They say opposites attract, and this fiery fashion designer and her dashing accountant prove just that. Although they insisted on separate cakes, one thing they very much agreed on was their gallery venue, and boy do we love a Substation wedding. Their vendors clearly do too, with Cecilia Fox’s phenomenal florals and photographer Jonathan Ong’s keen eye scaling wondrous heights.

“Richard and I worked hard on the aesthetics of the day,” says Anna, “all the way down to the finer details.” Not the least of which was that stunner of a gown, which she designed herself and had crafted by dressmaker Jade Lawler. “It was quite a simple style but the fabric was fully beaded in small glass beads,” she tells me, having accompanied her dream dress with nothing more than her Tiffany & Co. engagement ring – simple perfection.

While the triple-height ceilings and heavily draped windows of The Substation set the mood for the night, Melanie from Cecilia Fox and Emma from Fred & Ginger Catering summoned up the spectacular scene. “This all worked seamlessly,” says Anna of her very cunning caterers, who pulled off that banquet despite not having a kitchen at the gallery. “The hire of furniture was perfectly organised, the tables were set beautifully and the food tasted delicious.”

And we’re more than a little impressed with Melanie’s flower wall and aerial arrangements. “The flowers were an important decoration for us,” say Richard and Anna. “The wedding was at the very beginning of spring, so in Melbourne it was pretty much still winter. We played on this by choosing lots of dark green foliage and warm pinks and reds, which really looked amazing in the venue.” Didn’t they just?

Front and centre were a couple of incredible wedding cakes, care of Larissa from Desszert. “Richard and I couldn’t decide what kind of cake to go with, so we ended up with two. One for each of us.” And we’ll bet no one was complaining. The “accountant’s cake” was a simple, two-tiered chocolate mud creation while the “fashion designers” cake was a whimsical, deconstructed red velvet beauty, littered with fresh flowers and fruit.

Photography: Jonathan Ong | Bride’s dress: Designed by the bride and made by Jade Lawler | Bride’s shoes: Tony Bianco | Bridesmaids dresses: Seduce | Bridesmaids shoes: Nine West | Groom’s suit: Joe Black | Groom’s shoes: Country Road | Rings: Tiffany & Co. (bride), Larsen Jewellers (groom) | Hair/makeup: Megan Harrison | Ceremony/reception venue: The Substation | Celebrant: Katherine Kulman | Flowers: Cecilia Fox | Catering/furniture hire: Fred & Ginger Catering | Cake: Desszert – [email protected] or 0491 101 928 | Entertainment: John from Top Self DJ’s | Stationery/invitations: DIY | Transport: Triple R Car Hire