Helen and Elle first officially met at cool Collingwood dive bar The Gem, where Elle was pulling pints. Over a decade later, after a proposal in Paris, they headed back to the place where it began with their bridal party and rockstar photographer Miranda Stokkel in tow. “To return to the bar for wedding photos with our besties was really special,” Helen tells us. “We were lucky they were quiet and kindly let us have full-reign of the place to go wild for some killer photos.”
As a talented wedding florist herself at Love Alfalfa, Elle knew a thing or two about assembling an awesome team of vendors to help bring their vision to life. First up, they booked one of our all-time fave lens ladies Miranda Stokkel and venue The Wool Mill, hired The White Tree. for tunes, and Helen headed to Oscar Hunt for her snazzy suit. Okay, okay that’s enough from us, over to the happy couple…
THE VENUE “The Wool Mill, part of Nudo, was the first one we saw in the flesh and pulled the trigger on. The whole team there were extremely enthusiastic and welcoming, and we loved that we could be somewhere for the whole day. Incorporating the ceremony and reception into the same venue, meant we had maximum time to celebrate with guests, without ferrying people between places.”
THE OUTFITS “Despite having three years to find the perfect dress, Elle left it right to the last minute and eventually opted for a couple of beautiful dresses (which was way more stressful for her mum and bridesmaids than her haha). She found them through Aje and ASOS, which she purchased about three weeks before the wedding. Knowing our guests would have high expectations for the flowers, it was definitely those that she was spending time dreaming of, rather than her outfit. I, on the other hand, had a beautiful green velvet suit made by the awesome team at Oscar Hunt. I had multiple consults with the team, and they were so excited to make such a vibrant suit for me. I cannot recommend them more highly — the craftmanship and hospitality displayed was absolute top tier.”
FAVE DEETS “I’m obviously biased, but I have to say that Elle’s styling, inclusive of florals, really made the whole day beautifully fun. We opted for bright pinks and oranges, and had multiple disco balls placed around on tables between the flowers. In addition, we had the wonderful crew from Bangin Hangins come and set a fabulously bright aerial above the cocktail space, which made for an awesome detail in the awesome photos.”
LITTLE LOL “I have a real penchant for tubey men… you know the big inflatable guys that flail around outside used-car saleyards? Elle had managed to hire one for the day as a surprise (her wedding present to me), and the wedding coordinator set it off just as we were walking down the staircase into the reception — IT WAS MEGA! For me personally, this was something I’ll never forget, as it was so unique and considerate, and absolutely hilarious! Our photographer Miranda managed to snap an absolute banger of a photo, of when I saw it for the first time! The tubey man was an absolute hit and everyone loved it on the dancefloor later on in the evening.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “We had two ‘must-haves’ for the day itself. One was a band… we went to multiple showcases for different bands, and by far loved the vibe of The White Tree the most. Their set list and variety of instruments, including brass, was a huge hit on the dancefloor. The other must-have for the day was Miranda Stokkel. We’d been following her work on Instagram for some time and absolutely adored the fun, candid and bright shots she magically captured. We couldn’t be more stoked with the results. Miranda is an absolute ball of fun to have around and is a genuinely wonderful person!”
If you’re still looking for your photographer, or searching for a venue, suits, caterers or entertainment, look no further than our Directory, friends. You’ll find more from Hellen and Elle’s vendors at the following links; Miranda Stokkel, Oscar Hunt Tailors, The Wool Mill, Nudo Events and The White Tree. But first, scroll down for all the pics of this stunning day…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Miranda Stokkel Event Planner & Signage The Goodsmiths Stylist & florist Love Alfalfa Ceremony & reception venue The Wool Mill Catering Refresh Hospitality Cake Mali Bakes Wedding favours Sweet Mickie Hire items Pearl Creative Styling Entertainment The White Tree Celebrant Celebrate with Hailey Rings Millie Savage, Empires Diamond Australia Transport Chevy Red Hire Installation Bangin Hangins THE BRIDE (ELLE) ASOS, Aje Veil Mother Shoes Pink Inc, Topshop via ASOS Makeup Steph Sin Bridesmaid dresses Forever New Bridesmaid gifts Kirstin Ash via Reflections Silver Jewellery THE BRIDE (HELEN) Suit Oscar Hunt Shoes Vans Hair Drunken Barber Makeup Makeup HQ