Real Wedding – Nikki & Simon, Albert Park VIC

Bright blooms, fresh, modern style and megawatt smiles were the names of the game for Nikki and Simon’s cracking celebration. This was a relaxed day filled with personality and fun, and we are 100% here for it!

Nikki and Simon wanted their ceremony to reflect the importance of their friends and family and capture the essence of who they are as a couple. Legendary celebrant Nat Sproal nailed the brief, kick-starting the celebration with her unique brand of soul-filled, cheese-free, fun.

We can’t get enough of the wedding party, looking every bit a vivacious dream in shades of pink, rose water, lavender and sequin. Mismatched bridesmaids gowns always make an impact, and these gorgeous gals ooze personality and individual style.

The centrepiece to the fabulous festivities are the radiant newlyweds, relaxed and glowing. Stunning first look photos meant Nikki and Simon were free to enjoy every moment of their party, and as the dance floor heated up, the energy was simply electric. There to capture it all in dynamic style was our friend, Motta Photography.

The meeting.

Some friends introduced Simon and me at the Lorne Pub after the Pier to Pub in 2013.  We went on our first date a few days later back in Melbourne.

The ‘one’.

We’ve been together for just over eight years now, and it was definitely the culmination of many moments in time that led to me knowing Simon was ‘the one’.

The proposal.

Simon proposed on a winter morning down in Angelsea.  It was at our favourite spot on the beach, and we couldn’t stop smiling.

Planning process.

We were engaged in July 2019 and had originally planned to get married in November 2020, but we sadly had to postpone due to COVID. Postponing was difficult, but luckily all our vendors were available for our second date in April 2021. We divided the planning, which made the whole process more enjoyable.

Style inspiration. 

We were pretty relaxed about the style, but we found inspiration from several different places, including wedding blogs, magazines and Pinterest, both real weddings and styled shoots. We also placed a lot of importance on buying local and making our wedding as environmentally friendly as possible. We spent a lot of time researching our vendors and wanted to choose people who shared similar values to us.

The ceremony.

We wanted our wedding and ceremony to be a celebration of our love for one another but also a celebration for our friends and family to show them how important they are to us.  Our ceremony included “ninja vows,” which were three secret proclamations that we wrote for the other person to read.  This was a real crowd-pleaser.  We also wrote our own personal vows to each other, which added a special touch.

The main standout for our ceremony was our celebrant Nat Sproal who made our ceremony so memorable. She did an amazing job capturing the essence of Simon and me and understanding what is truly important to us and our relationship.

The outfit. 

My dress was from Made with Love. I did a lot of scrolling online and only visited a few bridal boutiques before I found my dress. I actually bought the first dress I tried on. My mum made my veil, and we added a beautiful blue broach that belonged to my Nan.

Simon and his groomsmen got their suits from MJ Bale. The team at MJ Bale Emporium were wonderful.

I wanted our beautiful bridesmaids to feel comfortable and show off their unique styles, so they picked their own dresses in an array of pinks, and this worked perfectly.

Favourite moments.

We had so much fun at the reception with some really beautiful speeches from our loved ones and a great dancefloor; however, the ceremony really surpassed our expectations and was one of our favourite moments.

Meaning of marriage.

For us, marriage is a celebration of our love for one another and a promise that we’ll be there for each other through the good times and the bad.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle (wedding party): Love is in the Air by John Paul Young

Aisle (bride): I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis

Recessional: Sunchyme by Dario G

Reception entry: One More Time by Daft Punk

First dance: Pure Shorts by All Saints

Funny stories or near disasters.

They do say never work with children, but we really wanted our nieces and nephews to be part of our ceremony. Their parents had instructed them to throw petals as they walked down the aisle. They interpreted this to mean throw petals at the guests. There were a few near misses, but everyone survived.

Planning surprises.

There were a lot of aspects of the wedding we really enjoyed planning. We disagreed on a few things, but mostly we wanted the same things. Postponing due to COVID was fairly stressful, but all our vendors were amazingly supportive. We tried to see the best in each situation, and our family and friends definitely helped us get through the uncertainty.

Words of wisdom.

There are so many incredible vendors and a lot of decisions to make. Try to limit your choices if you can but definitely spend time picking good vendors. It makes it so much easier and enjoyable.

NIKKI & SIMON’S VENDORS

Ceremony & reception venue: Greenfields, Albert Park

Celebrant: Nat Sproal – such an incredible person. She kept us excited through postponements and always highlighted what was important. Her ceremony was perfect, and we had so many compliments about how personal, entertaining, and funny it was.

Photography: Alex Motta, Motta Weddings – a dream to work with. We met him at a friends wedding and instantly fell in love with his photographic style. Neither of us is very comfortable in front of the camera, so we wanted someone who could capture the day but not feel intrusive. He captured our wedding perfectly.

Styling: Bride and groom and bride’s sister

Florist: Say It With Flowers, Malvern and bride’s sister. The team at Say It With Flowers made our beautiful bouquets and our ceremony arbour. They added a perfect touch to the day. My sister is a very talented designer, and she helped us decorate the reception space.

Hair: Darian Brazier. Darian was lovely to work with and was really versatile.  I couldn’t have been happier with my hair.

Make-up: Claire Bradley – she was great and made me feel so beautiful.

The dress:  Made With Love Bridal

Veil:  Bride’s Mother

Rings:  Salera’s Jewellery – groom’s wedding band and engagement ring. Jeff Noble – bride’s wedding band.

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Each picked their own

Suits & bow ties: MJ Bale

Stationery / Signage: Minted

Entertainment: Michael, Mercury DJs