Real Wedding – Aislyn & Jamey, Melbourne VIC
To create maximum impact with minimal stress, Aislyn and Jamey blew their guests away with a surprise wedding under the guise of an engagement party. And what an impact it had – maximum feels, megawatt energy and vivaciously vibrant styling.
Choosing to forgo many of the formalities in favour of fun meant that this celebration unfolded with personality and effortless ease. From Jamey helping Aislyn into her gown to the stress-free planning process, defining your own day has its definite perks.
We love the layered pink colour palette, highlighted in the neon-inspired florals by Grown Florist, the perfectly on-point stationery, and echoed in Aislyn’s heels and Jamey’s reception bow tie. An underlying sense of Mediterranean fun and style unpins the celebrations, reinforced by the modern Italian feel of the venue, Pepe’s.
There to capture every amped-up moment in candid perfection is photographer superstar Jess Nicholls. Scroll on for a sense of what can be achieved when you go for an out-of-the-box inspired wedding!
The meeting.
Jamey owns a gym and Osteopathy clinic in West Melbourne, and Aislyn was given a free month of membership by a friend. After the month was up, she joined as a full member and over the next year, they became friends. Until, one day, they looked at each other differently – and friends turned to more than friends.
The ‘one’.
We went to New Zealand together and travelled around in a campervan, hiking and exploring. It was during this trip we realised we wouldn’t ever want to travel with anyone else.
The proposal.
I (Jamey) took Aisyln down to Rye for the Anzac Day long weekend in 2022 with our Red Heeler, Spotty, to a romantic little Airbnb. We went to the beach, read novels, went to a beautiful winery for lunch and came home to an open fire and a cheese board. While she was adding some wood to the fire, I got the ring out (which I had been designing since October the year before with one of her mother’s rings) and asked her to marry me.
Planning process.
We wanted our day to be different to most weddings, so we decided early on that we wanted it to be a surprise. We made invitations inviting people to a ‘Surprise Engagement Party’ for Aislyn so that our friends and family wouldn’t suspect anything, in the hope that would throw them off the trail for a bit. Our immediate families were the only ones who knew the truth about the event, which meant that the planning process was much more relaxed as we only had each other to consult. We worked out what was most important to us to include on the night and slowly chipped away and booked in the bigger ticket items early and then the smaller details in the months prior to the wedding. It was the most enjoyable experience and completely stress-free, which made the excitement for the night even greater. We had the best day/night of our lives and wouldn’t change a thing.
Style inspiration.
We knew our venue would be the feature, so we just wanted to have elements throughout the space to showcase our colour palette. Jamey’s favourite colour is pink, and we just really loved the combination of red and pink in our venue, Pepe’s. Also, because we had booked this amazing restaurant, which is Italian cuisine, as our venue, the night had a Mediterranean thread throughout it.
In terms of where we found inspiration, we knew the look and feel we were after and apart from a few stationary and event styling Instagram pages, which I occasionally saw posts from, we came up with our look and feel ourselves. We didn’t want to get overwhelmed and wanted to enjoy the process of it just being the two of us, so we had a really clear idea of what we did and didn’t want. We were so aligned that if we did see or find anything that we liked, we would show the other and get to work making or sourcing things ourselves.
The ceremony.
When we arrived at Pepe’s and surprised all of our guests, the ceremony began. As an only child, Aislyn’s Mum and Dad walked her down the aisle to me and our celebrant, Erin. I know this was a really special moment for them all. Everyone was still in shock from the initial surprise of us arriving in a wedding dress and tux; the energy in the room was electric. There was screaming, tears and pure joy everywhere, and we certainly felt it.
We wanted a short and sweet ceremony with the minimum of legalities so that we could spend the time on our personalised vows to one another, something again that was so important to us. We really laid everything out on the table, and I know that everyone there could feel our love for one another radiating from us.
Once complete, we also surprised our witnesses and asked them to join us in the back room to sign the documentation, which was another special moment for us. We couldn’t wait to get back out there with everyone and get the party started.
The look.
Aislyn: I went shopping with my mum to maybe four or five different dress shops as I didn’t really have a set idea of what my dress would look like. I was open to trying on anything and everything to find the one that was most truly me. When I tried my dress on at Raffaele Ciuca I really did love it, but it wasn’t until I tried on others afterwards that I knew it was the one. Trying on more really solidified that that was the dress for me. Tailored and elegant, it was everything I wanted in a dress.
I also knew I wanted coloured shoes. This was something I wanted from a young age. The difficulty was that as Jamey and I are the same height, so I only wanted a tiny heel in a very specific colour – a near-impossible task. After looking in every shop and on every website, I decided to take a risk and buy handmade custom shoes from Etsy. Mum didn’t think the shoes would even come, let alone be the most talked about feature of my whole outfit. They were perfect.
