“Like all good love stories, we matched on Tinder one weekend when Brendan was visiting Melbourne from Sydney,” today’s bride Sheradyn tells us. “We went on our first date to Romeo Lane (a small cocktail bar down a Melbourne laneway) and drank away the hours without knowing it.”
They fell in love long distance before finally moving to Canberra together, but Brendan took things back to where it all began to pop the question. “On one trip back to Melbourne, Brendan took me back to Romeo Lane and popped the question later that night back at our apartment over a bottle of champagne.”
Of course, this gal said a big yes, and they got to work sourcing a truly spectacular list of vendors. Our pal Elsa Campbell is a genius behind the camera and no-brainer for this big day, not to mention the She Takes Pictures He Makes Films team on videography. The pros at Pomp and Splendour are responsible for the bloody amazing florals, the Heartbreak Hotel DJs brought the bops to keep the d-floor cranking and we highly suggest you get a-scrollin’ to see the beaut pics of this phenom big day.
THE VENUE “Given we had family and friends coming from all over Australia and some from overseas, we wanted to hold the ceremony and reception in the same place to make it easier for travelling guests. We also wanted to spend as much time as possible with our friends and family, so chose to cut down on any travel time between venues. The Gardens House was the very first venue that we visited, and we fell in love with it straight away. It was our own private garden party but in the middle of the city. Such a dream!”
FAVE DETAILS “Needless to say the flowers from Pomp and Splendour were a total dream; the splashes of red and blue were divine. We especially loved the circular altarpiece, which framed the ceremony space without taking away from the beautiful gardens at the same time. The ice-cream cart from Vanilla & Co. was another favourite detail. It set the mood we were after – joyful, summer fun in the gardens with family and friends.”
REFERENCES “We found most of our vendors through Hello May and Instagram. As the wedding planning progressed, Paula from The Small Things Co. also helped us find just what we needed to pull the day off.”
A WORD OF ADVICE… “Hire a photographer and videographer whose work you really love (even if it means skimping on other details to save the budget) – you won’t regret it! You don’t often have all of your favourite people in one place for the day and we’re so glad we had Elsa Campbell, our photographer, and Alistair, our videographer from She Takes Pictures He Makes Films, to capture this very special moment in time!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “It goes without saying that our photographer Elsa and videographer Alistair (She Takes Pictures He Makes Films) were also superstars to work with (would we call it work?). Brendan and I aren’t super comfortable in front of the camera, and somehow they managed to make us look and feel 10/10. They’re both so very talented at what they do! A huge shoutout also needs to go to Paula from The Small Things Co. – she pulled off such a great day and made planning our wedding from interstate a breeze.”
If you’re on the hunt for epic Melbourne-based vendors, we gotchu. Over on the directory, you’ll find the likes of Elsa Campbell, She Takes Pictures He Makes Films, Pomp and Splendour, the Heartbreak Hotel DJs and, frankly, so many more A++ recs.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Elsa Campbell Cinematographer She Takes Pictures He Makes Films Event Planner & Stylist The Small Things Co. Florist Pomp and Splendour Stationery & Signage Petite Paper Co. Ceremony, Reception & Catering The Gardens House Food Trucks Vanilla & Co. Cake Creme de la Cakes Wedding favours Donation to Wildlife Victoria Hire Items The Small Things Co. Entertainment Sway Jazz Ensemble, Heartbreak Hotel Celebrant Bride’s sister Meredith Rings Cushla Whiting Transport Blacklane Accommodation Airbnb THE BRIDE Gown Wild Horses Veil Harriette Gordon Hairpiece Keren Wolf via Helen Rodrigues Bridal Robes In Bed Shoes Jerome Dreyfuss Earrings A.B. Ellie Bracelet Sarah & Sebastian Hair & Makeup The Altar Bridal Bridesmaid dresses Céline Rita THE GROOM Suit, Shirt & Bow Tie P. Johnson Shoes A. McDonald Shoemaker Barber Barber Supreme Groomsmen suits Groomsmen’s own Groomsmen gifts Big River Distilling Co. (Canberra Dry Gin)