Real Weddings - Chanel & Mark, Melbourne VIC

December 16, 2024 In Latest Posts, Micro-wedding, Real Weddings, Urban, Victoria By Jemma Ryan

Real Weddings – Chanel & Mark, Melbourne VIC

A self-described anti-bride, Chanel and her long-time-love Mark were always going to take a less traditional route when it came time to tie the knot.

For these two, the most authentic celebration of their union came in the form of a chic, no-frills legal ceremony at the Melbourne Registry Office – witnessed by both of their mums – followed two months later by an intimate affair with 25 loved ones.

Chanel wore an effortlessly cool Viktoria & Woods suit, that she snapped up two weeks before ‘I do’, for the elopement and a Johanna Johnson gown for the reception night.

With the formalities already taken care of, celebrant Nat Sproal delighted guests with a relaxed, cheese-free recount of the couple’s love story to further personalise the dinner-party style occasion.

Both unique, heartfelt days were captured by Finder Seeker in their signature documentary style. Browse on to bask in the joy and flair of every frame.

The meeting.

We both started a new job at the same time in a small country town called Burketown, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in February 2017. We were both working as pilots. We both got told we had to share a house together and work together. It took about six months of living and working together, plus some Dutch courage, before Mark asked me to be his girlfriend.

The ‘one’.

Chanel: The first time I tried his mother’s cooking… no, in all seriousness, there was no particular moment. I remember driving home from work after being away for a week and I was so excited to just see Mark. The feeling never went away.

Mark: No particular moment for me either. After living with Chanel for a couple of months, we just clicked. We have the same goals and values, and it got to the point where I couldn’t imagine her not in my life as my partner.

The proposal.

It was my 30th birthday, in COVID lockdown. I went out to run some errands, pick up dinner, all that boring stuff. Mark asked me what I wanted leading up to my birthday, and I said nothing over the top, just a balloon. When I got back to the apartment, I opened the door to rose petals all over the floor and balloons streaming across the apartment that read “Marry Me”. He was playing the song Big Jet Plane by Angus and Julia Stone (cliche, I know), and he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

Planning process.

We didn’t have much time in the way of planning. We decided we loved the date “4.4.24” and just went with it. Booked the legals only ceremony at the Registry Office about four months out and eloped with just our mums. It was perfect. We then had an intimate celebration with 25 of our closest family and friends at the Recoleta Bar two months after we eloped.

Style inspiration.

I’m a bit of an anti-bride. I always knew I would do things a bit differently on my wedding day. I wasn’t too keen on a videographer or a veil. I just wanted a chic, classy and intimate day with our nearest and dearest.

The ceremony.

Since we were already legally married, we didn’t need to do the full legal part of a normal ceremony. Our celebrant, Nat Sproal, absolutely nailed the brief, which was nothing corny or lovey-dovey. We wanted a relaxed, fun and meaningful experience for our friends and family to be a part of. She was fantastic at creating the vibe and setting the tone for the night. She spent 15 minutes telling our story, we then did our vows and exchanged rings – it was the perfect ceremony, all credit to her!

The outfits.

The suit was from Viktoria & Woods, picked out about two weeks before the date (I don’t recommend this). It was just pure luck they had stock left, the blazer was sold out and they had one left. The dress was created by the talented Johanna Johnson. I saw her gowns and immediately fell in love, they are so elegant and detailed, I didn’t actually look at other designers. I reached out to her and expressed interest in this particular dress. I tried it on a week later and knew it was for me. It was literally the only dress I tried on. Johanna was incredible to work with; she offered so much support with styling, fittings and all the little details to create the most beautiful gown.

Favourite moment.

When we turned towards each other and did our vows at our legal ceremony. I’ll never forget it.

Meaning of marriage.

For us, it hasn’t changed anything but we agree it signifies the importance of our commitment to one another.

Wedding soundtrack.

We only had an entrance song, which was Mess is Mine, Vance Joy.

Funny stories or near disasters.

Right after the legals-only ceremony, my mum kissed me on the cheek with her flaming hot pink lipstick, which left a nice stain – my mother-in-law then tried to remove it with a sanitary pad. This actually happened! All I could do was laugh. The stain came off, though, smudge-free.

Planning surprises.

Probably how much I relied on my photographer. I didn’t hire a wedding planner and I was pretty clueless about how these events play out. Dee was all over it – she explained the timeline, paperwork and gave us some great ideas/tips on how to organize the day and what to expect. She was just amazing and I’m so grateful we came across her.