A Canberra Wedding complete with Star Wars Storm Troopers | Monica & Matthew

Monica & Matthew’s wedding is full of love, tradition and spectacles meaningful to them, including the appearance of Star Wars Storm Troopers!

A Canberra Wedding complete with Star Wars Theme

Monica and Matthew incorporated things that were meaningful to the couple, their families and friends into the wedding day. “Our inspiration was for everyone to feel as much joy as they could.” The ceremony and reception were filled with unexpected surprises, including the organist launching into the ‘Star Wars – A New Hope’ theme song and a Storm Trooper barrier on the way to the reception! Monica found her dream gown at our head office boutique in Roseville. She was full of thanks for our expert team who looked after her every step of the way, with her Peter Trends wedding dress. Read on for more details about this amazing wedding!

Peter Trends: How did you meet your husband?  Monica: We met on the street, by a local urban park, on the Kingston Foreshore in Canberra. Matt was the first person I spoke to after moving into the neighbourhood. We chatted for the first time in the early hours of the morning, I popped out for a quick morning walk and he training his dog in the park. Twelve months later, we met again on the street, by the same park. I was skateboarding and he was walking his dog, taken aback that I knew his name, and his pooch’s name, from twelve months earlier! We started dating about six months after that, after some trivia with neighbours at the local pub.

Peter Trends: How did your partner propose to you? Monica: He proposed by the lake at sunrise on a Monday morning. My favourite time of the day and place to be. It was a complete and utter surprise. I also had a cold, was feeling awful and was about to fly interstate for work. He proposed with his grandmother’s diamond and had already made arrangements for me to design an engagement ring with a goldsmith in Portland, Oregon of all places! I had a beautiful green garnet ring designed there for my birthday several years ago and Matt remembered I’d said I’ve never seen jewellery more breathtakingly beautiful than that.

Peter Trends: What was your favourite part of your wedding day? Monica: Naturally it is hard to pick a favourite moment, each and every second of the day was the best. I didn’t expect for Matt to sing ‘My Girl’ to me in the olive grove in front of our parents. He had secretly been rehearsing and practising for six months. His voice is just beautiful! Usually when he sings he is thrashing out some kind of rock and roll song, so it was an utter surprise.

Peter Trends: What was special about your wedding day? Monica: A memorable moment was hearing our guests laugh during the ceremony when our organist, Ben, expertly integrated ‘Star Wars – A New Hope’ theme song as a twist into the ceremony as we were signing the papers. This was a special gesture that Matt wanted to give for his mum. I then built his gesture, into a surprise for Matt at the reception.

A tradition for country weddings in Poland is the Wedding Gate (Brama Weselna) where the wedding cars are stopped by a road block set up by family, neighbours or acquaintances, and passage needs to be negotiated. Matt is a Senior Fire Fighter with ACT Fire and Rescue and his colleague organised for ACT Fire and Rescue to set up the first barrier that Matt would need to negotiate his way through and I organised a second barrier to re-play a well-known scene from Star Wards where I would show Matt how to pass through the barrier (using the ‘Jedi mind trick’). I organised the 501st Legion (Southern Cross Garrison) to help out with some Star Wars characters, which were a hit with our guests!! They were terrific. Unfortunately we were running behind schedule with the photographer and we missed ACT F&R’s barrier.

Peter Trends: How did you find the experience of shopping for a wedding gown? Monica: I never really thought much about weddings and I didn’t realise that people usually order dresses 6-12 months before the wedding, or that people have several fittings in order for a dress to fit. This came as a surprise to me. I started looking in mid January for a wedding in April the same year. I was told several times I would need to buy a dress off the floor (which I was actually thrilled about given what most people go through). I didn’t find anything I felt drawn to in Canberra and decided to spend a weekend in Sydney having a look. To be honest, I found the experience shopping for a dress in Sydney CBD incredibly disheartening. I had never encountered so many rude, pushy and spiteful sales assistants. While I found a couple dresses I quite liked, it just didn’t feel right to settle for a crappy experience or purchasing a wedding dress, so I decided to venture further from the CBD. Oh my goodness, how thing were refreshingly different from the moment I stepped into Peter Trends Bridal in Roseville in the afternoon without an appointment.

It was such a wonderful experience looking, finding and then purchasing a wedding dress from you. From the moment I stepped into the store, I felt welcome and was greeted with wonderful, heartfelt service. I felt like you had time for me, I felt like you genuinely wanted to assist, I felt like my family mattered to you and I felt excited and happy in your store. You also were very understanding and compassionate about involving my mum in the decision, when she lives interstate, you were also really accommodating and kind in keeping the dress in store and away from my fiancee until I could return to collect it and have it hemmed. Thank you

No other dress was as immediately perfect as the dress at your store. I event cried in the fitting room because it felt perfect and I knew it was going to be perfect. My emotion was also no doubt due to the sincere kindness I was shown in the store and in the fitting room.

Your service is exceptional and the dress I purchased was insanely perfect in every single way. There is absolutely no way I would have had such a wonderful memories finding my wedding dress if it weren’t for you – you seriously stood out head and shoulders above the rest.

Peter Trends: What did you love about your wedding gown? Monica: I loved that it fit like a glove, I loved that it was easy to move around and dance in, I loved the shape, I loved the covered back, I loved the neckline, I loved the pockets! I loved spinning in it. I loved the memories that went with finding it. I was also delighted to be told the dress I loved was on sale and was well below what I expected I’d have to pay for it. I placed a deposit down on the spot. I also loved that Matt’s wedding suit was the one he especially purchased to take me out on our very first date! I didn’t know he’d done this until we had been dating a few months.

Peter Trends: Do you have any words of wisdom for future brides? Monica: Remember that it’s not just about you – it’s a day significant for many other people as well. Build some special moments in for them. Definitely invest in a videographer if you can. It’s been wonderful having a short video of the wedding highlights with family overseas.

Photographer: Anthea and Lyndon Bridal Gown: Peter Trends Bridal Australia Ceremony: St Christopher’s Cathedral, Manuka Reception: Pialligo Estate Videographer: Season’s Wedding Florist: Flowers HQ and Moxom and Whitney Music/Band: St Christopher’s Choir and Organist/Velvet Make Up: Jessica Peris Hair: Franco of Canberra Cake and Dessert Bar: Mother of the Bride Wedding Gate: 501st Legion Southern Cross Garrison and ACT Fire and Rescue