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Real Wedding: Alicia & Robby

Real Wedding: Alicia & Robby

Old-world glamor meets Italian charm amongst the Australian landscape

Amidst majestic mountains and centuries-old trees, Robby and Alicia wed at Feathertop Private Winery Estate, Victoria, eminating Italian beauty fused with Australian charm. Surrounded by an undulating panorama, a sprawling vineyard and a sky blossoming with a gradient of yellow to purple, the lovers united in a day steeped in old-world glamor and enchanting romance. Captured beautifully by THE WED member, Mervé Togan, touches of garden blooms, antique dinnerware and the most glorious giant tart we ever did see made for an enigmatic affair, only complete with the bride's two incredible art-deco inspired looks. Real Wedding: Alicia & Robby

Tell us a little about yourselves. How did you meet? What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies?

My name is Alicia and for the past ten years I’ve worked in creative content strategy and now my family’s real-estate agency. My husband Robby is a perpetually kind and sunny soul. He’s also a self-confessed computer nerd (which I love). He works as a Building Optimisation Specialist. This essentially means he finds clever ways to save energy in high-rise buildings. Together, we honour our bodies, live clean, and both love practices of the body that elevate the human spirit, and for us, it’s weightlifting, pilates and yoga. We take pleasure in eating well and travelling but most of all we love to be ridiculously unhinged together, we share a silly child like sense of humour. We laugh a lot and often.

Can you share your engagement story?

On the sunny morning of Sunday the 12th of February 2023 neither Robby or I knew that by 6pm that night we’d be engaged. We had spent the day prior in the kitchen preparing with a lotta love, red wine and Nina Simone our famous lasagna – and on this day we were having Robby’s parents over for lunch. We got talking about how crazy it was that we even found each other and how despite our challenges, how deep our love had grown, happy tears ran down our faces. Then Robby was like "Oh babe I have to run to pick up some things from Ikea." When he left and I was home alone and remember thinking wow I feel happy. Robby was gone for ages so I called him being like how far are you? And he blurts “Ahh babe google maps took me this weird way” I remember thinking Ikea is only 15 minutes away…but then dismissing it completely. What I didn’t know at the time was Robby had driven to my parents house to ask for their blessing for my hand in marriage. Fast forward to about 6pm that night, lunch had been gorgeous, his parents had left and we were sitting on the ground in eating ice cream in this little pocket of sunshine that was pouring in from our terrace. Again lovey dovey topics presumed, whispers of the future, how right everything felt and then Rob asked, “Leesh would you be disappointed if I proposed without a ring? I would never know what to get you unless Celeste helped me. Of course it’d still be a surprise, I’d make sure you didn’t know when it was happening, but would you mind?” And internally I was freaking the hell out like omg he’s thinking of proposing to me soon, I couldn’t care less if there’s no ring. I just wanna marry him!

Real Wedding: Alicia & Robby

Where was your wedding? Why did you choose this venue?

I feel the most distinguishing detail about our wedding was our venue, which remains a secret so very few Melburnians know about. Feathertop Private Winery Estate is a long but beautiful 3+ hour drive out of Melbourne in a tiny little town called Porepunkah, only 5 minutes from Bright in High Country Victoria. This setting was unlike anything I had ever seen before, nestled in the lush valley of the towering surrounding mountains and defined by wide winding roads lined with the leafiest Oak, Elms, Maples, Dogwoods and Chestnut trees. Most of these trees which soared and stretched above us were planted around 1866 making many over 150 years old. This was the greenest place I had ever seen and I kept thinking to myself, this should be the set for a Tim Burton film. Feathertop is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular wedding venues in Victoria and possibly even Australia, owned and run by Janelle, an inspiring businesswoman who is a self-made success. Photos simply don’t do it justice, and it’s only once you are there, that you’ll realise how special it is. Our guests were in disbelief, repeatedly saying, “But this feels like Italy!” “I swear we could be in Tuscany right now!” “How is this even Australia?”.

What was the concept behind your wedding and how did you find your inspiration?

I have an Italian background and my whole life I have been in awe of the romance behind dining alfresco. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than a summers afternoon that slowly turns into a balmy night, a candlelit table, mouthwatering food, vibey music and company you adore. When I discovered Feathertop I saw an authentic Tuscan inspired setting of unfathomable scenery, a place with a soul that lifts your spirit with it. I wanted our wedding to feel as though it was one with the surrounding nature, so every detail was carefully curated with that in mind. In the end, the day was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Our open-air ceremony and celebration unfolded amidst mesmerising mountainscape panorama and our guests dined alfresco beneath the grape vines and stars, a sea of three-hundred candles illuminating the five long tables.

