Real Wedding – Shannon & Louis, Ripponlea VIC
Grandeur and romance worthy of the big screen oozes from the origins of Shannon and Louis love story right through to their long-awaited I dos a decade later.
From the moment Shannon penned her number on Louis’ arm in eyeliner when they first met, to the time he wrote her 100 letters (one to open each day they were apart) – these two have the kind of cosmic, undeniable chemistry reminiscent of an epic rom-com.
And so, it was fitting that when the time came to wed, their styling choices channelled a chic, old Hollywood aesthetic.
The day began with a first look at the regal and refined Winsor Hotel, followed by a resplendent ceremony at The George Ballroom, before guests boarded trams in black tie to travel to a reception set among the unrivalled architectural beauty of Quat Quatta, where the bride’s own parents were married 40 years earlier.
The experts at Melbourne Entertainment Company were the couple’s one-stop shop for musical mood-setting across two locations, overseeing the talent and logistics of a stunning string quartet, acoustic guitarist, and dancefloor-filling DJ.
Having the exceptional Tess Follett photograph the cohesive, considered celebrations was a non-negotiable for Shannon and Louis, who worked their wedding date around her availability, such is their love of her work.
Scroll on to browse how she expertly delivered every shot on their wish list while capturing all the magical, unscripted moments along the way.
The meeting.
We met in 2014 at Nevermind Bar on a Tuesday night after uni. We both got separated from our friendship groups and ended up on the rooftop. Louis was wearing a bright red leather jacket from Place Beyond The Pines, which caught Shannon and her wing-woman Anna’s eyes. We struck up a quick conversation before Louis headed off to another bar with his mates. We both wanted to exchange numbers, but instead of exchanging via phones, Shannon made a show of writing her number on Louis’ arm in eyeliner (classic artist energy). After a few months of bad texting, Louis responded to a post of one of Shan’s drawings which led to us finally going on a first date.
The ‘one’.
We started officially dating eight weeks before Shannon was about to go to Europe for four months. We did “long distance” while Shannon was away (both sets of parents can attest to our self-induced star-crossed lover energy during this time – Shannon racked up a very hefty bill hot-spotting on her dad’s phone to facetime Louis). The night before Shan’s flight, Louis surprised her with a handmade envelope filled with 100 notes, one for her to open every day of the trip. Safe to say, she ended up cutting that trip short to be back with him.
The proposal.
We were down on the Mornington Peninsula for the weekend, and we had lunch booked at our favourite winery. Louis was acting cool all morning, pretending to read his book while I got ready (pretending because he was very nervous). When we arrived at Main Ridge Estate, Louis suggested we take some photos on our DSLR, but unbeknownst to me, he had set the camera to video and pulled the ring out of his pocket and proposed. Louis was a little caught up in the moment, so I had to remind him to actually get down on one knee. We have been going to this same winery for years and have gotten to know the staff there very well, so it was extra special to be able to tell them that we’d just gotten engaged in their vineyard! They brought over champagne and we had a toast, which was so lovely.
Style inspiration.
Our shared love of classic architecture and old Hollywood aesthetic gave us a strong vision for the day from the beginning. Shan’s parents were married at Quat Quatta almost 40 years ago, so we always knew we wanted to have our wedding there, but due to the guest list, we decided that the ceremony was best suited to The George and meant we could take advantage of the Quat Quatta courtyard for a gorgeous cocktail hour. We really wanted to take our guests on a journey through our wedding day, and we loved the idea of our international guests getting to hop on the tram through St Kilda (in Black Tie of course!) from each location.
We preferred looking at real weddings for inspiration; it really helps you envision what you can do within your budget. Being a graphic designer, Shan really wanted to handle all of the signage and visuals herself, which helped save money but also gave us a unique style for the day. We chose many of our vendors first and then used their portfolios as inspiration, rather than providing them with other people’s work to emulate. We tried to keep a really consistent feel to the entire day, from getting ready at the Royal Suite of the Windsor Hotel to our dramatic ceremony at The George Ballroom. The entire day felt very cohesive.
The ceremony.
