Say hi to Jess and Luke, guys. They are both paramedics, who met on Tinder while Jess was holidaying in London where Luke lived. “A few weeks after our first date, I had already secured a job, visa, flights and after a very long six months, I was finally living [there] with him,” says the bride (who wore phenom Grace Loves Lace heels on her wedding day). What a story, eh? They also had a surprise wedding (postponed FIVE times, no less – thanks COVID) and man, it’s the goods. Ashleigh Haase Photography was there to capture it all, so scroll down for more…
THE INSPO “Marriage was important to both of us, but the wedding day specifically was not. We are keen travellers so the thought of spending potential plane tickets on one day seemed crazy to us. We had initially kept the ‘surprise wedding’ a secret from everyone including our immediate families. It was actually quite stressful trying to keep up with our elaborate lies. I hate surprises myself, but I love having the control and being in the know when others aren’t. All we ever wanted was a big party where we could dance and drink cocktails with our loved ones. In short, I would say the overall vibe was ‘untraditional, unexpected and unapologetically us’.”
FAVE DETAILS “I loved the catering – the ladies at Fat & Skinny Catering provided us with such incredible options. Naomi and Eddie were my actual guardian angels. Our favourite detail was the shots of Fireball whisky at the end of the aisle. Once we walked down as husband and wife, we grabbed a shot and headed straight to the dance floor; with the rest of the wedding following. The guests loved having the shots too – it really helped get the party going.”
THE JUMPSUIT “I knew that I never wanted to wear a dress on my wedding day; I love to run around and do wacky moves on the dance floor so logistically, a dress was never going to work. I saw the Rime Arodaky jumpsuit on Pinterest and knew that was exactly what I wanted. The only issue was that it was only stocked in Paris [but] I bit the bullet and bought it. I then had it tailored; where we added in some buttons so I could attach the train to my back so it wouldn’t be destroyed when dancing.”
CUTE CUSTOM “I am very close to my Nan, so I knew that I definitely wanted her to be a part of the day. We decided to have her as our flower girl, and my goodness did she do an incredible job. She is quite popular with my friends, so everyone was ecstatic for her. She was so focused and made sure the aisle was covered in dried flowers that my Dad had carefully picked and dried himself from the backyard. There was definitely not a dry eye in the room as soon as she stepped out.”
MARRIAGE MEANS “Marriage is knowing who wants the aisle or the window seat, it means ordering different dishes at restaurants because we’ll end up sharing anyway. Marriage is cups of tea before bed, convincing the other that you deserve a massage more than them and playing card games in hotel rooms.”
WE’RE GLAD WE “Did a surprise wedding – they’re the bomb! [And] that we stuck with it despite all the setbacks. The only thing I would change is making the night longer – it went way too quick!”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Ashleigh Haase Photography She was not only our photographer – she was our sounding board, the bride and bridesmaids transport to the wedding, the guru, the stand-in psychologist. Rhi, the events manager at Craft & Co – the night would not have happened, let alone ran well if it wasn’t for her. She made the entire process seems so easy.”
If you have fallen for the imagery, check out more from Ashleigh Haase Photography on our Directory here. And if you’re still searching (or just started) for your dream dress, shoes or accessories, go to our Directory listing with Grace Loves Lace for the goods. But first…
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Ashleigh Haase Photography Cinematographer Lunar Red Florist Sassafras Flower Design Stationery Unmeasured Events Printer Vistaprint Ceremony & Reception Craft & Co Catering Fat & Skinny Catering Cake T. With Cake Grazing Table PlatterMe Melbourne Signage Little Pineapple Entertainment Weddings With The Wildman (DJ Jakob Schmitt) Rings Holdsworth Bros THE BRIDE Bridal Jumpsuit Rime Arodaky Hair Piece Kamidako via Etsy Shoes Grace Loves Lace Hair Emmy Sleeman Hair Stylist Makeup Eliza Madeleine Nails Kirsten Noble Bridesmaid Gifts tde. (Personalised Wallet) THE GROOM Jacket & Shirt Politix Pants H&M Bow Tie John Henric Shoes R.M. Williams Groomsmen Gifts Happy Socks
