These two cheeky Aussies found themselves in the hustle and bustle of New York, with Jess working for Doctors Without Borders and James as a senior video editor for some of the world’s top magazine companies. After 11 years together, a proposal surely wasn’t too much of a surprise, though Jess tells us it was the touching (and slightly smoky) grand gesture that got her grinning ear to ear. “I could hear James was playing David Bowie’s £Heroes, I also smelt smoke so yelled over the top of the music, £James, what’s burning? No response… I kept walking into the living room to find James on one knee behind 200 tea light candles he had arranged to say ‘will you marry me.'” After a night out at a show, dinner and then a midnight Skype call to tell their folks back home in Oz, this gorgeous couple were ready to get hitched!
Living in the craziness of New York, a Byron Bay wedding was a beautiful way to celebrate their nuptials with their pals across the globe. “We knew we wanted to get married at Byron Bay. It is a seriously special place, and is just so beautiful, but also we had both spent a lot of our childhood in the area…We had already locked in the tipis with Byron Bay Tipi Weddings and were discussing location options with Carmen, the owner,” fortunately Carmen had just visited Forget me Not Weddings, a mere 15 minutes from Byron. After sending their folks to suss out the property, and a Skype call from the grounds, Jess and James were in love.
Jess explains that the theme of their wedding was really more about throwing one epic party for all their friends and family, “for us, the wedding was as much about making a commitment to spend the rest of our lives to together, as it was to bring all of our dearest friends and family from around the world together.”
With an incredible team of the industry’s finest, including photographer Shane Shepherd and videographers Rich and Mike from Gold Bear Wedding Films, Jess and James certainly had the party they’d envisioned for their friends and family.
You can read more about Shane’s incredible photographic work here.
CREDITS Photographer Shane Shepherd // Cinematographer Gold Bear Wedding Films // Florist Aurora Floral Studio // Stationery Studio Chavelli // Ceremony and Reception Venue Forget me Not Weddings // Catering Forage and Graze // Furniture and Props Hall is Where the Heart Is, Hampton Event Hire // Teepee Byron Bay Tipi Weddings // Sound Virus Light and Sound // Engagement Ring ABC // Brides and Groom’s Wedding Band Catbird // Bridal Gown Designer Zimmermann // Shoes Alpha60 // Makeup All Things Pollyanna // Jacket and Pants Scotch and Soda // Shirt MJ Bale // Tie W.B.THAMM // Shoes Ted Baker // Socks Country Road // Barber Fellow Barber NYC