Melissa and Marc

Whenever I start to write up a wedding, I always read it like a book. I open the photos, I read the stories, the memories the moments and let it come together. Today’s wedding was so powerful to read and then I saw the photos – there was intense emotion. Laughter, tears and a sense that this day was momentous for Melissa and Marc – not just for the fact that they chose each other, they chose to say their vows. But as a day it seemed to open the doors and have the universe say “See! This is what love is! this is how amazing it can be!” and with that, I bring you the elegant, emotional wedding of Melissa and Marc.

Melissa tells the story of how she met Marc. “We met through a mobile phone shop, where I worked part time while studying.  Marc had an import business and supplied the store with his mobile phones, though he found himself making excuses that required him to attend the store far more often than necessary.  After six months of shop courtship, we finally started dating in December 2003, and within a couple of weeks Marc found himself joining my family for a memorable Christmas. I was a little worried what Marc might make of my family singing and dancing the night away, but the warm welcome he received ensured he came back time and again, and they have been together ever since!”

Photographs today are by Adam Finch of Studio Impressions who in the typical Studio Impressions style has captured elegant, stunning imagery that is simply beautiful. Melissa and Marc had their wedding filmed by One Day In Mind.

Melissa chose a stunning lace gown by MXM Couture and paired it with Jimmy Choo shoes. Her bridesmaids wore pale pink and black Alannah Hill gowns with matching pink shoes. The Powder Room styled the girls hair & makeup for the day.

The flowers for the day were styled by Green & Bloom. Melissa’s bouquet featured shades of white, cream and pink.

Putting their own touch on the day, Melissa and March met before the ceremony. Melissa explains “We decided to have a “first look” before the ceremony with just our bridal party and our close family. It made the moment of seeing each other for the first time so much more intimate and emotional “. Marc and his groomsmen wore suits from Precision Tailors.

“Marc waited for me at the bottom of the stairs at Customs House as I ‘snuck’ down behind him. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around and we saw each other for the first time. I will never forget the look of admiration on Marc’s face as he saw me for the first time.”

Melissa recalls “My bridesmaids had teased me in the lead up to the wedding about becoming a bridezilla on the day, as throughout the planning process I had been quite relaxed and comfortable with our fabulous wedding planner’s assistance. However on the day, I was completely calm and not nervous at all! On the other hand, Marc was apparently very worried about me as he also thought I might be a nervous wreck. It wasn’t until I saw Marc waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs that I felt butterflies in my stomach. When we finally saw each other for the first time, we hugged, and I felt Marc breath a sigh of relief that I was okay.”

Of their photographer, Melissa says “Adam Finch was our photographer from Studio Impressions. Photography was one of the first things we booked…even before we found our location! It was a priority for us to have someone amazing, as the photos are what capture those special moments forever. We had always loved Studio Impressions’ style of photography and when we met Adam, we were really impressed with his work. We met with other photographers before we made our final decision, but kept comparing them to Adam so we knew we had found our match.”

Melissa and Marc held their wedding at Queensland Rugby Club overlooking the Brisbane river. Melissa remarks “Our whole wedding was held at the QLD Rugby Club – the ceremony was outside on the Tempo Terrace and the reception was inside in the Tempo Restaurant. The view was just breathtaking and luckily the rain held off so that we could marry on the open air terraced area. The food was amazing and the staff made us feel like royalty, pulling out my chair whenever they saw me get up and always making sure we had everything we needed.”

Melissa and Marc enlisted Victoria from The Little White Wedding Company to plan their wedding. Melissa notes “Our wedding planner Victoria Cameron from the Little White Wedding Company was incredible and without her, our dream wedding would never have happened. She understood our style and went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our wedding was perfect.” The terrace was set with black Tiffany chairs and masses of candles.

My favourite part of the wedding of Melissa and Marc is this moment and Melissa loves it too. ” I remember walking down the aisle – as my dad has passed away when I was 19. I decided it wouldn’t be right to replace him with someone to give me away. Instead, I walked in on my own and waited at the end of the aisle for Marc to come and greet me. Then we walked up the aisle together. It was a very emotional moment and was something different we hadn’t seen done before.”

16 Strings entertained guests and played as Melissa and Marc walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon In D. Melissa explains “I have a soft spot for music with strings, so a string quartet was a must for our ceremony. I have always wanted to walk down the isle to Canon in D as it is a gorgeous piece that gives me goosebumps.”

Melissa also loved the couple’s chosen wedding vows. She explains “We loved writing our own vows as it reminded us of why we wanted to get married and what we were willing to promise each other.”

The first look meant Melissa and Marc could celebrate with guests straight away. Melissa notes “I loved the fact we had our ceremony and then the reception straight afterwards meant that our guests didn’t have to wait around for us to get photos. We could relax and join in with them celebrating.”

A stunning black and white three tier wedding cake was created by Sweetums while Urban Weddings created the stationery for the wedding.

Melissa remarks ” Our wedding was unique, intimate and everything we dreamed it would be. ”

The first dance was played by Atmosphere DJs who kept guests dancing all night long. Melissa recalls”We wanted to make our first dance special, so we invested in some dance lessons with Gemma Davies who was recommended by our wedding planner. Gemma was amazing and helped us choreograph a dance to one of our favourite Ben Harper songs – Gold to Me. We got almost to the end of our dance and Marc said “I can’t believe I haven’t stepped on your dress!” and with the next step, he accidentally did. We quickly recovered with a dip and the crowd was none the wiser.”

Congratulations on your marriage Melissa and Marc! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Adam Finch of Studio Impressions for today’s images!