JEN & MATT'S TASSIE WEDDING

Jen is an emergency nurse and Matt a tattoo studio owner, so when it came time to tie the knot, these two opted for something chill and low-key. We’re talking one guest, a cruisey ceremony and a heavenly portrait sesh in the middle of Freycinet National Park. Pretty picturesque, no? We sure think so. “We made it very clear to our photographer and celebrant that we wanted something very intentional, intimate and non traditional”, they share and that is exactly what they got. If you’re feeling the relaxed vibes these guys are putting down then you’ll want to scroll on for some rad snaps by Mel Badsey…

THE VENUE “We were originally going to have a small, intimate wedding with family and friends but COVID lockdowns were intense at that time and Matt and I were already living in different states so it all seemed a bit too hard and went on the back burner. Matt really wanted to visit Tasmania and I said “ why don’t we just elope?”. Matt’s a pretty private guy so he was keen to have a small, no fuss ceremony, and I have been married before so I didn’t want to do the whole massive wedding again. I spoke to a friend who lives in Tassie and she suggested Freycinet National Park as a beautiful Venue. Matt and I love nature so we wanted to immerse ourselves in it on our special day.”

THE INSPO “There was no theme other than to highlight the beauty of the land around us whilst being respectful and unimposing. As you can see in our photos, we matched our surroundings and colour scheme perfectly but I have to admit this was a total accident. It just all fell into place on the day like it was meant to be.”

THE SUIT “Leading up to the date, I had asked Matt a few times what he wanted to wear and he had always given me a kind of clueless look and asked “Can’t I just wear shorts and Crocs?” I had looked at a few shirts and jackets online that he’d shown an interest in so I bought a few things online and hoped for the best. When they arrived the only thing that he was super keen on was the shirt (that he ended up wearing ) and the rest didn’t totally hit the mark but he was happy to wear them. I didn’t care what he wore, I just wanted him to feel comfortable, so I was ok if we didn’t happen to match… because its his day as much as mine. Fast forward to when we got to Tasmania, five days before the wedding, and we’d just gotten off the ferry in Devonport and Matt says “I think I might try and find some different pants for the wedding”. I had a little internal scream…. and calmly agreed to help. We happened to walk past a menswear shop and we went in. When we told the shop assistant we were looking for wedding pants for the groom, five days before the wedding, she was a little surprised by our calmness. She was super helpful and he found some pants he liked…. I then suggested we look for a jacket too, and we spotted the amazing blazer… and surprisingly they had his size!! He looked amazing and he felt comfortable! So when I say we didn’t intend to match each other OR the landscape, I’m not kidding.”

FAVOURITE MOMENT “My favourite part of the day was the way I felt standing there holding Matt’s hand and reading my vows. I felt warm, and happy and complete. I knew deep within my soul that this is exactly what I was meant to be doing and that he was the perfect person for me.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “Make sure you take the time to remember why you’re getting married, and stay true to that. The days goes super fast and a lot of things that you think are important won’t even be noticed. You’re making a commitment to the love of your life and your happiness and love on the day should be the most important thing. I know eloping is not for everyone, but after experiencing a big wedding, elopement gives the whole experience a very special feel. You get to focus on what’s important – you and your partner.”

Vibing a Tassie elopement after reading this? Pop on over here, here and here for more of the good stuff. But first…