One of the things I love most about modern weddings is that couples can break with tradition and do something really different on their big day. Iconic aspects of a wedding like the three-tier cake, traditional white dress and rose bouquet sure are getting a makeover of late. For the couple that don’t have a sweet tooth when it comes to cake, a new trend is the “Cheese Tower”. Delicious cheddar, brie and blue cheeses piled up to look like a cake and topped with fresh flowers or muscatels, it makes a real statement. You can find your cheese tower dream in this week’s Behind The Door With, Milk the Cow in St Kilda.
Milk the Cow opened in late 2012 and was the concept of owner Daniel Verhayen. Daniel wanted the fromagerie to be Melbourne’s first licensed late night cheese shop and it was important that the space look just as good in the day as late at night. The inspiration behind the design was “a country cellar door in the city” and the space feels friendly and welcoming as well as urban and industrial. There’s a five metre long cheese display, plush green seats and chandeliers made from real milking equipment.
Not long after opening Milk the Cow, Daniel had his own wedding and it featured an epic seven-tier cheese tower. As well as being delicious, the tower also represented family heritage with some Dutch cheese to represent Daniel’s side and American cheese to represent his new wife’s background, as well as Australian cheese to represent their home together. Now couples can make an appointment to visit Milk the Cow for a free consultation and tasting with an in-house cheese expert. Marketing manager Emma tells me that “not everyone is a sweet tooth and a cheese tower can be such a fantastic feature at a wedding”. Milk the Cow can even supply lavosh, quince paste and other accompaniments to turn the tower into cheese boards or a grazing station.
One of my favourite parts of the St Kilda store is the communal table which features hanging park benches and faux grass wall which gives a pretty, picnic feel. Emma tells me this space is perfect for booking a kitchen tea or hen’s party for up to twenty guests. Milk the Cow will treat guests to a cheese and wine “flight” which includes a selection of cheeses and wines to taste as well as generous cheese platters. “It’s a perfect stop on any hen’s day,” says Emma, “or as a starting point for a big night out”.
Images via Milk the Cow and Petit Miamx
I imagine it would be such a special touch to add a cheese tower to your wedding that was designed just for you, with all of your favourite cheeses. It would also be lovely to visit after the wedding and enjoy a special date or anniversary at Milk the Cow; the perfect place to enjoy a cheese board and reminisce about the wedding!
Ms Chinoiserie Says: Such a wonderful and delicious idea – I have so many favourite cheeses, I wouldn’t know where to stop!
About Amelia Waddell of Make Your Day Wedding Styling: I’m a wedding stylist and proud store owner who loves to chat weddings with everyone and anyone! I love to talk shop with other business owners (particularly over some chocolate cake!) and am the first to try and have a sticky beak behind the scenes of any event. My free time is spent ‘investigating’ new cafes, stores and events. Make Your Day Wedding Styling is my creative outlet and I love nothing more than that ten minutes just before the guests enter the wedding reception, it feels like a special sort of magic!
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