S VENDORS:
Ceremony location: Abbotsford Convent
Reception venue: At home in Kew East
Celebrant: Love Leah
Wedding planner: Kate – Hey Lovers
Photography: Tess Follett & Tom from Melbourne Entertainment Company
Filmed by: Momento Films
Florist: Lowvely Flowers
Hair: Rhodia Makeup & Hair
Make-up: Makeup By Annalise
The dress: Grace loves lace
Veil: Marianna Hardwick
Shoes: LMS The Brand
Rings: JMP Jewellery
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Shona Joy
Suits: Mens Suit Warehouse
Bow ties / ties: Mens Suit Warehouse
Groomsman Suits: Connor
Catering & bar: Italian Chef
Cake / Cake topper: Italian Chef
Stationery / Signage: Peppermint Press
Entertainment:
All Melbourne Entertainment Company
Ceremony: Sunset Blue Jazz Quartet
Ceremony aisle song: Eva Goudie – Vocal Guitarist (Friend)
Canepe hour singers:Gospel Duo
Canepe hour roving entertainment:
DJ: Tom
Sax: Nathan
Dancefloor Roving Entertainment:
Roving Burlesque + Shots
Recovery Entertainment: Jam – Piano Man
Transport: Signature Cheauffers
Party Bus: Dee Decker
Marquee Installation: Marquee Monkeys
Event Hire: Peninsula Party Hire
Honeymoon: Jackalope Hotel