We only had one quick viewing at The George Ballroom and immediately fell in love. The space is so steeped with history, and you can feel the grandeur the second you walk through the doors. Hearing the crowd go silent and the string quartet begin to play while I was waiting to walk with my dad still gives me shivers to this day. Our bridal party included all of our siblings and our two closest friends, which made the entire ceremony feel so intimate and really represented our two families becoming one. Our celebrant Kate Adkins was absolutely incredible, she felt like an old friend standing by our side telling our love story. We also surprised our parents mid-ceremony with a ‘warming of the rings’ which was really special.
The outfits.
Louis: I knew from the beginning that the only option was P Johnson. I’ve been a fan of their work for years, and they did an incredible job at tailoring each tux to suit each of the groomsmen perfectly. I decided to go double-breasted as a point of difference from the other men, which also suited our old Hollywood aesthetic.
Shannon: I knew I could easily spend months searching for a dress, so I chose two bridal stores and went in with my mood board to help narrow down the search. However, that all went out the window when I spotted my future dress at Raffaele Ciuca. My second look was much closer to my original vision, but this dress took my breath away. I loved how grand it felt with the long train and beading; however, it still felt young and fresh with the small flowers and low neckline.
For our second look, Louis found a stunning vintage cream silk jacket on eBay and I changed into a gorgeous corseted House of CB dress with a show-stopping pearl necklace from my mum.
Favourite moment.
Listening to heartfelt speeches surrounded by our siblings, holding hands as husband and wife. Honourable mention to the bouquet toss to One Less Lonely Girl by Justin Bieber up in the balcony at Quat Quatta.
Meaning of marriage.
Having been together since we were 21, marriage represents the start of our next chapter together. Getting to share our personal vows in front of our friends and family was particularly special for us.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Pachelbel’s Canon in D – Live string quartet
Entry and champagne tower: Burning Love – Elvis
First Dance: Islands in the Stream – Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
Near disasters.
We didn’t know this until the next day, but Shannon’s mum’s reading glasses snapped right before she was due to give her speech. So Louis’ best man rushed down to the closest chemist and bought her different pairs that she could choose from, which was very sweet!
Planning surprises.
Honestly, the amount of time you need to dedicate when you’re planning a wedding without a coordinator really surprised us. Once we decided to have two locations, that also added a layer of complexity as our incredible florist now had to flower two venues on the same morning, we had additional musicians, and we had to organise cars for our family between the venues.
We also kept reminding ourselves throughout the process of why we were getting married and what an incredible privilege it is to get to celebrate our love with all of our friends and family, which really helped in any moments of stress.
Words of wisdom.
Louis: Boys, when placing your order with the tailor, get a second shirt made. Hands down the best insurance against red wines, wedding cake or extra enthusiastic Uncles.
Shannon: If you have the space, prioritise seating for your guests at the ceremony. Not only does it make your entrance feel that much more special as it creates a long aisle, your guests will be so much more relaxed and ready to party once the cocktail hour begins!
For more luxe real wedding inspiration, check out Tayla & Declan’s dream day.
SHANNON & LOUIS’ SUPPLIERS:
Getting ready location: Hotel Windsor. I had spied the Royal Suite as the backdrop of Effie Kats’ wedding photos and knew it would be the perfect place for us to stay in the lead up to our wedding. It was such a wonderful experience having both of our families and bridal party staying on the same floor and made the morning of the wedding so seamless for our vendors. The Royal Suite was the perfect backdrop for our formal affair and Tess took advantage of every corner, the staircase shots in particular are so incredible.
Ceremony venue: The George Ballroom. The grandeur of The George Ballroom should speak for itself, but when it’s partnered with a team of incredible event planners, it becomes a venue where dreams come true! Molly and Sam were incredible to work with, from our initial planning calls to fluffing my train and veil before I walked down the aisle – they were with us every step of the way.
Reception venue: Quat Quatta. Shannon’s parents had their reception at Quat Quatta nearly 40 years ago, so the stakes were high. They both agreed that the venue, staff service, and food were at a new level of excellence. From the first planning meeting to the final goodbyes on our wedding evening, the Quat Quatta team, led by Daniela, were incredible to work with. They also allow your guests to choose between two main courses, instead of an alternating drop, which everyone absolutely loved!
