Relaxed Elegant St Kilda Wedding

Van & Greg

The simple and classic style of Van and Greg’s wedding speaks volumes of who they are, and what they wanted their day to be about – family and close friends, and about the two of them becoming man and wife. The couple chose to add a pop of vibrant emerald green to the detailing of their day and, I have to say, it works perfectly! Their relaxed, elegant St Kilda wedding was captured by Mark from One White Day.

The story of how they met and their proposal, according to Van, goes as follows. “We met at Monash University as we were studying at the same time. We sent daily emails back and forth for weeks before meeting. By the time we met, it felt like we already knew each other. Greg and I dated for two years then I went to Canberra for 18 months on a government graduate program, coming back to Melbourne to see him most fortnights. We kept in touch with daily the whole time I was away. On one visit from Canberra, Greg took me to William Ricketts’ Sanctuary where he proposed. It was Good Friday, and with Greg not being Catholic he had no idea it was an important day for me. So I went to church that morning, then to William Ricketts’ Sanctuary for the surprise proposal, then back to Melbourne. We were married twelve months later!”

Of her simple yet incredibly elegant gown, Van says, “I chose Helen English to make my dress, as she had the exact style I wanted for my big day. I had to make several trips to Sydney for the fittings. I wanted something that showed my personal style, and I wanted it to be a dress with not too much detail, and for it to be simple and classic, with a sexy cowl back. We chose to have a small wedding with close friends and family, so an easy dress that I could move around in – not anything too formal or big – was exactly what I envisioned.”

Van created the bouquets and the reception florals herself. She wanted bouvardia with greenery for the bridal bouquets and for the groom’s and page boys’ boutonnieres, with baby’s breath for the flower girls. She chose hydrangeas with lush greenery for the reception centrepieces and decoration.

Greg loves pinstripe suits, so he chose a dapper Michael Kors blue pinstripe suit with matching waistcoat and a crisp white shirt from Hugo Boss. A green polka dot tie and pocket square, to work in with the couple’s theme of a pop of fabulous emerald green, completed his wedding day attire.

Van and Greg chose to hold their ceremony at St Mary’s Catholic Church in East St Kilda, which is their local church – just a short walk from their home. The bride walked down the aisle to a beautiful rendition of “Pachelbel – Canon in D Major”, played with violin and guitar.

Of their photographer, One White Day, Van gushes, “Mark is a friend of the family, and a wonderful professional photographer. He had an amazing eye for the nuances of our wedding and caught all the small details!”

Van and Greg held their reception at Anabella Receptions, and shared their first dance together as husband and wife to the dreamy notes of “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.