Torte By Mirjana with Babiana Botanic

Jun 29, 2020

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 when the conversation is about wedding cakes, 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.

Punky Brewster of the cake world

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.

Torte by Mirjana with Babiana Botanic
Mirjana and Anna of Babiana Botanic at the Celebrant A List baller



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. 



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! 

Torte by Mirjana cake
Torte by Mirjana at Altar Electric
Standard scenes when a Torte by Mirjana cake is on the table at Altar Electric.



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

Bottlebrush Films Melbourne Wedding Video 01

Jun 19, 2020

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. Up today we have lunatic wizard Melbourne wedding videographers, Bottlebrush Films.

Bottlebrush Films Melbourne Wedding Video 01
Caught at The Celebrant A List Baller 2019

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.



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.


Find Bottlebrush Films Online


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

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

More from Bottlebrush Films

Melbourne Wedding Celebrant Nat Sproal 45 downstairs

Jun 16, 2020

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.

Melbourne Wedding Celebrant Nat Sproal 45 downstairs

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.



Melbourne Wedding Celebrant Nat Sproal 45 downstairs

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.



Melbourne Wedding Celebrant Nat Sproal 45 downstairs

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.



Melbourne Wedding Celebrant Nat Sproal The Line Footscray

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. 



A wedding at 45 downstairs

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.



Melbourne Wedding Celebrant Nat Sproal 45 downstairs

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
Pepe and Sam featured on Hello May Wedding Photographer

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 or wedding at one of these incredible small wedding venues.