Contemporary & chic was the wedding of Clare and Ric in Melbourne’s trendy outer CBD suburbs. These High School sweet hearts united as one in the stunning Melbourne museum. Only one thing was more show stopping; #RCREALBRIDE Clare was the definition of a beautiful modern bride in her ‘Delco’ by Pronovias gown. A sensual design that showcases curves and the feminine silhouette. A mermaid wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and off-the-shoulder sleeves in mikado that plays with the volume and lustre of the fabric to emphasise the figure. Photography: Love & Other Photography THE FIRST SIGHT Ric and I met during the Year 11 school holidays. We had a mutual friend through primary school, and we’d all arranged to catch up as a group at the footy oval. We had a pretty instant connection – I thought he was hilarious – and we got to know each other more over MSN before having our first date at the movies at our local shopping centre. We had KFC for dinner beforehand at the food court. A very glamorous date for a 16 year old! THE PROPOSAL We’d planned a five week trip to Europe, and there was a heap of speculation that a proposal was on the cards. We’d been together for so long, and had also been living together for over a year. We’d also spoken a lot about getting married in the next year. Ric waited until the fourth last day of our five week trip to pop the question – he’d been carrying the ring around in his backpack the whole time. We were in a park in Paris when he proposed, having just finished a great picnic. The newly engaged buzz helped massively to fight off the post-holiday blues. THE VENUE We’d been to Kalaya at the Melbourne Museum for our friend’s wedding, and just loved the space. It was unique, and inclusive, and had an amazing vibe to it. It was our first and only option really! For the reception, we wanted a place big enough to hold our 125 guests plus a dancefloor. The Brunswick Foodstore had great food and the kind of décor we wanted – natural light, hanging plants, and wooden floorboards. We absolutely loved both of our venues, and knew they were ‘the ones’ for us immediately. FAVOURITE MOMENT We loved looking around us during the ceremony and seeing so many of our family and friends all captivated by our wonderful celebrant telling our story. It was perfect. We had the most fun at our reception on the dance floor. We were set on starting the dance floor early – about 8:30pm – and it didn’t let up until after midnight. We loved seeing everyone getting amongst it to great music. THE DRESS I wasn’t sure what kind of wedding dress I wanted, but I was pretty set on what I didn’t want. The list of things I didn’t want included lace, bling, strapless, pouf… I really liked the flat silk look, and had previously tried on an across-the-shoulder dress at a different bridal shop and liked that it was a bit more modern. When I tried on my dress, I loved the top of it but wasn’t sure about the fullness of the skirt, or the long train. My mum and future sister-in-law convinced me it was “the one” – and they were right! FINDING THE ONE Shopping at Raffaele Ciuca was a really easy and fun experience. I went with my mum for the first appointment, and Pina took us under her wing immediately. She was knowledgeable of the type of dress that would suit me, and listened closely to what I wanted. Pina was fun, hilarious and warm. I had the dress altered by Maria at the Brunswick alterations department. She was skilled, knowledgeable and not at all phased when I forgot my shoes on our first appointment. ADVICE FOR OTHER BRIDES Ric and I were equal partners in planning our wedding, which took a lot of stress away. We actually had a lot of fun planning the wedding, and kind of miss it now that it’s over! We just kept our focus on the wedding being a big party, and put time and energy into the things that were important to us – food, music, dancing! VENDORS Dress: Raffaele Ciuca Bridal Photographer: Love & Other Photography Venue: Ceremony – Kalaya, Melbourne Museum Reception – Brunswick Foodstore Flowers: Willow and Graze Cake: No cake – dessert table through Dessert Station Hair: Kristina Canzoneri Make-Up: Kristina Canzoneri Celebrant: Zena Lythgo Wedding Video: https://vimeo.com/282256297/6edd71f203