Sunshine, champagne and Carmela Soprano energy: Inside Brent and Nahrin’s Melbourne wedding

“For Assyrians it was a baby wedding – we normally have 700 people.”

Here at Fashion Journal, we make no secret of our love of weddings. We’re suckers for a bit of romance and have a soft spot for weddings that do things differently, whether it’s a Las Vegas elopement, a tropical getaway or a Town Hall celebration.

Nahrin Zaya first met her now-husband, Brent Paye in the early 2010s in a nightclub in Wellington. Though they started off as close friends, the pair eventually started dating in 2014, moved to Australia together and got engaged 10 years later in Melbourne’s Fitzroy Conservatory. As the designer behind jewellery label 27 Mollys, Brent handcrafted Nahrin’s ring, and later made their wedding bands as well.

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The couple had their sunny ceremony at Treasury Gardens in late 2025, surrounded by lush greenery, friends and family, followed by a reception at Meadowbank Estate in Broadmeadows. Though the guest list sat at 160, Nahrin calls it a “baby wedding” in comparison to the typical 700+ attendees at most Assyrian weddings.

Aside from having family fly in from around the world, Nahrin and Brent’s wedding was also propped up with the help of their friends. Local designer Annie Enoka was in charge of bridesmaid dresses, Ray otw DJ’d and artist Liam Seear-Budd made the couple airbrushed T-shirts. “The best part of the day was being with so many loved ones,” Nahrin says.

Fashion Journal: Hi Nahrin! Congratulations on your beautiful wedding. Can you walk me through how you met Brent and how you two got engaged?

Nahrin: We met in 2011 at the hottest club in Wellington but remained friends for ages before dating in 2014. We got engaged in 2024, Brent took me to Fitzroy Conservatory because it was raining and he proposed to me there with a ring he custom-made. After that we drank champagne and partied with friends before going away to Olinda for a couple nights.

Where did you have your wedding ceremony and reception?

We had the ceremony at the Treasury Gardens. Nature is so beautiful. The reception was at Meadowbank Estate in Broadmeadows. We needed a big dance floor and it was perfect for the hottest wedding in town.

Was it a big or intimate wedding? 

For Assyrians it was a baby wedding – we normally have 700 people at our weddings. Ours was 160.

Did you have any cultural elements infused in your wedding day? 

Yes, we had lots of Assyrian music and dancing. We also had accessories that we danced with, like the Yalekhta, an embellished scarf, and Kopala, an embellished dancing stick.

Where was your wedding dress from, and what was the process of sourcing it like?

I got my wedding dress custom-made in Vietnam. It was such an easy process, I found the bridal designer I wanted to work with and we communicated through Whatsapp. When I went to Vietnam two months before the wedding, the dress was 90 per cent made and we had a week to fit it to me before I brought it back to Melbourne.

The whole process took about three months and although it was a bit stressful at times, it worked out perfectly and I was so happy with the outcome. I highly recommend it to any bride. I am selling my dress now though anyone is interested haha!

What kind of beauty and hair look did you go for on the day?

We had Lara Daly on make up and Marian Gorges on hair. The inspiration was 2000s mob wife, Carmela Soprano energy. When Lara and I did my makeup trial at my hens weekend, we both loved the blue eyeshadow so decided to commit to that for the day.

What about Brent’s outfit?

Brent did the same thing as I did – he had his suit custom-made overseas. Our friend Liam Seear-Budd, who happens to be an artist, also airbrushed us T-shirts we used for our wedding invites and we wore them the day after the wedding, too. They’re so fun!

How did you select your wedding rings?

Brent (my now-husband!) is the founder and designer of 27 Mollys, a local jewellery label. It was so special having him design and make our wedding rings,

How did you choose your wedding cake?

Our friend, Hannah Hallam-Eaves, is an amazing chef and she made us the hottest and most delicious burnt butter, dark chocolate and coffee cake.

What did you do for music and entertainment?

Our friend Ray DJ’d for us and played Assyrian music, and we had the most amazing songs sung by Rahel during our first dance.

How did you capture the event? Was there a certain vibe you were going for?

We hired our friend Panashe Nathaniel Mugayapi to photograph the wedding, with Sam in charge of videography. We loved the way they both capture moments and gave them free rein to do whatever they wanted. We also had friends attend who are photographers, so some of the photos included are by them.

Did you have any other fun or unique quirks about your wedding?

The dancing was a major highlight because it’s a big part of my culture and it was a really cool way for everyone to come together. We held hands and danced all night!

Also, special shout out to all of our friends and family who helped make our day! We had Annie Enoka on the bridesmaid dresses, Sarah Birch on graphic design, Ashleigh Gilluley on ceramics, Shahn Stewart on flowers, John Bristow on ceremony and Nirvana Singh on MC, plus many others who helped before and on the day!

Looking back now, what was the best part of your day?

The best part of the day was being with so many loved ones. A large majority of the wedding guests came from overseas and it was a massive reunion. Other than that, the ceremony was really beautiful and emotional.

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