We fall hard when it comes to gorgeous details or lovely love stories. Now wrap those two up together in one beautifully photographed Australian wedding and we’re happy campers. We’re also happy campers anytime Stewart Leishman graces us with his art. And it doesn’t matter if it’s an all out, detail-driven smorgasbord or a perfectly edited affair with just the right amount of personality. Take for instance, a Bride and Groom donning aprons and serving the most delicious looking wedding cake to each of their guests. In all my three years of wedding blogging, never have I spotted such a fun detail. Thinking this needs to be a new trend. You can see it all right here.
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… Our courtship played out in the grounds of Melbourne University and in cafes nearby. Sam was finishing his PhD and I was just beginning a medical degree. Sharing library tables and weekend bike rides turned into dating and then living together. On the morning of our third anniversary, Sam proposed to me in our lounge room with a ring masterfully hidden inside a Kinder Surprise. Giving me jewellery wrapped in chocolate guaranteed I’d say yes! From the beginning, Sam and I wanted our wedding to be a genuine celebration of the relationship we already had. We wanted to feel like ourselves, just the best possible version of ourselves! This notion informed our aesthetic – simplicity, elegance and a lot of natural and handmade elements. I chose flowers that were not perfectly arranged, as if they had been picked from the garden, and a cake that looked like it was meant to be eaten. We hand-made most of the decorations and all of the stationery for the reception, which we were heavily involved in setting up.
The wedding day became real for me when I squeezed into a vintage Jaguar between my Mum and my sister. We had always planned to sing “Going to the Chapel” if an appropriate occasion ever arose. So we did. At the top of our lungs! That drive is one of my highlights of the day. Sam and I were both overwhelmed by the love and support and excitement that surrounded us at our wedding. The truest expression of this was when we walked into the reception, through big black velvet curtains after we had been announced as “Doctor and Future-Doctor”. Walking into that room filled with flowers and candles and fruit and cheers and smiling faces was humbling. If you asked our guests what their favourite part of the day was, many would say our dance. It was a foxtrot which managed to incorporate the running man, the Charleston, a dip and a suave hat toss. To the amusement of everybody in our apartment block, we practiced it nearly every night for a month in the driveway. Wonderfully, everyone appreciated our efforts and apparent effortlessness. I was just glad to get it over with, because then it was cake time. Our cake was a triple layered orange syrup cake with spiced vanilla cream. Not only was it a centrepiece in the room, but it tasted amazing. We served it to everybody ourselves, wearing “Bride” and “Groom” aprons sewn by my mum and me.
Sam and I walk most places. So we decided it was fitting to leave the reception and walk across town to The Hotel Windsor where we spent our first night. Walking through the centre of Melbourne in my wedding dress on a humid, drizzling Saturday night, with my new husband at my side, being shouted congratulations by strangers all the way was the perfect end to the most magical day.
Wedding Photography: Stewart Leishman (Available Internationally) / Ceremony: St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia / Reception: Syracuse Restaurant & Wine Bar in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia / Floral Design: Flowers Vasette / Cinematography: C2 Video / Wedding Cake: Julie Gunthorpe / Wedding Stationery: Chapel Press + The Bride / Rings: Cliveden Fine Jewellers (03 9663 2727) / Classical Guitarist: David Jones / Band: Combo Bombo / Cars: Triple R Luxury Car Hire / Dance Lessons: Rhythmics Dance Studio / Accommodations: The Hotel Windsor / Wedding Gown + Veil: Baccini & Hill / Bride’s Headpiece: Linda Gorringe Couture / Bridesmaids’ + Groomswomen’s Dresses: Melanie Liertz / Makeup + Bride’s Hair: Monica Gingold / Bridesmaids’ + Groomswomen’s Hair: Amanda Bowler / Groom’s Suit: Prinzi Collections