Amelia & Damien

It was technology that brought Amelia and Damien together – the pair both working at the Apple store in Doncaster when they first found their spark together. “As the story goes we both started to get more flirty as time went by and the rest is history!'” admits the bride.

And the story did, in fact, continue, because today, we’re celebrating Amelia and Damien’s modern Melbourne city wedding (just in time for The City Issue) in all of its beautiful glory.

With stunning photography by Georgia Verrells, Amelia and Damien found somewhat of an urban oasis in their ceremony venue – the beautiful Grounds of Arcadia a beautiful blend of garden gorgeousness and urban beauty. The “I do’s” kicking off a dream day, that in Amelia’s words was “Fun, relaxed and celebratory with an inner-city modern atmosphere”.

But before we follow these two down the aisle, let’s dive into the bride’s story of how they decided to tie the knot! “We had planned a weekend getaway to the Adelaide/Barossa Valley on the 7th of June 2018. We first arrived at our Airbnb and it was very cold weather in June, but Damien asked if we could go for a walk to the supermarket. I reluctantly agreed, and we walked down the shops.

Damien was walking so slowly as he was trying to find the perfect location to propose, but I called him out and asked “Is there something wrong with your legs? You’re walking so slow”. Without finding the perfect spot, Damien proposed when we arrived back at our hotel and proposed right as I was unpacking the groceries. I was so shocked I first asked “Are you sure!?” before responding with a giant “Yes!”.”

Damien wore a custom Institchu suit in black, says Monica. “Damien’s suit was from Institchu on Lonsdale street in the city. It was a custom-designed black 3-piece suit with a pleated shirt and bowtie. The suit was a classic style and was based on a Tom Ford design he previously saw and liked.”

“I don’t have a specific memory of the day because it was all such fun,” admits Damien. “From getting ready with my groomsmen to the ceremony and seeing Amelia everything about the day was a highlight.”

The bride’s beautiful gown with it’s elegant illusion neckline? It was designed by Australian bridal designer Suzanne Harward Amelia remarking “My wedding dress was from Suzanne Harward and I stumbled upon the gown by chance really! I had a hard time finding a wedding dress and had visited almost 10 boutiques before visiting the sample sale at Suzanne Harward one afternoon.

I was actually planning on having a dress made at that stage. I went to the sale on my own because I thought, well I’m probably not going to find anything, but once there the sales assistant suggested I try on this one after I described what I was looking for. It felt great and fit like a glove, and the shop assistants reaction was super positive so I instantly knew this was a winner.

I called my mum and she rushed down to the store in Collingwood just before they closed and once I tried it on she cried so we knew it was the one and purchased it then and there. The dress was such a great fit that I only ever needed the hem taken up.”

Amelia walked down the aisle with her father .”We chose the song “La Ritournelle” by Sebastien Tellier because we absolutely loved it” she recalls.

Amelia and Damien chose Nat Sproal to make their vows official, sharing of their ceremony “We wanted a relaxed, civil ceremony that really spoke about us as a couple. We chose Nat Sproal as our celebrant who was a joy to work with, and through the planning journey, she created a ceremony that told our guests about our life and how we came to be together.

It was funny, heartfelt and perfect for us. Our guests really got to know us as a couple and the memories we had created. She also made our guests promise to hit the dance floor later in the evening which really set the tone for our wedding.”

Beautiful city venue Grounds of Arcadia played host to the ceremony, the bride explaining “We chose the ceremony location to be at Grounds of Arcadia. We sort of stumbled upon this venue from another couple’s wedding photographs when were looking at choosing our celebrant and thought it was an amazing space in the heart of the city. We really loved the beautiful big tree and the green hedges that set the backdrop for the ceremony. The staff were fantastic and we had celebratory drinks after the ceremony for our guests, which they said they loved.”

“We tried to keep everything fairly straightforward and simple and didn’t focus on the details too much but we wanted our guests to have a great time and so included celebratory drinks after the ceremony at the Grounds of Arcadia, who did an amazing job at making sure everyone was comfortable and had somewhere to stay after the ceremony that was close by to the reception.”

The newlyweds headed to Fitzroy Gardens with their wedding party for photographs. “We wanted our portraits taken at Fitzroy Gardens because we always walk through the gardens when we travel into the city and so it will always bring up happy memories.”

Damien and Amelia made sure to include their very favourite people in their day. “We had seven of our closest friends part of our wedding party. I had my two best friends from high school, Damien’s sister and another friend Tania whilst the groomsmen were Damien’s cousin and two best friends also. The girls all wore different dresses in pink colours as I wanted them to all feel really comfortable on the day and like what they were wearing. We didn’t see the dresses together until the night before the wedding and luckily it all worked out. The boys all wore black suits which they choose themselves also from different shops.”

“I think my favourite photograph is of myself and Damien in the Fitzroy Gardens where the light is streaming in as I’m resting my head on his shoulder” notes the bride.

Amelia and Damien give rave reviews to photographer Georgia. “Georgia was amazing and made the day so much fun. I definitely didn’t realise how much direction and organising the photographer does on the day and Georgia was so great at keeping us all on schedule and making the atmosphere so much fun and filled with love. She honestly felt like a good friend was taking our photos and all of her images came out amazing.”

Melbourne restaurant Half Acre hosted the intimate reception, the bride remembering “It was a no brainer. It was actually the only reception venue we viewed in person. We loved it because it had a modern, Tuscan inspired atmosphere in a well-designed venue space. The team at Half Acre / Food & Desire were fantastic and helped us with all the planning and the food on the night was delicious. My dad kept going on about it the most after the wedding.”

Tables were adorned with gorgeous oversize arrangements of foliage and blush, peach and pink toned blooms. Amelia noting “Damien’s aunty is a florist and arranged all of the flowers for the day. We wanted something modern and she suggested olive branches and fruit to compliment the venue. We really loved this idea and gave her free reign on the look. The flowers were stunning and we were so thrilled at how it all came together.”

The decor was kept simple but beautiful shares Amelia. “I tried to keep the details to a minimum, but I made all of the name place cards myself, as well as the invitations and the wedding website we used for guests to RSVP. Also, Damien’s sister Justine made the wedding cake on the day, and our family friend did all of the flowers.”

Amelia and Damien loved every moment planning their day. “I really enjoyed planning the wedding and didn’t find it stressful at all. I’ve even put my hand up to help organise my brother’s wedding who recently got engaged. I would have to say my favourite part was picking out the wedding rings. Saranda from Paul Bram in the city is the absolute best and made the whole jewellery process so much fun.”

The dance floor debut was to a favourite song of the couples. “For our first dance we chose the song “Chateau” by Angus and Julia Stone because it reminded us of a fun time in our relationship. We originally weren’t going to have the first dance but decided to go ahead with it and I’m glad we did because it was really special and a great way to get everyone on the dance floor.”

A big congratulations to you both Amelia and Damien! What a wonderful wedding story to share! Thank you both and thank you to Georgia Verrells for today’s beautiful photography!