Your Wedding Day Dream Team
Photographer: Bloom Weddings. Instagram: @bloomweddingsuk
Videographer: Bloom Weddings. Instagram: @bloomweddingsuk
Florist: Flowers Less Ordinary. Instagram: @flowerslessordinary_ltd
Band/DJ: DJ Karlton. Instagram: @djkarlton
Stylist: Tara Knott. Instagram: @taraknott_
Cake: The Melbourne Cake Company. Instagram: @the_melbourne_cake_company
Ice Cream: Flossy’s Ice Cream. Instagram: @flossys_icecreams
Photobooth: The Booth Guys. Instagram: @the.boothguys
Tell Us About Your Incredible Outfits
What and who did you wear?
We both wore Charlie Browns Menswear suits and Primark shoes.
Rings: H Samuel (Aaron), F. Hinds (Dario)
Your Love Story – How did you meet, was it love at first sight? Tell us about the proposal!
We met online back in January 2019. We started out as friends, and our love for each other blossomed into a relationship. We have spent the years experiencing new adventures with each other, travelling to many countries together and creating a home together. The proposal took place in January 2024, in a quiet area near a waterfall in the middle of Central Park in New York. Dario proposed to Aaron, and Aaron couldn’t believe it at first, but didn’t hesitate to say “Yes!”.
Your Wedding Day Vision & Inspiration What was your inspiration and vision for your day?
We wanted something that would reflect us as a couple, so the travel theme was the ultimate vision for the day. The colour scheme was sage green, as this would work well with the travel theme, as well as white and a touch of gold to add a pop of colour.
Why did you choose The West Mill Venue?
The West Mill Venue was the one venue we were initially drawn to when we first went to visit. With every floor showcasing every part of a wedding day, this made it an ideal venue for us to celebrate with our loved ones all in one place. Also, the venue’s longevity and architecture spoke to us as being a symbol of a strong and robust marriage.
Did you do any DIY projects?
We constructed the suitcase wedding favours and some of the signage, with a bit of help from Amazon and Etsy!
Tell us about the details – Flowers, Cake, Decor, Stationery….
Décor:
Styling was supplied by Tara Knott, who worked her magic on incorporating sage green and white fabrics with gold accents into the day and did an outstanding job. As we wanted to incorporate the travel theme in our special day, we wanted the signage to reflect the signage at an airport. For example, guest left cards and gifts in the “Baggage Drop Off” area and collected their wedding favours in the “Baggage Claim” area. Each guest had a paper aeroplane name card when seated for their wedding breakfast, and the tables were named after past and future destinations of our travels.
Flowers:
Supplied by Nadia at Flowers Less Ordinary. We chose Sunflowers as the main floral with the yellow being a good pop of colour to go with the sage green and gold, as well as the flower being a nod to Dario’s mum and Aaron’s dad, who both loved sunflowers.
Cake:
Supplied by Lisa at The Melbourne Cake Company. The cake also reflected the travel theme and colour scheme with a gold world map on one tier, a watercolour ombre effect of sage green ascending into white, topped off with gold acrylic décor and cake topper. We also had cupcakes (also made by The Melbourne Cake Company) which were iced with sage green and white buttercream with suitcase and world map toppers.
Alcohol. Because No Great Story Started With A Salad (…or did it?) What was on your food & drinks menu?
We wanted the food to represent our cultures with Dario being Mediterranean and Aaron being British. For the wedding breakfast, we chose the starter of Arancini as a nod to Dario’s Italian heritage. The main consisted of Sausage and Mash with Mediterranean vegetables, and ending with a Blondie for dessert, because who can resist chocolate for a pudding?! The evening food was a split of Taste of the Mediterranean with Greek cuisine and a Retro Buffet for that nod to a classic British celebration.
Drinks mainly consisted of cocktails, beers, wine and fruit juice. We chose these as we thought they would be perfect to enjoy on a summer wedding on a joyous occasion.
The Hangover Only Lasts A Day But The Memories Last A Lifetime Can you sum up your wedding day in 3 words?
Happily ever after.
What are your favourite memories or highlights of your day?
One of our favourite memories of the day was spending the time before the ceremony getting ready together in the dressing room and having those moments together to shake off the nerves and watching the guests arrive downstairs from the windows! The Drinks Reception was a highlight of the day, talking to our loved ones and enjoying a nice ice cream and drink in the sunshine.
Do you have any advice for future Brides & Grooms?
- Prepare! Even if your day seems quite a distance away, it is never too early to make enquiries with suppliers and to plan out what you would like on your special day. Do the research, go to open days for inspiration and never be afraid to ask questions.
- Make sure you take in every moment of the day. Although you have all day to make memories and be surrounded by your loved ones, the day goes so quick so take a moment with your other half to take in the atmosphere and breathe.
- Have fun on your special day!
Loved reading about Dario & Aaron’s day? Read more real wedding stories here.