Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
I (Emma) am a wedding photographer and my husband Jordan is a barista who works at a coffee roastery. We are both very unique and individual people, but together we share a love of specialty coffee, doughnuts, vintage clothing, listening to our fav music (Lany and Tom Misch), and Brooklyn Nine Nine!…
Our story began after Jordan sent me a friend request on Facebook after seeing each other across a room at a mutual friends sweet 16th (such a teenager thing to do haha). I actually moved to his school that year where we started hanging out as friends.
By the end of the year, we went to the Royal Adelaide Show together (similar to a carnival) and Jordan asked me to be his girlfriend on top of the ferris wheel while the fireworks were going off! (Sounds super cheesy and made up, but I promise it’s the truth) Six years later after setting the bar pretty high, he got down on one knee and proposed. Being a photographer, I hear ALL the proposal stories so he had to work pretty hard to keep me from guessing. One night he said that our best friend wanted to surprise his girlfriend with some couple photos, so I packed my camera and we headed towards my favourite warehouse location. My friends weren’t there, but a HUGE bouquet of sunflowers and notebook was. I opened the notebook which was filled with our story, and then when I finished reading, Jordan proposed.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…
We wanted a vintage, rustic vibe, but overall the theme was to do everything unique and personal to US. Rather than spending money on things like cars which weren’t important to us, we wanted to invest into a custom neon sign and dried florals to decorate our home with. Wanting a unique wedding + being a wedding photographer + planning our wedding in three short months was a hard combo. I scouted high and low for the most random non-traditional wedding venues I could think of, and we fell in love with a warehouse called Orlando Catering and a cute Adelaide Hills cafe called Patch Kitchen & Garden. We chose the warehouse for its blank canvas and all the natural light. It looked a bit random on the outside as it was just on a normal street in the suburbs, but on the inside we made it our own. And then we chose Patch because we wanted a relaxed and fun reception with our favourite foods like pasta, fried chicken, and doughnuts! The Adelaide Hills are gorgeous, so we were also able to get all our photos done up there on the way to the reception.
Tell us about your main outfits:
I was extremely fussy when it came to choosing my wedding dress. I wanted something that could be really light, full of lace, and not overly formal. Essentially, I wanted something that felt like ‘me’ but I couldn’t find anything I loved. After spending countless hours searching bridal shops and the web, I took a gamble and bought a wedding dress from Spell in the only size left. It arrived and fit PERFECTLY. It was a two part dress- a silk strappy slip dress underneath, with an off-white long sleeve lace wrap over the top that buttoned down, tied up at the back, and had a tiny scallop train.
Wanting to go down the non-traditional route, Jordan opted for a forest-green suit jacket with grey linen pants. On top of his white shirt, he wore a Peggy and Finn bow tie patterned with Australian Banksia flowers (which were also in my dried bouquet). It was a more relaxed look, but so well suited to our unique personalities.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
Rather than doing the traditional bouquet toss, Jordan and I wanted to give our bouquet to a couple to honour their marriage. We didn’t just want to give it to the longest married couple as Jordan’s parents divorced and my dad passed away when I was fifteen, so we wanted to choose a couple who had a healthy marriage that we aspired to have. We gave a small bouquet to Jordan’s Aunty Lisa and Uncle Phil to say thank you for the impact they’ve had on our relationship. Another unique moment was designing our own Photo Booth wall area and leaving film cameras scattered throughout the reception. Being a photographer, it was one way to include something I love in the day! We also had gourmet doughnuts throughout the day and night which were a huge win. Everyone was raving afterwards!
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
My advice to other couples would be to prioritise what’s most important to the two of you. In ten years time, things like bonbonieres, cars, and seating plans wont matter anymore. What matters is the life you choose to create together, and the memories you make on the day. Don’t be afraid to invest the extra money in a more expensive photographer if you love their work. Those memories are the only thing that lasts from the day, so it’s totally worth it! (I’m biased, but it’s true) Take the time to include things that are unique to you, break the traditions if they don’t mean anything, and take a minute to soak it all in!
Photography: Goldlight Photography | Ceremony location: Orlando Catering | Reception location: Patch Kitchen and Garden | Videographer: Paton Film | Celebrant: Our friend/Pastor (Sam Long) | Bride’s gown: Spell| Groom’s outfit: ASOS and Peggy and Finn| Rings: 77 Diamonds | Shoes: Frankie 4 | Bag: The Daily Edited | Hair and Makeup: Dani Mae | Fragrance: Daisy Marc Jacobs | Bridesmaid’s and Groomsmen’s outfits: ASOS | Styling: Emma (bride) | Hire: Kiki and Poppi Arbour| Flora: Flowers in Nature | Catering and Beverages: Patch Kitchen and Garden | Cake: Van Dough |
