Whimsical garden party wedding: colorful florals & family heritage
The inspiration for Tory and Kiff’s wedding aesthetic was born from a stunning and sentimental family heirloom.
A floral headpiece worn by both the groom’s mother and grandmother on their own wedding days gave rise to a whimsical, garden party-style celebration with a distinctly Italian flair.
Tory’s search for an ethereal gown to complement her ‘something borrowed’ led her to the design dream team at D’Italia. To her, it felt like fate.
On the day, the couple ditched the classic aisle moment and entered together, taking time to greet and chat with guests before the formalities began and setting the tone for an intimate, deeply personal ceremony to follow.
See how the kaleidoscope of florals and considered sprinkling of Italian traditions were all artfully captured by Georgia Verrells below.
The meeting.
We got introduced through a mutual friend on the dancefloor at Section 8.
‘The one’.
When early on in our relationship Kiff ditched his friends on a night out to come and keep me company while I was recovering from having all my wisdom teeth removed.
The proposal.
Kiff’s proposal was very ‘us’. He got me out of bed to walk his parents’ dog on a rainy Saturday, and we ended up waiting in the car for 20 minutes for the rain to ease. We set off toward a lookout his grandparents used to take him to as a child and got a little lost along the way.
Following this we hiked up a hill in pouring rain. At the top, he dropped to one knee before immediately leaping right back up toward me and said, “Will ya?” I was a little confused, but when I saw he was crying, I said ‘yes’. I later discovered he’d torn his groin on the way. It was perfect to me!
Style inspiration.
Our inspiration was sparked by the greenery in our venue, Glasshaus Brucke, and the floral headpiece that Kiff’s grandma gave to me. The inspiration was a whimsical garden party with an Italian flair. Abundant colour through the florals and meaningful Italian traditions from Tory’s side of the family. Every detail included small nods to who we are and felt very personal.
It can get a little overwhelming all the wedding content that comes through while planning a wedding, I found Pinterest and creating my own boards really useful as well as reading about real weddings on Ivory Tribe.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was intentionally relaxed and deeply personal. We ditched the traditional aisle moment and walked in together, taking time to greet and chat with our guests before it began which not only set the tone but also helped ease the nerves before our vows. Being surrounded by all our loved ones made it feel incredibly intimate, and having a family friend as our celebrant added another layer of meaning. Kiff’s grandma warmed our rings, while my Nonna and Kiff’s other grandma signed the register – a moment that perfectly symbolised family and the love that brought us all together.
The outfits.
Kiff knew exactly where he wanted to go from the very beginning, which made his process feel effortless.
For me, the starting point was incredibly special as Kiff’s grandmother offered me her floral headpiece, worn by both her and Kiff’s mum on their wedding days. From there, I searched for a dress that would truly complement it. Finding D’Italia felt like a sign – not only did it echo my Italian heritage, but it also mirrored the beginning of my last name. I knew instantly when I tried on my dress that it was the one, the staff were so lovely and helpful that it felt personal and like it was meant to be.
Favourite moment.
There were so many – our first look was really beautiful and a special moment together.
The vows were beautiful and emotional, and dancing the rest of the night to our amazing DJ, who kept the dancefloor stacked the entire night, was also great.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is choosing each other every day, feeling supported and building a life together that’s grounded in love, family and shared values.
Wedding soundtrack.
Reception entry: Like a Prayer – Madonna
First dance: Right Back To It – Waxahatchee
Funny stories.
An ice cream truck drove past as Kiff and the groomsmen went out for photos which made for a great photo moment.
Words of wisdom.
Start with agreeing on your budget and stick to it. It really helps when narrowing down what to include or exclude.
TORY & KIFF’S SUPPLIERS:
Everyone we worked with was amazing and made our day truly perfect. We started with the venue which we both instantly fell in love with and then went with some of their recommended suppliers. We also were lucky that Kiff’s brother was married recently so he had some great recommendations we went with. Then browsed online blogs for inspiration.
Ceremony & reception venue plus florals: Glausshaus Brucke
Celebrant: Kaye Gilmore, Above & Beyond
Photography: Georgia Verrells
Content Creator: Anastasia, On The Day Content
Hair: Sunny Makk
Make-up: Makeup By Megan Milo
The dresses: Bridal Gown: D’Italia Second Look: Reformation
Headwear: Family owned
Shoes: Loeffler Randall
Rings: Kavalri & Scarlett Jewellery Label
Groom: P Johnson
Favours: DIY
Cake: Pinto Tiramisu
Stationery / Signage: Groom designed, printed at SNAP
Entertainment: The DJ From The Other Night
Honeymoon: Byron Bay
