At Sam and Pauls Thornbury wedding (featuring the iconic Kenny Lover), I linked up with their DJ’s One More Song Entertainment, who carried a ripping vibe across the day and into the evening. You know you’re on a good thing when the crew carrying your tunes are having the time of their life themselves. The duo are Eddy and Aleks, and they filled me in on what makes for cracking music at your wedding and how to plan your wedding music.

These legends are also featured on my list of the 5 best wedding bands in Melbourne.

Who are you and if someone in a long elevator ride asks you what you do, how do you fill the air with 65 floors worth of words?

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65 floors! I feel sorry for them. I could talk about what I do all day. In a nutshell though (and as this is a blog!), I’m a business co-owner (with my partner DJ Eddy Mac) and wedding DJ. Eddy and I run One More Song. We’re not a “booking agency” – we’re a wedding DJ business. Weddings are front and centre for us. We just love them!

As well as DJs, we have awesome musicians like saxophonists who play with us. Both Eddy and I run all aspects of the business and work with clients in the lead up to their big day. If one of us isn’t personally DJing at your wedding, we’ll pick one of our rockstar DJs.

I say we’re not an agency because we only work with a small – but AWESOME – group of entertainers (all experienced in playing at weddings) and we’re both so hands-on with the business. There are no desk-based entertainment managers at One More Song – you’re always dealing with someone who lives and breathes weddings!

What makes you come alive about being a DJ and working with weddings, and what are some surprises that you’ve enjoyed recently with it all? 

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Is there a better party than a wedding? You have an excuse to get super dressed up, you get fed, watered and spend all night dancing with your favourite people. There is a special energy at weddings that you just don’t get anywhere else. And you definitely feel that behind the decks!

I love DJing at weddings because you get to play epic tunes from all eras and genres. I love so many different types of music – disco, funk, old school RnB, classic house, 90s dance, Motown, 80s synth, hip hop – the list goes on! Getting a pumping dance floor at a wedding involves really mixing it up to get old and young dancing. I truly love seeing people from all walks of life coming together to dance and for those few hours, forget about the mundanities of everyday life.

The one thing that constantly surprises me (but probably shouldn’t) is how much people of all ages love older music. There are just so many artists that have truly stood the test of time (think Queen, Prince, Bee Gees, Marvin Gaye) and always get the party going. 

What is your process for working with a couple to create the perfect set for their wedding, and how do you balance their needs with your wealth of experience in keeping the energy high in a room?

We’re always super upfront with our clients about the process so we can set their expectations. We always tell them that there’s only so much we can prepare – 80 per cent of the work is done on the night. Apart from the key moment songs (first dance, etc) and some “must-play” song requests from the couple, we just need an idea of what our clients DON’T want to hear and some genres/artists they love. Also importantly, we ask them what their friends and family will be into as well. 

Then it’s up to us on the night! We use our experience to read the room and build the energy at the right level. You can’t go hard with bangers at dinner and then play ambient jazz during the dance floor. You also can’t play one genre all night or guests will fatigue. It’s a fine balancing act!

We’re blessed as our vibe attracts clients who get all of this and are more than happy to leave most of the work to us. Building that trust with them is essential to us doing the best job possible on the day. We have heard of DJs who are provided with a list of 300 songs to play. That just doesn’t get the best results, so we let our brides and grooms know how we operate nice and early!

How much does the fixed nature of a set flex and change in the moment? I mean I’m not asking what happens if someone comes up blubbering “can you play Horses by Braithwaite” but I’m kinda asking, what happens when someone comes up blubbering “Hey DJ can you play Horses by Braithwaite”.

Our gigs are not fixed at all! All of our DJs live mix. Yes, we’re organised – we have thousands of tunes catalogued in every which way (folders for different parts of the evening, different decades, genres, sub-genres, etc), but we’re totally flexible and play to the crowd. Sometimes I’ll cue up a song to play and then 20 seconds before I’m about to mix out, I’ll change my mind – it definitely keeps it interesting!

I’m happy to take requests and happy to play Horses (no Nutbush, Macarena or Chicken Dance though… the line has to be drawn somewhere). BUT the caveat is that the request needs to be a song that the newly married couple will be happy with, and it needs to be played at the right time. If someone drunkenly requests Horses and guests are just finishing their mains, well, it ain’t happening!

I’m a bit of a (ie, a total) neophyte when it comes to the whole DJ thing. I mean, I see flashing lights, buttons, knobs, and an operator that somehow knows what it all is and makes the entire room move with it. What does it all mean, and when our octopus friends raise their IQ into the 3-digit-zone and cultivates good taste in music, are you out of a job?

The flashing knobs and buttons are designed to make us look very skilled, important and intimidate all who try to talk to us. 🙂 No, but really, technology has come such a long way and really helps when it comes to DJing at weddings. For example, we can cue up tracks at different points for key moments like wedding party entrances and use different effects and functions to help smoothly transition between genres – a very important part of being a wedding DJ.

As for the robot with good taste in music, its name is Spotify. The clients I’ve spoken to who had a Spotify play list for their engagement parties have always regretted it. I’ll only be threatened if the robot develops so much that it can read the tiny flicker of excitement in a guest’s eyes when you play a tune they love while they’re still having their entree, or be able to deal with an inebriated uncle who wants you to play The Angels all night. Then MAYBE I’ll be out of a job.

How do couples generally book you and whats the meeting process like?

When a couple enquires with us, they receive our shiny “party pack” – an easy-to-digest information pack that has more about how we work, our sample mixes, videos, etc. Then, some couples will either lock us in or book in a phone or video call (or in-person meeting, depending on what lockdown stage we’re in). During this chat, we talk about everything wedding-related and ask the couple about their wedding timeline, music likes/dislikes, their guest demographic, the vibe they’re after, etc! And of course, we go into more detail about how we work and offer some suggestions. After that, it’s a 50 per cent part payment to lock us in!

How do you navigate a room thats losing it’s energy and revive it, and to the opposite, do you proactively craft the space so that there’s ebbs and flows in how packed the floor is to set context?

A packed dance floor is obviously the ultimate goal, but people do need breaks – they might grab a drink, powder their nose, chat to a friend they haven’t seen in a while – it’s all part of it. And you need to provide something for everyone. Generally we’ll make sure the oldies can enjoy the dance floor earlier on in the night and leave the late night sing-alongs for those who are really letting their hair down.  As a wedding DJ, you need to respond to what’s happening in front of you. If you’re about to play the bride’s all-time fave song but see she’s heading off to the bathroom, you better find a different track pronto! 

I’ve gotta ask it. If the whole room is screaming your namesake “one more song”, what’s the likely candidate?

This does happen quite a bit (which is why we came up with the name!). It’s hard to pick one track as it really depends on the couple and the vibe, but normally it’s got to be something that has broad appeal, known and loved by both the couple and guests. An upbeat remix of a classic seems to work well – maybe an edit of a disco track. At one wedding last year I played Don’t Leave Me This Way by The Communards and it went off!

How to plan your wedding music: what are your 3 best tips for couples in planning out their entertainment?

1. Think about what you DON’T want to hear as much as you what you love
   
2. Use the wedding planning time to throw together some tunes in Spotify/Apple Music/Excel spreadsheet (it doesn’t really matter!) that you both love. This can happen organically as you’re listening to music so it’s more fun than work!
   
3. Don’t forget that although it’s your day, two people on a dance floor does not a rocking dance floor make. So think about music you love that you know others will love too!

Plan your wedding music with One More Song Entertainment.

One More Song Entertainment website: https://onemoresong.com.au/

Bigger picture stuff? Check out these Melbourne wedding planners.

