Mel & Matt

Rainy days and sunshine filled rays, Mel and Matt had and embraced both at their wedding at the beautiful winery setting of Lindenderry At Red Hill. A ceremony under umbrellas which turned out to actually give their outdoor ceremony the most romantic of vibes. Combine that with beautiful photography by the talented Amanda Alessi, blooms in hues of blush, magenta and raspberry red and an epic cake by none other than Miss Ladybird Cakes and you’ve got an occasion that is all kinds of elegant.

It was an unexpected “swipe right” situation that led these two together, Matt popping the age-old question on a holiday with friends in Japan. Mel tells the tale. “Matt had the idea to propose on the trip and organised multiple scenarios with the group on ideas for proposal months prior.
On the first day on the snow, the boys were secretly scouting around the mountain trying to find the best spot for day two’s planned proposal. Thankfully we found it.
On the second day on the snow, we split up early in the morning but organised to rendezvous the entire group to gather at the base and all go together up the mountain. Fortunately, it was a clear and beautiful blue sky day.

After getting off the ski lifts we all mustered to this great vantage point we found the day earlier of the beautiful landscape and took group photos. The taller guys were in the back with Matt whilst the shorter ladies were in the front row with me. We organised a friend Calvin, to snap the group photos and Matt would give a signal to start video recording instead of taking photos as to capture the proposal. In addition unbeknownst to me, Matt had organised to transport up the mountain in a backpack a portable Bose speaker by a friend Wilson. When Matt gave Wilson the tap on the shoulder Wilson pressed the play button to play a corny love song from the 90s by Tevin Campbell that Mel had been listening to incessantly in recent months.

At this point, all the group knew the music was the cue to start walking away from the group to the sides to leave Matt alone behind me. I, however, was shocked at the song that was playing loudly and asking everyone “who’s playing the music? Where is it coming from” strangely with no reply from any of the guys not realizing everyone was walking to the sides. After five seconds I then finally turned around and saw Matt on bended knee by himself in front of the beautiful Niseko snow backdrop. All of this was caught by friends on video with music pumping in the background and my stunned face on top of the snowfields of Japan. Oh yeah…. I said yes.”

Mel found her elegant lace gown at Raffaele Ciuca, opting for something “simple and elegant to suit the wedding style”.

Mel and Matt held their ceremony and reception at Lindenderry At Red Hill, sharing “Lindenderry is great in that we had the venue to ourselves for the entire day as they have the policy to hold only one wedding a day. We also had accommodation at the venue. The venue covered a large area for guests to roam and explore including a beautiful lake, cellar door tasting and extravagant lounge areas”

The bride walked down the aisle with her mother to a rendition of “Marry Me” by Train played live by Lark Music.

We’re big proclaimers to embrace rain on your wedding day, but for Mel and Matt, a light sprinkle turned into something much heavier for their ceremony, conducted by Weddings By Jess. Mel remembers “It was fun and unpredictable as there were slight showers leading up to the ceremony. There was also some fun added drama bringing everyone indoors undercover for 20mins delaying the ceremony. Finally, Matt and our lovely celebrant agreed to get the guests to come out even in the drizzle…. that turned heavier. Thankfully the venue had hundreds of umbrellas. ”

“The great thing was that it turned the ceremony into this romantic scene with all the guests huddled together. The ceremony went amazing and could really feel the joy of the day. In true form 20 minutes after the ceremony, the rain clouds moved on and we had glorious weather for the entire evening.”

Of their photographer, the bride raves “We could not thank her enough. The photography was A-class. Mel kept on saying it’s great to not notice Amanda as she quickly slipped in and out snapping so many shots and we barely noticed her around. She always made us feel 100% comfortable.”

Mel and Matt worked with Poppy Culture on their flowers, Mel sharing “We chose deep reds, pinks and whites. They really captured the theme of richness and elegance and were not too over the top”

Safe from the rain, guests gathered for an evening reception, complete with a three-tier drizzle wedding cake created by Miss Ladybird Cakes.

For Mel and Matt, the style of the wedding encapsulated who they are, Mel explaining  “The style was simple and elegant (not over the top). Soft pastels shades for the bridesmaids and a simple yet formal attire for the groomsmen to match the groom. The atmosphere was extremely relaxed and one of joyous reunions/celebration as 90% of the guests had flown into Melbourne from overseas and interstate.”

Mel and Matt included a traditional tea ceremony to honour their heritage.

Amazing speeches remain one of Mel’s favourite parts of the occasion. “Our wedding MC (my close longtime friend) sang a personalised freestyle rap song she had made the lyrics to about the married couple over the song by Cardi B “I Like It” that shocked and entertained everyone.”

The bride changed into traditional dress for the first dance, a mash-up of the newlywed’s favourite tunes. Mel explains “We started off with the song that was played on the proposal on top of the Niseko snow fields, Tevin Campbell “I’m Ready” played, to which we did a simpler routine.
The music cut out half way and then a swing dance by Olly Murs “Dance with Me Tonight” and then this mixed right into dancing for the guests for the rest of the night.”

A big congratulations Mel and Matt! Thank you so much for sharing the stories of your beautiful day with us. Thank you also to Amanda Alessi for today’s beautiful images.