Celebrant: Kate Adkins. Kate set the tone of our ceremony so beautifully. She is incredibly down-to-earth, thoughtful, and such an engaging public speaker. We had three bridesmaids and two groomsmen, and it was Kate’s genius idea to wear all black and stand on Louis’ side to balance out our Bridal party. All of our guests commented on Kate’s beautiful storytelling; she was perfect!
Photography: Tess Follett Photography. Tess was the very first vendor we reached out to, and we had multiple dates on hold with our venue based on her availability – that’s the level of trust and excitement we had in her work. On the day, Tess was incredible; she took charge and ensured we captured every shot on our wishlist, while still managing to photograph the most incredible candid moments. Her photos took our breath away, and we feel so lucky to have them to cherish forever. She also put together the most beautiful slideshow that we have been able to share with overseas family and friends, which we are so grateful for.
Videography: John Kurt. We had both admired John’s work for years on Instagram and were so elated when he was available to capture our special day. We loved his calm and gentle presence on the day.
Content creator: Modern Day Romance. We had been umming and ahhing about whether to invest in a content creator for months and it was honestly one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Amber took all of the pressure off our bridal party so they could be completely unplugged, and she quietly and confidently captured every little detail of the day. Waking up the next morning to hundreds of photos and videos was so exciting, and I still find myself weekly having a scroll through her album and being immediately taken back to that day. Not only does she have an incredible eye for content, but she was so helpful on the day, even assisting my sister in bustling my dress before the first dance! What an absolute gem.
Florist: The Petal Edition. From our first meeting in her studio, Andy’s passion for flowers was palpable. She took our vision and made it better than we could have imagined. Her team magically transformed three locations in a limited timeline with finesse and a calm energy we all needed.
Hair: Natalie Jaye. What can I say about Nat – we have been friends for a decade and had been dreaming of my wedding hair for almost as long! When the day finally came, we didn’t even do a trial as I trusted her vision completely. She brought such a fun energy to the entire day, from hair spraying my Dad to perfection before we walked down the aisle to cracking out the hair curler during the reception for touch ups, she was the ultimate wing woman from day to night.
Make-up: Steph Piazza. Steph was the very first face I saw on my wedding day, and from the second she arrived at 6am, she set the most relaxing, gentle tone for the morning. Everyone in our bridal party – a diverse mix of ages and skin types – absolutely loved the looks Steph created for them, listening to their wishes, understanding their outfits and making sure they were happy. Steph worked in harmony with our hair stylists and not a single touch up was needed the entire night!
The dresses: Raffaele Ciuca and House of CB
Veil: Raffaele Ciuca
Shoes: Badgley Mishka
Rings: Michael Hill
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Shona Joy
Suits: P. Johnson
Bow ties / ties: Anthony Squires
Cake: Sandy Bake Shop. Hands down the most delicious cake we have ever tasted and it looked incredibly beautiful too! Sandy was so lovely to work with and we were receiving compliments from guests on the cake for days afterwards.
Stationery / Signage: DIY
Entertainment: Melbourne Entertainment Co. We were thrilled to find a one stop shop in Melbourne Entertainment Company, who were able to handle all of our requests – a string quartet, a DJ, and an acoustic guitarist. MEC took care of everything, giving us direct access to the talent while overseeing the timing and production, ensuring a stress-free day. They effortlessly accommodated all our musical requests, and the quality of the performers was exceptional.
Photobooth: Ghostbooth Events. We were looking for a photobooth that would complement our Art Deco venue’s beautiful interior and were thrilled to find Ghostbooth, which offered an elegant setup and stunning photographs. The setup was seamless and everyone left with a memorable keepsake to remember the special night we shared.
Transport: All Classic Cars. We debated whether or not we needed a statement car on our wedding day but once we met Stewart at Always Classic Cars we fell into the romance of these vintage beauties. Our elegantly suited driver stayed in constant contact with our venue to ensure our arrival was timed to perfection. That first drive with my Dad to the service and our first drive as a married couple in our Rolls Royce are forever precious memories.
Décor: DIY. Shout out to Louis’ mum for helping us make the gorgeous silk bows that sat on our entry sign and the bar.
Honeymoon: Byron Bay
