Mural Hall Wedding — Linda & Xen

"We tried to keep the wedding small but after a while we gave up and invited everyone we wanted to. It definitely was worth having everyone we loved there. And it was great to see both our respective friends and family connect with one another, despite only just meeting."

Do I start with Linda's sophisticated style (and also those Dolce & Gabbana heels), their backyard of Fitzroy Gardens changing colour in the autumn or Good Grace and Humour's incredible floristry design (just wait until you scroll to the bottom and you see their reception installation)?

Ten years after they first met, Linda and Xen met. Even though both of them grew up in Melbourne, and both attended the same university, it took them a while to get used to meeting up. But after Xen suffering from a medical emergency, which Linda dismissed as simple muscular pain, their love for each other grew. In 2017, they finally settled after a year of long-distance. Before they got engaged, they were already planning on getting married. They had even started working on a wedding ring together in 2018. The proposal took place in Kenya's Laikipia Highlands. The couple wanted a huge celebration, and since most of their friends were getting married before them, they wanted to have a huge party.

"We desperately wanted to elope. Big weddings were not our thing. But in the end, we had one for our families and we are so glad we did. I know it's cliched but to have everyone in that room and feel the love beaming from them and seeing them having a good time is a wonderful feeling."

They wanted a feast that would feature long tables and lots of fruit and flowers, similar to what Henry VIII had planned. The Myer Mural Hall is a beautiful venue that's located in Melbourne's CBD and was able to accommodate their guest list of around 200 guests.They got married in a Greek Orthodox church - getting married in a Greek church was really important to Xen. Since their wedding was going to be held in the same church where he was an alter boy as a kid, it was a nod to tradition. He has known the priest and other members of the church for a long time, so it made sense for them to get married there. The ceremony itself was not altered, and there were no variations to it. The couple worked with some of the most amazing vendors in the industry, and they were able to create a fun and stress-free wedding. Their wedding was also a huge success, with many of their guests giving them great feedback. The three long tables were set with various fruits and flowers, and they referenced the large banquet halls of Henry VIII.

'Our budget went out the window after a month. I bought the most ridiculous wedding shoes which threw things!'

The walls of the room were adorned with murals of the couple's favorite paintings, and there were scattered candelabras and table lights throughout the room. The autumnal floral installation on the staircase was made by Good Grace and Humour. Xen's mother collected the leaves from her front yard, so we could use them as decorations throughout the room.

For their wedding favors, they decided to bring together their Croatian and Greek heritages. They made boxes filled with home made 'breskve' (a Croatian walnut-filled biscuit shaped to look like a peach) and a piece of baklava for guests to take home. They also had a variety of traditional Greek and Croatian dances at the reception. To celebrate Linda's heritage, they served a glass of kruskovac, which is a sweet pear liquor, to guests as they were getting ready to enter the room. It's a tradition in Croatia to pin a spring of rosemary on the guests as they arrive. When I asked Linda what marriage means to her, she said "Being able to continue being completely ridiculous and loved in spite of it! And living with an engineer means I never have to fix anything ever again!"