The keywords that formed my aesthetic were romantic, elegant, moody, and dramatic!
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Jacob and I have been together for seven years. Jacob is a builder, and I (Jessika) work in interiors whilst also finishing my final year of my Master of Architecture. Jacob is a really practical and hands-on person, whereas I’m more of a creative mind; however, we do have moments of crossover. We’re both pretty active people; we love sports, adventuring and getting outside; in particular, we love surfing and snowboarding together (literally typing this on my way to the snow lol)
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We were 14 when we met at our churches youth group and connected through our love and involvement with music – Jacobs a drummer and I’m a singer. I don’t remember a lot of my first impressions, but I remember instantly clicking with each other, and I think we saw a lot of ourselves in each other. We both thought the other was pretty cool and quickly became best friends. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that a couple of 16-year-olds decided they were a little more than best friends.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
I think we both knew reasonably early on. We first got together at 16 and have experienced a lot of life and life changes together. We really grew up together. There really wasn’t anyone else I could even imagine myself with, and we went through a lot of tough times that really grounded us and our relationship. I always knew that even if we ever drifted apart in life, eventually, we would find our way back to each other. I always had this feeling that he was my person, and I was pretty sure of that even when I was 16.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Jacob took me (a very suspicious Jessika) out to Whatipu to do part of the track that went along the ridgeline. We reached the trig point and had to decide whether to keep going or turn back; Jacob was feeling the pressure and almost chickened out, deciding we should turn back. As we started walking back he changed his mind and turned us back around to continue the walk. We were about to start walking down when Jacob stopped and turned around and said, “Before we go, I have something I want to ask you…” and that was that; he got down on one knee, I had the most scenic landscape views in front of me, and Jacob asked if I would marry him. It wasn’t until later I found out this spot held some sentimental value, as this was where Jacob was camping the night we confessed our “love.”
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
As a creative, putting my vision together was my dream and my worst nightmare; having to make decisions was so hard! I ran through so many different ideas and options, and I don’t think it truly fell into place until near the end. I knew I wanted to play with textures, lighting and experience and lean into my general life aesthetics in fashion, architecture and interior design, and art whilst also keeping the soft and delicate essence of a wedding. The keywords that formed my aesthetic were romantic, elegant, moody, and dramatic! It was really important to me that I found a balance between timeless and trendy and stayed authentic to myself now, but I would also look back in the future and still love my wedding. I fell in love with European venues, Galleries and Garden Venues during the planning process; however, I was working with a very different venue for our wedding. From this inspiration, I took elements and moments of detail I loved and pieced them together to create a very “Jessika” aesthetic (so I’ve been told) with an antique touch. My vision for the day was also my guests’ experience, to create lasting memories and for it to be a genuine display of Jacob and my love.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Photographer! This was something right from the start that Jacob and I both knew we wanted to invest in, as your photos last a lifetime. I scoured the internet to find every possible option I had. I found Ruby and absolutely fell in love with her photography as well as her energy. She not only took the most beautiful photos but also created the most amazing experience throughout the whole of the planning process.
Also outfits! Aligning with the photos, your outfits will be photographed forever, and I also intend to keep my dress forever. I love fashion and have dreamed about my wedding for years, and therefore, I didn’t want to cut myself short on having my dream dress. I’m so glad I didn’t, as I absolutely love my dress and had the most incredible experience with Kenny & Harlow.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Oh my goodness, the whole day was very eventful, to say the least. A spill on the motorway caused the whole time of our day to be completely thrown off, which was somewhat stressful at the time as I had spent so much time working on our run sheet. However, it worked itself into place, and I had so many amazing people helping to manage everything. It also worked in my favour when I got lipstick on my dress quite literally as I was about to hop in the car, delaying our leaving time. The accessories for my reception outfit also got left at our Airbnb, and one of the amazing girls helping run the day drove to pick them up, which I am so thankful for as I absolutely love how they looked.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
I love to dress up! And I knew I wanted a really formal wedding. Typically, Jacob is a very casual and comfy person; however, we knew this was the one occasion to go all out, and a Tuxedo was the way to go. And it looked amazing! Jacob was stoked with how it looked and really lent into creating the outfit and the small details that differentiated him from his groomsmen.
My dream was to have a custom dress, and I had been researching where I could do this for a couple of years and even saving a bit earlier to make sure I could splurge a bit if I needed to; however, realistically, I didn’t think custom would be a possibility. Going into my initial appointment with Kenny and Harlow, I had no idea that they did custom dresses. I had the most incredible experience with Megan and her team; it all fell into place so naturally. The time and the detail put into the dress made it perfect to fit my taste, and my body was unmatched.
A special and sentimental detail in my outfit was my earrings. They were the earrings my Mum wore for her wedding, and I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect pair of earrings for a wedding. A couple of other family heirlooms found their way into outfits as well. My shoes I also wore for all wedding-related events, including our engagement parties and my hen’s party.
LOCATION Private Residence PHOTOGRAPHER Lovers by Ruby Jayne, @loversbyrubyjayne VIDEOGRAPHER Florence and Friends, @florenceandfriends.studio FLORIST Vickie Smith (Family Friend) OFFICIANT Wayne Yandall (Family Friend) HIRE Lucy’s Event Hire, @lucyseventhire; The Pretty Prop Shop, @theprettypropshop; Auckland Event Hire, @aucklandeventhire MARQUEE Lucy’s Event Hire, @lucyseventhire CATERING Aloisio, @aloisiobrazilianbbq CAKE Alicia Taito (Bridesmaid), @alicia_taito STATIONERY Mind and Matter Design (Bride’s Aunty), @mindandmatter_design SIGNAGE Radsigns; Mind and Matter Design (Bride’s Aunty), @mindandmatter_design RINGS Four Words, @fourwordsnz; Michael Hill; @michaelhillj BRIDAL DRESS Kenny & Harlow, @kennyandharlowbridal BRIDE’S SHOE Meshki, @meshki BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Mum’s Wedding Earrings; Veil – Beaded French Lace Veil Borrowed from Friend MAKEUP Rae Makeup, @rae_makeup HAIR Zoe Hargreaves, @hairby_zoehargreaves BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Paco Rabbane – Olympēa SUIT Dorset Suits, @dorsetsuits GROOM’S SHOE Barkers, @barkersclothing BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Blak Bridesmaids, @blakbridesmaids GROOMSMEN’S SUIT Dorset Suits, @dorsetsuits