I spent 5 minutes with the brainchild behind Australia’s most awarded and highly reviewed wedding videographers – C2 Films – who also doubles as the facial recipient of the best moustache in the southern hemisphere – Marcus Theodor.

By “spend 5 minutes with”, I mean I sent him an email saying “Mate – fill these questions out (if you can see past the ‘stache down to your keyboard)”, but, same-same.

C2 Films have been around a long time. If C2 were not a group of videographers but instead a human at conception, they’d now be a rowdy teenager telling you why your taste in music sucks.

In videography-terms, that’s about three triple-sentences worth (it’s a challenging, high-turnover field). Somehow Marcus hasn’t aged, I suspect it has something to do with being a backyard Wim Hof practitioner.

So it’s safe to say they know their stuff, instead of telling you your music sucks they put it with love into your video, and because of all this are some of the busiest videographers going with a wild diversity of styles they execute on.

What do your couples constantly say about you and C2 Films?

Couples love my dedication, they love that I’m all in, all the time. Approachable and make them feel at ease almost immediately.

I live by the motto that the ‘sun rises and sets with the couple’ and if anyone tries to fuck with that, I’ll burn them.

What do you wish couples said about you?

That I was handsome, strong, dark and moody… creative genius battling inner demons.

The thing you found out about yourself in ISO?

That I can’t sit still, that I cannot change or affect my world from my keyboard at home.

I need to move, thus taking up a tradie job (renovation) to throw shit around… and discovering that the boys onsite do it hard for very little, and that I’m fucking blessed to get paid for what I do in the wedding game.

What’s your preferred method of apocalypse aversion and the one movie you’d bring to the bunker to watch forever?

Samsara (daughter) would be my go-to movie, for I’m not at the beginning or and the end, I’m just here…

Find C2 Films online:

https://www.c2films.com.au/
C2 films on Instagram

Charis white is a Melbourne wedding celebrant with an enormous amount of experience in weddings large and small all over greater Melbourne and Victoria, for every type of couple you can imagine. With all her experience in running brilliant ceremonies, Charis shares her thoughts on how to write a wedding ceremony, how to write your vows, and how to ensure that it’s a smooth experience – especially for the shy and introverted.

When you consider how to write a wedding ceremony, what are the perfect elements a great one, and how do you personally service them?  

Getting to know the couple well means they will have a great ceremony. At a wedding I did recently, a guest asked if I was a friend of the couples. This is the best compliment ever as it shows I really know them and reflected their story in an awesome way. 

Do you recommend a process for couples to think about their vows content? 

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I ask them if they have an idea about what they want to talk about. If not, then I give them some vow inspiration to look over and guide them along. I also read over the vows and offer advice and guidance. 

What are your best tips for couples that are shy at the idea of being vulnerable in front of their community? 

I tell them to face each other, that way they are only seeing the face of their bestie.  If you are nervous, a reassured look can calm you down. I am also up there with them to reassure them and guide them through the process. 

How do you take the inner vibes of your couples and translate that into an overall wedding ceremony that’s meaningful to them and congruent to their vows? 

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Laura in the incredible Suzanne Harward songbird gown also featured here.

When I meet my couples, we have a chat about their day, their expectations and the overall vibe they want their ceremony to take. Once we have chatted through their story, I send them a questionnaire with more comprehensive questions. I also give my clients the draft to look over, it reassures them.

In terms of their vows (see Jake writing his wedding vows), I cast my eyes over them to make sure they are both semi aligned. EG, if one vow is very funny, then I will go to the other person and tell them to weave in a little humour.

That way they are both balanced. 

How do you ensure that aside from the couple, their family and community is entertained or spoken to by the ceremony?

I talk about family and friends in the ceremony. I also love engaging with people prior to the ceremony, especially the oldies and kids.

If there is a way to weave a few friends into the ceremony story, I love to do this and love the relatability of it. 

I see a lot of vows written the morning of the wedding. Brave! What is your advice on writing the vows ahead of time or in the moment on the day? 

Laura and Walker looking super cinematic. See why I shoot film.

My advice is totally against this. Actually, I bully them into giving them to me prior. JK. If the couple wants me to have their vows, so they do not need to carry anything on the day of their wedding. I ask for the vows prior to the ceremony. I then populate them into the final draft.

My timeline on this is at least two weeks prior to the ceremony. Sometimes I get them the morning of.

However, most couples are pretty good with getting them to me on time. I also look over their vows prior to the ceremony.  

Long story short – don’t leave your vows until the last minute!

Your top three parting tips for couples looking to hire a celebrant? 

Follow your gut, trust the process and believe in your team. 

Find Charis White online (and hire her for your Melbourne elopement):

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Charis White Celebrant Website
Charis White Celebrant Instagram

See here for how to plan wedding music.

I had a chat with alleged government agent/assassin Carlo, otherwise known as the the genius artistic brain behind Lunar Red Films. We’ve been lucky to work together on the wedding of Pepe and Sam, featured on (… info on that one soon), with none less than Nat Sproal, Torte by Mirjana, Killer Queen Creative, and Good Day Club.

With Covid forcing us all indoors and all manner of brilliant doorstep portrait projects happening, I wanted to kickstart some convos with my local community and find out how the time and strange space is being used, as it’s never been more important to stay connected and sharing.

So who the hell is Lunar Red Films, what do your friends think you do, and what do you actually do?

My name is Carlo. My friends think I’m a government assassin (can confirm this is a generally held opinion – BA). Me mum thinks I’m handsome, but really I’m just your friendly, neighbourhood wedding cinematographer.

What excites you most about the culture of weddings in Melbourne?

Melbourne is just chock a block full of wonderful, loved up weirdos, who are willing to break convention and tradition and just do their own thing. It means that each couple has brought a sense of heart and soul into their weddings, and have given it a stamp that is all on their own. I don’t know any other city where that happens. 

What do you feel separates Lunar Red Films from those around you in your line of work?

Some people use the term “minimalism” (cue the air wank motion) – I prefer to say “steak and veg”. That’s how I like to shoot – as simple and as free of gimmicks and other fanciful shit as humanly possible. What that leaves me with is me, the camera, and the moment happening directly in front of me. I’m not here trying to manufacture someone else’s feelings, I’m not attempting to set up a moment that isn’t real. Everything I point my camera at is genuine and, hopefully, the couple remembers the feelings they have for each other in the moment as opposed to me yelling at them to behave a certain way.

How have you kept your business healthy during Covid, and how might couples now benefit from it?

I like to cap my weddings per season at a certain number. It means that I’m able to give each wedding my creative focus without being snowed under by work and burn out. When covid hit, I only had a handful of weddings left to shoot down the line, so it gave me a little extra time to edit the weddings I had already shot to perfection. 

How do you see the future of celebrations in our city and what mark do you want to leave on it?

I feel like weddings and celebrations will continue to get more and more. unconventional the more couples and future clients realise that they don’t have to do what’s come before to have a good time or to profess their love out to the world. More colour, more rule breaking, more heart. Basically just more of the good stuff.

Find Lunar Red Films online
https://www.lunarred.com.au/
Lunar Red Films on Instagram

Occasionally the wedding industry has someone move in from another branch of the broader arts and design sphere, and the spin they have on things is always a little different to what else is currently around. Enter Nathan Kaso weddings, mastercraftsman of moving image, sometime viral-video maker, and now your friendly local wedding videographer.

Nathan was also featured wayback here, and I was lucky to join forces for the wedding of Amy and Bronson, which you can see here on Hello May.

