These clever cats met while working at the same hospital (Madeline is a Paediatric Nurse and Tom an Anaesthetist) over seven years ago and on this day, they tied the knot in this supremely cool wedding at The Calile. “I wanted to create a day that was uncomplicated,” said the couple (who wore Ella Moda and M.J. Bale). “We invited just our core family and friends, didn’t try to tackle a bridal party, and kept everything in one place.” Recipe for a good time, eh?! One of our faves, Janneke Storm, documented the day and you can find it all below…
THE VENUE “There is simply no hotel more stunning than The Calile Hotel. The architecture, colours and textures are gorgeous. The whole day was just EASY. I wanted our first (and only plan) to not be weather-dependent and I didn’t need to decorate or create a vibe, that was all built into the place already.”
FAVE DEETS “The flower arrangements were incredible. Neither of us are the creative types, we are science people! So when it came to flowers, I met with Kate Dawes Flower Design, who was an absolute expert. Also I have to mention the potatoes… I had multiple guests come up to me and bang on about how good the roast potatoes were! All the food was amazing but apparently the potatoes were a significant stand out.”
THE DRESS “The dress was custom made by Ella Moda and her small team. I knew it was the dress for me because it was the only thing I tried on that made me smile. It felt FUN. I could move easily without assistance, dance, and I wasn’t worried about how it was sitting or needing to adjust it.”
THE SUIT “I have previously owned suits from M.J. Bale before and knew they fit me well, so it was an easy choice. I pretty quickly found a dark navy suit and bowtie ensemble that we both liked. M.J. Bale did some custom alterations to make it fit perfectly.”
REFERENCES “I found Sunday Nude through Hello May, and went with them because apart from doing beautiful wedding stationary/ signage, they also offered digital invites. Not many stationary designers offer both, so I loved being able to organise digital save-the-dates and invites with the same design as our on-the-day pieces. I found our insanely-talented photographer through Hello May, as well, Janneke Storm. There are lots of photographers who take beautiful photos, but looking at Janneke’s work, she creates art.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “It also helps you work out which things are worth spending time and money on, and which things you can either do simply or even completely omit. We thought back to weddings we had been to as guests, and thought about the aspects we remembered and the parts we had no recollection of. We didn’t remember what invitations looked like, whether there was fancy cutlery on the tables or what the wedding favours were, but we did remember the food, wine, the couple, the dancing, the music and the laughs… so this is what we spent our energy on getting right.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “We are really glad we opted not to have a bridal party, or a bridal table. It meant we were able to focus on each other during the ceremony and photos, and then we sat amongst our friends at the reception. It’s not for everyone, but it worked so well for us, not having to organise other people and also allowing all our guests to attend without having a role.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Janneke Storm and Luke Bickley were exceptional. We met them for the first time on our actual wedding day, yet they made us feel like we had known them forever. Neither of us feel very comfortable in front of a camera but Janneke and Luke were so fun and relaxed that we felt at ease, and you can see that in our footage. Our celebrant, Erin Woodhall, was also a standout.”
You can see more from phenom photographer, Janneke Storm, on our Directory here, more happy grooms sporting suits from M.J. Bale here and more stationery and signage from Sunday Nude here. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Janneke Storm Cinematographer Luke Bickley Florist Kate Dawes Flower Design Stationery & Signage Sunday Nude Ceremony & Reception The Calile Hotel Cake The Sweet Society Co. Entertainment The Trovas Band Celebrant Erin Woodhall Rings AG Designer Jeweller THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Ella Moda Get Ready Shirt Dress Academy via The Iconic Shoes Jo Mercer Accessories a.b.Ellie (Earrings) Hair & Makeup Reanin Glah via The Future Mrs Fragrance Jimmy Choo THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie M.J. Bale Shoes Aquila