Inside the Melbourne wedding of Tessa Kenny-Smith and The Murlocs’ frontman, Ambrose Kenny-Smith

How did you meet your partner?

We met on a night out at the pub. I was here on holiday and saw him from across the room and said to my friend “I’m going to marry him one day”. He was playing in a band and I swanned my way to the front. We locked eyes and it was a done deal. We spent 72 hours together before I had to fly back to Perth, a month later I moved back and the rest is history. It was a true love at first sight kind of thing.

Tell us your engagement story.

It was my birthday and [our] 10-year anniversary, we had just come out of a gruelling lockdown and still could only meet with friends outside, so we organised wines in Edinburgh Gardens with some of our closest friends to celebrate.

Mid-conversation, and unbeknownst to me, Ambrose shuffled over on one knee and asked me to marry him. I uncontrollably laughed with awkwardness before bursting into tears. Having everyone we love be a part of it was really special. There was definitely lots of wine and happy tears flowing that day.

What venue did you choose for your wedding, and why?

We had both our ceremony and reception at the French Saloon in Melbourne. We wanted the wedding to be relaxed and like a big party rather than your traditional sit-down wedding. I always loved the idea of a European wedding so this was a perfect compromise.

How many guests did you have?

We had around 105 friends and family.

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

My dress was custom-made by my dear friend Andria from Honeymoon Studios. Andria from the start knew exactly what I wanted – nothing too traditional but also enough to make me feel like a bride. Andria put so much love, time and patience into getting this dress perfect. To be able to go through this process with a friend was so special.

What about the groom?

Ambrose’s suit was also custom designed at Honeymoon Studios. Andria is slowly doing more custom suiting and it was extra special to be able to have them both made under the Honeymoon umbrella. He has always been inspired by ’60s/’70s fashion so this double-breasted blue suit was perfect.

In terms of beauty, tell us about the look you went for on the day, and what your inspiration for it was. Did you do your own makeup or use a makeup artist?

I was going for a Bridget Bardot-ish, Jane Birkin-esque look. Big bouncy hair, winged eyes, rosy cheeks. My bestie Nadine Muller, who is an incredible makeup artist, did my makeup and my longtime hairdresser Simone Beales worked her magic on my hair.

How about your shoes and accessories?

My shoes were Jimmy Choo, my earrings were from Mondo Mondo, my headband and veil from Honeymoon Studios and my bag was borrowed.

For advice on planning a wedding, head here.