Elegant Alto Wedding - Polka Dot Wedding

Katie & Karl

Katie and Karl met when they started working together throughout their time at university, and their love story has brought us to the glamorous gardens and streets of Melbourne. The couple chose Abigail Varney Weddings to capture their wedding day, which they wanted to have a modern, timeless and relaxed feel about to it. Their elegant Alto wedding is just that, and so much more!

The couple decided to leave the planning and styling of their beautiful day to the fabulous team at Lettuce and Co. “They organised our day perfectly!” Katie gushes, happily. “They made the process so easy. I don’t think think that Karl or I felt stress or anxious once. Lisa and Robyn were able to translate our vision into a reality. The ladies took all the pressure out of the planning and organising of the day – all we had to to was enjoy ourselves.”

Katie chose the Mariana Hardwick “Nightingale” gown for her special day. “I chose the dress because it was simple, understated and beautiful,” she tells. “I felt it went perfectly with the style I was wanting for the wedding day. I loved the way the ladies fit the dress to my body. The dress allowed me to sit and chat, and also eat and dance. I had a brilliant experience at Mariana Hardwick. They made me feel comfortable and confident.”

Karl wore a made to measure suit from Briggins. “He wanted to wear something classic and sharp that wouldn’t date,” explains the bride. “He didn’t want to look back and wonder, “What was I thinking?!?!”. He added the bow tie to bring a little bit of fun into his attire! Some of our fondest memories of the day are of us getting ready for the day with our bridal parties. It was such a special and fun time to share with the people we love.”

The couple held their reception on the Taxodium Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens on a lovely, sunny day, Katie explaining, “The lawn is right on the lake ,and the curvature of the area gave us a feeling of it being our own little part of the gardens. We had a very simple set up on the lawn – some white chairs and umbrellas and some well placed floral arrangements. I think one of the highlights of the ceremony was the gentlemen punting on the water! He definitely created a wonderful detail for our photos.” Their guests then enjoyed cocktail hour under the shelter of the large tree on the lawn.

Katie walked down the aisle to the Strings Space rendition of the Temper Traps “Sweet Disposition”. “One more memory that I don’t think I will ever forget is that of my father walking me down the isle. The Taxodium Lawn is shaped in a kind of rounded point surrounded by water on one end. As my father and I are walking down towards the water and my future husband, my father found it appropriate to tell me that I chose a great location, because the only way Karl could escape now would be by jumping in the lake and swimming away! I had a good laugh, and it made for some great pictures and a bit of distraction from my nerves! Thanks, Dad!”

“Our ceremony was fairly brief, we wanted our guests to be engaged and not bored. We wanted the focus to be on our relationship and the the promises that Karl and I were making toward each other. We wanted it to have a feeling of love and commitment.” The couple also note that they loved the random man punting on the lake who made a surprise cameo in the background during their ceremony!

The happy couple chose Abigail Varney Weddings to be part of their day, and capture all the magic! “Karl and I were dead set against traditional posed photos, so what drew us to Abi was her candid approach to capturing moments. None of our photos were forced, and it shows in the images Abi produced. I’m amazed by how she was able to capture the essence our day so perfectly. Also, Abi was super relaxed, which made her so easy to work with.”

Alto @ GPO, where the couple held their reception, is situated up the top of the GPO building in the heart of Melbourne CBD. “Honestly, we fell in love with it as soon as we walked in,” gushed the bride. “It has high ceilings, concrete floors and large expanses of windows which frame the views. Karl and I choose this venue because of its modern style, the patio, location and the flexible floor plan. It was perfect for the style wedding we wanted. Damm Fine Food did a phenomenal job with the food. Our guests were blown away by the quality and outright deliciousness of their meals.”

“Our first dance was to Jasmine Thompson “Ain’t Nobody”. We chose this song because Karl and I love to be silly and dance to the original Chaka Kan version when it comes on during a night out. Jasmine Thompson’s rendition invoked these memories and feelings for us, but allowed us to share it with everyone in a romantic and beautiful way. Now, when Karl and I hear either version of the song is has very special meaning for us.”