A Needle & Thread Bride for a Laid-Back Outdoor Jewish Wedding at Spring Road Park and Leonda by the Yarra, Melbourne, Australia

We are ALL about bride Ashleigh’s ultra-romantic Needle & Thread dress today. That floral beading! So. Much. Pretty.

Ashleigh knew she wanted something low-key yet beautiful, and we’d say that’s a spot-on description of the style of her laid-back Jewish wedding to Brett.

If you’re in the market for a vintage-inspired dress, Needle & Thread is absolutely worth a look. They’ve got some fantastic, stand-out options for brides on a budget, and they also offer some fab styles for brides on the hunt for that ever-elusive modest wedding gown — check out Smashing the Glass Recommended Vendor Jeremy Blode’s many fab shots highlighting all the lovely detailing for evidence of this!

And aren’t Jeremy Blode’s images divine? Everything he seems to snap up just turns into wedding gold, and you’ll see precisely what I mean when you take a peek at the pretty below. 

Ashleigh, an aspiring psychologist working as a program coordinator in the nonprofit sector, and Brett, a doctor, were set on holding their chuppah outside in nature, in their local park – so much so that they went through with their original plans even after an unexpected downpour the morning of the wedding! Love that dedication, guys! Now over to lovely Ash, who’ll fill you in on the rest…

How we met

Ashley, the bride: We met at a family friend’s bar-mitzvah when Ash was 15 and Brett was 17. We were seated on the same table and ended up in a competition on who would appear on the slideshow the most — Brett won.

An Outdoor Chuppah

The chuppah was at our local park — Spring Road Park in Malvern. We wanted to get married outside in nature. So much so that we decided to get married in the park after it was pouring with rain in the morning!

The reception was at Leonda by the Yarra. Initially we wanted to have our reception outside, but anyone who knows Melbourne knows that weather is very unpredictable. Our option B was that we wanted a space that was simple that fitted lots of guests. Leonda was perfect for that.

Hair + Makeup

My philosophy in the hair/makeup department was that I just wanted to look like myself. I wore my hair loose and wore natural mineral-based makeup because that’s how I felt most comfortable.

Nicky Reid was both my hair and makeup artist.

A Needle & Thread Dress

My dress was made by Needle & Thread — I actually found it online. I was not sure about what sort of dress I wanted to wear. All I knew is that I did not want a big overwhelming dress. I wanted something low-key but also beautiful. Initially when I opened the box and put on the dress I was not sure it was “the one.” I kept trying it on pretty much every day before the 14-day return policy was over. On the 13th day I decided that I would keep it. 😉

 Our amazing wedding planner

We worked closely with Charlene from The Style Shed. Charlene was amazing both in the lead up to the wedding and on the actual day. When I had any inspiration Charlene made it happen. She was kind and supportive the whole way. Having a wedding planner takes some of the pressure off and allows you to enjoy the process. I could not recommend Charlene enough!’

The handsome groom

Brett wore a navy suit from Politix and a tie from Connor.

 

Bridesmaids in Neutrals

My bridesmaids were my sister (aged 12) and Brett’s sister (in her 20s). Considering the age difference, wearing the same dress wasn’t really an option. I asked them both to wear neutral colors. They looked gorgeous.

A Handmade Chuppah

Brett decided that he wanted to build our chuppah! We went for an earthy look with wooden poles, and the top of the chuppah was made from white material that he bought from Lincraft.

 
An Emotional Ceremony

My favorite part of the ceremony was definitely the badeken. We had not seen each other for seven days. The moment Brett walked through the door was surreal. I was sitting next to my mother and my mother-in-law, surrounded by my grandmothers and all of my family and friends, looking at the man I was about to marry.

The special touches come from the people that were surrounding us — our family and friends each bringing their unique touch into our wedding.

A Garden of Eden Ketubah

We had our ketubah designed by a local artist — Ryan Abramowitz from Today Tomorrow Forever. The theme was “Garden of Eden,” so he designed the background as a garden, with a beautiful peacock at the front.

Our fabulous photographer

We went with Jeremy Blode — we loved his natural photographic style. He was easy to work with and made our day that much easier. Jeremy and Rachel were very personable and we loved how much they cared throughout the day and throughout the process leading up to the wedding. Plus, we loved the final photos!

A Live Band

Brett’s best friend is the manager of a band, and they also happen to be the best band in Melbourne! They are called Isaiah. They do a really good mix of Jewish and secular music!

Special moments

Our special memories of the wedding come from the small moments that maybe others didn’t realize. For example, my dad was so excited when the rabbi married us, he ended up kissing us on the cheek before we had a chance to have that long-awaited hug!

We also have memories of the huge energy that was in the room the entire night. As a wedding gift we left the venue on a boat on the Yarra River. As we were leaving all our friends and family danced us to the boat. That was awesome!

Advice to couples currently planning their wedding

From Brett: The people make the wedding, and if you love your bride the wedding will be good because you won’t be distracted by the unimportant things.

From Ash: At the end of the day your wedding is about you and your partner deciding to spend the rest of your life together. It is really easy to forget that in the midst of planning and organizing. If this is kept in mind — compromising on the small details won’t seem like such a big deal.

Ashleigh & Brett’s little white book

Photography – Jeremy Blode                                                                                                        Planner –  The Style Shed 
Venue – Leonda by the Yarra
Bride’s dress – Needle & Thread
Groom’s attire – Politix and Connor
Makeup – Nicky Reid
Band – Isaiah
Ketubah – Today Tomorrow Forever
Chuppah fabric – Lincraft