Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
I was born and raised in Germany and Nick grew up in Melbourne. We both met working in retail during our uni days back in 2012. I was doing my Masters of Teaching and Nick was doing his engineering degree. We became friends quickly and due to our age difference of 3 ½ years I never thought he’d be interested. We were friends for only half a year before we realised our connection was much stronger than that.
I am the passionate, organised one, often driven by emotions and Nick is the realistic, pragmatic, level headed counter part. It’s a perfect balance! We both have learned so much from one another.
We both love travelling and camping, expanding our knowledge, good food, exercise, improving our lives, and growing as individuals to grow even stronger together. And I guess this is what makes our relationship so special – we bring the best out of each other.
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…
When we were planning for our wedding we had so many ideas and yet it felt like we had no idea at all. We sort of knew what we wanted and what we didn’t want. It was all a bit eclectic, yet it all came beautifully together and ended up being the wedding that really represented ‘us’.
We didn’t have a specific theme, but over all we knew that we wanted our wedding day to be relaxed and fun. As we were planning on tieing the knot at the registry, our lovely photographer Georgia suggested to do a ‘first look’ for us to have that breathtaking moment of walking towards each other. It was emotional, intimate and truly set us up for the love filled day.
We had our ceremony at the old treasury building. It was a wholesome, very efficient and wonderful ceremony. The guests at the ceremony were Nick’s family, my parents and our closest friends.
As Nick has quite a large family, we decided to split up our reception into two different parts. So straight after the ceremony we ventured to our local pub (Naughtons Hotel) to celebrate with those that were present at the ceremony. We had nibbles, drinks and our family made short, but very sweet speeches. Nick and I left together with Georgia our photographer to get some photos taken in our local area and park.
The main reception with a larger group of friends and now our nearest and dearest family members was held at one of our favourite cafés East Elevation. The team from East Elevation has done an amazing job at decorating the place, supplying phenomal food and drinks as well as offering an outstanding service. We couldn’t have wished for more.
The styling of the place went hand in hand with the relaxed ‘theme’ that we hoped for. We had native flowers, in the hues of green, white and blush, natural materials and quite minimal decoration. We didn’t want to overwhelm the senses by keeping everything as calm and natural as possible. Our favourite detail of the event must be the fact that it all flowed so organically. Our guests could mingle the way they wanted, there was no sit down dinner or other formalities. It all just worked wonderfully and everyone had a good time.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Finding a dress was quite an adventure. I tried on a few dresses from local bridal shops, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for. I wanted something classic, feminine, yet effortless, which is what I found in the French bridal fashion. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in France with my family and must have taken a liking to the French/Parisian fashion.
I was lucky The Mews Bridal (a shop from London) were doing a trunk show in Melbourne, so I could try on some of the most beautiful French bridal dresses. I fell in love with the Lenny dress, by designer Caroline Takvorian. It was hand made in Paris and took about 7 months to get to me. It was elegant, simple, with a delicate lace top. I loved it that it could be worn two different ways. This meant I could have my outfit change for the reception.
As my engagement ring is the most stunning dark green saphire, we somehow wanted to pick up the feature of green throughout our wedding. My shoes were a pair of simple bottle green heels by Bared Footwear, followed by white sneakers for the evening. My little handbag was made by my seamstress Yana with the offcuts from the dress. The bow in my hair was also made from the same material as my dress and my mum sewed it on the wedding day.
Nick’s suit was a custom made dark green suit by The Suit Shop. It took us quite some time to find the right shop with the right fabric. The staff at The Suit Shop were legends and they had the right green tone we were after. They gave great advice on specific suit details and fitting to suit Nick’s relaxed style, while still keeping it formal. The pants were slightly tapered and cropped, the jacket fitted relaxed around the shoulders and overall it was exactly what Nick wanted. He paired the dark green wool suit with a white shirt and a black linen tie. His shoes were black brogues by Dr. Martens. Nick’s boutonniere had a small blush strawflower, which matched my bouquet and nail polish. So even our outfits truly represented us perfectly.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
For myself one of the most memorable moments was getting ready with my parents and my closest friend. It was so special to have my parents come all the way from Germany and spend the morning with me. My mum even brought my grandmother’s necklace for me to wear and my dad was able to walk me down the aisle. Truly a very special moment to share between father and daughter.
One of Nick’s most memorable moments was when I placed his ring on his finger during the ceremony. I was wearing the enagement ring for so long, symbolising his commitment for me. Now he finally gets to wear a piece that symbolises my commitment for him and our love that he will get to cherish every day for the rest of our lives.
THE most memorable moment for both of must have been the first look. I still get teary thinking about that moment. Walking towards Nick in the Fitzroy gardens, him not knowing what to expect was very emotional, intimate and memorable. It filled us up with the right feeling for the long day ahead.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
My strongest recommendationfor the day is to do what makes you truly happy. It is your special day and everything around it should reflect you.
Always be open and honest to each other. Successful communication is paramount in any relationship. Build each other up, support each other to grow and be sure to spend quality time together – build memories.
Ceremony location: Old Treasury Building | First Reception: Naughtons Hotel | Main reception: East Elevation | Photographer: Georgia Verrells | Styling: East Elevation | Flora: Lila Blue | Cake: Monsieur Truffe | Groom’s Attire: Suit Shop | Bride’s Dress: Caroline Takvorian from The Mews Bridal | Rings: Windfall Jewellery | Bride’s Shoes: Bared and Superga | Groom’s Shoes: Dr Martens | Bride’s Earrings: Sarah and Sebastian | Hair and Makeup: Jedavu | Fragrance: Le Labo
