Some love stories start with a glance, others with a dance – and for Steph and Shane, it was definitely the latter! Their journey from salsa partners to life partners is the kind of romance we can’t help but swoon over. Featuring bold, personal touches (hello, dinosaur cake toppers and handmade vintage-inspired gowns!), an unexpected downpour that made the day uniquely Melbourne, and a salsa first dance to cap it all off, this summer wedding was nothing short of spectacular. All captured by the talented O Lemonade Photography. Ready to dive into the magic? Let’s go!

With twisting hips, fancy footwork and fluid movements, Steph and Shane’s worlds collided! Well maybe not literally, but their paths did cross at their salsa classes. “The first class we had together, Shane saw me across the room and really wanted to dance with me but missed out every time. After class, I asked if anyone would come early to practice with me next week, and Shane jumped in. The rest is history!”

Early in their relationship, Steph fell in love with a stunning opal ring at a market but told Shane not to buy it as it was $150 (too expensive to buy on a whim). Shane, however, clearly didn’t agree and secretly snuck back and bought it to give to Steph later for her birthday present that year.

Moving forward a few years, the ring was beaten up from constant wear, and the gold finish had tarnished, so Steph resigned to leaving it on her vanity most of the time. Shane, once again, sneakily took the ring to a jeweller to have the opals reset in an almost identical 18kt gold ring surrounded with lab diamonds. “At my 30th birthday party, he proposed in front of all our friends and family!”

Wearing a dark green suit from Politix, Shane looked dashing! “He wanted to look sharp, but chose a colour since he wanted something different and felt it suited his personality,” Steph explained.

Instead of having a strict dress or colour theme for their wedding party, Shane and Steph let the groomsmen wear suits they already owned! For the bridesmaids, it worked out perfectly, as they both loved the same dress from Model Chic.

As for Steph, well, both of her incredible gowns you’ll see were handmade by her! “I’ve been making my own clothes for a long time, so this was the ultimate challenge. I wore two dresses simply because I could! The ceremony dress is silk organza; the whole look was inspired by the 1910s era Gibson girls. The second dress was inspired by the wedding dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face (1957). I think this was the crowd favourite; the huge skirt was SO much fun to swish around in,” she shared. “I also wore my grandmother’s sapphire ring. Old, borrowed and blue! Perfect!”

Frontside Food and Wine was the home base for the day, with their incredible reputation for fabulous food and even better location – they wouldn’t have changed it for the world. “I cannot recommend them enough; they were incredibly helpful and accommodating all through the planning, and on the day, they went the extra mile to make everything amazing.”

Steph walked down the aisle with her parents on either arm as her friend Katie Yapp, a professional viola player, played the music for the ceremony.

All of these beautiful summery florals were created by Steph’s mum – the bouquets and the buttonholes! The florals around the venue were done by a family friend, with supplies generously provided by the Frontside team!

The most important thing to Steph and Shane about their ceremony was its sincerity. “Our fabulous celebrant and friend, Ingrid Beilharz, did such a great job balancing the tone perfectly. We wrote our own vows and only had one small reading, which was this quote:”

“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery”

One of Steph’s favourite photos was this gorgeous shot of her and Shane’s first kiss under their altar! And what a beautiful shot it is.

Lana from O Lemonade was the perfect photographer for this summer wedding. Her candid style and attention to detail made us feel like we were right there with Shane and Steph! “Lana is brilliant! She photographed my sister’s wedding; after seeing those photos, I never wanted anyone else. She and her assistant were great fun, invisible sometimes, but always exactly where you needed them, like magic. And, of course, the final photos are as gorgeous and creative as we’d hoped.”

In classic Melbourne fashion, it poured with rain all day for this summer wedding. This meant their reception was confined to the cafe’s inside for the day. Luckily for Shane and Steph, that made it feel even more cosy and intimate than their original plan – plus, it’s endearingly SO Melbourne to rain all day!

After they’d finished their wedding portraits with Lana, Steph and Shane had a few minutes to themselves before heading into the reception space – and this was one of Steph’s favourite moments from the day. “Shane and I waited outside the café just around the corner to be introduced to our guests for the reception, and it was our first moment alone together for two days. It was strange and lovely to stand out of sight of our guests and listen to the party going on inside. It was such a nice moment just to be together, to take a breather and take it all in.”

What were the top five elements of their summer wedding that made it so special, we hear you ask? Well, let’s see…

“1. Champagne tower!!!! 10/10 would recommend for every event!”

2. My friend Katie Yapp, a professional viola player, played the music for our ceremony. It was such an incredible privilege, and having such beautiful music played live made it feel even more emotional.

3. The rain, even though we didn’t plan for it just made the day perfect.

4. The gorgeous homemade wedding cake made by my good friend Yen. It was a vintage style, completely delicious and huge! Yen even made two perfect dinosaur toppers as a surprise for my husband since he loves dinosaurs. Best wedding gift ever! (They now hang on our Christmas tree as decorations).

5. Our guests, who were so enthusiastic, cheered us on and danced the whole night!”

Their MC and DJ team from Retro DJ Event Entertainment were a father-and-son duo that Steph and Shane couldn’t imagine their summer wedding without! “Mark and Mitchell not only kept the guests entertained, but they also helped the night run smoothly by finding guests for photos, keeping things running on time and ensuring they always had a drink in hand,” Steph gushed.

“At the end of the night, Shane and I were almost the last people at the venue, just having a drink with the staff. Mark asked if we wanted a lift back to our Airbnb, which we were thrilled about. On the way home, I mentioned I was hungry and would love some “nuggies” from Maccas (because, of course, you never eat at your own wedding), so the four of us rolled into Maccas at 12:30 am, went inside and basked in awe of the other patrons. And then they drove us home! Now that’s service!”

For the final part of the night, Steph swapped into her Audrey Hepburn-inspired dress. Then it was time for her and Shane’s first dance – which, to no one’s surprise, was a Salsa to “Yo También (feat. Marc Anthony)” by Romeo Santos. “We practised almost every night for three weeks before the wedding, as we were very out of practice, having quit salsa years ago. But we did well, and our guests loved it!”

Congratulations, Shane and Steph, on your intimate summer wedding! Thanks to Lana from O Lemonade for capturing and sharing this beautiful day with us.