Mia + Ben by Sofia Flinn

I was about to get on the train to the airport when I was accosted by a stranger – it turned out to be Ben! I was so surprised! He asked me to be his partner in life that night, looking over the harbour.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
ML: We’re an Aussie/British couple and we’ve spent most of the past 10 years travelling between the two countries – it’s been tricky at times, but we mostly consider it a blessing to have two homes. We both love good books, beer, live music and theatre. Sport is more contentious in our household: Ben prefers football (soccer) and I love Aussie Rules – and we will never agree on the cricket!

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
ML: We first met during university, 12 years ago! We were both looking for adventure, taking a year abroad in Seattle, USA. I was invited to go on a road trip to see some music in Portland, and Ben was along for the ride. We quickly became friends. On our first date we ate ice cream and played board games. We loved how easy it was to be together. I thought Ben was kind and funny – and I liked his British accent!

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
ML: When our student exchange came to end, we both returned home to Australia and the UK. We realised we wanted to be together and would work to make that happen. There were long and difficult periods of separation, but it gave us both the chance to travel which is what we love most.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
ML: I was on a work trip in Sydney, at the end of a long day. I was about to get on the train to the airport when I was accosted by a stranger – it turned out to be Ben! I was so surprised! He asked me to be his partner in life that night, looking over the harbour. We had champagne and Ben gave me a beautiful pink sapphire – my favourite colour. It was all very unexpected and special.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
ML: Our vision was simply for a wedding that celebrated the best of our life together. It was important to us that the day was a celebration of our love for each other – but also the love we have for everyone who supported us over the years. So, we chose St Paul’s Cathedral for our ceremony because we are members of the church community there. It was lovely to be in such familiar and warm surroundings. Many people were travelling from around the world to be with us, so we also wanted the event to feel decadent and provide our guests with the best of Melbourne. Once we chose Vue de Monde, the style just fell into place – modern, elegant, edgy. Kate Hill spoiled us, absolutely, with her floral arrangements, which made a real textural statement with black roses, red peonies, magenta orchids and eucalyptus foliage. It was everything we love, just a little more glam than usual!

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
ML: I wore the most beautiful Louboutin pumps – clear PVC with silver sparkles. But it was so humid on the day and my feet kept slipping against the PVC. It became almost impossible to walk in them! Mum kindly offered me her shoe grips, but nothing seemed to work. It was really frustrating – I was walking around like a baby deer! But looking back, we’ve got some great photos of Mum helping me, and later of me walking barefoot around Melbourne. So, all the little things just add to the memories.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
ML: I knew that I didn’t want to wear a traditional wedding dress because I wanted to feel like myself – and I’ve never been comfortable in long, formal dresses. I spent many, many hours searching online for a dress that was “special” enough. One day, I stumbled across an Instagram post by Dolce & Gabbana and I fell in love with the dress. It was blush pink (my favourite colour), and the corset-style top and tulle skirt was an ode to the Ballet (one of my favourite arts). I was lucky enough to find the dress in my size at Harrods and they shipped it over for me in a beautiful box.
Ben is very tall and struggles to find suits that fit him. So, he found Paul Johnson and they tailor-made a gorgeous navy suit. The quality of the fabrics and craftsmanship was excellent and they made the whole process stress free. Now, Ben has all his clothes tailored because he felt so comfortable!

Ceremony location: St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne, @stpaulscathedralmelb / Reception Location + Catering & Beverages: Vue de Monde, @vueevents / Photographer: Sofia Flinn of Enchanted Wedding Photography, @enchanted_weddings / Celebrant: The Ven Canon Heather Patacca, Canon Precentor & Archdeacon of Melbourne, St Paul’s Cathedral / Flora: Kate Hill Flowers, @katehillflowers / Dress + Earrings: Dolce & Gabbana from Harrods, @dolcegabbana / Suit: Paul Johnson / Engagement ring: The French Jewel Box, @thefrenchjewelbox / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin, @louboutinworld / Groom’s Shoes: Bared Footwear, @baredfootwear / Bride’s Jewellery: Gucci LOVE ring, @gucci / Makeup + Hair: Eliza Langdon, @eliza.langdon / Fragrance: Jo Malone, Red Roses, @jomalonelondon