Tiffany & Aaron
I love the relaxed vibe to this Melbourne art gallery wedding. Tiffany and Andrew put a great focus on good food and wine (and even ice cream cake!) so after a simple, yet beautiful ceremony in the Fitzroy Gardens, they headed to Arc One Gallery to celebrate with their guests in the urban jungle. They chose Ursula from Fennel and Fox Photography to capture their day.
Tiffany tells their story. “Aaron and I met at a mutual friend’s Tarantino party. Everyone had to dress up as a character from any of Tarantino’s movies. Most of the guys went in black suits, as did Aaron. I went as the Japanese school girl from Kill Bill. We met by the keg and after 5 years of long distance (Oregon, USA and Christchurch, NZ) and numerous expensive destination dates, we settled in Melbourne, Australia.”
Janice Wu styled the bride and bridesmaids hair and makeup for the day.
Tiffany chose a gown from Eliza J, noting, “I bought the Eliza J dress from Nordstrom for $200. I wanted a lace dress that was comfortable, casual and romantic. Additionally, I wanted a dress I could wear again and not leave zipped up in my closet. I had wanted to go with a cheongsam in ivory lace but did not have luck with any atelier. The actual experience was too easy. Once I saw the dress, I knew it was the one.”
Tiffany added a jade necklace (a family heirloom) and shoes from BHLDN.
Of the processional, Tiffany remembers, “I walked in with my biological and step father. Finding the perfect song was so difficult. We did not decide on one until the day before the wedding. My sister had suggested “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat because it perfectly describes the long distance relationship that culminated to our life together.”
Mrs Jones Celebrant officiated the ceremony, which was held in Fitzroy Gardens, the bride remembering, “We wanted a light hearted ceremony, simple and short. Part of my vow, I read a letter President John Adams wrote to his daughter when she was being courted. This was the same letter my step dad Jack gave me when I was 16, advising me what I should look for in a life long partner:
“Daughter! Get you an honest man for a husband, and keep him honest.
No matter whether he is rich, provided he be independent. Regard the honour and moral character of the man more than all other circumstances.
Think of no other greatness but that of the soul, no other riches but those of the heart.
An honest, sensible humane man, above all the littlenesses of vanity, and extravagances of imagination, labouring to do good rather than be rich, to be useful rather than make a show, living in a modest simplicity clearly within his means and free from debts or obligations, is really the most respectable man in society, makes himself and all about him the most happy.”
“All our vendors were amazing. The two vendors that stood out to me were: Mrs Jones Celebrant and Janice Wu , our hair and make up. I had trouble finding a celebrant that wasn’t over the top or cheese. When I met Nicola, it was instant. She not only understood our simple ceremony but she encouraged us to dig deeper. I’m glad she did because it allowed us to reflect more on how we got to this stage. Having our hair and make up done by Janice was like having a girls sleep over but with way better results. She made this prep and bubble time, so special for my bridesmaids and I.”
Of their photographer, Tiffany remarks, “Fennel and Fox were amazing. Ursula was the first and last photographer we met up with before deciding. She totally understood what we wanted. We didn’t want a big group photo (although our family did!) or make our bridal party stay too long while we snapped photos. We just wanted our wedding in our eyes.
On the day, Ursula and Nathan were so professional and relaxed. They were in the background and a lot of the times, we were not aware of them taking photographs. This was great because it made us less nervous and they captured intimate moments. Ursula has an eye for lighting and it really shows in the photos of Aaron and I at the gardens after the ceremony. The entire process from meeting, the wedding to delivery of the photos was a smooth and enjoyable process. I can’t recommend Fennel and Fox more to any couple looking for a photographer.”
Tiffany and Aaron celebrated at Arc One Gallery with a feast catered by Cumulus Inc. The bride remembers, “Aaron and I are not religious, so we centred our focus on our reception. It was held at Arc One gallery which is a small space with wooden floors and walls covered with art of the month. The venue holds 60 people and our wedding was catered by Cumulus. (The whole reason we held our reception at Arc One). It was an intimate and romantic venue. Cumulus provided staff who were SO attentive. Amazing service, they made sure the night went smoothly without a hitch. Kudos to Cumulus and Arc One gallery!”
Tiffany screen-printed tote bags as favors for the guests, noting, “My favourite part of our wedding planning was DIYing the save the dates and screen-printing the tote bags. It reminds me of the people that we love and evokes memories of our relationships.”
Tiffany and Aaron chose an assortment of gelati cakes from Messina Gelati for their wedding cake.
Tiffany notes, “My beautiful mother made all the boutonnieres, floral crowns and hair pieces for the wedding. She also made my nephew (the ring bearer) a Hawaiian shirt and the kneeling pillows for the tea ceremony. (I bought the embroideries of Hmong love birds from Etsy) I spent a few weeks screen printing the tote bags for guests, it shows the character “Hei” which is double happiness representing a happy marriage. Due to the small wedding, I was able to hand paint my own save the dates and invites.”
Tiffany and Aaron made sure to include nods to their heritage, remarking, “We made sure, we fit in the Chinese Tea Ceremony. After our ceremony and photographs, Aaron and I arrived at Arc One gallery and there was a space set up with two chairs, two kneeling pillows and my Mum and Aunt with a tray of tea.
My mother had bought me this beautiful tea set, a set I will pass onto my children when they get married. The Chinese Tea ceremony unifies both our families. All of Aaron and my family elders take turns sitting on the chairs and Aaron and I would serve them tea. In return for the tea, they give us marriage advice.
These advice were varied and a very touching part of our wedding. Additionally, our elders give us red packets of money or jewellery. Aaron and I also sit on the chairs and the younger family members serve us tea. We have to give them words of wisdom “take care of your mum, pay attention at school etc” and also red packets of money.”
“Both Aaron and I had loved ones that have passed away, that we remembered at our reception. My step dad had made a presentation of memorable photos of our families that lopped in the background.”
Congratulations Tiffany & Aaron! Thank you for sharing your day with us! Thank you also to Ursula from Fennel and Fox Photography for sharing today’s wedding!
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