With Covid forcing us all indoors and all manner of brilliant doorstep portrait projects happening, I wanted to kickstart some convos with my local community and find out how the time and strange space is being used, as it’s never been more important to stay connected and sharing.

What couples constantly say about Nathan Kaso Weddings

Generally my couple’s say they forgot that I was even around, which I take as the ultimate compliment. A very wise man (a certain Oli S, no wait that’s too obvious, O. Sansom) once taught me that when shooting weddings, having a small-footprint is the way to go. So I’ve stuck with that and do my best to stay out of the way and capture all the natural feels. It must be working because most couples aren’t sure if I’ve even turned up.

What you wish couples said about Nathan Kaso Weddings

I put a fair amount of effort into my hair (head and facial)*, not going to lie. By the midway point of the ceremony it’s generally turned into a sweaty mess, but I’m hoping people take note at the start of the day and tell their friends

It takes a lot of effort to look like you’ve made no effort.

The thing you found out about yourself in ISO

I actually quite enjoyed ISO. Once I got past my business crumbling to pieces, I really enjoyed spending time with my kids. But it wasn’t just the usual routine, we got right back to basics (as it seems a lot of folks did) and went bike riding, kite flying, walked along the river, simple things that we normally don’t seem to find the time for. Honestly it was bliss, and the break that I didn’t know I needed.

Method of apocalypse aversion and the one movie you’d bring to the bunker to watch forever

When the apocalypse hits, I’ll go Superman style with a fortress of solitude in the snow.

Provided my kids are old enough for M15+, I’ll be bringing with me the 1996 classic Fargo, because the Cohen Brothers and Roger Deakins and Steve Buscemi in a woodchipper will never get old.

Find Nathan Kaso Weddings online

* Can confirm that along with an offensive array of talents, Mr Kaso sports the best hair in the game

https://www.nathankasoweddings.com/
Nathan Kaso Weddings Instagram
Nathan Kaso on Hello May

I don’t know much about cakes, but I do know that beyond being face-plantingly delicious, there’s a bunch of love that has to be artfully weaved into the process, lest it ends up just resembling an attractive piece of cardboard, and Torte by Mirjana is the local bees-knees of the taste game.

Apart from Mirjana being an absolute magnet personality and culinary wizard, the thing that stood out to me most is that everyone who talks about her work, talks about the taste. That might seem like the most ludicrously obvious talking point, but it never occurred to me that in a space where so much of the work looks good, what really matters it the drooling gob that it’s ending up in, and what that gob then says about the experience #goblife.

We had a little mid-iso chat, so if you haven’t been introduced to her work stick around and hit up her links at the bottom to check out her majestic work online.

With Covid forcing us all indoors and all manner of brilliant doorstep portrait projects happening, I wanted to kickstart some convos with my local community and find out how the time and strange space is being used, as it’s never been more important to stay connected and sharing.

Sum yourself up in a few words.

I’m Melbourne’s Punky Brewster version of a cake lady 

What excites you most about what you get to do?

I get to make a whole bunch of mess in the kitchen, and then somehow miraculously end up bringing an edible art piece into existence.

What do you feel separates you from those around you in your line of work?

I think my ability to make a personal connection with my clients and establish a relationship during the cake designing process its that or the msg version of sweet sugary love I put into each cake. 

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How have you kept your business healthy during Covid, and how might couples now benefit from it?

Torte took a little break during covid and I grew a new title which was homeschool teacher… didn’t really like that, so I started making mini heart cakes that were inspired by my love of Wes Anderson and all things vintage, and they were a real hit with lovers who were in lockdown – so I’m hoping to see some baby shower cake orders soon! 

How would you describe the mark you want to leave on folks gracefully annhilating your work?

Nostalgia you can taste! 

Find Torte by Mirjana online

Torte by Mirjana website
Torte by Mirjana Instagram

Good Day Club are your friendly neighbourhood Rainbow Anarchists. Good Day design the most wild, colourful, bombastic, insert-synonym-here wedding celebrations in all the lands of/including/but not limited to, Melbourne and it’s surrounds.

Since one hand is loaded up with shiraz these days, we figured we’d load up the other with a keyboard and have a bit of a chinwag about all things celebration.

I’ve been lucky to share a couple of shoots with these maestros, from Tanglewood Estate all the way over to The Altar Electric where their stylish hands mark is laid permanently, onto it’s peach-pastel walls of eternity. Etc.

Read this post if:

1. You’re considering having a colourful wedding
2. You detest planning and want to hand that over to the best
3. You want to know Melbournes most colourful wedding planners

With Covid forcing us all indoors and all manner of brilliant doorstep portrait projects happening, I wanted to kickstart some convos with my local community and find out how the time and strange space is being used, as it’s never been more important to stay connected and sharing.

So who the hell are you, what do your friends think you do, and what do you actually do?

I’m Kate Forsyth, creative director and co-founder of Good Day Club. I steer the ship and set it’s creative direction, but I also do pretty much any and all things from changing lightbulbs and fixing broken chairs to buying milk and cleaning the toilet.

I’d say my friends think I am constantly doing lots of glamorous and creative stuff and swanning around at parties and weddings, whereas the majority of the time, ship steering is where it’s at. If I do get to attend a party or wedding, I guarantee you if I do get to go to a party or wedding, I shall end up crawling on the floor sorting out bung neon sign plug or rectifying one thing or another.

The creative part of my job is pretty ace though – from working with ace clients to create their dream event, to making + building, meeting fellow vintage lovers and passionate people and collaborating in heaps of way.

What excites you most about the culture of weddings in Melbourne?

They’re unique and people feel empowered to do whatever the heck has meaning for them. Melbourne weddings are less about what’s trending and more about what floats the boat of the couple.

Personalisation, colour, fun, personality, boldness and the unexpected.

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What do you feel separates Good Day Club from those around you in your line of work?

My high levels of weirdness. The fact that I have like 30 tonnes of furniture and props at my fingertips. The number of Potato Gems I consume.

For want of a better term, we’re a one-stop shop because we can design your wedding, furnish and light it, create your graphic design, set it up, style it and take it all away.

And we’ve leaned very hard into our niche of a wild mix of old and new. People tell us our work is immediately recognisable and that makes me feel so happy, that I eat some more Potato Gems.

How have you kept your business healthy during Covid, and how might couples now benefit from it?

We were already looking at efficiency this year, so it’s been a supercharged version of that. Efficiency with our costs but also with our processes – making everything work better and easier for our customers (and staff). We’ve also looked at doing less things better, cutting out a few services and we’ve added our first digital product (video call backgrounds).

We’ve always prided ourselves on our rad designs but what we talk about less is that we are a smooth AF operation as well.

And we just got smoother.

Our clients are always telling us that they loved how easy we make things and that is our mission!

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How do you see the future of celebrations in our city and what mark do you want to leave on it?

Look, who bloody knows. Honestly, while we’ve been busy improving our offering and efficiency, I’ve been interspersing that with having semi-regular existential crises/breakdowns about what is going to happen to celebrations.

If I leave the ‘why are we here’s?’ and ‘what is the purpose of all this?’ at the door, I’d say that celebrations will continue to be more and more unique and personalised, and a reflection of the couple and what’s important to them.

Couples have had a LOT of time to think about what’s important and so while wedding size is currently mandated by the government (srsly, how weird is that sentence?!?) I think smaller celebrations with more of what the couple want will continue to be all the rage, even once bigger weddings are allowed again.

I mean, do you really want to spend $150 to feed and water your cousin’s boyfriend or your work friend’s partner you’ve never met?

NOPE.

Cutting that guest list gives you heaps more freedom to go all out on the things you love. 

