JESS + SASHA by Janneke Storm

 Sasha: Jessica and I first met at the gym. It started with a turmeric latte, followed by a walk at the local park, sweaty gym gear and all. Romantic! We are very close, and literally tell each other everything.

We love that we have different cultural backgrounds and often find similarities. We have the same sense of humour, ride off one another’s energies and always try to do our best. We’ve got complementary qualities, too. Jess fusses over little details and I’m more about ‘the big picture’. We’re best friends. Jess is a special needs teacher and I’m a support worker. We both love our work and have a passion for living naturally, and with kindness.

Our favourite way to spend time is camping and 4WD-ing at the beach or in the bush. We adore waking up to crashing waves and chilling by the fire during cold evenings. We’ve had challenges in our relationship, mainly due to us having different love languages. Love translates differently for everyone. It’s important to try to align how a couple both gives and receives love. 

Our proposal involved a Monday night 4WD road trip to celebrate our first anniversary. I had a bunch of natives in hand, set up fairy lights, ordered our favourite takeaway and lit a fire. We were dancing and just having a good old time. I then popped down on one knee while Jess shed tears. It was a complete surprise, and a memory we treasure dearly. It all pretty much went to plan except, we’re not big drinkers so we had a glass of champagne, then tipped out the rest of the bottle.  People think that’s sacrilege! 

 We wanted our wedding day to be intimate, relaxed, immersed in nature and joyful. It was important to us to include an element of adventure, so we incorporated a little hike. We had never been to Tasmania and just had a gut feeling that it would be magical. We hardly planned the day and went along with our photographer’s suggestions. We loved ignoring certain details or necessities of a traditional wedding. We wanted ‘stress-free’ from the start, and we stuck by that. You don’t need matching diamonds. You don’t need a stylist. You don’t even need a wedding party. You only need what makes you happy on the day.

 Jess chose her dress not because it flattered her body but because she wanted to dance as soon as she got in it. My pistachio suit is my favourite colour. 

Memorable moments from the day include drinking hot cups of coffee while we got ready at Captain’s Rest cottage. Driving up into Cradle Mountain was just magical. Seeing little critters nestled all around us, we realised it all looked like a giant terrarium! Reading our vows to each other was really special. We had written them the night before and we were both shocked to the core at how beautifully each had written theirs. 

Photography: Janneke Storm |  Bridal dress: Rue De Seine ‘Vita’ gown | Groom’s linen suit: Daniel Hechter | Location: Registry marriage in Sydney & ceremony in Cradle Mountain, Tasmania | Boots: Golden Goose  | Airbnb: Captain’s Rest cottage | Flora—Murphy Blooms | Rings—Monaco