Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
We’re two different people from two different worlds who came together one night for a mutual friend’s birthday, and the rest was kind of history as they say.
Jess was a commitment-phobe & Mikky always got his way, so after a painful few months of courting for him, Mikky did the only thing he thought he could do to sweep Jess off her feet; fly down to Melbourne and interrupt a girls weekend away to woo her. The grandest gesture, which could’ve gone horribly wrong, was well- received and 6 years later here we are. We love travelling together and trying different cuisines and learning about different cultures. Mikky is a football fanatic, and Jess less so. He could tell you every single thing about every game & player in the last 100 years.
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 our wedding to be different, relaxed, fun and very boozey. We must’ve have checked out every venue in Sydney before we found BoxGrove which was purely by chance. It all felt very serendipitous as there was a huge chestnut tree as you enter the property, similar to one from Mikky’s father’s hometown in Italy! Another reason we loved the venue is because the team at BoxGrove literally take care of everything – styling, florals, planning, makeup, etc. I decided on more of a boho theme with plenty of greens and more whimsical & minimal vibes. After the ceremony which was outdoors with a killer backdrop of the countryside, the drinking began with Mik’s favourite beer on the menu & Jess’s favourite cocktail that we drank every hour of every day in Bali. A few hours later, we sat down for dinner & speeches when an insane storm rolled in and killed the power! Luckily, the candles came out, the grandparents started singing & everyone grabbed another drink and we kicked on! The night truly resembled the essence of us & I wouldn’t change a thing.
Tell us about your main outfits:
I LOVE LOVE LOVED my dress! It was the most stunning piece of art I had ever laid eyes on, and I still get compliments on it today! It was delicate and intricate but low-key and different with a daringly low back to show off all the hard work I’d been doing at F45. It was exactly what I dreamed of and matched the setting & styling perfectly. It was one of the first dresses I tried on and that was that for me. Mikky, being the more relaxed kind of guy found a to-die-for linen suit at MJ Bale that he dressed his 8 groomsmen in (yes 8!) with an adorable set of suspenders and matching pocket tie. We were blown away with how well our outfits complemented each other as well as our bridal party.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
Walking from the onsite salon to the ceremony area with my dad will always be one of my favourite memories. He was so calm and steady and took his time walking with me, knowing how nervous I was about walking out in front of so many people. He was so proud to have me on his arm and I’ll never forget the love from him and the way I felt in that moment.
Halfway during the ceremony, a cat emerged from under the alter platform we were all standing on and was putting on quite the show! After the ceremony, the cat was showing us all the great photography spots around the property. We ended up getting a whole bunch of snaps where the cat was just front and centre!
One of our lovely photographers was taking snaps of my accessories right before I got ready for the ceremony and one of the delicate earrings broke in half .. Thank god for the champagne at this point! I appointed my handiest bridesmaid to source a pair of pliers and put her to work, not caring how it looked as long as I could wear it! No one could tell a difference.
We ditched the reception for about 45 minutes during sunset and jumped in our photographer’s car and drove to a bare paddock to take advantage of the approaching storm. We ended up with the most insanely beautiful landscape photos with this apocalyptic backdrop which provided us the most romantic and intense photos. My dress kept catching on sticks and it was at that point I really just let my hair down and had fun, not caring what happened to my dress, makeup, hair etc.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
“Happy wife, happy life” comes to mind. However, not sweating the small stuff is also a big one. We’ve changed a lot this year but we’ve grown together and are each other’s biggest fan. We’ve come from completely different worlds and didn’t want to change anything about each other, but instead, embrace our differences and work out how to find happy mediums. Spending time together is super important, but so is spending time apart and encouraging each other to nurture our relationships with friends & others. And, have fun! Don’t take life too seriously!
Venue, Planner, Styling & Flora: Box Grove | Photographer: Corinna and Dylan | Entertainment: The White Tree | Catering + Beverages: PB Catering | Cake: Enticing Icing Cake Design | Bride’s Dress: Rue De Seine | Groom & Groomsmen Suits: MJ Bale | Bride’s Ring: Diamond Emporium | Groom’s Ring: Family Heirloom | Bride’s Shoes: Oscar de la Renta | Groom’s Shoes: Aquila | Bride’s Earrings: A.B Ellie | Makeup & Hair: Luxe Hair & Body | Fragrance: Café Rose by Tom Ford | Bridesmaid Dresses: Assembly Label | Bridesmaid Shoes: Forever New | Bridesmaid Earrings: Bauble Bar
