Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
I (Jamila) work for a spirits company in sponsorships & events, and Orch works for a large Hotel chain in sales. We love to eat! Melbourne is a great city to live in, as there are always new restaurants, bars & cafes opening.
When we’re not eating, you can find us doing a HIIT session at our local gym – life is all about balance, right?! We also try to spend as much time as possible seeing our family and friends.
We have had plenty of moments when one of us is thinking something, right before the other one says it verbatim – we are definitely in sync! Also, when we first met it was as if the stars aligned, when Orch revealed that his late Grandmother’s name was ‘Çemile’, which is the Turkish version of Jamila.
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…
Orch & I are passionate Melbournians, so we really wanted our day to reflect our personalities and our love of the city. We chose Panama Dining Room as it has great food, and a modern, industrial feel with beautiful arch windows throughout. Orch loves plants, so it was really important to choose somewhere with a lot of greenery, which Panama had!
In terms of styling, we chose rich, moody colours to suit the theme with our flowers, cake & table settings – burgundy, blush, grey, gold & black. Our favourite details included the gorgeous floral window installation by North St Botanical, and our custom neon sign (“The Ozirmaks”), made by Neon Republic. We also loved our bottled Negroni bonbonniere – many didn’t make it home with the guests!
Tell us about your main outfits:
Jamila – Dress: The ‘Nahla’ gown by Mariana Hardwick in South Melbourne. Veil and ‘Wifey’ bomber jacket also by MH. Accessories: Shoes by Stuart Weitzman, Chanel earrings and Ania Haie bracelet (a wedding gift from my mum and dad)
Orch – Suit: MJ Bale. Shirt, vest & bow tie also MJ Bale. Accessories: Tommy Hilfiger watch, Louis Vuitton leather bracelet.
Bridal Party – Bridesmaid dresses from Seed, Groomsmen suits & shirts from MJ Bale.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
Our ‘First Look’ moment at QT Rooftop, when Orch saw me in my dress for the first time. He cried, even though he will deny it! It was so lovely to share this moment with just the Bridal party and our parents, and it helped to settle the nerves before the reception.
Our first dance, which ended with surprise breakdancing from Orch and his crew!
My Dad’s speech. Being an only child, he convinced me that he was going to be emotional & cry, but he completely ‘punked’ me with a roast! The final line was “We love you, and know that you made the right choice in Orch. We just hope that you treat him better than you treat us”.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Life is just getting busier and more complicated, so always take time out to unwind, talk and enjoy each other’s company.
At your wedding, take a moment to appreciate the fact that all of the people you love (and who love you) are in the same room to celebrate you! It may never happen again, so really take it in.
Photography: Nikola Janev Ceremony location: The Panama Dining Room Reception location: The Panama Dining Room Flora: North St Botanical Celebrant: Nandy from 2 Celebrants Styling: The Small Things, Moonshoot Balloons Hire: On Trend Event Hire Catering: The Panama Dining Room Jamil’s Dress: Mariana Hardwick Jamil’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman Jewellery: Chanel Orch’s Suit: M.J Bale Groomsmen Suits: M.J Bale Bridesmaid Dresses: Seed Heritage Hair & Makeup: Vivian Ashworth Cake: Jessica Cakes Stationery: Menucorp Neon Sign: Neon Republic Entertainment: Stick Mareebo Cars: Triple R Luxury Car Hire
