First impressions are so important – unless you’re like Maryanne and don’t remember the first time she met Kelvin. Luckily for him, the second time stuck, and she fell instantly in love. After a lengthy engagement, Maryanne and Kelvin wanted a simple and heartfelt wedding to finally bring their little family together. Claire Broatch was the photographer for the couple and captured the tender, sweet moments from throughout the day.

Maryanne and Kelvin’s love story started all the way back in early 2016 when they shared a lift. “I was visiting my friend Katharine at work, which also happened to be where Kelvin worked. My daughter (Nelly, who was a toddler at the time) and I were in the lift with Kelvin; however, I don’t remember this encounter in the lift, but Kelvin certainly remembers us,” she recalls. “Months went by, and five months later, we met again at Katharine’s birthday party at a bar in the city, with Katharine suggesting that I should keep an eye out for Kelvin, although he was a bit of a ‘footy jock’ at the time but may be worth a sweet kiss. Once arriving, Katharine pointed Kelvin out to me, and I found myself falling in love with him after just 10 minutes of conversation!”

Kelvin had the grand idea to propose at the top of a Fire trail hike in Montrose – the idea being the Melbourne skyline backdropping the whole thing. However, in typical Melbourne weather, the sky was heavily clouded over with zero visibility, making for a very creepy hike. “Once we reached the top of the hike, Kelvin pointed into the foggy distance and said, “See that ring in the sky?” I turned around, saw nothing but grey, and then turned back to Kelvin on one knee, holding the ring, saying, “That’s not a ring; this is a ring!” and following with a beautiful proposal.”

After having a long engagement, Maryanne and Kelvin decided they wanted a wedding with minimal planning and fuss. So when they decided to plan everything out in late 2022, they had everything booked and ready within three weeks.

It was that December that Maryanne bought her incredible pink gown from Khawbung Bridal, and just three weeks after, she found out she was pregnant! “My mum spent many hours altering the length as my bump grew, and we were thankful for the corset back, which I was originally going to have replaced with buttons, as without the corset, there is no chance it would have fit me as I was 17 weeks pregnant with my third child on the big day!”

Her wedding party all wore black Bec & Bridge gowns in various styles that suited their personalities – but still created a cohesive look. Each bridesmaid and the Bride carried a white floral bouquet that contrasted with the gowns.

Both the ceremony and the reception were held at the Craft & Co in Collingwood, Victoria. With its simple and laidback vibes, incredible service and raving reviews about the food, it was a dream venue. The flower displays at their altars were sourced from Facebook Marketplace, just one of the DIY elements found throughout the day.

Kelvin and his groomsmen wore traditional black dinner suits despite the laid-back location – they wanted to look timeless and elegant.

Just before Maryanne walked down the aisle, their children went first. As “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri started, she took her first steps towards Kelvin with her dad on her arm. “Watching the kids walk down the aisle, followed by Maryanne, is a memory I’ll never forget,” stated Kelvin.

They wanted a ceremony that described their relationship – something fun yet loving. Their Celebrant Ruby created the perfect balance of jokes intertwined with heartfelt feelings.

Maryanne’s favourite part of the day was not one moment but the knowledge they were officially a family. “Knowing that we were officially a family and that our two children (and one in my belly) were there to witness it made it that much more special.”

Claire Broatch Photography was the photographer on their dream team of vendors for the day, and they couldn’t have been happier with their choice. “Claire was a dream to deal with, very laid back and helped us feel relaxed and not posed/awkward at all!”

The best piece of advice they want to give future married couples is: “Don’t overthink or stress the small things; remember, it’s about yourself and your partner and not for anybody else.”

Almost all of their decor was DIY, from the thrifted vases scattered across tables to the flowers they were filled with, picked the night before. These beautiful dahlias were supplied by her cousin Laura, who grew them all herself. The place cards were hand cut and written by Maryanne, and the napkins knotted – anything Maryanne could have DIY’d herself, she did!

These incredible cakes are from Fork Yeah Baking in Gisborne, and according to Maryanne, they not only looked amazing but tasted amazing!

For the reception, Maryanne swapped into a white pleated gown from Coco & Lola she had bought the week before the wedding to be more comfortable throughout the night.

Congratulations, Maryanne and Kelvin, on officially bringing your beautiful family together and for creating this simple yet heartfelt wedding so quickly! And thanks to Claire Broatch for capturing and submitting it for us to share.