Roll up, roll up winter lovers, roll up lovers of industrial warehouse spaces, of moody blooms, of romantic first looks, of magic moments and intimate celebrations – because Ashlyn and Andrew’s beautiful elegant winter warehouse wedding has all this and more and it all kicked off with negronis to get the party started (yes please!)

The beauty, all captured by Nick Skinner Photography makes the most of both the urban backdrop and the winter season in a stunning, elegant way.

As for how these two met? Let’s hand it over to the bride herself to tell the tale. “A tinder success story. We met on Tinder back in 2014. Although Ashlyn took a little more convincing than Andrew for further dates, his persistence paid off and the rest, as they say, is history!”

That incredible suit with all of its detail? It’s by tailor Angela Nicolaides. Ashlyn shares “Andrew’s suit was tailored by Angela Nicolades located in Richmond, Melbourne. She is an amazing tailor who was recommended by a close friend. He wanted something a little less traditional than black or navy suit and went with a very dark green wool-blend jacket and vest with a dark grey trouser, completed with a black bow tie, shiny black shoes and of course loud socks!”

“My dress was a Stella York design,” tells Ashlyn “that I purchased from Fairytales Bridal Boutique in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne. It was the first dress I tried on and I instantly fell in love with it. The sleeves, the back and that train…”

Special traditions? Ashlyn included them! “I wore my great grandmother’s oval bangle, which was gifted to me by my mother on the day. This bangle was gifted to her by her mother and worn on her wedding day. I hope to keep this tradition with my daughter.”

Ashlyn and Andrew chose a first look, wanting to share the moment with just each other, it also had other added benefits. “Having the photos pre-ceremony meant that we could make the most of our time mingling and celebrating with our guests” notes the bride.

Hello beautiful blooms! Ashlyn and Andrew worked with Anatomy of Flowers for their wedding day florals. Ashlyn telling  “I put all of my trust in the fabulous Kim from Anatomy of Flowers with my flowers, giving her the brief of a large bouquet with a colour palette incorporating burgundy, blush, red, deep green/dark foliage. We also kept this palette flowing through to the reception with a foliage and floral runner through the long tables. It was lush, wintery and moody and I absolutely loved it!”

“Nick was recommended by Nudo to us, and we couldn’t be happier with his fantastic work. He made us both feel so relaxed and at ease, and able to capture some fantastic and natural moments of our big day. We are so thankful for Nick capturing these beautiful memories for us.”

The Wool Mill was the venue of choice for these two, who tell “The Wool Mill is exactly that, an old wool mill that has been refurbished by the fabulous Nudo team, with a warehouse-style vibe. Essentially it is a blank canvas to make all your wedding dreams come true.
We loved the fact that we could have both the ceremony and reception at one venue but in completely different spaces (ceremony upstairs & reception aka party downstairs in the dining hall).”

Ashlyn chose “Diamond in the mine” by Piers Faccini for her walk down the aisle. “We were caravanning around New Zealand together and heard it and were taken by the similarities with our love story.”

After ending the night, alone together over a gin & tonic at a local bar, Ashlyn has this piece of advice if you’re yet to tie the knot. “Make sure you take time to spend time with just you and your new husband or wife during the reception. Stand back, have a drink, a chat and hold hands while you watch your guests enjoy this fabulous party of your love! The day goes so quickly so enjoy every moment”

The ceremony? Ashlyn says it was “Casual and relaxed with some humour which Sarita The Celebrant was able to capture perfectly”

The vibe that Ashlyn and Andrew wanted for the day was very clear. “We wanted to create a soft floral wintery theme with beautiful dark burgundy, reds, blush tones complimented with dark foliage. Andrew and I really enjoy good food and drinks and a really good party.

It was important for us to incorporate this into our wedding- we didn’t want anything overly formal, just friends and family coming together to have a really good time with us. Following the ceremony, our guests were treated to a fabulous grazing table and canapes along with beer, wine and champagne, before heading downstairs to the dining hall where we had three long tables for shared mains for our 120 guests. After dinner, we opened up the dance floor for the party to begin under the fabulous festoon lighting and the Gin and Tonics, whisky and Negronis began to flow into the night.”

Says Andrew “Ashlyn took my breath away during the reveal, and every glimpse of her throughout the day she continued to do so. What I remember best apart from her was of how much fun everyone was having. The smiles and laughter of our closest friends and family was truly amazing and unforgettable.”

Ashlyn’s fun denim jacket? She made it herself! “I embroidered and bejewelled a denim ‘Mrs Padgett’ jacket which I wore between photos and upon our departure for the evening.”

Ashlyn and Andrew relied heavily on their wedding planners Nudo Events to help their day come together. “The Nudo team were so fantastic in helping us navigate through the whole wedding planning process. We communicated with them regularly – face to face, email and over the phone. They knew our vision for the day and were able to assist us in making our dream become a reality. From finding and communicating with vendors on our behalf, making wonderful suggestions, keeping us on track with timeframes and the layout of the day and most importantly keeping us to budget. They really made the planning process so easy, enjoyable and stress-free.”

There were SO many magic moments for these two. “My dad wrote a song for myself and Andrew and performed it with his guitar as part of his speech” remembers Ashlyn. “He had the chorus printed out and circled around the tables for everyone to join in on. It was quite special.”

One of the bride’s favourite memories is also one of the last moments of the day, she tells “Having all of our guests (yes all of our guests) up and circling us on the dancefloor for the final song of the evening “Horses” Daryl Braithwaite – This was the best!!”

A big congratulations to you both Ashlyn and Andrew! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us. Thanks also to Nick Skinner Photography and the  Nudo Events team for working with us to share this one!