Modern Art Gallery Wedding in Melbourne

It’s not every day you get to experience the coming together of two people in matrimony surrounded by beautiful modern art pieces – but for Phoebe and Julia’s guests, that’s exactly how they celebrated! This colourful spring wedding was full of love and fun, with a twist of drag, set against a beautiful modern art gallery. Julia and Phoebe’s artful day was captured by the talented Cortney Apro from Powderpuff Photography.

Jules had just moved to Melbourne that day when she and Phoebe matched on Hinge. Despite Julia’s best efforts to meet straight away, Phoebe had a mild panic about going on a date so soon after matching and made her wait 48 hours! The rest is history – and we want to focus on the present and this incredible art gallery wedding!

While the couple was travelling through a small town in WA, Phoebe woke to Jules staring at her and announcing with the utmost confidence, “This is going to be the best day of your life”. We can all guess where this is going! “After a few mishaps (including forgetting the ring for the original location), Jules taped the ring, with nursing tape, to the inside of her shorts, with one hand on her shorts and one on the handlebars of the Airbnb bikes. They romantically (unbeknown to Phoebe) rode their bikes to a secluded beach after a few glasses of champagne when the sun hit the horizon. Jules stopped Phoebe mid-story and made her stand up, quite confused. And dropped to one knee and asked Phoebe to spend the rest of her life with Jules.”

Jules had really struggled to find something that wasn’t a suit but also wasn’t a super feminine dress. After traversing all over Melbourne with no luck, she reached out to Rebecca Ready from Knot Again, a dressmaker from her hometown back in Wollongong who had previously made her an incredible outfit. She created this custom modern three-piece set with a luxurious skirt, strapless top and billowy blouse.

Phoebe had a similar struggle and was let down time and time again by the options she saw. “On a hometown visit, I booked a fitting with my mum and bridesmaids at Karen Willis Holmes in Brisbane. Thanks to my bridesmaid, Laura, who suggested an option I wasn’t sold on, I found a dress that definitely worked. Being the lover of a bargain that I am, I found a version of the dress on Still White and had it transformed by my dressmaker Dianne Wegner!”

The gorgeous white florals found throughout the day were crafted by the team at Pomp and Splendour in Brunswick East! “We chose a palette of white, and they worked with us to create some harmonious variety between our bouquets to ensure everything worked well together.”

The wedding party wore a mixture of Runaway The Label, Billy J, Leo Lin and Sheike gowns, all in pink and olive tones to match the modern feel of the day.

For their pre-ceremony portraits with photographer Cortney, Julia, and Phoebe visited Melbourne’s Parliament House and the gardens where they had their first date. It was here that Cortney captured Julia’s favourite photo of the day as the couple basked in the sunlight under the tree where it all began!

Cortney was a huge part of the day and is the reason Julia and Phoebe look back so fondly on their wedding. “Courtney has known Jules since she was born and went above and beyond to capture the day so beautifully. We couldn’t believe the photos when we got them, and it was so comforting to have someone so dear to the family capturing our day.”

The Victorian Artists Society was their venue for the ceremony, and Phoebe and Julia were blown away by how accommodating and excited the team was! “They allowed us to move artwork around to suit our style. You could not have asked for a more enjoyable team to work with and we loved getting married in their space so much.”

Phoebe’s mother, Sue-Ellen, walked down the aisle first with her two sons, Lachlan and Cameron. Following them, Phoebe’s bridesmaids Jessie, Laura and Helen walked to “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys. Jules’ mother, Judith, walked with her son Jeremy, followed by Julia’s wedding party, Catherine, Rene and Cathryn. Phoebe then walked with her father on her arm as “Get Here” by Sam Smith began playing, with Jules following soon after with her dad as the song continued.

Phoebe and Julia wanted the ceremony to be vibrant, with plenty of cheering and joy from everyone in the room. So, it was a great start that their guests cheered and whistled as they entered the room! They didn’t want any traditional readings, but Phoebe’s brothers gave the bride’s marriage advice, and Julia’s best friends told the tale of her and Phoebe’s love story.

The ceremony ran smoothly, from start to finish, thanks to their celebrant, Victoria Pearson. “She made the ceremony as beautiful and touching as it was. She tailored the ceremony to us perfectly and made it so stress-free. Jules has known Victoria since she was six, and Phoebe has known her for many years now. She kept us calm, safe and ourselves through such an important and intimate moment.”

Victoria also suggested that Phoebe and Julia sit down before the wedding and have a conversation about what they each needed from their partner to have a happy marriage. This conversation was raw and honest and got them so excited for what was to come! It also helped to shape their vows, tailoring their promises to each other’s exact needs.

The top five things that made this Melbourne wedding so special included:

“1. Having friends and family getting ready with us in two separate apartments near each other in Collingwood,

2. The first look between Jules, Phoebe, their bridal party and immediate family,

3. The theme of colourful and fun, which really got our guests in the right mind-frame for the day,

4. Our guests were all so happy and as it was their first queer wedding for many, it was so fun, and everyone let loose,

5. The change in venues, with the wedding guests all being directed by two of our friends, Megan and Ali, equipped with bedazzled whistles, on to trams to get from East Melbourne to Brunswick.”

Once the ceremony was concluded and they’d each had some time with their guests, Phoebe and Julia took 15 minutes alone in one of the private galleries to take a moment and soak in the beginning moments of their marriage. Joining them was their dog Walt, who had a rough start to the day and was excited to see his owners! “We wanted our dog to be there on the day so that we could get some photos with him after the ceremony. Unfortunately, Jules’s father, Mick, wasn’t quite aware of how skittish Walt could get. He opened the door to the room he was being kept in to check in on him, and Walt made a run for it. Out the door, out the entry door to the gallery and across the road in front of traffic. We still hear to this day how close he was to being squashed. Thankfully he was rounded up by Phoebe’s father and Jules’s brother-in-law Harry and brought back into the ceremony, but it was a very close call.”

The Hall at Welcome to Brunswick was the perfect space for this modern art reception! Phoebe and Julia worked with the team there to fill the space with long communal tables and provided incredible service all night and throughout the planning process.

Fun fact: The menus had Phoebe and Julia’s first Hinge conversation on the back for guests to enjoy!

Their MC, renowned Queensland AFL commentator Mitchell Simpson, has never met a microphone he didn’t like. He made the reception so easy and fun for guests, and when Jules’s zipper broke when she changed into her dance pants, Mitch kept guests occupied for 30 minutes!

Jules and Phoebe had their first dance to “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey, and while it wasn’t perfect – it sure was memorable! “Let’s just say we probably should have rehearsed…”

And their DJ was the incredibly talented Kali Forni-Kate! “She knew how to work the room and get a party not only started by continuing to roar until the venue kicked us out. For a group of guests who were experiencing their first Drag Queen entertainment, she was incredible, and they all couldn’t say enough great things about her.”