Melbourne winter weddings have a vibe all their own, especially when you risk the outdoors, and the sun decides to show up just for you. For Alex and Georgia, their day was never about tradition for tradition’s sake. It was about community and creating something that felt deeply personal. And of course, including Juniper, their beloved pup, in all the important moments (zoomies included). Captured by Aleksandar Jason Weddings and Thorne Visuals, this urban celebration glows with warmth, proof that winter weddings can feel anything but cold.

Have you ever thought about how important a simple decision can be? The act of choosing one action over another? Well, for Alex, choosing to go to his friend Jo’s birthday party instead of an after-party for his school production, has led him here: to his life with Georgia! “Alex would later say how lucky our meeting was, as he had decided last minute to come to Jo’s party,” Georgia shares.

From the early days of their relationship, Alex and Georgia knew there would be no one else for them. Their relationship was the endgame for both of them. “Alex proposed for the first time on New Year’s Eve 2012, the end of our final year of high school and almost two years after we started dating. He proposed on the rooftop of his family home in Brighton, which looked over the bay. In the years that followed we would downplay the seriousness of this proposal to friends and family, it wasn’t a ‘real’ proposal – but from that moment, all that time ago, we both knew that we wanted to spend our lives together,” Georgia explained.

“Alex proposed (for the second time) on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024. I was really stressed at the time, trying to finish my PhD, and Alex said we should go out for lunch so I could get a break from the PhD. We got takeaway and ate it at Green Point, a little reserve overlooking the beach in Brighton. We had eaten our food, and I was leaning back against him, scrolling on my phone, when a ring box appeared in front of my phone screen. As you might imagine, at this time (in the midst of PhD-land), a proposal was far from my mind, so I was caught completely by surprise. I was so surprised, that I forgot to say ‘Yes’ for a full minute. My engagement ring belonged to Alex’s mum, and I was really touched that she passed it on to me.”

Alex wanted to wear his favourite colour (green) on his favourite day, but he also wanted something he could wear again. To achieve this, he picked out this beautiful grey-green Hugo Boss suit, paired with a burnt orange tie to match Georgia’s wedding party.

His own wedding party wore light grey yd. suits with white shirts, sans ties for a more casual vibe. For Georgia’s wedding party the theme was autumnal reds and oranges. “Having our friends in the wedding party was such a wonderful support coming up to, and on, the wedding day – we were so happy to have them by our sides!”

Georgia wore a beautiful Grace Loves Lace gown, paired with John Fluevog shoes straight out of a fairytale. “I went to a few bridal stores and loved the experience at Grace Loves Lace. The experience felt personal, and there was no booking fee or pressure to buy on the day. I couldn’t decide after my first visit, and they were totally happy for me to come back and try the dresses on again before I made my choice,” she explained.

Joining their first look (and the day itself) was their adorable dog, Junpier! “It was really important to us to include her. She was there for our first look photos and was the ring bearer in our ceremony. She was looked after at the wedding by the wonderful Pam from I Do Paws and walked down the aisle by our dear friend Rose,” she shared.

“One of our favourite moments from the day was actually during our first look. Our wonderful dog chaperone Pam brought our dog Juniper to join us at the park for the first look, and when she saw us from across the park, she started sprinting towards us and did big zoomies around us!”

They worked with Thrive Flowers to create these incredible bright arrangements. One of the main things that drew Georgia and Alex in was their focus on sustainability and vibrant colours. “We wanted to incorporate some natives and use warm colours to match the bridesmaids’ dresses, and Thrive did a beautiful job! Our favourite floral piece from the day was the stunning flower crown. The flower crown is a nod to Alex’s Ukrainian culture, and it was very special to incorporate this into the wedding.”

All their favourite photos from the day were taken during their first look! “Alex’s favourite picture is one where we’re standing in front of the fountain in the Fitzroy Gardens, and I have my arms around his neck. My favourite photo is one where Alex and I are looking at each other and laughing, with my bouquet in the foreground. We also love the picture of our fur-baby Juniper, surrounded by the bridesmaids’ bouquets.”

