Real Weddings

Article by

Sophie

Posted on

23/04/2017

Posted in

Real Weddings

It was at Nanga Bush Camp in year 11 that Malanie and Jack’s romance first began to bud when Jack spent three days taking care of his young love’s broken finger. Jump forward five and a half years later, the two tied the knot there in front of all their loved ones.

“We just knew that our wedding day would be so special if it was set in the stunning forest and beautifully rustic Woodshed. Practically speaking it was great as the shed slept 100 people and came fully equipped. It was the only wedding venue we considered and saw beforehand, and it blew us away,” says Malanie, adding that she and Jack were the inspiration for the vibe of the day.

“Everything we loved, are passionate about, find beautiful, culturally identify with and aesthetically like, we incorporated into our day. We wanted the day to scream ‘Jack and Malanie’! And it did. I would best describe our day as being whimsically eclectic, with a vintage elegance and a naturally romantic feel. It was the greatest compliment when someone said they’d just experienced the Mamma Mia wedding in real life. I think our wedding-vibe goals were well and truly achieved,” Malanie tells us, who planned their day of days in just 18 months.

“It was the perfect amount of time for me to do all the planning and styling with still being at university. It was also handy for our overseas family and friends to have this time to save up and plan the trip. I am from South-Africa and Jack comes from England meaning we ended up with a diverse mix of people which was so great,” says the bride, admitting that their celebration of love was a bit of a “DIY bonanza”.

“It was mainly done on a student budget. In the year and a half lead up to the wedding, I designed and planned everything from the styling to the paper goods. We essentially had a weekend long wedding with over 50 of our friends and family coming down on the day before to help with the massive setup. They also slept over in the shed, camping-style. Their camaraderie and mateship created the most beautiful energy for the rest of the weekend,” the pair explains, though Jack’s favourite memory was a surefire standout.

“I know it sounds pretty corny, but there really was nothing like seeing her walk down that aisle. She stepped out, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Everything else seemed to just bleed away, the people in the rows were a blur and I could breathe again, as for that moment as she got out of the car, everything seemed to just change. I wasn’t nervous anymore. In no time, she was there at the end of the aisle with me and I knew more than ever how much I loved her.”

Lucky for the couple, they had one heck of a photography and cinematography team to catch all of the lovely moments on film. “We absolutely loved working with Loren from Nectarine Photography and Chris and Robyn from Woodvine & Co. They made us feel pretty comfortable during the photo session and they even stayed later than expected.”

“I know it sounds pretty corny, but there really was nothing like seeing her walk down that aisle. She stepped out, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Everything else seemed to just bleed away, the people in the rows were a blur and I could breathe again, as for that moment as she got out of the car, everything seemed to just change. I wasn’t nervous anymore. In no time, she was there at the end of the aisle with me and I knew more than ever how much I loved her.”