Irini and Kosta’s stylish wedding embraces their cultural heritage and modern city lifestyle. While espresso martinis were flowing for their guests, this relaxed couple enjoyed a photo-session-turned-impromptu-celebration with customers at a local café when they stopped for a latte! Goes to show some of the best wedding stories come from the unplanned moments.
The Planning Experience
“Our original venue ended up double booking the date we had chosen, so it didn’t start off so well. The experience left us disheartened but it was a blessing in disguise as the process for our next venue was easy and enjoyable and we are so happy we had our wedding there. Overall, I had a fun and exciting lead up, planning all the finer details with everyone. It has felt like one big party with all the celebrations up to and including our big day!”
Finding the Dress
“As soon as I met Sonia from Cappellazzo Couture, I knew she was going to be the one to make my dress – I loved her energy and nature! I went looking at fabrics for inspiration with my aunty and came across this amazing lace – we designed the dress around it. Each fitting was so much fun as we played with texture and placement of the lace, and Sonia made sure the dress fit to perfection. My mum and aunty would come to my fittings and we would make an outing out of it by going for dinner and drinks afterwards. On the day of the wedding, we stopped in at Sonia’s work on the way to the church. She was so moved I came past and we shared a special moment.”
Handmade Gifts
“My mum and aunty handmade each of our porcelain pomegranate bonbonnieres, which in Greek culture symbolises good luck and fertility. We placed them in a clear box with a note explaining the symbolism, wrapped each with ribbon and tied sugar coated almonds to them.”
Reception Styling
“To create an intimate feel, we sat at a square table in the middle of the room with our best man and his partner, and our guests around us on round tables. We had lots of beautiful green foliage with white flower table centrepieces, and festoon lighting draped over the dining area. I had stationery on the tables to match our invitations, which was all created through my stationery business. We personalised each guest’s name on the menus instead of having place cards, and the seating board and wishing well sign matched the lace of my dress.”
Setting the Mood
“We wanted to ensure our day reflected us as a couple and embrace this celebration and milestone of our life together by creating a party feel. Whilst we were taking photos, our guests were sipping on espresso martinis and being served delicious canapés. We kept formalities to a minimum and made sure our DJ pumped the music until the end of the function. As a nice final touch, venue staff wrapped the floral centrepieces with paper and ribbon for our guests to take home as a keepsake.”
Best Advice
“Get onto Pinterest and make inspiration boards together with scrolling through Instagram – they are a wonderful source of information. Last but not least, do what makes you and your husband happy as it’s your day.”
Location: Melbourne, Victoria | Photography: Fennel & Fox Photography | Church: St Eustathios Greek Orthodox Church | Reception: Luminare | Flowers: Floretta by Grace | Stationery: Paper Jam Studio | Cake: Cakes by Alana | Dress: Cappellazzo Couture | Hair: Kayla Giarratana | Makeup: VK Makeup Artist | Suit: Arthur Galan AG | DJ: Peter B