you are invited to the wedding of

Julian Koplin & Liesl Forward

What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life.

George Eliot

chapter one

The details

We'd love for you to join us for our wedding on Saturday October 24th.

Ceremony

5.30pm at Earthly Pleasures Cafe, Belgrave. Outdoors if the weather is kind; indoors if it feels like raining.

Reception

To follow at the same venue. There will be food, drinks, and other typical reception-things. Also we will have a roaming magician (who is Julian's daughter, and was therefore very cheap to hire.)

Plus ones

If you would like to bring someone important to you, then you should of course bring them! Just let us know when you RSVP.

Plus tiny ones

Children are warmly welcome, and will be catered for. Kid-friendly food will be provided, and Earthy Pleasures has a large enough garden for some rumbunctious activity.

chapter two

Getting there

Earthly Pleasures sits in the Belgrave township, at the mountain end of the Burwood Highway.

Parking

There is plenty of parking nearby, including small car parks off the main street, Alexanders carpark behind Woolworths, and a multi-story carpark at Belgrave train station.

By train

Belgrave is the end of the Belgrave train line. Earthly Pleasures is a short walk from the station.

chapter three

What to wear

Our colour scheme is spring colours. To assist you in planning your wardrobe, we have prepared a specimen chart of the acceptable range of colours:

acceptable range

i.e., any colour at all.

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.

Emily Brontë

chapter four

On the matter of gifts

Please, no gifts. Your company is all we care about, and in any case our house contains only a finite amount of shelf.

If you would nevertheless like to mark the occasion by spending some money, we would be delighted to see a donation (of any size!) to one of the causes below.

  • Fred Hollows Foundation

    An international organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness and improve indigenous Australian health.

  • Orange Sky

    A Melbourne charity that supports people experiencing homelessness through laundry, warm showers, and conversation.

  • Effective Altruism Animal Welfare Fund

    A pooled fund to support high-impact interventions into animal welfare, particularly for farm animals.

  • Against Malaria Foundation

    Reportedly one of the most cost-effective ways to save a human life.

All you need is love (ba ba ba ba ba), all you need is love (ba ba ba ba ba), all you need is love, love, love is all you need.

The Beatles

chapter five

Make a day of it

A 5.30pm ceremony leaves you with a whole springtime Saturday at your disposal. Here are some suggestions for how you might spend it:

During the day

Cameo Cinemas gentle

An independent cinema directly opposite the wedding venue.

Puffing Billy Railway gentle

The famous steam train departs from Belgrave station. A lovely family outing. Bookings are required.

Grants Picnic Ground gentle

A nice spot to have a picnic underneath some looming Mountain Ash trees. There are often Rainbow Lorikeets around. Several easy walking trails lead directly off from the picnic grounds.

Sherbrooke Forest walks moderate

Fern gullies, lyrebirds if you're lucky and quiet, and a walking track to Sherbrooke Falls (a tiny but pleasant waterfall).

The 1000 Steps ambitious

The Kokoda Track Memorial Walk at Ferntree Gully, a short drive from Belgrave. Undertake it only if you intend to earn your dinner emphatically.

Treetops Adventure ambitious

Ziplines, rope bridges and tightropes strung through the forest on Old Monbulk Road. Courses begin at age three. Bookings are required.

Boulder Lab ambitious

Indoor bouldering (a kind of rock climbing) at Ferntree Gully. Julian and Liesl have spent a lot of time here, falling off colourful shapes stuck to walls. Kids aged 12+ can climb. The bathrooms have showers, so you can rinse off before the reception.

And just before the ceremony

Cognoscenti Food & Wine civilised

Directly across the road from the venue. They open at 5pm, which leaves just enough time for one fancy drink before the ceremony.

Micawber Tavern civilised

A century-old pub on Monbulk Road, open from 11am on Saturdays. Some lovely walking trails lead off the carpark, should you wish to earn the drink first.