Balloon Installations and Fried Chicken Wowed at This At-Home Wedding in Australia

Sam and Paul's wedding in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, was 21 years in the making and, to celebrate their decades-long romance, the couple planned a vibrant wedding at their home filled with over-the-top balloon displays. For the nuptials, the couple "wanted a celebration of our life together with those who are closest to us. Our theme was inspired by holidays on the Amalfi Coast, glamorous cocktail parties and our love of pop culture. Think Slim Aarons 2020. Our color palette was inspired by Australian and Italian nature, a melding of our backgrounds. We chose a home wedding, as we wanted the venue to be intimate, glamorous and we had to ensure our Pomeranian Lola (flower-girl/ring-bearer), could be with us all day."

To further reinforce the Australian-meets-Italian feel of the wedding, an homage to the couple's heritage, olive and eucalyptus leaves were threaded throughout the wedding. "Our ceremony was held at our residence. The front of our house was covered in a larger than life balloon installation and our guests walked through a cascading streamer arch through the front door. Our staircase was covered with Eucalyptus and Olive branches, which lead guests up to the main room, adorned with balloon and streamer installations," says the couple.  "Our boutonnières again referenced our backgrounds. We asked our floral designer to combine olive leaf with thistle and dusty miller. They were symbolic of the joining of our two backgrounds and represented the effortless chic nature of our wedding style. This tied back to our staircase. Lola's floral collar collar complemented our boutonnieres but contained a touch of blush floral." The couple's stationery also further referenced the olive and eucalyptus motif woven throughout the at-home wedding. 

Beyond balloons and foliage, another big element of the couple's wedding was fried chicken. The couple won a wedding giveaway from Kentucky Fried Chicken so their menu was filled with tasty treats from KFC. To complement the chicken-centric menu, the couple also served champagne and a tasty signature cocktail. "Our signature cocktail was called 'At Last' and was St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur and champagne. Bar staff and waitstaff circled and ensured our guests (and us) were well feed. Our cake was elderflower and champagne flavored. Our cake was a 2-tier, blue terrazzo base with a lemon and olive leaf topper," says the couple. "Everyone says it, but the day really does go so fast! Enjoy every moment and take time to eat, drink and dance."