It was such a great delight to be the celebrant at this amazing wedding. Natasha and Simon were a delight to work with from start to finish. This article was posted in UK Brides Magazine Brides Magazine the no.1 wedding mag in the UK. Very exciting.
Profile Photo by RICK LISTON
A Magical Modern Wedding In Australia
Natasha Edward-Johnson, 27, married Simon Cox, 27, at Projekt 3488 in the Yarra Valley, Australia, on 21st April, 2018. She says:
When we walked through the doors of Projekt 3488, we looked at each other like: this is our wedding venue. We weren’t actually doing a site visit, but were there for another event. By that stage, we’d seen over 15 other venues, none of which felt right. The tranquil gardens, complete with water pools and an abundance of plants, took our breath away. The building itself, a recently restored Masonic Hall built in the 1920s, is exquisitely designed. Its décor allows the building to shine with all of its original charm. We were looking for something a little different and wanted both indoor and outdoor space, and this was it.
Mark Fenech, the designer-owner behind Projekt, has such an eye for style and detail that we really didn’t have to do much in the way of decorating. It was already there! However, our amazing florist, Holly from Anouk Flowers, created gorgeous arrangements using our colour palette of dark blue, deep red and dusty green. Thistle-like seaholly, eucalyptus, touches of tea tree and Casa Blanca David Austin roses were just some of the magical species she included. The romantic floral arbor she made, beneath which we married, blended seamlessly with the rest of the garden.
I found my wedding dress on a spontaneous shopping trip with my maid of honour, Vanessa. My previous attempt to find one had left me deflated, with the feeling that I’d never find something that was both my style and affordable. But Fairytales Bridal in Nunawading was having a sale, so we thought it couldn’t hurt to have a look! I initially saw my dress’ bold boho-style lace and was intrigued, but it was hidden on the rail behind another gown. I asked the shop assistant to pull it out and tried it on. It was by Jessica Couturesand fit me like a glove. Everything I had been looking for.
Though I loved the dress, my favourite detail on the day was my veil. It is just so meaningful to me. My friend and colleague Lauren helped choose the materials and then spent hours sewing it all together using invisible thread. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined and also added a longer train to my outfit – something my dress didn’t have on its own.
Photography by Rick Liston

The bride’s white gold, solitaire diamond engagement ring came from Michael Wilson Diamond Jewellers

Natasha and Simon made their own wedding bands. They crafted them at a workshop at Pod Jewellery near Melbourne

The bridal party wore matching robes from Posy Robes on Etsy

The bride’s hair was done by a stylist from Oshun Retreat, while her make-up artist was Lisa Cathcart. The pearl-and-diramond necklace Natasha wore came from Ringwood Jewellers in Victoria

Natasha bought her low-heeled shoes from Myer


The bridesmaids dresses wore moss-green satin from Sheike

A friend of Natasha handmade this bridal veil for her using materials they had chosen together. She said this was the most special element of her outfit

Projekt 3488 is an inclusive wedding venue, welcoming couples of every kind and from any background to marry there. Originally a Masonic Hall, the 1920s building has been painstakingly restored and renovated into a stylish venue

All the signage on the day was designed by the bride’s maid of honour, Vanessa Bertolin

Simon and his groomsmen wore white shirts, navy jackets and chinos for a relaxed look. They were all made-to-measure from Bell & Barnett. Their bow-ties were navy cotton and bought from men’s ties company Otaa

An emotional moment at the altar

Originally Simon was planning to make the floral arbor for the ceremony, but it didn’t quite go to plan! Luckily, the couple’s florist stepped in and created this lovely garland

The garden at Projekt 3488 has some serious wow-factor and was the first thing the couple fell in love with when they visited

All of the cutlery, crockery and glassware were provided by the cool venue. The grey Italian-linen napkins were hired from Yarra Linen

Golden Greek saganaki, pomegranate seeds, baked figs and mint. Natasha’s father is a chef, so food was a very important factor for her when wedding planning. Caterers from Locavore Studiocreated lots of delicious dishes for guests to feast on

Fresh barramundi with avocado and tomato salsa and coriander

Lamb and feta mint cigars

Jessie from Locavore Studio baked the delicious wedding cake, a white chocolate mud and raspberry 2-tier drizzle cake, covered in fresh fruit and decorated with a ‘Mr & Mrs’ cake topper from Bethany Claire Cakes on Etsy

The wedding cake was decorated with gold-dusted berries and figs and a few fresh flowers, including blue seaholly

Repurposed industrial discards and chic artwork, chosen by Projekt 3488 owner-designer Mark Fenech, decorate the venue’s interior

The rings of light that decorate Projekt 3488 were custom-designed and made by one of Australia’s premier lighting designers, Christopher Boots. This light installation is called ‘Prometheus III’ and is made of blackened steel, lined with natural quartz crystals

Festoon lights and a floral garland worked perfectly in Projekt 3488’s outdoor space