A Laid-Back Wedding with Lawn Games and Brownies in Melbourne
Lyndsay and Erica’s Melbourne wedding was all about keeping things simple, personal and full of joy. They swapped vows under the trees in Fitzroy Gardens, then headed to Fitzroy Bowls Club for a backyard-style celebration with BBQ, lawn games and barefoot dancing. Captured by Nikki Russian Photography, their day was low-key, love-filled and completely their own.
Tell us about your wedding vibe. What were you going for?
Low-key, relaxed and intimate. We wanted the day to feel casual and stress-free, so we had a small private ceremony in Fitzroy Gardens, followed by a laid-back reception at Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club. There were games, acoustic music, a BBQ dinner and so much joy. We didn’t want anything overly formal or traditional, just something that felt very “us.”
What did the wedding day actually look like?
The weather was perfect, 29 degrees and sunny in the afternoon. We started the day with breakfast at home together. Then Lyndsay headed off to get ready at her family’s Airbnb while Erica stayed at home. We had our private ceremony at the Old Bandstand in Fitzroy Gardens with just our parents and Lyndsay’s brother. It was officiated by Registry Style Weddings and included vows we had written for each other.
After the ceremony and a little champagne picnic, we took photos in the gardens and then at the State Library Victoria, the spot where we met for our first date.
From there, we joined the rest of our guests at the bowls club where everyone was already enjoying drinks and live music. We re-read our vows and exchanged wedding rings again in front of everyone. There were garden games, group photos in Edinburgh Gardens, and a chilled BBQ dinner. Dessert was our DIY brownie tower with icy poles to cool off. We danced barefoot on the bowling green under the floodlights. It honestly couldn’t have been more perfect.
Nikki Russian Photography captured the whole day, and we’re still obsessed with how the images turned out.
Why did you choose Fitzroy Gardens and Fitzroy Bowls Club as your venues?
Fitzroy Gardens is beautiful, peaceful and not overly crowded. It also has a few undercover areas, which gave us a backup plan in case of rain. The scenery gave us so many different options for photos. As for the Fitzroy Bowls Club, we loved the casual vibe. It felt relaxed and fun, with a great outdoor area and a super friendly team. It was exactly the kind of space we wanted to celebrate with our people.
Did you take on any DIY projects for the day?
We made our own brownie stack instead of a wedding cake. Half brownies, half blondies, stacked on Erica’s mum’s cake stand and topped with fresh strawberries. Erica’s dad made and painted the cornhole boards for the lawn games, and we created a playlist ourselves for the party once the live music wrapped up. We also set up a Polaroid guestbook so everyone could leave us a message with a photo.
How did you approach outfits and styling?
We both wanted to feel comfortable and elegant. Lyndsay found her tailored jumpsuit at Cue and Erica found her dress on The Iconic. The styling was minimal and modern, perfect for a summer wedding. Bonus: we could dance freely and stay cool in the heat.
How did you manage the wedding planning and budget?
We made a list of what was most important to us: food, music and drinks, and focused our budget around that. We tracked all expenses in a spreadsheet and kept things simple. The only tricky part was finding vendors available during early January since a lot of places were closed. Luckily, Lyndsay’s aunty is a retired hairdresser and stepped in to help us out.
What advice would you give to other queer couples planning their wedding?
Make it about you. Skip the traditions that don’t fit and create new ones that do. Whether that means sharing vows twice, dancing barefoot or serving icy poles for dessert, just do what feels good. Also, choose vendors who respect and understand your relationship. That made a huge difference for us.
Photography by Nikki Russian Photography
Celebrant Registry Style Weddings
Rings Temelli Jewellery
