How did you meet?

We met each other at work. Our friendship started when we both realized how much we loved the same tv show. We would meet up with other work friends to discuss the show, but our friendship deepened as we learnt we shared more interests. We developed a strong foundation through our friendship and eventually it grew into a relationship. a

Tell us about the proposal. 

The proposal happened on our third anniversary together. Michael had always planned to propose on this day but my mum had to travel out of the country on that day suddenly, so Michael had to slightly change the timing. He proposed before we went out to dinner, so that I could share the good news with my parents before my mum got on the plane. 

We were sharing gifts with one another when Michael gave the biggest gift ever by surprising me with an engagement ring. While I was reading the card he had written, Michael pulled out the ring waiting for me to look up from the card before asking me to marry him.

How did you choose your Venue and location? Why? 

The Park Hyatt Melbourne was always a dream venue for me from the moment I had my first high tea there many years prior. I loved the elegance and class of the venue and adored the beautiful staircase and knew I wanted to stand on the staircase in my wedding dress. When we were looking for venues, we knew that we wanted it to be in Melbourne and we wanted it to be convenient for guests as we had many overseas guests coming to the wedding.

At first when we contacted the Park Hyatt Melbourne, we were not sure our guest list would be enough for the Ballroom however, our guest list quickly grew and the room was the perfect size. We looked at several other venues in the city to ensure that we had done our research, but the Park Hyatt was definitely the venue we wanted. 

Tell us about your Gown (style, how you found it, what you loved about it). What about the groom and the bridal party fashion choices? 

The gown was the Elcira Ballgown dress by Pronovias. I went to Raffaele Ciuca in Armadale with my mum, grandma and Maid of Honour just to have an initial look at dresses as I was not sure what style I really wanted. I did not have any intention of buying the dress on that first day as I expected I would need to go to many shops before I found my perfect dress. 

I picked out a few dresses (some ballgowns and a fit and flare style) which I thought I might like while Marie from Raffaele Ciuca picked out the Elcira dress and told me to trust her. I tried on the dresses I picked first and they looked nice but I did not love them. Then I tried on the Elcira dress and knew that this was the dress I wanted to wear on the wedding day. I loved the princess look and felt the ballgown would suit the Park Hyatt Ballroom perfectly! I knew the bridesmaids were going to be wearing a dusty rose colour dress and needed the suits to match. 

We went to MJ Bale for the groom and the groomsmen’s suits and chose a charcoal grey suit which went nicely with the bridesmaids. The bridesmaids all had different dress styles as I wanted them to choose something which they would be most comfortable in on the day. 

What Style / Styling did you choose for your wedding? (eg: colour scheme, flowers, stationery, cake, transport, details, themes, inspiration, the overall “look and feel”) 

Michael wanted to keep everything as simple as possible, so we chose a style which was simple but still classy and elegant. Our save the dates and invitations were marble and gold, so we based the décor around that theme where we had accents of marble and gold in the room. We had gold tiffany chairs which tied the gold in, and we kept the place cards, welcome signs and seating chart simple black and white. 

My aunt Michelle made the beautiful cake and created it based on the invitation and colour scheme. The cake neatly tied in the gold, marble and the dusty rose of the bridesmaids dress and flowers all together. The flowers were creams and different shades of pink with some greenery to add a bit more colour into the ballroom.

What were the highlights of your day? 

For Michael and I, the biggest highlight of the day was seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle. We also enjoyed going away with the photographer to take some pictures as we got to spend time together without having to talk to all our guests. Another highlight was walking into the reception room and seeing the room set up and see my vision for the room come to life. The food was also a major highlight for us as we loved the food served at the wedding! Everything from the canapes to the dessert was absolutely wonderful. 

Tell us about any funny, poignant, challenging or emotional moments? 

A very emotional moment was when I was walking down the aisle with my dad and Michael started to tear up when he saw me walking towards him. We didn’t expect any tears, and the moment was very special and emotional for both of us.

Where did you go for your Honeymoon? Why? 

We are going to go to Singapore, South Korea and the Maldives for our honeymoon. I wanted to visit the Maldives and Michael chose South Korea as his destination, and Singapore was something for both of us!

Do you have any advice for other brides? 

Make a list of the things that are important to you and do not lose sight of that during the planning. Planning a wedding can be very stressful, but it should be exciting and fun. Make sure you focus on the things that matter to you and your partner and don’t let the other things stress you out. Also on the day of the wedding, make sure you and your partner take some time out together, even if it is for a few minutes at a time. 

This is advice that was passed onto us, and we are so glad we did it because the day is so chaotic and there are so many people wanting to talk to you, that the night will disappear without the two of you enjoying a few moments to yourself. Make sure you take in those moments together!

Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

The experience of working with Bonnie, Somesh, Darcy and the team at Park Hyatt was amazing and I would absolutely recommend the Park Hyatt Melbourne to anyone who is looking to book in a wedding venue. The venue is stunning, the people working there are amazing and the food is absolutely delicious!

Venue: Park Hyatt Melbourne | Photographer: Theodore and Co | Bridal gown: Elcira by Pronovias bought at Raffaele Ciuca Armadale | Flowers / Styling: Debbie O’Neill Florist | Decor Styling: Function Accessories | Stationery: Caela Designs | Cake: Michelle Mudaly | Bridesmaid’s dresses: For Her and For Him | Suits: MJ Bale | Bonbonnieres:  Gingerbread Corner