Mitchell and Michael
Two Grooms in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens
“Love was made for me and you”… the lyrics of that classic Nat King Cole song that Mitchell and Micheal made their entrance to at their March wedding in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens. These lyrics set the tone for a day that these two grooms described as - intimated, relaxed and purely happy.
Photographer Be Here, Be Now | Venue: Gardens House
-
Mr T - How and when did you meet?
M & M – We have been together for 8 years. The early parts of our relationship were spent getting to know each other and filled with lots of laughs. Those laughs have continued throughout our relationship and are one of the reasons we work so well together.
Mr T - What does Marriage mean to you?
M & M - This is a question that we had never really thought of until we decided to get married and then, suddenly, it’s asked by a lot of people. In trying to get a meaningful response to people, we figured out that Marriage for us, is our way of saying that “I choose you through the terrible days but also the best of days”. It was that extra security blanket and meant that we always had each other to turn too, for those silly life moments that only the two of us would understand.
“3 words to describe our wedding day -
intimate, relaxed, happiness”
Mr T - Who proposed and how?
Michael - We live in St Kilda, over looking Albert Park. At night time, across the park, from our dining room window, you can see the Melbourne Star Ferris Wheel flickering in the distance. Mitchell decided with so many nice memories spent looking at the many colours it was the perfect place for a proposal. A surprise dinner with all of our friends was waiting for us at Merchant Restaurant, they booked out the private dining room, which was very special for us.
Mr T - When did you get married?
M & M - We got married on Saturday the 23rd March 2019.
Mitchell & Michael’s story continues below ↓
Mr T - What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
M & M - The main influence was to create an intimate vibe. The garden was a truly stunning back drop and needed very little done to make it special.
Mr T - What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
M & M - The most important thing was being surrounded with those closest to us, having great food, great drinks and jazz. It was to be a day that was to enjoyed by everyone.
Mr T - Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
M & M - We knew that we wanted something small – with only very close family and friends. We also didn’t want family and friends to have to leave their children at home so we encouraged everyone to bring their children. It was by chance we discovered the venue which is amazing – It was just Mitch and a friend walking through the Botanic Gardens with a coffee when they stumbled on the private venue and the back walled garden was exactly what we wanted for our day. We didn’t want matching suits so we each went with a tuxedo that we liked. The flowers, band, gelato cart and lawn games completed the ‘New York Garden Party’ vibe.
Mr T - How did you choose your suppliers?
M & M - We chose suppliers that really connected with us. Those suppliers who were true masters of their craft. The suppliers we met were the ones that made the day truly special. We actually found our Celebrant Chloe Jetson through Mr Theodore! And she connected us with Christian at Be Here Be Now Photos & Films, who just blew us away with kindness and showed so much love to us as a couple.
Mr T - Any standout suppliers?
Be Here Be Now Photos & Films – Both Christian and Shani were essential to the success of the day. They put so much effort into getting to know you as a couple and the day is so much easier for it. They captured the essence of the day and who we are as a couple.
Kate Hill Flowers – Kate was phenomenal, she has been our florist for a few years so it was natural she would be a big part of the day. Her arrangements set the tone for the event and were our “big ticket” item in terms of making an impact. Kate’s service was next level good, from using our own vases for floral arrangements for our house, and personally coming to our home to pin on our boutonnieres. She is a very special lady whose flowers are next level.
Chloe Jetson – Our celebrant really went to a lot of effort to ensure the ceremony was exactly the way we wanted it – light hearted, short and less formal, but still had so much love in it. We caught up a few times prior to the wedding over wine (or two) and on the day, she felt like part of the family. She really helped with us on the day, co-ordinating with the venue and just took all the stress from us.
Moon Glow Jazz Band – they really captured the vibe we wanted for the evening and brought everything together. They are extremely talented.
The Do Salon – Coordinated all the hair and makeup for us and our families. Annette has been cutting our hair for many years and really went to the effort to ensure everyone got the hair and make up they wanted and felt special. It meant a lot to us to have her be part of our day.
Mr T - Did you find it difficult to translate more common traditions into a ‘same-sex’ wedding?
M & M - There was originally a bit of anxiety translating the traditional elements of a wedding into a same-sex ceremony. But actually, it was our photographer, Christian who told us that we don’t need to conform to any of these traditions and why put ourselves through the stress. We decided then, that we wanted our wedding done the way that would make us the happiest on the day. We decided to get ready together, to walk each other down the aisle. Getting to share those special moments together just made the day for us. Choosing a wedding party was easy, Mitch had his sister as his maid of honour and Michael chose his best friend from high school. Our two nieces were our flower girls and it was pretty special to see them so excited to get dressed up and be the centre of attention. At the end of the day, we now know, there are no hard and fast rules with sam- sex marriages so we went with what felt natural for us.
Mr T - What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Michael - Planning the wedding was a full-time job for Mitch – the hardest part was coordinating all the suppliers at the weeks leading up to the day. There are so many small decisions that you don’t think about until you are asked. It was also just the pressure that all these people are going arrive at something that you’ve put your heart and soul into, hoping they would like it.
Mr T - Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Michael - Mitchell’s close friend bought us a weekend at Jakealope winery which was a super relaxing and indulgent way to spend a few days to recenter after the big day.
Mr T - Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
M & M - Don’t let other people influence you on what you want for your day – keep it about you two. Choose quality suppliers – their expertise and support is invaluable throughout the entire process.
We hired nannies to help mind the kids, but also to keep the parents relaxed – if children are going to be part of your day this is money well spent – it meant they had a great time and were looked after and the parents could have a great time too.
The Playlist
Entrance Song
Exit Song
Suppliers
Photographer Be Here, Be Now
Venue: Gardens House
Suits P Johnson Tailors (Mitchell) Hugo Boss (Michael)
Flowers Kate Hill Flowers
Groom Party Attire Rachel Gilbert (Kim) MJ Bale (John)
Celebrant Chloe Jetson
Catering Atlantic Group
Lawn Games Games on the Green
Gelato Cart Something Sweet Gelato
Band Moonglow Jazz Band
Hair and Makeup The Do Salon
More For You
