MAIKE & DEAN
PHOTOS BY: Maélys Izzo
Maike wears our She's Unmissable (no split) gown.
HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR PARTNER?
Dean and I met at a party on the Mornington Peninsula where we both grew up. We arrived separately with friends who knew each other and were introduced on the night.
HOW DID THE PROPOSAL GO DOWN?
We were in the middle of moving back to Melbourne after five years on the Gold Coast. Dean moved back earlier than me, so I had not seen him in a few weeks. He picked me up from Melbourne airport and we went straight to lunch with my sisters and now sister-in-law. After lunch, we went to our apartment in Armadale. We had purchased the apartment during the COVID border closures, so it was my first time seeing it. Dean had the living room set up with champagne and flowers. Because it was the first time that I had seen the apartment, I thought that’s what we were celebrating, and I had no idea he was about to propose. Then, Dean mentioned that his recently completed PhD Thesis had been printed and while handing me a copy, he asked me to turn to the acknowledgments page. Here he made a beautiful mention of what I meant to him and referred to me as 'his fiancé' – very shocked and surprised, I looked up at him, but he was already down on one knee with the ring.
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING?
I already had my veil before finding my dress, so I guess shopping for my gown was a little unusual. I did have a good idea of what I wanted, but it did take me some time to find my dress. Before visiting Kim, I'd visited four other designers, but I hadn’t found 'the one'. I came across some of Kim's designs on Instagram via @ivorytribe and knew I had to make an appointment. Visiting Kim and trying on her designs was a dream. She completely understood the style of my wedding and my vision for the dress.
HOW DID YOU KNOW YOUR GOWN WAS THE ONE?
While I loved all of Kim's designs that I tried, there was one that stood out, and Kim was so incredible at making the dress perfect for me. Once I tried it on with my veil, I knew it was 'the one'.
WHAT WAS YOUR WEDDING STYLE AND INSPIRATION BEHIND IT?
Our wedding was in the South of France in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (about a 1.5-hour drive from Saint-Tropez). The wedding venue was a 18th Century French provincial farmhouse, where our families stayed together for 4 nights. Our vision for the styling was about honouring the beauty and history of the house and region, while also incorporating a modern-timeless aesthetic. I tried to
apply this to every part of the wedding, including my dress - my veil featured romantic cascading floating florals, while my gown had a timeless and modern design. We wanted our wedding to feel glamorous and chic but also relaxed and effortless. It was all about creating the perfect balance.
We had a palette of blues, yellows and neutrals that complimented the sky-blue pool, the verdant gardens and provincial home. While planning the wedding, I also thought a lot about Slim Aarons’ famous photograph, Poolside Glamour, so I there is a nod to that in the styling, too. Outside of our wedding day, we hosted a relaxed rehearsal dinner and took our guests on a catamaran day sail from Saint Tropez for the recovery.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING?
My favourite moment from the day was probably our first dance as it allowed Dean and I time alone while we practiced, and it was something that we had worked on together. I also loved our champagne tower at cocktail hour.
WHAT ARE YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM FOR OTHER BRIDES?
Your wedding should be authentic to you as a couple. You don’t need to do something just because everybody else does or because it is on trend. Make sure your wedding feels like you.
