Real Wedding – Tom & Alice, Gnarwarre VIC
What does a florist’s wedding look like? If Alice and Tom’s is anything to go by, the answer is stunningly soft, exquisitely complementary to the gorgeous surroundings, and grounded in the most beautiful, authentic romance.
Alice chose a few focal points to embellish with her on-point styling choices. The first was the ceremony, set against the raw, rustic backdrop of the bluestone stable. Floral arrangements in autumnal tones of dusky peach, muted blush and soft creams are so artfully effortless they appear to have grown organically into a perfect position.
Alice wears a gown designed for her by our friends at Soho Bride, an understated vision of elegant simplicity. We love the soft plissé bodice and a slight nod to bohemian bliss in the perfectly draped sleeves.
But it’s the incredible energy between Tom and Alice that elevates this day from stylish soiree to a truly magic moment in time, all captured to perfection by Sofia Flinn Photography. Love, laughter, personal touches, and captivating contemporary vision are all present in this absolute dream of a day. Scroll on to experience its sun-drenched perfection.
The meeting.
We first met in 2006; Tom and I were studying at William Angliss TAFE, and we lived around the corner from each other in South Yarra. I knew of Tom before I met him; a mutual friend mentioned he would be studying at the same Tafe and living near me. He was described as being a tall surfer with long dark hair, and as soon as I spotted him, I knew it was Tom.
The ‘one’.
Tom and I started dating three years after we met. As with many great relationships, it started with a drunk kiss in an Irish pub, and then a couple of months later, we made it official. Fourteen years and a couple of kids later, we tied the knot!
We can’t pinpoint a specific moment that we knew we were the ‘one’ for each other, but we have the same values; we knew what we wanted for the future and that it included the two of us living on the coast and raising kids together.
The proposal.
We were in Hawaii on the island of Kauai, and I was about 26 weeks pregnant with our second baby, Bobby. Tom had made numerous attempts to make a romantic proposal, all suggestions that I knocked back because I was hot and bothered and feeling very pregnant – obviously not aware of what he was trying to do! He pulled over at a little beach and said, “let’s just go for a swim” then he awkwardly walked into the water holding his pocket then cradled me, and I was bobbing around in the water when he proposed. After being together for 11 years and many chats about being happy not to get married, it caught me off guard!
Planning process.
The planning process was pretty easy; having worked in the industry with all of our suppliers, we already had that relationship, and we knew who we wanted to be part of our day. We were very lucky that everyone had availability, especially given it was a long weekend in March!
The lead-up to the wedding kept us very busy! We loved the stables as they were – very raw and beautiful – but Tom’s stepdad, Jeff, is very house/property proud and wanted to make sure that everything was perfect! So, two months leading up to the wedding, we spent weekends cleaning, tidying, painting, and landscaping. There was a lot of work, but the property looked amazing! And we are so grateful for having to opportunity to have our wedding there.
Style inspiration.
We wanted to work with the space. We were lucky enough to have a beautiful bluestone stable for our venue, which is on Tom’s mum and stepdad’s property in Gnarwarre. It really didn’t need any work, and we didn’t want to take away from its natural raw beauty, so we worked with it and its natural tones. We added autumnal colours with the use of flowers, draped fabrics to bring warmth and used lighting to illuminate the texture in the walls.
I love seeing real weddings, how they are styled and how they work with the venue to create something amazing, so I definitely draw inspiration there, as well as styled shoots. I think I’ve seen/worked on so many weddings that I knew I wanted to create focal points, so the ceremony backdrop, the bar, and the lounge area – the spaces we knew would be high-traffic areas – these areas included large floral installations.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was exactly what we envisaged. It was a beautiful day, not too hot, not too cold. It was held in front of the stables on the lawn; we had a large floral installation that surrounded us, and it was perfect.
My dad walked me down the aisle, and Peggy walked down in front of us. That was my idea to take the attention off me and put it on her; I was so nervous about everyone looking at me, which might explain why I power-walked down the aisle rather than walking slowly!
Tom and Bobby were waiting at the end, and it was so special! Tom embraced Peggy, and Bobby reached out to me for a hug; it was really sweet! Having the kids be part of the celebration would have been the most significant part in many ways. It provided light entertainment for everyone when Peggy piped up with comments here and there and then covered her eyes when we kissed; Bobby was running around and hiding in the stables – I guess they had no idea how momentous this occasion was, but we love that innocence!
The outfits.
The dress situation for me was something that I put off for a long time; I thought the process was going to be really stressful as I had a vague idea of what I wanted but didn’t know where to start. I knew everyone went to Melbourne to go dress shopping, but the ring of steel was up, so I couldn’t do that.
