Describing their wedding as “casual, Springtime, a little windy, a culmination and celebration of our journey with our favourite people and cultures coming together” is all you need to know about the stunning rooftop day of Christine and Susan. Captured by Clarisse Photography, this was a day that embodied the best of waterside Melbourne, classic city style and all the love in the world. There is a windswept rooftop ceremony, family and friends involved in every single step of the day, and a celebration of it all.

It seems that these two were always meant to be, the duo sharing of how they met. “We met at a girl bar, introduced by mutual friends. There was an instant attraction and we later discovered that we went to the same high school (five years apart).”

The couple chose Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, St Kilda for their wedding, They tell “We had the ceremony on the rooftop, which was a bit touch and go with the wind, but it made for fantastic dramatic photos. The moody clouds and sunset of Port Phillips Bay at dusk provided the perfect backdrop. The reception was downstairs in the Ballroom. Harbour Room was the one and only venue we looked at, something about it just felt right from the get-go.”

Susan and Christine both walked down the aisle to “I Choose You” by Sara Barallies performed live by their friend Miss Dee. They explain “After the ceremony, Miss Dee played some of our favourite acoustic songs. Then by dark, she turned into the DJ to rock the rest of the night on the dancefloor.”

“We wanted the ceremony to be light and humorous, but also touching and meaningful” explain the brides. “Our celebrant was Megan Thompson and she kept it sharp, snappy and entertaining. We both wrote our vows which was daunting at first but well worth it.”

Every moment was filled with love, right down to the wedding rings made by the couple’s friend Rowena Silk. Christine and Susan sharing  “They were rose gold with a wave curve and engravings on the inside. There was something really special about having our friend design these rings and bring them up to us in the ceremony.”

Christine and Susan both enlisted a stylist from Your Look to help them pull together their wedding day looks. They tell “Being lesbians we were a bit clueless in shopping for our wedding outfit. Also, we were in our first year as parents and had little time and sleep. Suze employed the help of a stylist (Tanya Ganas from Your Look). Tanya did such a great job in nailing the brief, Suze decided to buy a voucher for Chris. The outfits were kept a secret from each other, but Tanya knew the exact compliment.”

Christine and Susan made sure one very special guest was present. “We wanted our son Louis and his Donor Daddy Max to be included in the ceremony. Being able to share this day with our baby was an incredibly enriching experience. Max and his partner Mattie, came from New Zealand to share our special moment.”

Christine and Susan loved their chosen photographer Mark.  “Mark was referred to us from a friend. He has such an easy-going personable nature. It felt so relaxed and familiar meeting him at our local for a beer to discuss our wishes and then again to review the shots.”

The wedding was catered by food&desire. Christina and Susan noting “The venue package came with a tasting night at Food & Desire’s venue Aerial. The night was shared with other couples preparing for their weddings and was a highlight we got to experience with our bridesmaids and Suze’s parents. The food was delicious and we got a bit carried away tasting the premium wines “behind the veil”.”

Nina’s Fresh Flowers styled the bright floral details for the day. “We saved our budget with the flowers. Suze’s mum had a good eye for the flower arrangement. In line with the colour theme, we chose coral and white roses. The table flowers were in round glass vases which we could easily give to guests to take home. The bridesmaid’s flowers were simple white roses chosen by Jodie.”

And as the sunset, the newlyweds dined with their guests and danced the night away, making their dance floor debut to Aretha Franklin’s “Say A Little Prayer”, a moment they shared with their favourites. “We thought this was a good opportunity for our gay friends who are not usually the limelight couple at weddings to share the moment with us. We gave them the verse cue to flood the dancefloor and join us in our first dance. When the moment came all the guests took to the floor which we loved anyway.”

A big congratulations to you both Christine and Susan! Thank you for sharing your story with us. Thanks also to Clarisse Photography for today’s wedding!