STORY: KELLY LUCAS-CARMODY // PHOTOGRAPHY: JULIE M PHOTOGRAPHY
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AUGUST 19, 2023 // BENALLA
With a focus on sustainability and ensuring every guest felt seen and valued, Melanie Tomlin and Joshua Brooks chose their wedding day to reflect their beliefs and their community of loved ones.
The couple met on a dating site in 2019 and began dating a year later.
Not long after, they became engaged spontaneously and bought their wedding bands just three days later.
Melanie said she knew Joshua was “the one” early on while the pair were playing an online game together, while Joshua realised during a trip to the Melbourne Aquarium.
“He looked at me and asked if I wanted to skip the engagement and just get married,” Melanie said.
“We wanted to have a day that reflected us and our values, especially our value of a chosen family and a chosen community.”
The wedding day was filled with morning nerves that soon settled, featuring a black-tie dress code with a dusty blue and pale green colour palette, accented by pops of red in Royal Stewart tartan.
Melanie said Scottish motifs were woven throughout the day in honour of her heritage.
“My grandmother had passed away not long before the wedding, so we used a lot of Scottish traditions, from wearing tartan through to our last song of the night being Loch Lomond,” she said.
“We also chose a traditional Catholic ceremony with contemporary worship music, as we attend a Pentecostal church while also identifying as Catholic.”
Married at St Joseph’s Church in Benalla, the couple’s focus on sustainability extended to the bridal party, with outfits chosen to be worn again rather than purchased for a single occasion.
Shoes were also sourced from items already owned, with everyone embracing the approach.
Some of the most memorable moments of the day centred around music.
“We had Woodlock play at the reception and they covered a Jessica Lorraine song, which fit in beautifully as Jess is Josh’s sister and Woodlock are my friends, so it felt like families joining as one,” Melanie said.
“When we were signing the certificate, Jess performed an unreleased original called Parachute, which felt really symbolic of Josh and I.”
In another thoughtful touch, the couple used their wedding cake as part of a shared celebration, gifting it to guests who were also marking August birthdays.
Despite a power issue just days before the wedding — which saw four generators used to light the reception hall — the couple said nothing could take away from their day.
“It is a day for you to celebrate with the ones around you, and it is a day that you will only get to enjoy once, so don’t let the stress get the better of you,” Melanie said.
“Remember to laugh when something doesn’t go to plan, because in the grand scheme of things, those are the things that make the day perfectly imperfect.”
CONTRIBUTORS
Parents of the bride: Thomas and Leigh Tomlin
Parents of the groom: Christopher and Carolyn Brooks
Bridal Party: Gabby Cook, Keryn Trinder-James, Alexis Wilson, Georgina Tomlin, Mary Tomlin, Benjamin Brooks, Joseph Brooks, Samuel Brooks, Toby Brooks, Onyx Wilson, Hannah Quilty and Cassandra Duncanson.
Florist: Mother of the Bride
Caterer: Pink Ladies Catering
Cake maker: Rebekah Brooks
Hair stylist: Hair Manor Benalla and Emma Law Knight
Make-up artist: Keryn Trinder-James