Real Wedding – Sarah & Anthony, Melbourne VIC
Moody florals and autumnal tones made way for the stunning, intimate celebration of Anthony and Sarah.
Opting to kick off their day in their very own way, Anthony and Sarah got ready together and entered their ceremony side-by-side, savouring every moment in their lead up to becoming man and wife.
It was this approach that underpinned their plans, sharing their belief that ‘It doesn’t have to be big; it doesn’t have to make a statement. As long as your day is filled with love, with the people you love, the things you love then its going to be perfect.’
We couldn’t agree more.
See their celebration through the lens of the wonderful Blossom Daisy Creative here.
In Sarah’s words…
The meeting.
We both met in our first job after high school. We of just knew of each other and had the same friends but it wouldn’t be years until we got together.
The ‘one’.
I think for me (Sarah) it was pretty early on in the relationship. I had an overwhelming sense of being home with Anthony. No matter what happened I knew he was always going to be it for me. For Anthony it was a few years in, it just happened one day.
The proposal.
Let me preface this by saying Anthony is a terrible liar. I have always known when he’s up to something. So when he decided to propose he had to devise a plan to throw me off the trail.
For a few months Anthony had been running the tan (which is out of character for him) and after a while he’d started asking me to go with him. Runnings not my thing so I kept saying no. Then every time he’d convince me I’d find an excuse not to go! This went on for about three weeks. The day before my 30th birthday Anthony tells me we’re having a romantic dinner as we’re barely going to see each other the next night with all the celebrations. I didn’t think anything of it. I get home, open the door and there’s music, candles, rose petals – a garden. I was thinking, ‘this is a lovely birthday surprise!’. Then Anthony got down on one knee and proposed. I had a mix between laughter and tears going on. He later tells me he’d been trying to get me to the gardens for weeks but because I’m so stubborn he had to bring them to me.
Style inspiration.
We picked an autumn date, so we wanted to really lean into that with moody florals and tones.
The dress.
My dress happened on a whim. I’d been at a fitting at a bridal boutique and had no luck. I’m a small girl and everything felt too much for me. I loved the look of all the beautiful gowns but the boning, the detailing and all the fabric made me feel like a little girl playing dress up.. A friend offered that we go to high street and do some window shopping at the boutiques, see what’s there. We parked out the front on Manning Cartell and decided to stop in on our way. On the Mannequin was this beautiful lace dress, and I decided the try it on just to see. The moment I put it on I knew it was the one. It hugged me in the right places, felt breezy and delicate and captured the light so beautifully. I bought it on the spot and never looked back.
Favourite moments.
Anthony and I stayed together the night before, got ready together and walked to the ceremony together. There was this beautiful moment before everything began. I’d just gotten back from getting my hair done and Anthony had picked up some sashimi. We opened a bottle of Bollinger and sat down together for our last meal together before we got married. It was this beautiful, calm moment where we ground ourselves in what we were committing to that day. It’s was so simple but so meaningful at the same time.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Lovers Carvings by Bibio.
First dance: Gentle storm by Elbow.
Words of wisdom.
It doesn’t have to be big; it doesn’t have to make a statement. As long as your day is filled with love, with the people you love, the things you love then its going to be perfect. You do you.
Addicted to our real weddings? See them all here.
SARAH & ANTHONY’S TRIBE
Ceremony venue / location: The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Handled by Blakes Feast – Absolute experts. We really didn’t have to worry about anything other than choosing a location for the ceremony. You’re in good hands with these guys!
Reception venue / location: The Botanical – We love The Botanical. The food is always delicious, and the wine selection is fabulous. The Archer room is the perfect setting for a private event. It’s so beautifully put together and the staff are incredibly attentive. We also had a great experience working with the team, they were so helpful in the lead up and on the day.
Celebrant/Officiant: Megan Thompson – Megan knew exactly what we wanted out of our day – she got us. And working with her was so easy, nothing felt overwhelming and there was always a good laugh and good conversation to be had. She really set the mood for our ceremony.
Photography: Blossom Daisy Creative – Cas was incredible throughout the whole process, so patient and lovely and she is the most talented photographer! We’ve had the best experience in the lead up and of course on the day. We didn’t notice her during the ceremony or whilst we were mingling with our friends and family, but she managed to capture the most incredible and candid moments. We had such an intimate dinner and having Cas there to capture it was just perfect. She actually got on with our families so well that they were asking about her for days after. We couldn’t recommend her enough!
Styling: Bride
Florist: Flowerhead Events – Our arrangements we so gorgeous and exactly what we wanted. We had a florist fall through and three weeks out of from the wedding Flowerhead were there to save the day! Helen was really lovely and made every effort to get pull together what we wanted. She’s a master florist!
Hair: Rachel Vitullo at Joey Scandizzo – Rachel is fantastic. My hair not only looked perfect on the day but held up for two days after the wedding which was amazing as we had another celebration the night after!
Make-up: Bride
The Dress: Manning Cartel –I love Manning Cartel as a label so I was not surprised to find ‘the’ dress with them either. Light and airy, I felt beautiful but not over dressed for our relaxed garden wedding. With the gorgeous lighting on the day it photographed so well.
Shoes: Manning Cartel – These shoes were a little something industrial to break up the delicate lace of the dress. We weren’t having a traditional wedding, so whilst my dress was almost something out of picnic at hanging rock, the shoes tied it all together and bought it back to modern times.
Rings: I chose not to take a wedding band. I barely wear jewellery and love my engagement ring so much I didn’t want anything to take away from it. It’s a beautiful vintage ring Anthony found in a small jeweller in the CBD. Anthony chose a modern brushed gold wedding band.
Cake / Cake topper: Cake and Coco – When it comes to cakes sometimes you sacrifice the taste for aesthetic. That is absolutely not the case here. Not only did our cake look amazing, it was the most delicious vanilla buttercream we have ever had. This mother-son team are fire in the kitchen. We love them!
Stationery / Signage: Bride
Décor: Vintage. Sourced from all over.
Honeymoon: Red Hill mini-moon.