Mel & Matt

Sydney has been having a run of beautiful weddings lately (so we need more wonderful submissions from South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory!) but I couldn’t resist sharing today’s gorgeous celebration of Mel & Matt. The sunshine, the spring colours, it seemed to fit perfectly today!

Mel shares their story. “This is no ordinary schoolyard romance. Matt and Mel first met when they began working together as teachers at the same high school. There was an instant attraction and a deep friendship grew from that moment, however, it wasn’t until 7 years later that they took their relationship went to the next level. The rest is history.

On Mel’s birthday they travelled to Melbourne with a small group of friends to enjoy the Australian Open Tennis. After sending Mel out to buy a new dress with some girlfriends, Matt arranged for a surprise twilight seafood dinner at “Live Bait” Restaurant at Docklands. After a sumptuous candlelit seafood meal, Matt presented Mel with a special book that contained post-it notes spread strategically throughout stating “10 Things I DON’T Hate about You!”. Dessert was then followed by Matt rushing Mel into a taxi and it was straight off to the 88th floor of Eureka Towers (the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere) and into “The Edge” (a glass cube platform which extends 3-metres out from the building!). By the time Mel had recovered from the height and turned around from taking in the amazing view of the Melbourne skyline, Matt was down on one knee and was popping ‘the question’.”

Photos today are by Michelle Fiona Photography. Michelle has a knack for capturing weddings in a beautiful and relaxed manner. Each thought our detail, sunshine filled moment or large enveloping venues are captured on Michelle’s camera in a way that gives a real sense of how the occasion played out.

Mel and Matt made a lot of the accessories themselves “We made the invitations, bridesmaids tops and skirts…All 6 of them (the girls were also given individual bags to match their outfits filled with essentials for the day), bridesmaid hairpieces, reception table decorations, shoes and order of service” Mel wore ballet flats from Witchery which she embellished herself.

Mel says “As a creative people we notice details so our wedding had lots of attention to detail. The decoration on the bridesmaid tops was repeated in the boys corsages, on the serviette holders and also on the top tear of the wedding cake. The colours throughout the day complemented one another and reflected our taste.” Mel and her friend Justine now operate together, creating gorgeous designs under their label Silkpin.

Mel wore a gown from Karen Willis Holmes while Erin Hall styled the flowers.

Mel and Matt were married at St Stephen’s Anglican Church in Newtown. Mel walked down the aisle to ‘To Have You’ by The Sundance Kids. Mel remembers how much she loved hearing the words “I Do”.

After the ceremony, the couple headed to Observatory Hill with their bridal party for stunning Sydney portraits. One of Mel’s favourite moments took place here “I loved sitting on a picnic rug with our bridal party at Observatory Hill sipping on champagne and breathing the whole day in.”

As the sun set, guests gathered at The Loft, Doltone House to celebrate!

Mel says “As soon as we walked into the Loft we fell in love with the space. It had the intimate and contemporary feel we desired for our wedding. We loved the beautiful exposed timber beams, the polished wooden floorboards and the amazing view. The service was top class. Very professional with a personal touch.” The three tier wedding cake was made by The Cake Studio.

Mel and Matt made their stationery together and carried their style through the rest of their wedding “Our invitations included a detailed image of a dandelion and were presented in a delicate soft pouch/envelope sealed with an aqua stitch. The dandelion image and aqua stitch also appeared in the order of service and on the table decorations (we collected dried agapanthas stems and grouped them together in vases of white flowers)”

Mel and Matt had an intimate first dance “It was magically sweet moment of slow dancing to “Magic” by Colbie Caillat with all our guests watching on from the second floor of The Loft.” another favourite memory includes Matt’s dad tearing up the dance floor!

A big thank you to Mel & Matt for sharing their wedding day with us today on Polka Dot Bride! Congratulations! Thank you also to Michelle Fiona Photography for sharing today’s gorgeous photographs!