Honor + Ryan by Mallory Sparkles

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship:

We have been together for 10 years and lived several of those years in different cities or countries. Living apart has its challenges, but we have made it work by always having plans for our next adventure together.

We love to collaborate our ideas and are supportive of each other’s creative projects no matter how ambitious (or messy) they may be.

Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details:

Our wedding day was amazing, but, like every 2020 wedding, it wasn’t what we had originally planned. At the time we got married Ryan was living in Sydney and I in Melbourne. After Melbourne’s first lockdown I escaped to the Gold Coast to stay with my family and ended up staying for several months, which is the only reason we were able to have a wedding at all. We postponed our party to 2021, but we still wanted to get married as planned so we threw together something fabulously low-key.

We really wanted the day to be as relaxed and stress-free as possible, and The Overflow Estate was the perfect setting for this vibe. The food and wine were delicious and the ethereal setting was only enhanced by the misty rain.

We wed on a hill overlooking the water, under a wiggly arch that we made, and in front of our smiling families. The ceremony led by our amazing celebrant Mel was so much more than we expected, and made us feel like our friends were with us too.

Tell us about your main outfits:

Our outfits were thrown together just as quickly as the day itself! My original dress was in Melbourne and unaltered, so that wasn’t an option. Ryan felt his suit was too dressy for our lunchtime wedding, so he is saving that for the party too.

Ryan ended up wearing some pieces he already had plus new shoes, a shirt with fun buttons and a velvet waistcoat (all about those details). He was stuck on what jacket to wear until I remembered we have a few pieces that used to be my Grandpa’s from the 70’s. The blue and white stripe jacket was the perfect punctuation to the look and fitted perfectly (except in the sleeve length but in true Ryan fashion he just rolled with it).

My outfit journey was a little more convoluted, as I admit I did purchase a couple of options that just didn’t feel right. It was getting dangerously close to the date when I finally saw an image of my dress and instantly knew it was the one. Tracking down this elusive piece  proved difficult though, the style was nowhere to be found! Eventually one miraculously appeared, brand new on a resale site, and in my size! However, the seller then decided that she wanted to keep it, so naturally I begged and begged and she gave in…Thank you! When it arrived it was a perfect fit!

Styling wise I opted for boots to add a bit of edge, and was thankful for warm dry feet. I love the idea of being able to work pieces from the day back into everyday life, and have worn these boots since. My handbag is from Fitted for Work’s retail enterprise The Conscious Closet. I am lucky enough to work for Fitted for Work, and have uncovered so many gems from there!

We felt our looks tied in really well together without being matchy, and gave us those 70’s feels.

What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day:

Our ceremony was beyond perfect and I felt so present, soaking it all in. At the same time it went too quickly and we wanted to stretch out that feeling. We were so lucky that our grandparents were able to be there, so we enlisted the help of our grandmothers as ring bearers, which was a really special moment.

While we were sad not to have our friends there, it was also really nice having this whole day to celebrate with our families (and we will have the opportunity to party with our friends later on).

We had such a ball frolicking in the hills with our photographer Mallory. She felt like a friend and fellow mischief maker. When we entered the field with the horses they all came running towards us, it was such a dream and I couldn’t stop laughing!

Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together:

The changing state of the world has taught me not to wait to do the things we want to do. Wear the fancy dress that has been saved for the right occasion, go on the trip now because we don’t know what will happen later. Commit to the person that you love in whatever way feels right for you, no need to wait for that perfect moment.

Photography: @mallorysparklesphoto | Ceremony location: @overflowestate1895 | Celebrant: @wedwithatwist | Bride’s gown: @shonajoy_ | Groom’s blazer: Grandpa’s blazer from the 70’s | Pants: @alexandermcqueen | Shirt, waistcoat, shoes and socks: @paulsmithdesign | Bride’s boots: @aliasmae | Earrings: @etsy | Coat: @witcheryfashion | Handbag: @theconsciouscloset | Bride’s rings: @kimvictoria | Groom’s rings: @kalmarantiques | Makeup: @adelinearch_makeupandbeauty | Catering and Beverages: @overflowestate1895 | Cake: @elegantlyfrosted | Podcast: @bridechilla