The mark I want to leave is a big, bold and cray colourful one where I’ve contributed to a movement of couple’s feeling super empowered to do whatever the fuck they want for their wedding, dumping traditions that mean nothing and other people’s expectations. 

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In the real world Good Day Club are somewhere on the bright side of the moon listening to Pink Floyd, but to find them on the internet, brace your 28.8kbps modem and head to:

Good Day Club Website
Good Day Club Instagram

Anthony Cribbes – recipient of the most debonair hair-sweep, occasional farmer (only, or mostly during pandemics), wedding celebrant, founder of The Celebrant A List, and one part of the trio behind the iconic Collingwood Wedding chapel The Altar Electric.

Read on for all this and all the other things he does that didn’t fit in this sentence.

With Covid forcing us all indoors and all manner of brilliant doorstep portrait projects happening, I wanted to kickstart some convos with my local community and find out how the time and strange space is being used, as it’s never been more important to stay connected and sharing.

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What changes did the percolation time of ISO make to your view of doing business generally?

Man what a time ISO LYF has been! I live in the country but for the last 5 years it feels like the road is more my home. Being able to stay closer to home has made me realised that I will be putting a priority on focussing my business in a more local sense.

It’s almost like I guess you could say that I am becoming a business cliched bourgeoisie and opting for a ’tree-change’ or ‘downsizing’… only I promise I am doing it in a non-pretentious way, not so I can start a new Insta account of: ‘My journey from big city life to self discovery’ kind of crap.

What role are you actively playing in the “new world” and how does Anthony Cribbes Celebrant see this benefiting couples?

Before ISO I was passionate about community and quality over quantity. I see weddings now moving from a ‘bigger and better’ world to one where people are placing a premium on the connection.

This means I can see a lot more smaller weddings happening. We actually made a change to the Altar Electric around 6 months ago for this very reason, we didn’t just want to be offering registry style weddings, we wanted people to be able to have a small wedding celebration.

One that was about creating great moments but didn’t bring with it the anxiety inducing costs.

You were ahead of the curve with The Altar Electric. Was this always the vision, are you generally a wizard, and either way has the vision for the space changed after Covid?

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Haha…I’ll leave the Wizardry stuff to my mates out at Hogwarts. Altar Electric is actually Dee and Sarah’s (my amazing business partners) original concept, I just helped give it the nudge.

Initially we were thinking it would be about Registry Weddings…but in the end we realised what we were actually tapping into was a whole new vein of thinking from pockets in the community. We didn’t realise just how under served the small wedding market was.

From our understanding that wasn’t due to a lack of desire but more a lack of supply from an industry that was focussed on large groups only essentially.-

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With your work running the Celebrant A List and seeing a huge cross section of the industry, what advice do you have for melbourne wedding celebrants in generating a sustainable business?

Oh so many! I think the biggest thing anything Celebrant can do is to not get carried away with their own ego, I see it all over the place and could also be accused of being guilty of it myself.

I think once you start telling yourself you’ve made ‘it’, things will turn, because it’s at this stage when people stop evolving, adapting, learning and improving.

I am definitely a way different Celebrant in terms of my style now then I was 5 years ago when I first started. How I win my work is also drastically different.

We can always learn from anyone… right now the people I am learning the most from are the Celebrants who are only 1-2 years into the business but are completely slaying it…also avoid having a gimmick, it will run dry very quickly, just be genuine.

Best general tips for couples in selecting a celebrant?

There’s 9,500 of us in Australia, so just know that there’s the right kind of Celebrant out there for you.

I always think it works best as a Celebrant when I work with couples who I can genuinely go and have a beer with down at the pub and talk about other things than weddings.

That’s the kind of fit you are hoping for, so make sure you try and find that kind of person for you.

Find Anthony Cribbes online

Anthony Cribbes Celebrant website
Anthony Cribbes Celebrant Instagram
The Altar Electric website
The Altar Electric instagram
The Celebrant A list website
The Celebrant A list instagram

A feature on Melbourne wedding celebrants is also here.

From small, intimate duos, to full, scaleable big-bands. Here is a roundup of 5 of the best wedding bands, DJ’s and musician duos you can possibly get your ears around in Melbourne.

Booking a wedding band or musician has a little more gravitas on it than you might imagine. Far more than being just background music – it’s the difference between your guests having a ripping time or not, and in no small way, they are often the glue between all of the other elements you’ve booked.

If you’re going to book an artist, they might as well be top of the tree and genuine lovers of what they do: music!

Here’s 5 Melbourne wedding bands that fit that bill – read on for a little more detail:

5 of the best wedding bands in Melbourne (not in order):

1. Like this Band
2. Tobi Tobi
3. Lark Music
4. Just Me Plus One
5. One More Song Entertainment

1. Like This Band

Like This band leverage something entirely unique that can’t be bought or imitated: they’re all real-life friends, and have played together as a unit since forever.

What this means for you, is this: no awkward referring to sheet-music or scenarios with band members not being in sync with each other, which is far more common than you might imagine, and affects how authentic and on-point the music comes across to your guests. And this translates to them partying hard.

Like This Band are a well-oiled machine, and having seen them perform at several weddings, it’s something special to see.

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When you book Like This:

Expect an immersive experience, where the members are joining guests in the middle of the dance-floor for sax-solos, sing-alongs, and the most incredible musicianship available in Melbourne. Scaleable from large to small, they can take a post at any point of your wedding.

Something that Like This offer that no-one else can:

Their lead vocalist and pillar of charisma, Cadeyrn, can literally morph his vocals to sing, anything. From Sinatra, to Nick Cave, to John Mayer, over to every classic imaginable, you will absolutely be doing a double-take and wondering if the real deal is in the room. If you haven’t yet heard Like This, this can’t be overstated enough: Like This don’t cover other artists, they BECOME them.

Make an enquiry with Like This
https://www.likethiscorporate.com/

2. Tobi Tobi

Renee and Jamie with have you swooning over their ethereal soundscapes, filling the air with what should be impossible with just two people. Because of this, these two are commissioned all over the world to cast their craft as the backdrop to wedding ceremonies and canapés.

When you book Tobi Tobi:

Expect an experience where your guests are doing double takes at how Renee and Jamie are interpreting every type of song under the sun, and making it their (and your) own.

Something that Tobi Tobi offer that no-one else can:

Renee has a voice that softly cuts through a gathering and just has to be heard to be believed, and the way Jamie and herself weave songs into something far beyond what you know them as, is just out of this world.

Apart from that, if their instagram is anything to go by they’re well documented as going to extra lengths to make sure their wizardry waved over your day is not only music but a fully personalised experience that will leave a memorable mark on you and your guests.

I first came across these marvels while working with the inimitable Nathan Kaso at Amy and Bronson’s wedding, and their tunes have stuck with me since.

Make an enquiry with Tobi Tobi
https://www.tobitobi.co/

3. Lark Music

Led by Luke O’Connor, Lark Music are at the pinnacle of the modular band experience. Within Lark Music, you can pick your flavour: from DJ, to duo, to ten-part band and beyond. Lark offer a fully customised experience entertaining small intimate weddings, to large wedding armageddons.

When you book Lark Music:

Expect a slick and professional experience that can only come from a seasoned machine that has absolutely seen it all.

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Something that Lark Music offer that no-one else can:

With their incredible extended network of musician friends and enormous tight core, if you can forgive me sounding like i’m marketing an I.T firm for a hot minute, they are the epitome of a “scaleable soultion”. Soulution was a typo but i’m damn well leaving it there because it fits.