Real Wedding: Alicia & Robby

How long did it take to plan your wedding? Did you encounter any challenges during the planning process?

Though I had never been one to daydream about my wedding day, in the year leading up to it, I fell in love with the creative process behind curating every detail. Along the journey, I found joy in both discovering and collaborating with the inspiring humans who made our vision into a reality. While the planning itself took just shy of one year, it was a delicate act of balancing full-time work and planning it all ourselves. There were many stressful nights and it felt like we had a never-ending list of things to do. Add into the mix the logistical challenges of having a venue 3+ hours out of Melbourne and my perfectionist nature – it was a lot. But, I will say, I’ve never felt more invigorated too, there is a real sense of fulfilment when you see your vision come together. I was more inspired than ever before, each element of the wedding day became its own little world that I would deep dive into. Also, all the creatives I met along the way made me realise if you have a passion, you can find a way to turn it into what you do for a living.

What was your first dance song? Did you choreograph or improvise the dance?

When the sun set it became the sweetest hour of the twenty-four, pure magic. Petter Karlstrom our photographer kept saying, “I’ve never seen light like this before.” The powder blue sky softly transitioned into a cold yellow and orange, the sun dropping behind the mountains turning them into violet silhouettes. The sky expanded before us and filled with the brightest country stars. Robby and I danced to ‘Do 4 Love by Snoh Aalegra’ – a homage to ‘Do For Love by 2 Pac’ and the base from the Funktion-One speakers reverberated through all our bodies, the moment was surreal, and I feel very emotional reminiscing on it now. Robby and I are what I’d describe as expressive individual dancers, but sooo awkward when we try to dance together. I knew if we choreographed it, we would have looked even more awkward. In the end we just pretty much held one another, swayed and kissed and were lost in our own little world for that moment.

How many guests did you have? And what was the seating arrangement at the wedding like?

We had 140 guests of which 80 were seated along two very long, wide tables positioned beneath the grape vines on a slightly elevated stone terrace and just adjacent another three long tables seating the rest of our guests. We also opted for two hours of uninterrupted feasting – we wanted our guests to enjoy the food while it was hot, instead of politely waiting through speeches and letting it get cold.

Tell us about your outfits. How many different styles have you tried?

I felt honoured to wear a custom Jaton Couture gown, but truth be told, before I was engaged, I never once thought about what my one day wedding dress would look like. There was however one dress (not a wedding dress) I discovered on Tumblr years earlier that was forever etched into my mind. It was an emerald green number from Reem Acra’s 2016 Fall Collection. It featured a dramatic floating arched neckline that repeated and was layered atop translucent material you could see the skin through. It was daring yet so elegant. At the time, I had also just discovered AI image creation platform Midjourney, and I began using it to design a portfolio of super futuristic dresses all inspired by the Reem Acra dress. When I had completed this creative exercise, I compiled it all into a bound booklet and presented it to Jacob in our first meeting. Over the coming months Jaton presented not one, but many wildly beautiful designs to me. But in the end, we chose the dress you see today which incorporated all of my favourite elements.

I will say, part of me was nervous to wear a dress that was so different and not at all aligned with any of the current trends and I didn’t think the design would resonate with the majority of people, while there were other designs I knew would…but, I was so in love and felt so empowered and beautiful in it, I chose it regardless. When it came to the colour, I didn’t want white. The guys explained how daring their clients were in the early 90s and how they would make wedding dresses in all kinds of colourways from powder blues to silvers. In the end, we went for a silvery grey dusty pink georgette, it was so unique. Finally, there was my veil, an artwork in itself, inspired by baroque biblical paintings of Mother Mary . In the end, the guys described my dress as art deco futuristic. Robby wore custom PJohnson Tailors. Andrea Cavara perfected every detail of his tux.

Did you have any special performances or entertainment?

This may be an unpopular opinion, but for us, we didn’t want any cover bands or live saxophone players or the violin quartet – instead, for one year we created highly curated music playlists, every song played was chosen for the way it emotionally moved and uplifted us. Instead, our focus was how can we produce the most immaculate sound quality? We did this with a festival grade speaker setup using Funktion-One speakers. What makes these speakers so special is they produce the cleanest sound, the music can be absolutely pumping, and yet you can speak to the person next to you on the dancefloor without yelling and getting a headache.

What was the most memorable moment from your wedding day?

