Real Wedding – Nicole & Anthony, Collingwood VIC
The sweet celebration of Nicole and Anthony could best be described as a total love fest! This perfect pair value family and friends above all else, so for them, to be surrounded by their nearest and dearest, while soaking up an atmospheric city soiree could not have been more perfect.
With Anthony in a dapper black suit, and Nicole in her incredible Rachel Gilbert neoprene gown, they cut dashing figures as they celebrated their ceremony with perfect personalised vows, before taking to the streets for a fun photography session with one of our favourites, Fern & Stone Photography. Baker Boys Band had their guests up and dancing from the get-go, as they celebrated into the night, with smiles from ear to ear.
Nicole and Anthony had many words of wisdom when it came to planning their wedding, but above all, one of the most vital elements of their day was trusting their sensational set of suppliers to do what they do best, and after doing just that, boy was theirs a wedding to wow.
The meeting.
Anth and I met five years ago, when I tagged along with a friend to a Ladie’s Day event at Anth’s football/netball club. After a few hours of cocktails with the girls while the boys played footy, we all kicked on to a house party around the corner. Anth caught my eye at the party, and I’ve never looked away! He was handsome, chatty and down-to-earth, and we hit it off immediately.
The one.
I don’t know if there was an exact moment, but I’d say it was pretty early on. Family, friends, and spending time with the people we love is really important to us both, so meeting each other’s loved ones and seeing how well we fit into each other’s lives was a big ol’ tick for the both of us.
The proposal.
We were supposed to be heading away for the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, but COVID had other plans. Restrictions kept us inside our 25km bubble, but thankfully restaurants had opened up again, so we made a dinner booking for the Saturday night instead. It was a late booking, so we decided to crack open a bottle of red at home beforehand… and next minute Anth was down on one knee in the middle of our lounge room, smiling and holding the most perfect ring! After a lot of YES-ing we went to dinner, so happy and excited, in our little love bubble. It was such a special couple of hours together, eating, drinking, and soaking up the moment, before heading home to call our families and share the news. Just perfect.
Planning process.
We both loved the wedding planning process! I’m a project manager for work, so I’d assumed that I’d take the lead, but Anth was super keen to be involved and we ended up doing most of the planning together. Once we’d booked the big things – a venue, photographer, and celebrant that we loved – the rest just seemed to fall into place. We both really enjoyed the process and seeing it all come together.
Style inspiration.
Growing up close to the Yarra Valley I’d always thought I’d end up getting married at one of the beautiful wineries nearby. But over the last few years I’d seen more and more couples getting married at venues closer to the city (Brunswick, Collingwood, and Richmond), that were a totally different vibe, and I loved them! The best way I can describe the style we were going for is ‘Melbourne’ – sophisticated, but laid-back and fun. I loved the idea of the wedding party being dressed in black and white, bright flowers, photos in the nearby streets and espresso martinis for dessert. Live music was a must too!
The ceremony.
We loved our ceremony. We wanted it to feel personal, light-hearted, and warm, and it did! Our celebrant Lara did an incredible job at capturing our love story and creating a ceremony that reflected us. We also wrote our own vows, which was pretty special to read them to each other in front of our loved ones.
The outfits.
Anth and his groomsmen had their suits custom made by Institchu. I bought my dress from Rachel Gilbert, and I could not be happier with how I felt in it on the day. When I started looking for a dress, I went to quite a few bridal stores and tried on lots of beautiful gowns, but none of them were quite right. From the first dress I tried on at Rachel Gilbert I knew I’d be buying my dress there – every single dress was amazing. I never could have imagined I’d be wearing a neoprene dress on my wedding day, but here we are!
Favourite moment.
There were so many! Having my dad walk me down the aisle and seeing so many loving happy faces, including that of my now husband was a highlight for me! We both loved the ceremony, there was just something so special about standing together sharing our promises with each other surrounded by so much love. Photos with our wedding party in the streets of Collingwood, heartfelt speeches and just seeing everyone so happy, dancing and enjoying the day we’d pulled together.
Meaning of marriage.
Committing to each other in marriage was really special for both of us. For us it was about becoming a family and celebrating love with our family and friends.
Wedding soundtrack.
Walking down the aisle – “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Kina Grannis
Certificate signing – “If I Ain’t Got You” by James Bay & “LOVE” by CHVRCHES
Recessional– “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole
Reception entry – “December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)” by Frankie Valli (instrumental by Baker Boys Band)
First dance – “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran
Final song – “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Only one near disaster, thank goodness! A couple of last-minute alterations with Anth’s suit meant he didn’t pick it up until 2.30pm the day before the wedding! Safe to say we were both pretty stressed in that final week. But it all worked out in the end, and he looked a million bucks on the day, so it was worth it.
Planning surprises.
From memory there was only one thing that took us by surprise during the planning process, and that was how far in advance we had to start booking things in! When we got engaged 18 months ago, we had no idea what we were stepping into, and thankfully all the vendors we loved were available which was so lucky. But there were plenty of vendors that we enquired with who were already booked out for our date.
Words of wisdom.
