Like many modern fairytales, this one started with a swipe. Coming out of a lengthy Covid lockdown, Chloé Hayden and Dylan Rohan were both single and very, very bored when they connected on the dating app Hinge. The pair matched and started chatting, then after sending messages back and forth for a week, Dylan decided it was time they met face to face.
Here’s where the story gets interesting. Instead of a typical first date, such as a casual drink or dinner at a mutually agreed upon bar or restaurant, Dylan opted to bring a picnic to Chloé’s family home, which also meant he would meet the family. Brave? Yes. Crazy? Maybe? But for Chloé – a self-confessed homebody, who puts her family first – it was certainly the way to her heart.
“I wore the most colourful clothes I had because I got from her profile that Chloé was a real pixie dream girl,” Dylan recalls of their first date. “I arrived in my really old beat-up car – we’re talking duct tape holding up some of the windows and an engine that’s as loud as a tractor. I pulled into the driveway and Chloé’s mum, Sarah, was doing laps along the fence, waiting to suss me out and decide whether she’d let me in or turn me away. But she opened the gates with a big, warm smile and I felt in that moment like a kid returning home. I was so welcomed from the very beginning.”
You could say it was love at first sight for the pair, who were inseparable after that first picnic date. And on Boxing Day two years later, Dylan was down on one knee proposing to the love of his life with a flower crown, so Chloé could choose her own ring.
“That was the first Boxing Day that I didn’t cry sad tears,” says Chloé, adding that she has always felt a sense of sadness after Christmas ends. The loved-up couple then set about planning their dream wedding, to take place in January 2024. “We knew that we wanted it to feel like us above anything,” Chloé explains to marie claire lifestyle, as Dylan nods in agreement. “We wanted it to be sensory friendly and to feel comfortable. I’ve been to a few weddings and I’ve always found them to be quite formal and a bit scary. I didn’t want it to feel like that. We wanted it to feel like a party.”
To help achieve their vision, Chloé and Dylan enlisted the help of event planners Let’s Reminisce. Comfort and inclusivity were top of mind for the couple and Chloé explains that they chose their event planners because “their unique business model caught my attention, especially as they have broadened their services to support families during their most challenging moments, such as planning a wake.”
As well as knowing what they wanted, the bride and groom were firm about what they didn’t want. Topping that list was a formal sit-down meal with alternate serves of chicken and fish or beef. “That was the first thing I said when we were starting to plan: ‘I’m not doing one of those three-course wedding dinners,’” recalls Dylan, laughing. “We decided immediately that we wanted food trucks with our favourite dishes, like pizza, chips, nachos and ice-cream.”
As an animal lover, Chloé is vegan and it was important to both of them that the wedding was cruelty free. “All the food trucks were vegan,” explains Chloé, “and almost all of our suppliers were 100 per cent carbon neutral. Making sure that celebrating us wasn’t harming someone else in the process was really, really important to me.”
When it came to bringing their aesthetic to life but with sustainability at front of mind, the couple chose Dann Event Hire, “Our wedding has helped launch their latest initiative, ‘DEH Green Routes’. Together with their partner OzWide Energy the emissions generated from the transport of their pieces has been calculated and offset and Dylan and I are super proud to play a part of that.”
The couple were committed to their mission and among the delicious food truck options was Crêpes for Change, which invests 100 per cent of its profits back into their impact programs, which work to eliminate youth homelessness.
When it came to a theme, the pair, who are self-confessed lovers of all things “house of mouse” told their guests that the dress code was “black tie with a touch of Disney”.
Chloe walked down the aisle to a special arrangement of Flying from Peter Pan, played beautifully by a string quartet, Riverside Ensembles. The founder of Riverside Ensembles, Hannah Brockway worked with the couple on a selection of their favourite Disney songs, as well as Bridgerton-style contemporary covers to be played before and after the ceremony.
The cute theme was carried through the wedding, from the Disney character pins that were handed out to guests on arrival, to princess figurines overseeing the grazing platters, and even a tattoo artist offering a selection of Disney-inspired miniature tattoos to anyone willing at the reception. Dylan and Chloé got matching Peter Pan tattoos, and Chloé’s unbelievably cool parents, Sarah and Ronnie, joined in and received the same ones.
The tattoos were certainly much talked about among the guests, who included Chloé’s castmates from the hit Netflix series Heartbreak High, triathlete, model and disability activist James Parr, Labor MP Bill Shorten, comedian, writer and media personality Em Rusciano, and writer, actor and disability activist Hannah Diviney, alongside family and other friends.
But perhaps the most talked about aspect of the day was Chloé’s wedding gown. The beautiful dress was custom designed by Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino, of J’Aton Couture, who took inspiration from some of the couple’s favourite Disney films.
The design duo told marie claire lifestyle, “Chloé provided us with her and Dylan’s favourite quotes from Disney movies, such as Toy Story’s ‘To infinity and beyond’, and we incorporated these famous film references in the gown through hand-embroidered quotes.
For the veil, Chloé wanted the romantic fairytale phrase ‘And they lived happily ever after’. We chose pale blue embroidery for this quote to represent ‘something blue’ – a modern take on this bridal tradition.”
One Peter Pan quote in particular was echoed by the newly married couple and their family throughout the day: this truly is the start of our next awfully big adventure.
Little Blue Book
The experts behind Chloé and Dylan’s dream wedding day
Dann Event Hire
Pieces from their new sustainable collection in apricot set the scene for the couple’s whimsical wedding theme. danneventhire.com.au
Pandora
When it came to gifting her bridesmaids, Chloé chose Disney-themed bracelets from one of her favourite brands. au.pandora.net
J’Aton Couture
The famed Melbourne-based couture design duo worked with Chloé to create a custom gown fit for a princess. jatoncouture.com
Shella Martin
Chloé knew makeup artist Shella’s industry experience and creativity would add the finishing touches to her look. shellamartin.com
Nick Watson
Also known as The Couples Photographer, Watson captured every special moment of the day. thecouplesphotographer.com.au
Mad About Cakes
As a vegan, Chloé loved that Mad About Cakes specialises in custom cakes to suit any dietary requirement. madaboutcakes.com.au
Woolbrook Homestead
Close to Geelong, the venue perfectly embodied the elegance and charm Dylan and Chloé wanted. woolbrookhomestead.com
Let’s Reminisce
The couple chose Let’s Reminisce to organise their wedding, due to their vast experience in event planning. letsreminisce.com.au
Riverside Ensembles
Led by Hannah Brockway, who like Chloe is also autistic, the string quartet made of of an experienced group of musicians played as Chloé walked down the aisle and while guests gathered for the ceremony. riversideensembles.com.au
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