I visited Soho Bride one day and thought it was a starting point, but I never set foot in another bridal shop! I tried a couple of off-the-rack dresses before chatting to Jessie about a custom design, and that’s the avenue we went down. I described the design of dress that I liked, and Jessie sketched some options; it was a really lovely and stress-free process. We started with the dress, and then on each visit, we added the detail of the sleeves and played with how it would sit and the detail of the pleated tulle. Jessie and the team were great to work with! Peggy, our daughter, said she wanted a smaller version of my dress, so they used the same tulle to create the prettiest dress that complimented it perfectly!
Tom’s suit was from Eddy Elias; that was another easy process! An afternoon in Geelong trying on a couple of suits and opting for a textural black bow tie, then a quick visit to RM Williams and he was sorted! We bought a mini tuxedo for Bobby, our son, online. Both boys looked very sharp!
Favourite moments.
As mentioned, and as corny as it sounds, it would be walking down the aisle, seeing our nearest and dearest all there to celebrate us, with Peggy walking in front and Tom holding Bobby at the end of the aisle; it was so emotional but such a happy moment!
If we could pick another moment, it would be the first dance. We had dancing lessons for ten weeks leading up to the wedding; we needed all the help we could get! Our instructor choreographed a dance to a David Bowie Medley that included Golden Years, Fame, and Let’s Dance. The dance lessons leading up to the wedding were a great way to have a laugh and have fun when all the wedding jobs started to get overwhelming.
Meaning of marriage.
For us, it was really about uniting us as a family. Having kids before marriage is the ultimate dedication to a relationship; it ties you together for life, but the ceremonious occasion to celebrate each other’s love and share that with our family and friends and having the kids there to witness it was so special.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: You and Me by Penny and the Quarters
First dance: Golden Years, Fame, Let’s Dance – it was a David Bowie medley
Cocktail hour: acoustic music by Luke Legs
Reception: disco vibe
Funny stories or near disasters.
On the Tuesday of the wedding week, one of the florists who was freelancing for me contacted me saying she was in isolation because her partner had covid. Something like this would normally throw me and send me into a panic, but I think I was so organised that it meant that I could be on the tools on the Thursday and Friday before the wedding, which was really nice and a good distraction.
During the ceremony, when Bobby was running around, he snuck into the stables and pooed! Not ideal timing, but we were none the wiser; we didn’t find out until a week after the wedding!
Another funny moment was during our little photo session after the ceremony; we were wandering through the garden with Sofia and Josue, capturing some sunset moments. Sofia asked Tom to touch my forehead (meaning with his forehead), but instead, he awkwardly stood there and placed his hand on my forehead!
Planning surprises.
We were surprised about how relaxed we felt on the day; there were the odd little butterflies, but once we handed over to our suppliers, we knew we were in great hands, and they would make sure everything was perfect. I really think you need to trust in your suppliers; they want the day to be as perfect as you do.
Words of wisdom.
Don’t sweat the small stuff! What might seem like a major detail will probably go unnoticed by your guests! Everyone is there to enjoy your special day, not critique every little element.
Tom and Alice surrounded themselves with truly talented humans for their dream day planning. We recommend every couple do the same – so jump on to our directory and start browsing to find your perfect wedding day vendor matches.
TOM & ALICE’S VENDORS
Working in the Industry has its perks! Tom was happy to trust my judgement in terms of what suppliers we had as part of our special day, and I’m lucky enough to have worked with all of them before, which meant we could relax knowing we were in good hands.
Ceremony & reception location: Private Property – Family farm, Gnarwarre
Celebrant: Jess Hills Wedding Celebrant. Jess is the sweetest! I’ve known Jess for a few years; we have kids at school together. Jess is so funny, and I could tell she would be able to tell our story with joy and a little added humour!
Photography: Sofia Flinn Photography. Sofia was the first supplier we contacted when we set the wedding date! I adore Sofia’s photography style, and having her as a friend is an added bonus; she made us feel comfortable and at ease on a day that brings so many nerves.
Videography: Torres Wedding Films. Josue is a genius; he has a real eye for detail! And like Sofia, he made us feel relaxed and was able to capture so many lovely moments! Josue camped along with the other guests and was there to film the start of the recovery the next day; and also showed us the sneak peek video that he created the night before! If there is one thing I would highly recommend couples do is invest in a videographer, it’s worth every penny!
Styling & florist: She’s a Wildflower – design, concept and some execution. Assistance from Botanica Fresh Flowers and Torquay Florist. Being a florist and bride has its challenges, where to start with creating the design concept and where to stop! We wanted the flowers to complement the venue and didn’t feel it was necessary to fill it to the ceiling with flowers. Another challenge was obviously wanting to work on executing the design on the day, but I was lucky to do that in the days leading up to the wedding and then have my friends and fellow florists, Sarah from Botanica and Courtney from Torquay Florist, help finish it off. They did an amazing job in helping to bring our vision to life! I made mine and Peggy’s bouquet; it was nice to be able to do that.