Aleksandar Jason Weddings captured this urban wedding in all of its winter vibrancy. “Aleks was wonderful! We don’t usually like having our photos taken, but Aleks made the experience really relaxed and fun. At the end of the night, we had people asking if he was one of our friends because he joined in with our wedding party so easily and was so warm and friendly. We’re so glad we chose him to capture the day!”

As a botanist, Georgia loves nature, so naturally, she and Alex chose a venue that highlights that. Glasshaus Outside was the perfect plant-filled oasis they were envisioning. “We were so committed to this beautiful space that we risked an outdoor ceremony in the middle of Melbourne winter – thankfully, the sun came out, and it was beautiful!”

As the wedding party made their way down the aisle, “Home” by Edward Sharpe floated through the air. “The line ‘home is wherever I’m with you’ really resonates with us both as a couple.”

The party themselves walked in pairs first, followed by Alex and his parents and finished with Georgia and her parents.

Working with their celebrant, Alyce, Alex and Georgia wanted to keep the ceremony fun and relaxed, without veering into being cliché. “Our superstar celebrant, Alyce, delivered an amazing ceremony for us. She brought the house down and told our love story so beautifully! We added a few fun touches to our ceremony, including picking our witnesses out of a hat and sealing the deal with a shot of tequila!”

The top five things that made this urban winter wedding so unique to Alex and Georgia included:

“1. Sharing this milestone with all the special people in our lives!

2. Including our fur-baby in the festivities

3. Having our dear friend Matt perform the music for our ceremony and first dance

4. Eating delicious food from Babaji’s

5. The speeches from our parents and close friends, especially the surprise speech from Alex’s grandma, translated by his brother Victor.”

When it came to their vendor dream team, Alex and Georgia couldn’t have been happier with the vendors they chose to bring their day to life. “We loved all our vendors! A special shout-out to our coordinator, Elizabeth, who took all the stress out of the final days for us and made sure everything ran smoothly! And special thanks also to our amazing caterers from Babaji’s, led by the wonderful Billy! Bangin’ food and they were so accommodating of all our guests’ dietaries and spice preferences!”

75 Reid St was the venue for their reception. It was perfect for their urban winter vibe, with the large auditorium space with high ceilings, and an incredible team behind the work. “The staff are lovely, and we were super happy to be supporting a not-for-profit community space. The DIY nature of the place was perfect for the caterer we had in mind, and the baby grand piano was the cherry on top! My parents made the eucalyptus garlands for the reception tables, and we styled the space together.”

One of the most important elements of the day for Georgia and Alex was the food! “The other important inclusion for us was our favourite food – Indian food! We really wanted to have something different and unique to us, and Babaji’s really brought it! Food was fab, and so was Billy’s banter! We also had a gorgeous wedding cake made by Elena from Cakes of Fantasy.”

Their first dance was to the Noah Reid (of Schitt’s Creek – Swoon!) rendition of “Simply The Best”, performed live by their dear friend Matt Portelli on the piano. “I was very nervous for our first dance, as despite best intentions, the only practice we did was 10 minutes the night before the wedding. However, in the moment, all the nerves were forgotten. It was so special to have Matt perform our song live. And after about a minute of us dancing, we had all our special people and their partners join in.”

When asked about advice she wanted to leave for future couples planning their own special celebrations, Georgia said: “When you decide to get married, you will receive a lot of unsolicited advice. Our main piece of advice is to have the wedding you want to have. Don’t feel pressured to do things a certain way or to take onboard everyone’s suggestions. Pick the vendors who share your vibe and can support you in doing it your way. You don’t have to have all the extras and spend the big bucks to have a beautiful wedding. The most important thing is that it represents you and that you can share the milestone with your special people.”

Thanks to Aleksandar Jason Weddings for capturing and sharing these shots with us. And a huge congratulations to Georgia and Alex on your beautiful wedding!