Real Wedding: Stephanie & Elliott

Energetic wedding with Greek traditions

When one person in a couple is pragmatic and the other is creative wedding planning becomes light and bright, and the result is enchanting and reflective of the two beautiful visions. For their wedding, Stephanie and Elliott decided to embody everything that is so important to themselves and their loved ones. Grandma's Lemonchelo, a vintage Mercedes and traditional Greek dancing — read below for more details on the wonderful wedding captured by THE WED member Emotions and Math.

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

Steph is a Fashion Designer and I work in Finance. We recently have moved back to our home in Melbourne after living together in Amsterdam for 4 years. Our friends introduced us in 2017 at a pub on the Mornington Peninsula. Steph is definitely a more creative personality, and I (Elliott) am more pragmatic — so it was really fun organizing the wedding with both points of view. In the end it perfectly reflected both of us. We both love to entertain and have outgoing personalities, so we decided that for our wedding we wanted to have it personal and high-energy!

Did you have any pre-wedding events, like a rehearsal dinner or bridal shower?

We wanted to have welcome drinks and a recovery, we booked a farm stay to host the events around the wedding that could hold the entire bridal party, some friends and immediate family. We had many friends coming from overseas, so it was a great way for all the people we love to get to know each other in an intimate setting.

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

We chose the Yarra Valley as we wanted to have a ‘destination wedding’ that wasn’t too far for our guests to travel. Stones was such a beautiful venue, and they were able to hold a larger number of guests.

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

In terms of the overall “look” I think simple with a touch of European flare to complement our heritage. However, what we really wanted to create was an amazing atmosphere for our guests. We wanted everyone to have a great time and that was the most important thing to us. We had friends from all over the world come for the wedding and our favourite thing was getting our family and friends together in one room.

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

We booked our venue a year before. And after that we slowly started ticking off the list of “to-do’s”. As Elliott was travelling a lot with work, we created a shared document and divided up the tasks. I also had a lot of help from my Mother and MIL who organised the cake, transport, food for the recovery along with many other aspects that contributed to the weekend!

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

172 guests. Two long tables with 5 smaller tables horizontal in between.

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

Elliott wore a custom-tailored suit from P.Johnson. It was made to measure at their flagship store in London. I was sceptical that when it comes to the wedding dress, “when you know, you’ll know” especially being from a design background I was worried that I wouldn’t find something I loved. However, after the second bridal appointment I quickly cancelled all others, as after visiting Georgia Young Couture I indeed found the infamous “one”. Georgia Young has the most beautiful designs, and I loved the modern yet classic look. After the wedding dress was locked in, the rest just fell into place. I didn’t want a veil, so I searched the internet far and wide, and with the help of my friend I found the most beautiful silk organza headpiece from A.B. Ellie. The earrings were given to me from my mother, that was gifted to her by my great uncle when we visited him in Lipari, Italy. The welcome drinks dress I found in a vintage store on a weekend trip to Paris with Elliott. It was one of my favourite trips we took together from our time living in Europe. The Greek ceremony dress was from Oroton. Since we were already technically married, I didn’t want to wear white again, so I opted for a floral print on linen with pale pink heels.

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

Our first dance was “Inner smile — Texas” and my lovely friend Sarah choreographed the entire dance for us! She is a lawyer by trade, and a professional dancer. In her spare time, Sarah helps couples and groups with choreography for events.

Did you have any special performances or entertainment?

We had a live band play throughout the ceremony and cocktail hour. Astro Soul was happy to oblige playing some of our favourite songs by Kylie Minogue and George Michael at the ceremony, which created a fun atmosphere from the get-go. We Played traditional Greek music with dancing for a small part of the evening, which was very fun and a new experience for many of our guests.

What was the most memorable moment from your wedding day?

There were so many moments that were unforgettable. Our welcome drinks with our nearest and dearest was a great way to start the festivities and created a buzz that sung throughout the whole weekend. Having our own personalized vows was a really special moment for us, and having our family and friends witnessing it all was just unreal! The dance floor was a massive highlight too, we went straight into our first dance when we entered the reception and from there the dancing was going off all night.

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

All our vendors were fantastic. We loved having a live band at the ceremony and cocktail hour. Astro Soul were unreal and played the best songs. Emotions and Math, our photographers were also amazing and made everything looks so natural. The Providore, Miss Lady bird cakes and Madeline and Ingrid from Tonic Agency all contributing to the day being so seamless and perfect, we are so thankful! Sophie Cleary was absolutely sensational; we’ve had many complements and requests for her details still months later.

Were there religious traditions at your wedding and how did you implement them?

We had a small service at the Greek church the following week. This was an important moment and event for our grandparents past and present to celebrate our heritage. Having traditional Greek dancing on the wedding night at Stones was also a great way of showing our friends a part of our culture. Everyone got completely around it and loved taking shots as a part of the dance.

Did you have any wedding favours?

Limoncello bomboniere Homemade by my Nonna (grandma).

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

When you’re at the altar, making a speech or at the reception be sure to take everyone’s faces and expressions in, especially your partners because those moments will be the most precious of them all. Start the reception with your entrance and straight into the first dance and 2-3 songs to follow. It really sets the scene for the evening and having a mosh pit on the dancefloor before entrees were served was one of the highlights of the day!