Wondering what you get when you pair an urban planner who loves sparkly things and groovy tunes with an IT consultant who loves good scotch and potatoes? A disco-obsessed party with fabulous food and drinks of course! While Melbourne couple Ally and JB picked the popular joint Rupert on Rupert to host their wedding festivities at, the two certainly put their own spin on things. Photographer Jackson Grant shares all the fun snaps from the day.

Photography by Jackson Grant Weddings

While Ally was already obsessed with Jackson Grant’s style of photography, after meeting him in person she was instantly sold. Completely understanding the couple’s vibe, Ally and JB say they were stoked with Jackson’s idea to do their pictures around Collingwood Yards in particular. “It’s still in it’s infancy as an arts precinct but the old art deco charm of the original buildings remains and the lighting at that time of year (May) was just incredible,” says Ally. The couple tells us the cherry on top came after the wedding, with Jackson delivering their photos in person – so special and thoughtful.

The Bride’s ASOS and Savel the Label Dresses

When deciding what to wear on their big day, the couple wanted to avoid looking stuffy, traditional and just not themselves. “I bought my ceremony dress off ASOS in September 2019, before we’d even started actually planning the wedding,” remembers Ally. “I tried it on and fell in love instantly. A special shout-out needs to go to my seamstress Aggie though, she worked some wonders in fixing some ill-fitting sleeves and creating that gorgeous teardrop opening at the back of the dress.” For her second act, Ally wore a dress from Savel the Label. This one however, was purchased on a bit of a whim – a week before the wedding to be exact! “It arrived and fit like an absolute glove, just needing a steam,” explains Ally. “It was just enough ‘same, same but different’ that people barely noticed I’d changed, although I was so much more comfortable.”

Theme and Inspiration

Rupert’s mix of dark moody bar areas paired with their iconic light and leafy conservatory made it the perfect venue for the couple to host their ceremony and reception at. They were, however, eager to put their own twist on the space and began looking for inspiration. “We went to a bushfire fundraiser at Rupert at the start of 2020,” says Ally. “They had a disco ball up which I absolutely loved and knew I wanted to do the minute I saw it. I also had a big year of listening to old 60s and 70s rock and disco tracks, a lot of Club Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa & The Blessed Madonna while working from home. Then I saw Gucci’s Miley Cyrus Midnight Sun inspired collaboration on Instagram and immediately latched on to it, leading to a modern Studio 54 in the concrete jungle kind of vibe.”

The Ceremony at Rupert on Rupert

While Ally and JB tell us they aren’t the over-the-top romantic type, they wanted their ceremony to be all about love, which to them, is grounded, honest and a bit silly. “Our Celebrant Emily Hall told our story wonderfully, and incorporated our guests throughout with a little bit of a pop quiz which was really fun and totally unexpected,” remembers Ally. While Rupert on Rupert is known for its stunning aerial floral installations hanging over the ceremony space, the couple say they didn’t think this accurately reflected them as a couple. “The ceremony arbour inspiration came from an image found on Pinterest and was put together by the both of us,” shares Ally. “Disco balls were collected from all over the place – other past brides, $2 shops and online party stores.”

Styling by Bangin’ Hangings and P.O.P Floristry

Unlike most brides-to be, Ally knew from the get-go she wanted minimal flowers – particularly since Rupert already has a tonne of greenery to work with. This in mind, Ally enlisted help from P.O.P Floristry for the basics with the brief ‘colourful natives’. “Not sure if I was the nightmare client who wouldn’t give her more info, or dream client that just let her do what she wanted,” Ally jokes. “I gave her full artistic licence and she worked her absolute magic, and even was able to respond to my last minute, panicked disco-ball requests which just makes her even better in my eyes.” Also helping out with styling was Sarah, a former co-worker and the legend behind Bangin’ Hangings. “Definitely one of our standout vendors, so professional, prompt, and practically perfect in every way,” Ally describes. “All of her installations are fully reusable too, so there’s no waste or any of the environmental downsides that come with flowers.”

 The Reception at Rupert on Rupert

The reception, also held at Rupert on Rupert, kicked off at around 4:30pm, right after the ceremony. “We knew all along that we wanted a cocktail style wedding – the food was glorious and we picked all our dishes with Mali (Rupert’s weddings coordinator) who was excellent at guiding and balancing out the different courses,” shares Ally. Kicking of the party, close friend Lachlan acted as MC, who Ally and JB say did a fantastic job. Rather than a traditional entrance, the duo were introduced as husband and wife by playing a fun shoe game – where you raise either your own shoe or your spouse’s shoe to answer ‘who is more likely to’ questions. “It was a light and fun way to just really set the less serious tone of the evening,” says Ally.  Later, Josh from Heartbreak took over on the decks who the couple says did an insane job of playing to everyone’s taste. “My brief to him was ‘think your parent’s 60/70’s rock, but also disco, but also indie bangers and 2010s hits because that was our coming of age.” Pulling out a little surprise for their friends, the couple awaited Robbie Williams’ Angels to dance the night away to. “It’s never a party with our friends unless Angels by Robbie Williams plays for some reason – still not sure on the origins of that one!” Ally admits.