Intimate Dusk Wedding - Polka Dot Wedding

Tully & Cihan

A wedding full of warmth, family and genuine, palpable love is a wedding that stays with us forever, and that is exactly what we adore at Polka Dot Bride. So you can imagine how in love we are with Tully and Cihan’s intimate dusk wedding. The couple knew that the day would go by so fast, and wanted to ensure they extracted as much meaning as they possibly could from each moment, and to capture those moments they chose Andy from All Grown Up Weddings.

Of how she and Cihan came to be, Tully remembers, “We had our first date at Panama Dining Room in Fitzroy. We were both rather nervous and quite formal which is fitting with the old world atmosphere of Panama. Gradually we loosened up a bit more and then both became intrigued with one another. Our second date though, was when the magic became apparent. We met for breakfast at The Red Door Corner Store, and something about having a date during the day felt fresh, more natural and revealing. It was one of those golden, crisp, autumn days, which are enchanting all by themselves. We ate a slow breakfast and we were much more ourselves, more relaxed and very, very drawn to one another. From that moment, I felt like I was pulled into a really wonderful dream. I was smitten!

The groom and his groomsmen wore slim-fitting, black wool suits from Jack London. The bride tells, “Cihan was intrigued by the Jack London brand after I had described that 1950’s, Mad Men cut of some of their suits. After trying on his suit he loved the slim yet comfortable fit. Again we wanted something simple with that clean elegance.”

Cihan accessorised with a black, velvet bowtie gifted to him from his bride, and a bright blue pocket square. “The pocket square was a surprise,” explains Tully. “I had previously given him an ivory and black pocket square, but he thought I had asked him to wear the blue one, so we ended up with an unexpected “something blue”, only on the wrong person!”

Of her stunning gown, Tully tells, “I wore a Sottero and Midgley gown. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, and a gorgeous fitted bodice which gently flared out just below the hip into a beautiful train. The gown was made from an ivory Chantilly lace with a champagne fabric beneath. I wanted something simple, classic and if possible with vintage flair. I’m a lover of a clean aesthetic, so really liked that there wasn’t anything too fussy about the gown. I felt it drew its glamour from the corseted waist, providing that hourglass silhouette, and from the abundance of lace with the subtle drama of the train. The experience of shopping for the gown was like a frothy, delicate, lacy, feminine wonderland. I bought my dress from Raffaele Cuica, and stepping into the store and seeing the rows and rows of dresses with heavenly fabrics spilling out all over was so exciting. Throughout the experience I felt brimming with happiness with an undercurrent of vibrating, nervous excitement.” The bride and bridesmaids’ hair was done by Kristie from Rock Paper Scissors Hair Design, and their makeup created by Ellen Mary. Tully’s bridesmaids wore boatneck gowns in black by Young Designers Gallery.

The Farm Vigano was the couple’s choice of venue for their day. “It ended up being the perfect place for our wedding,” says the bride. “Suzie Cammareri was our coordinator, and we were impressed by her attention to detail, professionalism and warmth. She was experienced, knew what worked and what didn’t in terms of the venue, and gave us sound advice. On the day, we were so grateful to all of the staff who were attentive, bubbly and polished. Farm Vigano is this unexpected gem, a heritage building set amid beautiful gardens, a sweet little orchard and a rolling expanse of bushland.”

On the day, the bride and her bridal party experienced a massive delay on their way to the wedding which resulted in them not arriving at the ceremony until just before dusk. Tully remembers, “It must have been serendipity, as we ended up with a moody and romantic dusk ceremony. For Cihan, he felt one of his most special memories was during the ceremony, and the emotions he felt as he saw first the bridesmaids walk out and then the crescendo of his bride walking down the aisle to “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King.”

“We wanted our ceremony to be honest, heartfelt and true to us. We tried to avoid anything too long and formal, but at the same time wanted to mark the significance of the event in our own way. We especially wanted to take the opportunity to honour our families, for the incredible amount of love and support they have given to us. Our celebrant Yvonne Wood went to incredible lengths to prepare and guide us through the ceremony, and she was so respectful and nurturing. We both wanted our families to be a big part of the ceremony to help us demonstrate their significance to us. My dad gave me away and our mothers “warmed” our rings each one holding a ring which they then gave to us during the ceremony. My younger brother was one of the groomsmen, and Cihan’s brother and my Nunna were our witnesses.”

Choosing a photographer for your day is not an easy decision, but Tully and Cihan were both so happy to have booked Andrew Hardy through All Grown Up Weddings to capture their wedding. “Working with him was just lovely! Andy was such a light, gentle and friendly soul, and he worked in a way that was not at all intrusive. We felt very at ease with him, and are over the moon with the raw emotions and spontaneous, natural moments he captured.”

The couple wanted their wedding to be relaxed and for their guests (and themselves) to have thoroughly enjoy the day, and not have to worry about travelling between venues, so they chose to have both the ceremony and reception at Farm Vigano. The bride gushes, “We are so pleased that we made that decision! We were seeking a sense of vibrancy, of intimacy and warmth, of magic. We wanted people to feast, indulge and to be surrounded by beauty and love. The venue has a lovely charm both inside and out. Outside there was that fresh, crisp, country air – people could escape and take a stroll through the orchard. Inside held all the fun, and had a well designed layout that created a merry, cosy environment.”

Tully tells, “I put together the place cards which also served as a bomboniere. I found cream cards with a small heart cutout, and looped black ribbon through them to tie on a vintage style key, then hand-wrote each guest’s names on these. For our seating chart, I used an old, gold-framed mirror and wrote guest names on the glass with a glass pen.”

Of their terrific first dance, the couple remember, “It was spontaneous, unplanned and so wonderful for being so! We made our entrance to live Turkish music (a band that consists of family friends), and after a short time dancing together, were surrounded by our families and friends in this chaotic, happy jumble of hugs, laughter, and movement!”

Of what they remember and cherish most about their day, Tully gushes, “The people! Our loved ones together in one beautiful place. Witnessing the meshing of cultures, and marrying each other! Beauty in all of its elements – the emotions, the florals, the heritage building, the beautiful autumn day. That things just felt so natural and so right, and feeling everyone’s genuine joy and delight for us. It felt like hyperreality, like a perfect, delicious dream, a merry-go-round where I can recall flashes of conversation, trails of music, so much laughter and happiness, and effervescent love….”