Make an enquiry with Lark Music
https://larkmusic.com.au/

4. Just Me Plus One

The head-honcho of Just Me Plus One, Vanessa, is a seasoned songstress with over 1000 (!) gigs under her belt. An incredible body of work like that translates to a wild level of experience and empathy that has her locking in with crowds like, I guess, some kind of well-churned item of dairy produce onto lightly caramelised bread.

When you book Just Me Plus One:

When you book Just Me Plus One, you get a seasoned performer who will not only cast a cracking spell on your guests on the day, but before all that, walk you through the process of either creating a bespoke package for you, or work together with your own recommendations.

Something that Just Me Plus One offers that no-one else does:

Expect the warm, room-controlling presence of someone who can simultaneously walk the professional tightrope of having an impossible number of wildly varied gigs under her belt, while at the same time being a calm, friend next door presence to all in the room.

Make an enquiry with Just Me Plus One
https://www.justmeplusone.com/

5. One More Song Entertainment

When “No More Nutbush” are the first words that hit you on their website, you get a small taste of what you’re in for. Aleks and Eddy are a partner-duo (in case you haven’t picked up the theme of this post – all of the artists here are either friends or partners!), and i’ve had the wild pleasure of watching Aleks keep a room of the most discerning partyers going late into the evening.

When you One More Song Entertainment:

Expect the best DJ’s in town turning up to turn up. If you want to get a good feel for how their sets weave, they’ve brilliantly included a variety of mixes over on their website linked below.

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Something that One More Song Entertainment offer that no-one else can:

Expert crowd-readers, One More Song somehow split their attention between manning the decks and empathetically reading the crowd from top to tail. See their post here on how to plan your wedding music.

Make an enquiry with One More Song Entertainment
https://onemoresong.com.au/

And there we go. Hopefully this post was a delightfully useful little morsel of an insight into the wedding band options available in Melbourne.


5 of the best wedding bands in Melbourne (not in order):

1. Like this Band
2. Tobi Tobi
3. Lark Music
4. Just Me Plus One
5. One More Song Entertainment

Not just a recent TIkTok phenomenon, Bottlebrush Films are what happens when Marty McFly and Quentin Tarantino are placed in a sandwich press and then thrown into the Matrix (and then gloriously re-assembled and tasked with creating a wedding film, etc).

I’ve mostly swooned at their incredible dance moves and work from afar, but we recently got to join forces at The Altar Electric and at a ball we co-hosted for a group of Melbournes best celebrants.

With Covid forcing us all indoors and all manner of brilliant doorstep portrait projects happening, I wanted to kickstart some convos with my local community and find out how the time and strange space is being used, as it’s never been more important to stay connected and sharing.

Bottlebrush Films are Grace and Andrew, maniac creatives, internationally award-winning wedding videographers, and founders of the Lonely Hearts Film Camp – An “American summer camp… but in Australia”.

Here’s a few snippets from a socially-distanced chinwag we shared (with our keyboard fingers, and socially distanced by about 27 kilometres).

What do your couples constantly say about Bottlebrush Films?

That we’re incredibly good looking and humble. No but really, we’re lucky to get lots of love from our couples, the mains ones being ‘holy shitballs how do you create such unique films?’, ‘you guys are hilarious we can’t wait to party with you at our wedding’, ‘fuck, film our day already’.

Nothing but good vibes from everyone we work with so we certainly don’t take all the kind words for granted.

What you wish couples said about Bottlebrush Films?

‘They look like the kind of people who’d do a perfect straight arm-y and not spill a drop’.

And that we’re incredibly good looking and humble.

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The thing you found out about yourself in ISO:

We’re very chill in a crisis, we’re great at being hermits & even better at making noooice pizza dough. (Can confirm this is true – in fact you can usually watch it on their insta-stories).

My favourite discovery though – we don’t need much to be happy (…just toilet paper apparently)

Method of apocalypse aversion and the one movie you’d bring to the bunker to watch forever?

Casablanca, it’s timeless & has it all – love, war, friendship, betrayal, a witty script & a bangin’ cast. Most importantly it doesn’t show any lushy food – I can not be stuck in a bunker watching someone stuff their face with aioli & chippies if I haven’t got access to any.

Thanks Grandew. It’s been real.

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Find Bottlebrush Films Online

https://bottlebrushfilms.com.au
Bottlebrush Films on Instagram

Lonely Hearts Film Camp
https://www.lonelyheartsfilmcamp.co/

No-one runs a wedding ceremony quite like Nat Sproal Celebrant, and you kinda get a taste of what you’re in for with her catch-cry, “non-crap weddings for legends”.

With Covid forcing us all indoors and all manner of brilliant doorstep portrait projects happening, I wanted to kickstart some convos with my local community and find out how the time and strange space is being used, as it’s never been more important to stay connected and sharing.

Nat is on a fast moving carriage headed into “do it your way”s-ville, and that’s Nat’s wheelhouse. Nat controls a room, sometimes controlling said room into uncontrollable fits of laughter, and generally is a master at breaking the ice, and stopping her couples from breaking a sweat with hear down to earth way of running a ceremony.

Here’s some outtakes with 5 minutes spent with her.

So who the hell are you, what do your friends think you do, and what do you actually do?

Just a mad dog who marries peeps for a living and surfs the adrenaline wave.

My friends think I run the big show and then swan around drinking champagne – which is pretty spot on.

But there’s also some planning and writing in there too.

What excites you most about the culture of weddings in Melbourne?

The fact that there is a culture.

A culture of doing things a little differently.

Well, particularly north of the river anyway.

What do you feel separates you from those around you in your line of work?

A great Melbourne wedding celebrant is a great people person, a talented writer and a charismatic presenter. If you have all three things locked (rare in this gig, despite it being saturated with purveyors), you’re dangerous.

I’m working my way to being a total weapon.

But mainly I think I just keep it real. You won’t find fluffy text, a watercolour logo or a proclamation that I love love in my bio. Ever. 

How have you kept your business healthy during Covid, and how might couples now benefit from it?

I’ve communicated with my clients from the start. I was in touch with all couples with weddings until the end of 2020 before the lockdown even started- and I kept talking to them.

My priorities were supporting them to have a ripping wedding at a later date- but also protecting my business. I’ve updated my site, resources, set up a CRM and written ceremonies up till the end of Nov. I’m ready to roll baby.

How do you see the future of celebrations in our city and what mark do you want to leave on it?

I reckon we’ll see further steps away from original plans and more diversity. Lots of downsizing, weekday weddings and fresh ideas. Lots of people’s priorities and financial capacities have changed. 

I’ve got a couple who were having a massive wedding at a big venue who have quartered their guest list and changed to beer and pizza at a local craft beer house with live tunes. They’re so much happier and it suits them to a tee. There’s a lot of this going on which has me pumped.

I have a sick project in the works which will cater to these types of couples who are switching things up- and new couples wanting to leave the bullshit behind and focus on what counts.

Watch this space!

Find Nat Sproal Celebrant

www.natsproalcelebrant.com

https://www.instagram.com/natsproal.melbournecelebrant

See Nat and other Melbourne wedding celebrants from the A-List Ball, and hire this absolute legend for your Melbourne elopement.

Until early 2020, thanks to Covid19, weddings are going to be happening on a smaller scale (or, straight up elopements). With that said, if there’s one thing i’ve noticed in photographing celebrations of all shapes and sizes, there’s always a certain brilliance in intimate gatherings that just doesn’t exist in larger ones, and having a small wedding in the short term still means you can have a larger celebration down the line, with less planning infrastructure. So while we have to wait a little while to have big parties and weddings again, here are some of my favourite small wedding venues in Melbourne.

