For Nikkie and Mitch, marriage is all about the little things – like “having someone who can withstand a lifetime of your bad jokes, having someone who will hold your hair back when you’re sick, or someone who will wake up in the middle of the night to take the dog out to pee”.
These two clearly take an ‘all the lols’ approach to life and we love to see it. They had plenty of lols on their big day (no surprise there!), from cardboard cutouts of a sister who couldn’t attend to a whole pineapple becoming the star of the dance floor! “A pineapple turned up in our wishing well, with the whole bloody thing making its way across the dance floor in spectacular fashion all night.”
The clever couple called in some epic vendors for their dream day, with the fabulous Bonnie Jenkins on pics, Sunday Nude crafting some divine stationery and signage, and Mitch’s dude squad looking super dapper in M.J. Bale. It’s a 10/10 for this wedding folks – now check out those pics!
THE PROPOSAL “I had just finished my very last prac placement prior to finishing my degree, and I walked in the door to see Mitchell all dressed up and clean-shaven, asking me to close my eyes and go out into the backyard with him. I really thought our mischievous dogs had dug a hole that we’d have to spend the weekend patching up, so I was a little hesitant to be led out onto the back patio. When I opened my eyes, my favourite band’s music started playing from a speaker and Mitchell had decorated the arbour my parents renewed their vows under with fresh roses and festoon lights. There were rose petals on the lawn leading to the arbour and he walked me there, got on one knee and proposed. I sobbed, obviously! He had arranged both our parents to come over afterwards to share in some celebratory cheese and bubbly.”
LITTLE LOL “Given the whole COVID debacle, we were unfortunate not to be able to have my sister attend as she lived interstate. A week before the wedding, a huge package arrived at my parents’ front door, which we confusedly opened. Turns out my sister had organised and printed a cardboard cut-out of herself and her family so that she was still able to attend the wedding! That cut-out was carried around the wedding by everyone, dancing the night away. I later phoned my sister to assure her that she had a FAB time!”
THE VENUE “The Refinery was the most perfect venue. We picked it because we’d eaten at Rogue Bistro before and the food was insane. The most important thing to us was that our guests would be well fed. It matched our aesthetic and the service was phenomenal. 1000/10 would recommend!”
THE VIBE “We wanted the vibe to be classy and asked our guests to ‘dress fancy’. The main inspiration was to create a classic vibe with equal parts masculine and feminine elements. If we had to describe the theme it would be monochromatic, mixed metals. We wanted clean lines, fresh, sumptuous blooms and a look that would stand the test of time – and Christie from Haus of Hera absolutely delivered. We wanted to complement the matte black walls and concrete features of The Refinery and embrace the ‘warehouse’ feel. The metallic rose gold features in the florals by Black & Bloom Floral Studio, accompanied by the nudey pink tones of our décor and stationery (by Sunday Nude) were a beautiful and creative nod to my engagement ring, a rose gold band with a pink sapphire stone.”
THE DRESS “The dress was made by the talented Wendy Makin and her team at Wendy Makin Bridal Studios. Working with her was a calm experience, and she was genuinely excited about making my dress. I always wanted a simpler dress that I would pair with a fun earring. I knew I wanted floaty sleeves and a cuff, something to cover my arms but not feel too heavy up top. This dress was the first I tried on, and immediately I knew it was the one. Wendy adjusted the pattern, slightly extending the cuff length and adding more gather to the shoulders for a little more whimsy. Because the dress was so plain, I wanted a textured veil that offered a bit of fun. It was covered in very small champagne coloured sequins, all to match my earrings and to fit with the ‘mixed metals’ theme.”
REFERENCES “We met our photographer, Bonnie Jenkins, because she shot Mitchell’s cousin’s wedding and we just loved how laidback and cool she was – not to mention bloody talented! We loved how she was able to capture the humour in our day. She really encapsulated the mood of the whole day.”
A WORD OF ADVICE “Practicality-wise, we would 110% recommend hiring a planner/stylist. Christie from Haus of Hera made our lives so easy and was a dream to work with. One thing I would also really recommend to all brides is just to have a moment in the mirror, in your dress, by yourself, with no one else in the room. It was a time for me to just catch my breath, take in the way I looked, pull out a few grey hairs that had formed through the planning process and give myself a few extra words of encouragement. Also, buy the expensive shoes – you deserve them.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Absolutely Christie of Haus of Hera – I connected with her from the get-go – our photographer Bonnie Jenkins, videographer Nick Hargans Media, Rach and her fabulous team at The Refinery, Tracy of Black & Bloom Floral Studio and Dave West Music, our incredible musician/DJ.
Plenty of great recs to be found at this wedding, friends, and we can personally attest to the mad skills of photographer Bonnie Jenkins, stationery aficionados Sunday Nude and suiting savants M.J. Bale – all of whom you’ll find (plus heaps more top picks) in our directory.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Bonnie Jenkins Cinematographer Nick Hargans Media Event Planner & Stylist Haus of Hera Florist Black and Bloom Floral Studio Stationery & Signage Sunday Nude Ceremony, Reception & Catering The Refinery Cake Sweet Society Co. Wedding favours Three Foxes (cocktails) Hire Items Supper Club (napkins and cutlery) Hire Haus (various table styling, wishing well, glassware) Photo Booth The Photo Booth Guys Lighting Hire AV Ideas (lighting and installations) Entertainment Dave West Music Rings By Baby THE BRIDE Gown Wendy Makin Bridal Designs Veil A.B. Ellie Getting-ready PJs Carol Costa (bride – family friend), Homebodii (bridesmaids) Shoes Loeffler Randall Earrings A.B. Ellie Hair Chantelle Maree Hair Makeup Charlee Elizabeth Bridesmaid dresses Bec & Bridge Bridesmaid shoes Billini THE GROOM Jacket Calibre Shirt & Pants M.J. Bale Bow tie & Cufflinks OTAA Shoes Aquila Groomsmen suits M.J. Bale Groomsmen gifts OTAA