Shane & Chris: An autumn wedding where a luxurious vibe is teamed with industrial elements

 
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After 10 years of dating, Shane and Chris made their lifelong commitment to each other on a glorious autumn day in their home city of Melbourne. 

Wedding Date Saturday, May 5th, 2018  |  Photographer Chloe may

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Shane and Chris share with Mr Theodore the happiness of their stunning Melbourne wedding, an autumn wedding where an elegant and luxurious vibe is teamed with industrial elements. Chloe May was there to capture the two gents as they said their I Do's and made their lifelong commitment to one another surrounded by their loved ones. 

 

When did you meet?
We met ten years ago when Shane first moved from Brisbane to Melbourne. We predate Facebook and Instagram, and added each other on MySpace! For Chris, Shane was shy at first, but as time went by his character shone through. For Shane, Chris was full of energy and enthusiasm. He had a bounce in his step that made Shane feel positive.  Needless to say, we’re in each other’s ‘top friends’ list for life.

Tell us a little about your relationship...
Our relationship has blossomed over the years, and there is never a dull moment. We’re best friends that play to our similarities and our differences, and we’ve simply enjoyed sharing life together. We’re both lucky to share super loving families and friendship circles, and our celebration had such a feeling of love and happiness in the air.

Tell us about the proposal...
It was a surprise for Shane. Surrounded by family and friends, Chris proposed to Shane at Shane’s 30th birthday party, popping the question at the end of his speech.

When did you get married?
We officially married in a private ceremony on Thursday 3 May 2018 – our 10th anniversary to the day. We then had a full ceremony and reception two days later on Saturday,  May 5th 2018.

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Was there a theme to your wedding?
We wanted the wedding to have a timeless feel, and had a few broad ideas, rather than distinct themes. We wanted to juxtapose elements of industrial and luxury, and also decided to incorporate a lot of greenery into the ceremony and the reception, with touches of navy and rose gold. Above all else, we set about creating the most magical night, for both of us and for our guests to remember.

What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
We wanted something intimate, that felt luxurious and above all, reflected both of us. It was also helpful that we have similar taste. We had a vision from the outset that we came up with together, and it was a matter of finding the right venues, suppliers and décor to bring that vision to life. As we were planning, we kept our minds open to all the possibilities available to us as we researched potential suppliers.

Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Much of this came from having an idea of what we wanted in our heads, at which point Google, Pinterest and Instagram took over to help visualise these thoughts, which we then used when picking suppliers. We also took inspiration from our suppliers, looking at what they’d done previously and picking the best ideas for our big day.

How did you choose your suppliers? 
Once we had decided on each of the various elements of the wedding, it was a research exercise to find suppliers that best matched our vision – Google helped a lot, we also attended a few wedding expos. It was helpful that Shane works in the events industry, so already had a good knowledge of which suppliers could help achieve our vision.

Tell us a little about your overall wedding planning experience in regards to being a same-sex couple in a predominantly ‘Bride & Groom’ saturated industry? 
We thought nothing of it really. We knew what we wanted, and our wonderful suppliers were accommodating of all of our ideas.

Where there any challenges from suppliers?
None. For many of our suppliers, it was their first same-sex wedding since Australian marriage equality laws passed, and they were excited to mark this moment with us.

Did you find it difficult to translate more common traditions into a ‘same-sex’ wedding? i.e Walking down the aisle, choosing a wedding party…
We came up with our own approaches for certain traditions. Instead of walking down the aisle, each of us had our parents walk us around the outside of the seated guests, where we met in the middle for the ceremony. Once the ceremony concluded, we then walked down the aisle together as a united couple. We chose our closest friends and each of our brothers for the wedding party, with no bias one way or the other. We even threw the wedding bouquet together!

What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Thankfully for Chris, Shane launched himself into the role of wedding planner, doing the majority of the research and ensuring that no stone was left unturned. In doing everything ourselves, wedding planning took up many weeknights and weekends, so this time commitment had to be juggled.  

Any advice for other same-sex couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
It can seem fatiguing during the planning process, particularly if you’re co-ordinating everything yourselves, but each milestone achieved helps to build the excitement. Trust in your suppliers, as they’re experts in their field, and are there to help you realise your special day. Lastly, on the day, take time to share the day with your new husband/wife – we truly had the best day of our lives, and we’ll cherish the experience forever. 

Photography courtesy of Chloe May, a trusted and loved photographer on the Mr Theodore directory. Click HERE to see her full profile and to send her an enquiry for your big day.

 
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