There’s nothing quite like a clever groom, are we right? Just ask Jess, whose beau Dave slyly hid his intentions to buy an engagement ring by pretending he was saving for a motorbike. Ha! Jess was very unimpressed and there were a few heated conversations about it.
“Dave proposed to me down the road from our house on Bronte Beach, we went for a very early morning walk to the beach on Christmas Eve where we watched the sun come up and Dave popped the question,” explains Jess, admitting her favourite detail from the day was the flowers, ceremony backdrop and greenery in the reception room.
“Little Wren Flowers did an exceptional job, I didn’t want to go overboard with the flowers but what they put together complimented the venue and the bridal party’s attire perfectly. I especially loved the fern backdrop for the ceremony which they executed perfectly,” she tells us, adding that they didn’t want the day, held at Mindaribba House in the Hunter Valley, to seem ‘too put together’.
“It is such a beautiful property with a relaxed, rustic vibe to it. We liked that it had a homely feel to it, it didn’t feel like a ‘wedding venue’ and we were basically free to use it as a canvas to do what we wanted with the styling, however it didn’t need much. It was a perfect setting for laid back people like us.”
Opting for a colour theme of navy blue, white, beige and tan with a hint of rose gold, Jess sourced gorgeous bouquet ribbon from Silk & Willow to complement the rose gold underlay of her Watters bridal gown from Marry Me Bridal. “I LOVED my dress especially the fit, the lace with the rose gold underlay and the bit of sparkle. It felt like it had a bit of an old Hollywood feel to it, a sort of vintage sparkle, which I think was complemented by the venue we chose too.”
While these newlyweds tell us that “marriage was celebrating what already was” and an opportunity to formalise their relationship in front of all our closest family and friends in a beautiful location, they also give us the lowdown on the three best perks of having a wedding – “our favourite things: good music, food and wine”… and memories to last a lifetime thanks to photography genius Lara Hotz!
CREDITS Photos Lara Hotz Photography // Bridal gown Watters via Marry Me Bridal // Hair piece and accessories Samantha Wills // Lingerie Pleasure State // Shoes Kurt Geiger // Hair and makeup Chic Artistry // Rings Jason Ree // Bridesmaid dresses Miss Crabb // Bridesmaid shoes Wanted // Bridesmaid gifts Mimco // Groom and groomsmen suits MJ Bale // Shoes Farage // Socks Happy Socks // Florist Little Wren Flowers // Ribbon Silk & Willow // Stationery and signage Simply Inviting Stationery // Menus and nametags LaPommeEtLaPipe via Etsy // Printer KwikKopy // Ceremony and reception Mindaribba House, NSW // Catering Mason Catering // Cake Hello Naomi // Prop and furniture hire George & Smee // Entertainment Bernie Segedin and Frankie’s World Famous House Band // Celebrant Claire Belford // Transport Rover Coaches.
