Since then, we have gone through ups and downs together and apart, but all roads have led us back together and to our wonderful wedding.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
I’m Jessica and my wonderful husband is Richard. I work as a UX/UI Designer and Team Lead for a tech consultancy, and Richard is a Corporate Tax Manager. We complement each other well – one for numbers and one for creativity. I’m always proud to say Richard is the smartest person I know. We both love good food, and eating out or just cuddling up on the couch watching a good TV show is our happy place.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met after high school at a friend’s birthday party back when we were 19 (so about 15 years ago now). We had been at the same school but never once talked to each other. Richard and a friend had an esky full of vodka cruisers – that was, of course, the perfect magnet for girls, and I asked him for a drink. Our paths crossed again at our friend Ben’s (best man) birthday party. We all decided to walk up the road to the oval, and after holding hands, Richard asked me out. Our first date was to a Thai restaurant, and then off to the movies to watch Slumdog Millionaire (a very good choice by Richard). Since then, we have gone through ups and downs together and apart, but all roads have led us back together and to our wonderful wedding.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
When we were sitting together in my teenage bedroom, he told me he loved me for the first time. I already knew I loved him too but I wanted to make sure I hadn’t misheard and asked him to repeat what he had just said! Since then I knew he was my forever person.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
After a long night/day out, Richard came over, and we talked about getting married. Given the time he had been out, for I wasn’t sure how seriously I should take him, but the next weekend Richard had booked a fancy lunch at a Japanese restaurant Komeyui (knowing my love for all things Japanese) and then surprised me with an appointment at a jewellers to pick out a gorgeous ring from the Australian diamond company.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
Our words to describe the day are whimsical, fun and stylish. I wanted to include sage greens and have everything feel natural and reminiscent of a garden party with wildflowers. So we opted for a classic white and green colour palette with some pops of yellow in the flowers. One supplier we booked early on was Marcel as our photographer from Rick Liston. I loved their style, and they knew the venue really well. They captured the lovely vibes of the day.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Drinks we decided to get his and her cocktails. We got a gimlet and a negroni which represented our favourite drinks. We also had a last-minute addition of a photo booth with Heartbreak Hotels, which was a bit of a splurge, but it was worth it for all the fun photos, and it provided a bit of a takeaway memory for our guests.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Well, I ended up running a bit late, which, in the end, worked out fine. I was so worried about running behind and having Richard waiting there for me, but in hindsight, I laughed as I realized they couldn’t start without me. It also allowed all of our guests to arrive, as a few were running late.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
It was really lovely to be able to choose my wedding dress with my Mum and brother in Perth while I was over there for a short trip. We ended up only needing to go to one store as the Made with Love dress I had my eye on suited me perfectly! The lovely ladies at Brides By Design then altered it to fit perfectly and quickly, all ready for the big day.
We love our Converse shoes (I even wore some on our first date) and as Richard is not a fan of dress shoes, we thought we would add our own twist of having the bridal party wearing Converse too. The groomsmen all wore black Converse to match their suits, and for the bridal party, we actually made our own sage glitter Converse (to work with the colour scheme) with the help of my maid of honour, Luna. We spent a day watching movies while getting crafty and making them sparkle. We swapped into them for the reception. I also had a white glitter pair to dance the night away in.
CEREMONY & RECEPTION Stones of the Yarra Valley, Coldstream, Australia, @stonesoftheyarravalley FLORIST The Providore Styling, @theprovidorestyling PHOTOGRAPHER Rick Liston + Co, @rick_liston VIDEOGRAPHER Where the Heart is, @wheretheheartisau OFFICIANT Zee Scott, @zeescott__ CONTENT CREATOR Reel Queens, @wedding_content_creators MAKEUP Trish Sousa Hair & Beauty, @trishsousamua HAIR One-the-day – Trish Sousa Hair & Beauty, @trishsousamua; Cut and colour – Georgia at Frankie Salon BRIDAL DRESS Brides by Design, @Brides_by_design DESIGNER Made with Love, @Madewithlovebridal BRIDESMAID DRESSES Review, @review_australia SUIT Mens Suit Warehouse, @Menssuitwarehouse GROOM’S PARTY SUIT Mens Suit Warehouse, @Menssuitwarehouse GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Grooms Bowtie and Groomsmen Ties – Aussie Ties, @aussieties ACCESSORIES/VEIL Madame Tulle, @madametulle EARRINGS Rutherford, @rutherfordjewellery RINGS Australian Diamond Company, @adcdiamonds SHOES Pink Inc, @pinkincshoes; Converse, @converse_anz CAKE Mali Bakes, @Mali_bakes BRIDAL & GROOM GETTING READY HQ The Farmhouse at Meletos; The Day Room at Stones of the Yarra Valley, @stonesoftheyarravalley INVITES Bliss and Bone, @blissandbone SIGNAGE Paperlust, @paperlust.co BRIDE’S NAILS Trophy Wife Nail Art, @trophywifenailart RECEPTION ENTERTAINMENT Unplugged Entertainment, @Unpluggedentertainment PHOTOBOOTH Heartbreak Hotel, @heartbreakbooth