The Altar Electric

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Ahead of the curve in the small-wedding game, The Altar Electric has been championing the power of intimate weddings for years, and is the brainchild of The Wedding Anarchist, Sarah Dobson, and Anthony Cribbes.

One of the more characterful small wedding venues in Melbourne and nestled in the industrial back streets of Collingwood, The Altar Electric warehouse wedding venue can cater for weddings up to about 30 people, and right down to a cracking shotgun-wedding with just the two of you and your witnesses.

To top it all off, they just upgraded their space, thanks to the incredible styling handiwork of local design and party heroes, Good Day Club.

So whether you’ve got 5 guests, 20 guests, or 30 guests, this brilliant peach palace is a great place to get a fab ceremony done.

I Do Drive Thru

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When Covid19 hit full-steam and we were locked down to having weddings with a maximum of 5 people in total, local genius Mel of The Ceremony Store came up with a hit concept that quickly spread throughout Australia, and right over into the USA: I Do Drive Thru.

I Do Drive Thru gets you married in a whirlwind ceremony from the safe confines of your car, or anywhere in a public space: just you two, and the very closest of your crew. Get it said, get it done, and get away to celebrate what matters: just the two of you.

Don’t be mistaken by the name: while I Do Drive Thru might sound like, it’s a drive-thru thing, that’s only one side of what it can be. I Do Drive Thru is a small wedding ceremony, done anywhere you like, in exactly any style of intimate celebration that you can imagine. From loud, to quiet, to classy to crazy, and everything in between.

Read more about I Do Drive Thru here, and reach out to them to see if they’re the right fit.

The Family property

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Tess and Sam, married on their family property in Australia’s Kangaroo Valley.

If larger wedding venues aren’t a part of the plan, sometimes it’s best to look inwards to what’s closest: our own family property. With some thoughtful catering and preparation, having a wedding at your home makes for an intimate experience, and something potentially more meaningful when you look back at your photos.

The only concern usually had around having a wedding on family property, is that of cleanup! But keep your crew small, keep the food simple, and it’s a great way to have a meaningful celebration where the only timeline you’re working to is your own.

Air BnB

An Air-Bnb has all the intimacy and timeline benefits of hosting it on your own family property, with the added bonus of being able to get married at any spectacular geographic location of your own choosing. Select a location with adventure nearby and a good kitchen within.

Here, Sarah and Simon had a beautiful small ceremony at an Air-Bnb in a spectacular piece of nature, before enjoying a beautiful afternoon with 4 of their closest friends, and an evening of home cooked meals and games.

Sarah and Simons Australian wedding was featured on the wedding blog Rock n Roll Bride, so head over there for more of their story.

Other small wedding venues in Melbourne

While we’re dealing with only having small gatherings, many of Melbournes most incredible venues are able to scale themselves down to accommodate a more intimate wedding.

To discover a whole lot of other options, here’s a list of incredible alternative wedding venues in Melbourne.

Looking for a large venue? Check out their Indian wedding reception.

Melbourne is known for its eccentric and eclectic foodie scene. Of all the Aussie states, its probably the most innovative and experimental when it comes to its hospitality industry. Bacon gelato? Yup. Lamington Jafles. Um, hells yeah. You name it, Melbourne is comfortable going gourmet, or going gonzo. In the spirit of amazing, innovative wedding catering, I’ve created a rundown of the best wedding caterers Melbourne has to offer. Grab a knife and fork and settle in. Let’s do this.

Melbournes top wedding caterers 2020

1. Firecracker Event
2. Fat and Skinny Catering
3. Torte by Mirjana
4. Miss Ladybird Cakes
5. Fourside Events

1. Firecracker Event

Much like an actual firecracker, the spreads created by this awesome team absolutely GO OFF! Firecracker Event are pretty much a turnkey operator for all your event needs. They combine styling, service and, of course, food to turn your event into a guaranteed winner.

“Firecracker is built on the concept of Enlightened Hospitality—a term coined by New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. It means that every person you engage feels safe, welcome and at home with you. It’s about going the extra mile and prioritizing relationships over transactions.“

– Firecracker Event

Firecracker Event can cover everything from platters to full service dining. Some of the glorious foods included in their packages are:

• Porcini & Truffle Arancini (GF. V)
• Lemon Curd Tarts With Fresh Raspberries
• Heidi Farm Gruyere
• Organic Dried Fruit & Nuts
• Vegan Gnocchi With Green Pesto & Seasonal Greens
• Slow Cooked Pork Belly With Chargrilled Orange & Fennel

Does that not sound entirely, mouthwateringly delicious to you? It’s a big fat ooft here from me.

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Find Firecracker Event online

Firecracker Event website: https://www.firecrackerevent.com/

2. Fat and Skinny Catering

The bloody wonderful ladies at Fat and Skinny catering are a team of hardworking, hospitality driven human beings who love a good laugh. They’re all for a song and a dance and they can always be counted on to match (if not exceed) the excitement you have about your event, and are some of the best caterers Melbourne has at hand.

They’re fun, they’re friendly and they’re focused on giving you the best food they can possibly muster. I’ve personally seen their head honcho, Naomi, go to excruciatingly loving means to make a surprise dish for a bride that used a unique ingredient that her late father used to produce. Absolutely magic stuff to see.

“Come for the love. Stay for the party.”

– Fat and Skinny Catering

The sheer range of foods available at Fat and Skinny Catering make them one of the best wedding caterers Melbourne has to offer. It’s just a bonus that every single dish they serve up is *chef’s kiss* noice.

Their wedding catering range includes, but is certainly not limited to:

• Chicken Char Siu Dumplings with Black Vinegar & Caramel Dipping Sauce
• Buttermilk Popcorn Chicken, Creamy Mash and Roast Chicken Gravy (vo, gf
• Oregano, Feta & Lamb Burger with Greek Salad and Minty Tzatziki
• Beef Brisket Slow Cooked for 10 hours with Roasted Parmesan Crumble
• Roasted Beetroot, Rocket & Dukkah Crusted Labne (v,gf)
• Nutella and Hazelnut Crunch Cheesecake

Lordy! I simply cannot.

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Find Fat and Skinny Catering online

Fat and Skinny Catering website: https://www.fatandskinny.com.au/

3. Torte by Mirjana

If you want the best wedding cake Melbourne has to offer, this taste-queen is coming at you with some of the best wedding cakes this side of the northernmost tip of the north pole. The finesse and artistry that goes into each and every cake Mirjana creates is out of this world. It seems obvious that wedding cakes should taste great, but Mirjana is time and again the benchmark for giving the same amount of love to their interior as their exterior.

With a Croatian and Serbian heritage, she grew up watching her Baka (grandmother) work as cake decorator and the apple does not fall far from the generational tree.

She’s also a designer by trade which really shows in her delectable dessert creations.

Check out the cake design gallery on her website and you’ll see why she has sealed her place as one of Melbourne’s best wedding cake makers.

To find out a little more about the maestro herself, check out the feature on Torte by Mirjana.

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Find Torte by Mirjana online

Torte by Mirjana website: https://www.tortebymirjana.com/

4. Miss Ladybird Cakes

Another crafty wedding cake maker, Miss Ladybird Cakes is here to kick ass and bake cakes, and she’s all out of asses to kick. Gina makes the best wedding cakes in Melbourne.

Having been in the business for 12+ years Gina, Miss Ladybird herself, is the creative mind behind this amazing cake baking venture, and it’s no small feat being around for that amount of time – which translates to a hell of a lot of happy faces catered for at weddings. She’s always been super creative and is actually a qualified chef.