Agree and set a realistic budget upfront and keep referring back to it. Use a spreadsheet or budget template to track your actual costs and keep on top of payments. Our budget spreadsheet was our bible, and it really helped us to make trade-off decisions and keep our spending on track (it’s so easy to get carried away!). Secondly, trust your vendors, they know what they’re doing. Trust their recommendations (they know what works and what doesn’t) and allow them to be creative and do what they do best. Lots of people said this to us, but it didn’t fully sink in until those last few weeks, when everything came together a thousand times better than we could have ever imagined. And finally, the best piece of advice we got from other people was to take some time to yourselves during the day to pause, look around the room and soak it all in together. It’s so easy to get caught up and the day just flies by!
City weddings are always a vibe and we adored the chic day of Natalie and Pas who oozed warmth and love on their spectacular Melbourne wedding day. From the chic fashion choices to the rich history of their chosen venues, deconstructed florals in abundance and guests donning a black tie dress code – it was elegance at every turn, be sure to check it out.
NICOLE AND ANTHONY’S SUPPLIERS
Ceremony and reception venue: The Craft & Co, Collingwood
Catering: The Craft & Co, Collingwood
Bar: The Craft & Co, Collingwood
We absolutely loved The Craft & Co for our ceremony and reception. One of Anth sister’s friends had been married here a few years ago and gave a glowing recommendation, so we had to check it out. We loved that it was on Smith Street in Collingwood, and from the moment we stepped inside we knew this is where we wanted to get married. It was amazing! A gin distillery and brewery downstairs, with a huge function space upstairs full of natural light, high ceilings and so much potential to make it your own. Not to mention the AMAZING food and drink on offer. A huge thank you to Gavin from The Craft & Co Events team who was so friendly, accommodating and made the whole process so easy. We could not recommend The Craft & Co enough!
Celebrant/Officiant: Lara Williams Celebrant
From the first time we met Lara over Zoom, we knew she was the one to marry us. Vivacious, warm and a little bit cheeky, Lara instantly made us feel comfortable and like we were talking to a friend. She made the planning process fun and easy, and we could not be happier to have had her marry us, in a light, romantic and fun ceremony that was just so us. We loved how Lara captured our love story, and so did our guests. We couldn’t have asked for a better celebrant to make us official, thank you Lara!
Photography: Fern & Stone Photography
From the moment we found Fern & Stone Photography on Instagram, we fell in love with Jess’ work and absolutely had to have her capture our day. We loved working with Jess, she was such a happy and calming presence both in the lead up and on the day, and made us, our bridal party and our guests feel totally at ease in front of the camera. Not only was Jess a joy to work with, but we were totally blown away by her incredible talent and creative eye. We absolutely adore our photos and cannot believe how well she has captured so many happy, special moments from the day. These photos will be treasured memories for us for many, many years to come. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jess!
Florist: Flower Jar
We were absolutely blown away by the incredible blooms Rhiannon and the Flower Jar team created for our special day – just wow! The bouquets, the arbour and the table arrangements were bigger, brighter and more beautiful than we could have ever imagined, and we could not be happier with how everything came together. Thank you to Rhiannon and the Flower Jar team for creating the most perfect backdrop for our amazing day, our guests have not stopped raving about your work!
Cake / Cake topper: Sweet Samantha
I found Sam one day scrolling through Instagram and was in awe at her incredible talent for cakes! Every single photo on her page looked fun and delicious, so we decided to purchase some samples – aka the best decision ever. We obviously booked her, and she was an absolute delight, as was our beautiful and very delicious lemon and buttercream cake!
Hair & Make Up: Shara Hair and Makeup
On a recommendation from a special friend who’d been married a few years ago, I contacted Shara for my wedding hair and makeup, and what a great decision that was. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt or looked better in my life! Shara is incredibly talented and made us all feel amazing. Cool, calm and collected, Shara was so lovely to work with and made the wedding day so easy and stress-free. Highly recommend!
Entertainment: Baker Boys Band
The Baker Boys Band came highly recommended from many friends and family who had seen them perform at other weddings and events. Throughout the process, we attended two showcases at a pub in South Melbourne to see the band members perform with different combinations and musical styles. The band manager Melissa was extremely helpful in matching us with the right musicians based on our music tastes, and ensuring the day ran smoothly. All our guests raved about the band and the dancefloor was always pumping during their sets!
Rings: Custom made by Gregory Jewellers
Anth had a great experience with Thea from Gregory Jewellers when designing my engagement ring, so we went back to have our wedding bands made here too. We cannot speak highly enough of the high quality and personalized service provided by Thea, she is fantastic.
The Dress(es) – if applicable: Rachel Gilbert
Veil / headwear – if applicable: Amélie George
Shoes: Billini
Bridesmaid’s dresses – if applicable: Bec & Bridge
Suits – if applicable: Institchu
Bow ties / ties: MJ Bale
Stationery / Signage: Etsy, Vistaprint, Officeworks
Transport: Limomate by Southern Cross Cars
Hire: Table Art
Honeymoon: Crown Metropol & Airbnb
