“The Manning Cartell set was exactly the look I wanted: vibrant, fun and completely non-traditional.”
Madi ——We live by the beach with our one-year-old son Mason and border collie Reggie. We love being at the beach and the park or entertaining in our home, which we’ve almost finished renovating. A perfect morning for us is sitting on the couch together, listening to vinyl and enjoying a coffee while watching Mason and Reggie play. I used to work in HR but now I’m a full-time mum, studying naturopathy on the side. Morgan is a carpenter/foreman.
Morgan ——We met at a Hawaiian-themed footy function in 2015. A mutual friend told me that Madi might be interested. That information proved critical, as upon first seeing her kitted out in a similar party shirt to mine and killer white jeans, I didn’t think she’d pay me much attention. But by the end of the night we’d broken away from the party and spent ages talking to each other.
We moved in together quickly and I found myself never bored with being around Madi. Madi ——There wasn’t a day he didn’t make me laugh and he supported me through some really tough times. I just thought wow, this guy is pretty damn incredible! Morgan proposed while we were at lunch in the Mornington Peninsula. He’d been quiet all morning — unlike him! He asked if I wanted to get a photo outside and asked a stranger to take it, then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was completely shocked and the stranger managed to get it all on film.
Morgan ——We didn’t want Covid to dictate our lives so got married on the last day before a six-month lockdown. The ceremony was in our lounge with just a handful of guests. It would be 18 months before we could finally celebrate with all our friends and family. During that time, Mason entered our lives.
Madi ——Originally, the wedding was going to be a sort of Hamptons vibe. But after all our original suppliers cancelled, our wedding ended up pretty minimalist! Thankfully the venue, Ancora, is already stunning. I spent months trying on a hundred wedding dresses and couldn’t settle on a style, so ended up getting a dress custom-made. It was completely different to what I’d imagined. I am usually very minimalist, but I just thought you know what? I’m only getting married once!
I wanted to up the party vibes and have a really fun outfit change for the reception. The Manning Cartell set was exactly the look I wanted: vibrant, fun and completely non-traditional. Morgan ——Due to the humid climate and beach location, linen was the obvious choice for my suit. We went to Oscar Hunt in Melbourne with my groomsmen. The staff were awesome, we went over every fine detail. Madi ——There were a few months where I was devastated by all of the things we missed out on when we cancelled our original plans, but looking back I wouldn’t change a thing.
Photographer: Beck Rocchi, @beckrocchiphotography / Location: Ancora, @ancoraweddings / Brides shoes: Naked Vice, @nakedvice / Brides dress: Cassandra Renée, @cassandrareneecouture; Manning Cartell, @manningcartell / Grooms Suit: Oscar Hunt, @oscarhunttailors / Flora: Seven Blooms Casuarina,@sevenbloomscasuarina / Makeup:Phoebe Fever , @phoebefever / Hair: Candice September, @c.septemberrr / Bridesmaids dresses: Bec & Bridge, @becandbridge / Groomsmen suits:Oscar Hunt, @oscarhunttailors / Catering & Beverages:Ancora, @ancoraweddings / Accomodation: The BelleRiverhouse, @thebelle.riverhouse