Miss Ladybird has brought two of her greatest passions together, food and design, to build a beaut business and we get to reap the benefits.

“Our main aim is not to be the best, but to make a product we are proud of, and one which interprets the love we have for an industry we have spent our lives immersed in.”

– Miss Ladybird Cakes

Check out her online gallery here.

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Find Miss Ladybird Cakes online

Miss Ladybird Cakes website: http://www.missladybirdcakes.com/

5. Fourside Events

Now, last but 1000% not least, we’ve got Fourside Events who fully customise the menus for every single event they cater. Like, who has the time or the energy to do that? These guys are insane.

Their food is sourced from local suppliers and they incorporate only the best seasonal produce into their bespoke menus.

“Collaborating with some of Melbourne’s most influential event experts, producers and suppliers, we cater different. We do it awesome, and we love it.”

– Fourside Events

You can see the kind of menus they’ve created for wedding parties up in lights on their website. They feature foods and beverages like:

• Wood Fired Leek & Potato Pizzette, Reggiano
• Buttermilk Onion & Potato Fritters, Green Aioli
• Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder, Pea Dhal, Istra Pancetta, Pea Shoots, Rough Cut Mint Salsa
• Al Zotto Prosecco, King Valley, Victoria, AUS

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Find Fourside events online

Fourside Events website: https://www.foursideevents.com.au/

Check out my top 15 Melbourne wedding photo locations for some nuptialistic (is that a word?) inspo.

Nab one of the incredible caterers up above (unless you’re at Zonzo Estate and enjoying their wizard pizza makers onsite), and link them up with this incredible Melbourne wedding planner.

If you’re getting married in Melbourne (or anywhere for that matter), it’s hard to go past our own hometown maestros, Suzanne Harward bridal gowns, for world-leading bridal design. In this post, we’ll look at a few of the best Suzanne Harward bridal gowns i’ve seen.

Based in Collingwood, the Suzanne Harward team are responsible for some of the most forward-thinking, design-minded pieces that are not only a joy to photograph (I might have a personal bias), but incredibly decadent pieces for brides.

Most importantly, each and every time I chat with a bride about their choice of gown, they end up falling over backwards in adoration for the team, and it’s pretty easy to see why.

I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph several fashion-forward brides over the years and got to photograph the best modern wedding dresses around – which much of the time happens to be a Suzanne Harward.

Here, i’ve picked three of them, that offer a quick look at what the Suzanne Harward team can do a across the whole spectrum: from elegantly classic, to something from another planet.

All photographs below captured by and remain copyright of Briars Atlas.

Suzanne Harward bridal gowns: The Bluebird Gala Gown

Laura and Walker:
Category: From another planet
Gown: The Bluebird Gala gown also: Songbird gown

Laura’s Suzanne Harward gown knocked my socks off as soon as I walked into their Daylesford bridal prep house. Hanging from a rustic door, it was adorned with the most incredibly bright florals etched into it, with gorgeous soft peach/pink tulle layers.

Laura and Walker were married at the Daylesford convent, a beautiful historic location that made for a perfect contrast to Lauras gown.

Want to see more of Laura and Walker? They are featured in print, having been published inside issue #19 of Together Journal. Already got your Suzanne Harward gown and want me to photograph it? You can enquire to hire me here.

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Iro and Alex:
Category: Somewhere from here to there
Gown: Eden (no longer available)

Iro’s stunningly detailed dress is a masterclass in modern classic design. I like to think that I have this gown to thank for this image landing me as a category finalist for International Wedding Photographer of the Year 2018 – a beautiful moment in bridal prep accomodation in rural Victoria, before her wedding to Alex at Newstead Butterland.

Want to see more of Iro and Alex? They are featured here in Together Journal. Already got your Suzanne Harward gown and want me to photograph it? You can enquire to hire me here.

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Tash and Jacob:
Category: Elegant modern classic
Gown: White Look 5

Just when you think that you can’t be beautifully surprised by a new take on subtle classicism, Suzanne Harward come out with this sleek, elegant gem. Natasha and Jacob were married at the Melbourne registry office, and we spent a little time traipsing around some of my most favourite, secret spots in the city, with gorgeous soft light that played off against the simple shapes of the gown.

These brilliant humans are featured on my website here.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this roundup of the best Suzanne Harward wedding dresses (in my humble opinion – don’t let that stop you poring over their incredible range on their website below).

Where to Find Suzanne Harward
www.suzanneharward.com
73 Johnston St, Collingwood VIC 3066

All images taken by Briars Atlas. If you’d like to make an enquiry for me to photograph your wedding, head here.

When Sam and Paul got married at their house in Thornbury, right up there as far as “level of importance” to the getting married bit, was a quest to local iconic culinary heroes, Kenny Lover Ice Cream. Just a few frames from a little stopover break between their ceremony and their reception at their Thornbury home. With some of the most incredible colour and light anywhere in Thornbury, take a look at their sort-of-nearly-but-mostly Kenny Lover Wedding (and while you’re here, see some of my nearby other favourite wedding photo locations in Melbourne).

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Find Kenny Lover Ice Cream

Kenny Lover Ice Cream website: https://www.kennylover.com.au/

796 High St, Thornbury VIC 3071

Hunting for a Melbourne wedding florist? There are so many incredible florists in our home state, but these maestros really stand out from the crowd. It can be difficult, and sometimes stressful, finding someone that speaks your language when it comes to your wedding decor.

So I thought I’d compile a list of 10 of the most unique florists in Melbourne: scientists, wizards, aliens of the floral game, making things you’d never expect to see at weddings.

Get around these floral masterminds, whether you’re planning a Melbourne City Elopement during Covid 19 or something bigger down the line.

10 Brilliantly unique wedding florists in Melbourne & Victoria

1. Flos Botanical
2. Babiana Botanic
3. Raven and the Rose
4. Good Grace and Humour
5. Katie Marx Flowers
6. The Flower District
7. Bloom Boy
8. Sassafras Flower design
9. Georgie Boy
10. North St Botanical

Flowers are such a big part of the style and feel of a wedding and in how they shape a space. The bouquets complete the outfits. The table settings set the tone. The incredible photo and ceremony backdrops will be the talk of the town for years to come. If you’re going to spend cash you need to spend it with the right people. The florist you want on your team isn’t just one who can take and enhance your ideas, but throw their own in the ring. With a wealth of experience under their belt, they’ve seen everything under the sun, and if you can lean into fully trusting who you hire, you’ll be left with the brilliance that can only come from a professional taking a little insight into your venue and who you are as a couple, and then running with it.

Melbourne wedding florists: not just for you

For me as a photographer, it’s bloody great when you get a top-notch florist. It can make the photos really come alive and gives me something to play around with. A stunning venue all dressed up with flowers creates such a vibe. The bridal party’s pinholes and the bride’s bouquet transform photos. Adding that floral dash of coordinating colour helps tie it all together, creating that one shot that you can’t stop looking at after the big day.

Where to find a florist in Victoria

I want to let you into Victoria’s exceptionally exciting floristry scene. We seriously have some of the world’s best floral designers right on our doorstep. These scallywags are the most forward thinking and talented group of florists I’ve found. This lot are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with flowers, mostly using locally sourced and native species, and operating on the edge of the movement towards maximum sustainability..

Here’s a rundown. Make sure you take a look at each and every one, especially the last guy, I’ve never seen anything quite like him.

Melbourne wedding florist: Flōs Botanical

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Vivien and her team are just the most amazing, colourful, bombastic geniuses. They are always looking for ways to be more eco friendly and work sustainably. Each of them brings something unique to the table. Their relationship with their flowers is built on fun and creativity. I’ve always been really inspired by them. Her gallery is full of life and colour. I can just see the smiles they bring to people from the pictures. If you are dreaming of fun, stylish and vibrant creations give Viviene a call.