A few people have asked me, what was your favourite part of the day?… And for many reasons; it was our open-air ceremony. It was because it was the first time I saw Robby that day, our whole lives, all the wrong turns we each had to take, made worth it, because they lead us to this moment. ‘Father Ocean - Ben Bomer Remix’ echoed through the clear blue sky for all to hear, this was the song Robby and I listened to once every few weeks together knowing it was our song, the one that would carry us to each other on this day. It was also because I was so blessed to have my dad walk me down the aisle, having him by my side meant everything to me. It was because my Aunty Linda read out the most special poem, chosen because it not only described the transcendent, soul-connected love Robby and I share, but also, represented the infinitely loving bond we each share with our families.

Real Wedding: Alicia & Robby

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Everyone we worked with were creative beyond compare– some are well known and established within the wedding community, and others are relatively new but here are three who deserve a special mention. Alec our DJ, the guy has the craziest work ethic, the kindest soul and man does he get it when it comes to music. Setefano, from Nine Sixeteen Films, our videographer, Set is a story teller and has an artists soul. Pepperberry Flora, angels Ruth and Sally our ethical florists who quite literally sourced rare floral varieties that every other florist told us was impossible to source. They too have the most wild worth ethic and created floral masterpieces. Each of these vendors went completely above and beyond what any couple could ever ask for, they are the kindest, most beautiful people I have ever met and all of them have in a big way inspired me to go out there in this world and do what I love.

What advice would you give to couples who are currently planning their wedding?

If like Robby and I, you are planning it all yourselves, just know that arguing before the wedding is so normal. Feeling overwhelmed at times is to be expected – there may even be a couple breakdowns in the lead up, but, trust me when I say this, if you’re a creative, this process of turning your vision into a reality will light you up in ways you could never imagine, and it will all be worth it. There’s a short Italian mantra I love, “TUTTO PASSA” which means everything passes, so just know that the stressful moments will be a distant memory, and in its place will be the memory of the precious moments you shared with your partner and the people you love most in the world. The photos that are captured, the film, these immortalise you and will exist long after you are gone and will be how your great, great, great grandchildren will see where they came from one day.

Did you have any special or unique elements (such as a signature cocktail or a fragrance) at your wedding?

As the hero piece for our tablescape, we imported handmade ceramic entrée and main plates from Italy via family owned company, ARCUCCI. These green plates featured artwork of Tuscan landscapes from the city of Bolgheri on them, they felt timeless to me. Our table stationary was also very unique and designed by one of my best friends, Lucy Jane Brand, she’s an art director here in Melb. I was heavily inspired by ‘Officine Universelle Buly’s’ branding so name tags on the tables had this very cool 1800s vibe and our menu booklets were printed on the most luxe egg shell coloured matte paper, featuring formecut corners and the most beautiful blind embossed poem on the front. Our menu featured family recipe favourites like our ‘Butternut pumpkin and roasted onion ravioli in burnt butter sage sauce with roasted pumpkin’ and our ‘Stuffed peppers with spicy nduja, fennel seeds, Italian pork and ricotta’ and ‘chicken Milanese with parmigiano Reggiano emulsion’ to name a few.

Did you make a gift for guests, and what was it?

I love to cook and while my favourite dishes are the simplest, it means quality ingredients are paramount. For our wedding favours we imported my favourite extra virgin olive oil in the world Le Ferra Ceramic Olive Oil Imported from Puglia. I not only love the taste of this oil, but it is stored in a green ceramic container entirely worked and painted by hand.

What gift from guests do you remember the most?

The most special gift I have ever received arrived at 11:30pm the night of the wedding, it was gifted to me by my aunty on behalf of my grandmother Rosa who passed away when I was 16.

What helped you cope with the anxiety before the wedding day?

If you too are an anxious bride, you might be feeling the pressure to have what everyone says will be the “Best day of your life!” And when everyone told me, “The day will go by so fast!!!” I thought to myself….yeah maybe for someone who doesn’t suffer with anxiety….I just didn’t believe them, but I am here to tell you, it really is true. You will be so beautifully engulfed in each moment that you will not have time to body scan – which is what so often lead me to have an intense anxiety attack. At one point of the night, I vividly recall my girlfriend saying “We’re about to cut the cake! Just one hour till the night is over!” I remember feeling shocked, relieved and proud of myself all at once, knowing that not only made it through the day without an anxiety attack, but also genuinely had such a ball during so many moments. I joyfully said to myself, “I did it!” I didn’t put any pressure on myself to speak to all our guests, and rather said, I’ll see you on the dancefloor. I also took several moments where I whisked away with my bridesmaids to touch up my make-up, refresh myself and those 5 minutes here and there gave me some time to breathe.