When Tom answered a Gumtree ad for a share house in Brisbane over a decade ago, neither he nor Stacy could have guessed it was the start of something extraordinary. Their story took them across Australia, with their pup Jimmy always by their side, ultimately leading them to this secret summer elopement in Melbourne. With a sun-drenched morning, a vintage-meets-modern bridal look, and a laid-back city stroll, their wedding was a reflection of everything they hold dear – adventure, spontaneity, and Jimmy! And every sunny detail was captured beautifully by It’s Beautiful Here!

Tom and Stacy met in Brisbane over 10 years ago when he responded to a Gumtree listing from Stacy’s share house looking for another housemate! “He only stayed for a month or so (house full of girls) before moving out. We stayed in touch, and he invited me over to his new place to try some of his wine subscription,” she shared.

This duo spent the pandemic years travelling around Australia with their little pup Jimmy, settling in Kununurra, Western Australia, for a year in that time. Ever since that trip, Stacy had dreamed of owning an Argyle pink diamond to remember. “Tom took me for a cruise down the Yarra and slid the rings across the table, an engagement ring with an Australian Cognac diamond and a fitted wedding band with three tiny pink argyle diamonds to reflect myself, Tom and our little dog Jimmy and our amazing Kimberly adventure. It’s left a very special place in our hearts.”

For their summer elopement, Stacy and Tom decided the perfect venue was the heritage-listed Old Treasury Building in Melbourne’s CBD. “It was built to house the gold bullion discovered during Victoria’s 1850s gold rush; who wouldn’t want to get married there?!”

Wanting to keep it as lowkey as possible, Tom and Stacy didn’t tell any of their family or friends they were tying the knot. Instead, they sussed out which of their friends would be free during the week – and, of course, their shift-working nurse friends were! “Our Melbourne-born and bred friend Nicole and favourite Kiwi expat Heath, the perfect combination for a very fun day,” Stacy explained.

Stacy is a huge lover of all things vintage and thrifted. So when she found this 1950s Spring carnival hat on Facebook Marketplace for only $30, it felt like fate! “I knew I had to have it (I wasn’t even engaged at this point). The whole outfit came together from there, really. I had a vintage cute short-sleeved 60’s style jacket for over ten years from Salvos stores in Red Hill Brisbane. I saw the Anna Quan dress on a resale site and found a baby blue Oroton bag for sale on Depop. The shoes were the only things I bought new from Calvin Klein to match the bag!”

Tom knew he wanted to keep it simple and wear a tailored brown suit, so he headed to the experts over at Oscar Hunt to make one! “He enjoyed the process and especially the drinks as part of the service. No tie needed, keeping things informal,” Stacy explained.

They chose a 15 minute vow only ceremony, really sticking to their simple ethos. “We had a bit of a laugh signing the papers and having a few photos in the room.”

The most important detail of their day was having their little dog, Jimmy, involved! “We caught the train to the ceremony in the morning with Jimmy and then organised a pet sitter (I Do Paws) for the formalities. He was very excited to see us afterwards and enjoyed the walk in the park and photographs.”

As they walked out of the Old Treasury Building, their photographer, Scout, captured their absolute favourite shots from the day! And, of course, they focused on Jimmy. “We had a picture with Jimmy, and it looks like he’s smiling!”

If this couple could give one piece of advice to future couples planning a wedding, it would be this: “Less is more.”

In very un-Melbourne fashion, the weather stayed perfect for this summer elopement. Keeping the day relaxed and upbeat.

Scout from It’s Beautiful Here was an incredible photographer for Stacy and Tom, capturing everything exactly as they had hoped. “Scout was absolutely fabulous; she honed in on our vibe and made us all feel comfortable. She made some great suggestions for places to go to get some great shots, and it felt very natural.”

The top four things that made their summer elopement extra special included:

“1. Eloping allowed us to do the day exactly how we wanted.

2. The sun was shining the whole day.

3. Having Jimmy be a part of it was the best.

4. The hilarious company of our witnesses.”

To wrap up the day, Stacy, Tom and their witnesses popped into the cellar bar for an Aperol and cannoli before jumping onto the packed tram down Reine and La Rue for lunch! “Another one of Melbourne’s iconic buildings, it was all very chic.”

Congratulations, Stacy and Tom, on this beautiful summer elopement! And thanks to It’s Beautiful Here for capturing and sharing these beautiful moments with us.