Working out of their studio in Melbourne with her husband running around doing deliveries, Viviene runs a truly personal experience.

Flos Botanical website: https://flosbotanical.studio/

Melbourne wedding florist: Babiana Botanic

See also: my interview with Babiana Botanic.

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I haven’t included this just because the name is fun to say. Anna is a fantastic new kid on the block and one of Melbournes most incredibly unique wedding florists.

You can tell from her incredible pieces that she has a fine art background. Each meticulously designed arrangement is its own piece of art. You and your guests are going to be ogling at them and talking about them way after the party is over.

Anna likes working with colour and really pushing the boundaries of what the flowers can actually do. She has purple palm fans, yellow flower garlands and lush green ferns in her armoury ready to wow anyone that lays eyes on them.

Babiana Botanic website: https://www.babianabotanic.com/

Macedon Ranges florist: Raven and the Rose

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I first worked with Amy and her Raven and the Rose team at Castle Montsalvat, and she blew me away (or at least into the next stone-walled room).

She creates these beautiful, majestic dark moody pieces of art that are on trend, on season and eco friendly. If dark and moody isn’t your thing, she will create your perfect scene out of seasonal flowers whatever the colour scheme.

She loves catching up with her clients over a cuppa to get a feel for the day and the person, rather than just giving a generic quote.

Raven and the Rose website: https://www.ravenandtherose.com.au/

Melbourne wedding florist: Good Grace and Humour

Meg and her team are pushing the boundaries of floral artistry. There’s no ‘floral fluff’ to be seen here, just free flowing, seemingly impossible, pure natural yet futuristic creations. And every single petal is sourced locally from Melbourne flower market.

I personally think she is the Elon Musk of floristry (minus offering flamethrowers for sale on the side… yet). She gets to know you, your themes and colour ideas and she’s curious about every detail, and how that might then fit into some impossibly devised creation.

Good Grace and Humour are located in a warehouse in the inner west of the city (sharing space with the inimitable Good Day Club) but they go out foraging for their special twists on the genre all the time. There’s always a little accent you wouldn’t have thought of that just lifts the whole visual dynamic and transcends everything you thought you knew about floral design.

Good Grace and Humour website: https://www.goodgraceandhumour.com/

Castlemaine Florist: Katie Marx Flowers

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Based well north of Melbourne in Newsteead, Katie has her floristry studio and runs ‘Butterland’ venue with her husband Greg.

The venue runs floristry workshops and hosts gorgeous events. She is the queen of foraging and keen to teach you all her tricks. She has an enormously earthy and natural feel to her displays. Katie focuses on native species using interesting pieces her friends at the flower market secretly save for her.

Katie’s passion for au naturale drives her unique designs. If you’re after a homegrown Australian dream wedding, then take a look at Katie’s work.

Katie Marx Flowers Website: https://www.instagram.com/katiemarxflowers

Melbourne wedding florist: The Flower District

A mother and daughter team working hard to stay sustainable and have minimal waste. They love beautiful things and “extra AF” parties! They are incomprehensibly talented, whilst remaining flexible. They use flowers to set the mood. If you want romance, you can have the whole room oozing with love. If you want colour, Caroline will make the room explode with excitement. Taking her creative flare from her mother, the two make the perfect team. She has been known to slip a tiny pineapple or disco ball into a bouquet, so watch out!

The Flower District Website: https://www.theflowerdistrict.com.au/contact

Footscray florist: Bloom Boy

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Previously working in fashion in London, Ross is now a Melbourne-based flower god, and he creates flower arrangements that don’t even look like floristry. He’s got chains, ribbons, spray paint, disco balls and naked men covered in flowers all over the shop. It’s intergalactic. His team are putting flowers where I didn’t know flowers needed to be or could even go! If you want something with a bit of spice and flare he’s your man. If you had a ‘silly’ idea of hanging flowers across the ceiling, Ross will create the craziest, lushest, most fashion conscious installation you could have dreamed of and that ‘silly’ idea might just be the best one you had.

Bloom Boy website: http://bloomboy.com.au/

Yarra Valley Wedding Florist: Sassafrass Flower Design

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Sassafras Flower Design website: https://www.sassafraswedding.com.au/

Melbourne Florist: Georgie boy

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Georgie Boy website: https://georgieboy.co/

Melbourne Florist: North St Botanical

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North St Botanical website: https://northst.com.au/

Closing tip for picking your Melbourne wedding florist

Like all the pieces of the wedding and events puzzle, it’s a dance between executing your vision, and letting experienced professionals do their thing. Reach out to the florists up there with your ideas, and be sure to take a look at these brilliant alternative Melbourne wedding celebrants, as well as the most unique wedding venues in Melbourne.

Emily and Tony had a beautiful, stylish wedding at St Kilda’s iconic wedding venue, the Prince Hotel – the Deck at Circa. With a room full of their loved ones, floral styling by the mastermind Katie Marx florals and a ceremony run by the inimitable Gina Liano celebrant, this was an evening of colour and brilliant love.

Photographing a wedding at The Deck at Circa always means a wedding where no-one misses a beat: there’s a beautiful seamless transition from the ceremony (held either indoors our outdoors) into the reception, with the space morphing perfectly as you please between the two.

Emily had an iconic walk down a gauntlet of their family and friends, before respect was paid to loved ones passed, and a gently boisterous ceremony (in a way only Gina Liano can do) weaved their story through the room before they carried on the party into the evening.

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The Deck at Circa is a brilliant blank canvas, and a light filled space with an enormous deck area (as the name lets on) to host Melbourne wedding ceremonies indoors or out.

The area of St Kilda offers a tonne of beautiful wedding photo locations, from the foreshore nearby, all the way over to the beautiful heritage art-deco architecture of the area. Usually i’ll take couples out for a 15-20 minute loop, and in that time you can cover all the art-deco hotspots, spend some time on the foreshore, and also enjoy some of the gardens around where those two worlds meet.

The Prince Hotel is one of our more known rooftop wedding venues, and has seen every type of celebration under the sun. The expansive deck overlooks Fitzroy Street, and enjoys brilliant sunsets bursting through the steel cladding around the windows.

A 300 space carpark takes care of all the guests, the venue has plenty of accommodation, and the rest of the St Kilda surrounds take care of everyone for the next day.

Get yourself a Melbourne wedding celebrant, Katie Marx (see her handiwork at the venue just up above), C2 films (Melbourne wedding videographers super experienced with The Deck at Circa), a Melbourne wedding band AND a Melbourne wedding planner and off we go.

For another beautiful Melbourne rooftop wedding venue, check out South Melbournes Luminare.

Looking abroad? Check out this Queenstown Helicopter Elopement, and otherwise check out this post for more unique Melbourne wedding venues.

I get a lot of the most beautiful enquiries for weddings, from all sorts of humans and all types of celebrations. But every now and then one stands out as something of a… unique first. An enquiry asking if i’d shoot their Albanian Rock n Roll Warehouse Rave Wedding stands out as one such enquiry. I teamed up with the brilliant Nat Sproal (also headlining my piece on the best Melbourne wedding celebrants here), for this incredible Fortyfive Downstairs wedding in Melbourne, which began with gentle calm and after the rave stuff, ended with Saranda putting a fire-hose on Brendan enthusiastically trying to corral some last portraits at the local Maccas.

Legends.

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Book a Fortyfive Downstairs wedding

Fortyfive Downstairs website: https://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/wp2016/private-events/