Hair & make-up: The Native Co. Gabbie is my hairdresser, and I knew I could fully trust her to do an amazing job, and she did! It was great to be able to chat with her about the wedding at all my appointments in the lead-up; she was also engaged at the same time, so chatting about our weddings really built the excitement.
On the day planner: Ginger and Blondie. Anna from Ginger and Blondie played a major role in our day by being the “on-the-day planner”. Anna has worked in the weddings and events industry for years; we also get our coffee from her coffee van four days a week, so it was easy keeping her updated with every little detail! She was across everything; her attention to detail meant that we didn’t have to think about anything on the day and allowed us to really enjoy getting ready and then celebrating into the night.
The dresses: Wedding dress – Soho Bridal. Jessie at Soho Bridal was the best. I thought the dress process was going to be really stressful and I put it off for as long as I could. Thankfully it was really enjoyable, Jessie was so patient, and together we brainstormed, and she was able to design and create exactly what I had in mind.
Reception jumpsuit: Winona. The jumpsuit was a lot of fun, I needed to change into something for our dance, and it was really comfortable and easy to move in.
Shoes: Alice (I can’t remember! They were nothing fancy, though!). Tom – RM Williams
Rings: Engagement – The Line of Sun. Tom contacted one of our friends to create my engagement ring, and together they designed it, and Alice created a beautiful ring, a salt and pepper diamond set in white gold; it’s perfect!
Wedding bands – Ernest & Joe. Wedding bands were a very last-minute scramble! We completely forgot to organise this, so we went to Ernest and Joe; I have a lot of their jewellery already, so it was lovely to add more to the collection, and they were able to fit in with the super tight deadline to create our rings!
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Peggy’s dress – Soho Bridal
Suit & bow tie: Eddy Elias. Finding a suit was really easy. We had so many people recommend Eddy Elias; they had a lot of options and were great with advice. Tom looked super sharp!
Catering: Gathered Catering. Sam and Celeste Gant are friends of ours, and we have been lucky enough to enjoy their food at other weddings we have been to, so it was a no-brainer to have them cater our wedding. Tom went to high school with Sam, and I went to William Angliss with her; we’ve since gone on very different career paths to what we were studying at the time, but we’ve all stayed friends; it was really special to have them play a role and also be guests.
Bar: Cocktails made by Caretakers Cottage. We had two cocktails served during cocktail hour; these recipes were created especially for us. We had the “Petal Pusher” (a reference to me being a florist), which was a gin-based cocktail with floral ingredients, and the “Pipe Dreamer” (a reference to Tom being a plumber) which was whiskey based and had a bit of a pina colada vibe which is Tom’s ultimate tropical holiday cocktail choice. Our good friend Matt Stirling is one of the owners of Caretakers Cottage, a well-known bar in Melbourne CBD. He is an absolute genius and created the recipes; these were a real hit.
Stationery / Signage: Stationery – we had a wedding website, and we used a template. Signage – Proled (friend). Matt Bradbury from Proled designed our signage using the fonts from our wedding website. Being on a property, we needed the signs to be illuminated so that guests could see where they were going. Matt’s creations were amazing! Lighting strips were used at the base and shone up through the clear acrylic sign which lit up the text. We then placed rocks on the base to disguise the stand and included flowers.
Entertainment: Luke Legs during cocktail hour. Luke is so good at bringing a fun/chill vibe, he is a good friend of ours, and we were so happy that he was able to play for us as well as attend as one of our guests.
Joel Taylor (friend)and DJ Moluck during the reception. Joel is another friend and was also a guest; he knew exactly the type of music we wanted and nailed it, he had the dancefloor going early, and we remember returning from having photos and seeing everyone up and having a great time, and it was still daylight! Dj Moluck took over from there and kept it going all night. It felt like a nightclub – so much fun!!
Décor: Table Art – draping linen. Having the wedding in the stables brought lovely texture, but we felt it needed to be softened a little, so having draping linen on the bar and lounge area helped create some warmth, and Table Art were great to work with.
Hire: Memphis Hire – furniture. We needed to hire all the furniture, it was cocktail style, so we opted for high bar tables and stools, as well as a couple of café tables. We had a lounge setup inside the stables and opted for a deep red velvet couch to compliment the autumn flowers, it came together beautifully, and Kelly was great to work with.
Paddock Dreams (toilets): Dean and Michaela have managed to make portaloos look fancy! We had guests stay on the property in tents and caravans, so we also hired showers. Because the wedding was on the long weekend, we had quite a few guests stay two nights, so it was handy having the showers there too.
Honeymoon: Six Senses, Maldives. The ultimate honeymoon location! It was a perfect balance of activities and relaxation. Tom struggles to sit still, so we needed a destination that had surf but also allowed for downtime. We waited till August to go away, a little escape after a long cold winter, it was exactly what we needed.
