Alethea and Michael’s fairytale Melbourne wedding at Butler Lane was made even more memorable by the personal touches they added at every opportunity.
The ceremony, for example, was in Alethea’s words “emotional and auspicious with hints of our humour and silliness (that we are most known for)”. Alethea also walked down that aisle with both parents, and chose to forgo other traditions like cutting-the-cake and the bouquet toss.
Their wedding favours were Alethea’s Nan’s homemade spicy pork curry power and as a nod to Alethea’s Indian heritage, Michael convinced his groomsmen to perform a Bollywood dance (a moment we wish we’d seen firsthand).
Captured by Two of a Kind you can see their entire celebration below.
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How did you and Michael meet? Michael and I met at the Union Club Hotel (Michael’s favourite pub) in Fitzroy. I was waiting my turn to order a drink at the bar but was stuck behind someone ordering a heap of cocktails. Michael was also waiting and struck up a conversation with me… I don’t remember much of our conversation (it was fleeting) but I remember feeling butterflies and enjoying the banter.
I was about to head back to my friends when Michael asked for my number. I think I was almost in shock that someone, especially someone this attractive had asked for my number so quickly and found myself spontaneously rattling off my digits.
The proposal: We got engaged at Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North in June 2019. It started off as a regular Sunday where we take our dog Oreo for a walk and get a coffee on the way. I think Michael was hoping to propose on our favourite bench (it has the best view of the city) but it started raining so we ran to the gazebo. Michael then started saying some lovely things (I remember very little of it after I realised I was being proposed to) and then got down on one knee and popped the question. It was a total surprise!
The venue: We were originally going to get married at a winery in country Victoria and have a weekend getaway style of wedding. Unfortunately the pandemic made us re-think things and we thought an inner city wedding might be easier to manage.
Butler Lane by Peter Rowland in Richmond was the first Melbourne venue we visited and booked it almost instantly! We loved that it had winery vibes with its green wall and fairy lights but had a modern warehouse style reception space. Peter Rowland is so well known for its catering so we knew we’d have delicious food and wine. And the venue coordinators were lovely to work with too!
The vibe: Michael and I both really wanted a simple yet elegant look for our wedding. Somehow right from the start I was drawn to mostly black and white with pops of blush and burgundy. As for the vibes, we wanted our guests to have a drink on arrival and feel relaxed in the sunny courtyard with the acoustic duo playing the background. We wanted our ceremony to feel emotional and auspicious with hints of our humour and silliness (that we are most known for). And then, we just wanted everyone to really feel the love, have a great time and let loose at the reception!
Traditions: adopted, adapted or ditched? I really wanted both my parents to walk me down the aisle. We also turned the father daughter dance into a bit of family dance with all parents and siblings joining in as Brown Eyed Girl played on. We also did a joint speech to thank our guests. We ditched the cutting of the cake and bouquet toss.
Hit or (near) miss: Michael convinced his groomsmen to perform a Bollywood dance to pay homage to my Indian heritage. It was a total hit! They were so enthusiastic and so full of energy! I can’t believe Michael and the boys did that for me. It was amazing!
I’ll always remember… Walking down the aisle and locking eyes with Michael. It was incredible, so emotional and I was just so happy to finally see him.
The outfit/s: Michael just really wanted a classic tux (which he so pulled off!). As for me, I really wanted a simple white dress , with a flattering silhouette and no embellishments or lace. I love love loved my pearl veil and felt so good on my wedding day!
Standout vendors: Flowerjar provide just the BEST flowers. They took my vision and made it so much more! Also Pollen Pastry made the most delicious decadent cake. But to be honest I had amazing vendors all around. I was so very lucky!
Soundtrack: Bridesmaid aisle: ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift. Bride aisle: ‘I can’t help falling in love with you’ by Elvis Presley. Signing: ‘Harvest Moon’ by Neil Young. Recessional: ‘Always be my baby’ by Mariah Carey. Reception entry: ‘World of our love’ by Client Liason. First dance: ‘At Last’ by Etta James. Father-daughter dance: ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ by Van Morrison.
Words of wedding wisdom: Wedding planning is stressful and can be all consuming. So my advice would be to have date night or just make time with your partner that is totally free from chatting about wedding planning/life admin!
On a more practical note, don’t be afraid to be honest with your vendors about your budget and what your expectations are for the day. I found that most vendors were so happy to listen and work within our budget despite what was on their website or was initially quoted.
The future: Just being married and kicking life goals together!
CREDITS: Photos Two of a Kind // Celebrant Erica the Celebrant // Venue and catering Butler Lane by Peter Rowland // Florist Flowerjar // Cake Pollen Pastry // Bridal gown Oleg Cassini // Bride’s shoes Dolci Firme // Veil Bluebell Bridal // Accessories Windsor Bridal Jewellery // Bridesmaid gifts Francesca // Robes/PJs Le Rose // Groom and groomsmen suits Studio Italia Tailoring // Bow ties The Iconic // Rings Uniform Black and Tishe Fine Jewellery // Hair and makeup The Altar // Music Will and Tommy // Favours DIY.
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