T A N + J O H N
John used Tan’s chocolate addiction to his advantage by hiding the engagement ring inside a Kinder Surprise egg. After demolishing the chocolate egg in one sitting, Tan opened up the little plastic egg inside to find a note that read ‘will you marry me’ and a beautiful ring. The inspiration for their wedding day was drawn straight from nature, with the couple exchanging vows at John’s family property in Bowral.
F R O M T H E B R I D E
We first met…
Going back six years and you could call us both ‘wingmen’. Our friends had met the night earlier and both wanted us by their side when meeting for the second time. We were in North Bondi swimming by the rocks on a blue sky day. I couldn’t stop looking at his bright blue eyes and he later said he thought I was a mermaid. It’s all quite funny looking back!
The engagement…
Tan: The best surprise EVER. Tan: It was hilarious, I had hired a huge van for work and picked Johnny up from the airport. We had dinner plans but headed back to The Olsen to drop off Johnnies bags. Tan was in the bathroom getting ready for dinner and I’d laid out some chocolate on the bed. She loves chocolate anytime of the day. Tan: I walked out from the bathroom and dove straight into a Kinder Surprise egg. I did not expect what was inside and surely did not take care when eating the egg… I actually smashed it into pieces and devoured the lot within seconds. I had trouble opening the small toy pod… but once I did… I found a ring and a small handwritten note reading ‘will you marry me?’. It was hands down the coolest moment of my life! I of course said YES!!!
F R O M T H E G R O O M
The engagement…
John: Tan was in Melbourne for a work trip and I’d decided to head down for the weekend. I went through 8 Kinder Surprises before finally sealing one perfectly with the ring and note inside. It was worth the effort, though to get the yes.
T H E W E D D I N G
Our photographer…
Lara Milenko from Milenko Weddings photographed the wedding. There wasn’t a doubt in our minds who we would ask to capture our most special moments. Lara has a really natural style of photography, but also captures great editorial style shots, which I love. We had a really laid-back wedding setting so it came really naturally to have photos of us dancing and running through the trees.
Our dream wedding…
For us, it was all about the garden. We wanted to accent the beautiful trees with lights and utilise the foliage for table arrangements. Inspiration came from an image I’d found on Pinterest, which featured a really long table set in a garden with incredible lights and greenery. I had a blast planning our wedding. I work creating window displays for Sass & Bide and styling events, so I was in my element.
The ceremony…
John grew up on a beautiful property in Bowral, so we celebrated our wedding among the lush gardens of the Kelly family home.
The reception…
All at the Kelly family home, Bowral.
The bridal party…
We were quite non-traditional for the wedding and didn’t have bridesmaids/groomsmen officially. My best friend, Luce, wore a white Zimmermann dress and we wore matching Swarovski anklets and bare feet.
The groom wore…
Suit custom tailored by Matt at P.Johnson. Footwear from Jeffrey Campbell. Pocket squares were handmade.
The gown…
Ever since I was eight-years-old I’d dreamt of wearing Mum’s wedding dress. Fast forward 21 years and I was standing in the fitting room of Sass & Bide, where I work, wearing Mum’s wedding dress for my very first fitting with our Gallery Designer – Roger Craig Searle. Mum’s dress was a polka-dot tulle, simple long-sleeve style. Roger is incredible and we maintained the integrity of Mum’s dress, simply adding another layer of fabric for the skirt to create a longer train. We also added some Swarovski crystals scattered over some of the polka-dots to give the dress a little sparkle. I decided to get married bare foot in the garden. I wore a Swarovski crystal toe ring and anklet.
The flowers…
The nature surrounding the family home was a huge inspiration. We worked with a mix of willow, banksia and gum tree. I loved the sentiment of using foliage from the garden.
The styling…
A stylist friend of ours, Clementine Maconachie, visited the flower markets and collected some gorgeous white florals to pair with the foliage both for table settings and my bouquet. Clem worked her magic and created 20 table settings and my bouquet. We also used some blocks of timber from the property to house the florals on the table settings.
We really just worked with the natural surroundings as we wanted a personal DIY feel to the styling. Lighting was a huge element and again, our great friend Ross Graham assisted us with this element. I had sourced some fun props from Opera Props to accent around the garden, along with some vintage mirrors that we propped up against trees. A highlight for the décor was definitely the crochet hammock I’d bought over from Mexico. This was hung under one of the trees nearby the reception.
The reception…
We went for a laid back serving style. We had a big banquet and our caterers just served the food scattered along the tables to share among every six guests. It was so special and looked exactly like the inspiration image I had drawn from. We had a big main meal with roast meats and fish, salads, vegetables and other delicious accompaniments. For dessert we decided to have a dessert table filled with cakes our family and friends had baked. We are very non-traditional, so didn’t have an ‘offical cake’.
Bomboniere…
We gifted each guest a Kinder Surprise. It meant so much to us in relation to the proposal, but also as our wedding was during the Easter long weekend. We also made a donation to the Starlight Children’s Foundation and the Spina Bifida Association in lieu of a true bomboniere for our guests.
Memorable moments…
John and I had a really nice moment to ourselves just after we’d had our offsite photos taken. We sat on a hill overlooking everyone taking their seats at the reception. We sipped champagne and reflected on the ceremony and talked about our dreams and aspirations. I really recommend to any couple on their wedding day to take some time away from guests for yourselves. It all goes so quickly, you really need that time to reflect and take it all in.
The wedding soundtrack…
Quite a few years back we were in the Shakespeare Pub in Surry Hills and had heard this great song. We looked at each other and both agreed one day when we were married that we would play the song at our wedding. The song titled was a bit of a shock to us, but we went for it anyway – ‘Blood’ by ‘The Middle East’. It’s just such a beautiful song. This was our ceremony song. We entered the reception to ‘Strawberry Swing’ by ‘Coldplay’ – a true favourite and really described our perfect day in the lyrics.
We didn’t have a band, instead playing jazz music through an old vintage gramophone during canapés. A friend of ours, Simon, was our DJ for the night. He kicked off just after our dessert. So much fun was had on the dance floor to his set.
M A R R I E D L I F E
The honeymoon…
Hawaii for another friend’s wedding, then New York for two weeks and a week in LA. A month in total!
The future…
Definitely starting our little family. And a European holiday together is our dream.
In 40 years we hope…
To be semi-retired with my husband and travel the world together.
W O R D S O F W I S D O M
The engagement…
Set the wedding date and enjoy the ride. It’s actually really fun to plan a wedding if you take the pressure off.
The planning…
Don’t go overboard! Do lots of research on creative ways to set up your wedding and always ask for help with friends and family. They love to help!
The wedding day…
Take a moment for yourself before the ceremony. Think about all of the things you are grateful for and fill your soul with good vibes. It’s all over in a flash!
Photography Lara Milenko // Groom’s formal wear P. Johnson Tailors // Wedding rings Henson // Jewellery and accessories Molten Store // Hair Lauren McCowan // Makeup Amelia Axton // Stationery/Invitations Anna Barnaby // Florist Clementine Maconachie // Catering In House Chef // Celebrant Cecila Marmont // Videographer The White Tree // Lighting Ross Graham Design