After some research I also purchased my veil on Etsy from a local lady, which again was just what I was after. For jewellery, I wore Dior pearl earrings I had bought on my first European trip when I was 23. I swore to my friend that day that these would be the earrings I would wear on my wedding day, and to see her reaction after the ceremony when she realised I was wearing them was priceless. I then changed to a pink Mimco party pair for the dancefloor later in the evening.
Jamey: I had purchased my dream tux for a ball the year before, and having only worn it that once, I knew it was a no-brainer and perfect for our wedding. I bought a new shirt and boots for the night and wore Aise’s grandfather’s cufflinks. We bought lobster socks the day before the wedding as a homage to my love of the TV show Friends and pink ‘This is Love’ CK undies, which were the cherry on top of my outfit. I changed from a black velvet bowtie for the formalities to a pink velvet bowtie for the dancefloor later on. Can you tell I like pink?
Favourite moments.
The whole weekend was honestly perfect, but walking in the front doors of Pepe’s and seeing everyone’s faces and the screams was a moment we will never forget. The joy was indescribable.
Meaning of marriage.
We have been asked a lot since getting married if anything has changed, and we both honestly say not at all. People normally nod and laugh, but we both believe that it is the sign of an already amazing relationship, which we both feel so incredibly lucky to have found and cherished every day since day one. For us, it now feels more concrete or set in stone that we have chosen our forever person to look after and love in all of the chapters of life we have ahead of us.
Wedding soundtrack.
Entry: Feel So Close by Calvin Harris (the build-up to the grand entrance)
Aisle: Feels like Home, sung and recorded by Jamey’s little sister Abby
First dance: We didn’t really have a first dance along with a lot of other formalities, but I think a memorable dance moment was when we were circled by all of our loved ones to Love Story by Taylor Swift.
Funny stories or near disasters.
We had planned that Aislyn’s mum, Angela, would put her in her dress, but as she was having her hair and makeup done, Aislyn decided that I (Jamey) should be the one to do it. To everyone’s surprise and our photographer Jess’s joy, we now have some of our most special photos of me getting her into her dress, shoes, and veil.
A funny moment on the night, which we can relive over and over thanks to photos and videos, is a friend passing me an espresso martini over Aislyn, which he spilt mid-pass all over her shoulder. Luckily, a bit of water and dim lighting meant that everyone was none the wiser.
Planning surprises.
None really, because it was such a relaxed procedure. Not doing a lot of the formalities meant less organisation.
Words of wisdom.
Try not to stress and enjoy the process/lead-up, but most of all, take time to enjoy the night because it will be over before you know it. Don’t try to please everyone else; it’s your day, and you should only focus on what is most important to both of you.
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AISLYN & JAMEY’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Pepe’s Italian and Liquor. We went to Pepe’s for dinner prior to booking it. We loved the space and food, so we enquired about having our event there, and the rest is history. The team on the night honestly exceeded all expectations, and we still have guests telling us how fantastic they were. Nothing was too much trouble, and they made our dream wedding come true.
Celebrant: Erin Davey. We found our celebrant, Erin, on Instagram. She was super relaxed and suited our vibe perfectly. We knew she was exactly who we wanted to officiate.
Photography: Jess Nicholls. I’d known Jess for a long time as we are both osteopaths and once we had picked a date, I messaged her straight away to lock her down. She is amazing and made our day super special. The photos speak for themselves, and we couldn’t recommend her highly enough.
Styling: The bride and a few helpers.
Florist: Grown Florist (Moonee Ponds). Grown is a local florist from whom Aislyn frequently buys flowers and loves their work. We trusted them to look after us, and they did not disappoint. She gave them a colour brief and an overview of what we wanted, and it was all perfect, from her bouquet to the beautiful bar arrangement.
Hair & make-up: Casey Malady Hair and Make-Up. Casey and I are involved in the same Triathlon squad; I found out she was a make-up artist and asked her if she’d be a part of our day. Luckily enough, she was free, because she is very good at what she does and an amazing person to share our special morning with.
The Dress: Pronovias from Raffaele Ciuca.
Veil: Kim Alpha Bridal – Etsy store.
Shoes: Greek Goddess sandals – Etsy store.
Rings: Aise’s ring – Deliqua Gems. Jamey’s – Elk and Cub.
Suits: Menz Club
Bow ties: Black – Menz Club and Pink – ASOS
Catering & bar: Pepe’s Italian and Liquor
Favours: SMALT salted caramel fudge
Cake: None – we had Pepe’s famous lemon cheesecake for dessert.
Stationery / Signage: Aise designed and printed all of our stationery and signage for the night.
Entertainment: Deus Sax performed at a friend’s wedding. They gave him an unreal wrap, so we decided to book him in. We are very glad we did; what a talented and super cool man, and he has now made a saxophone essential on any dancefloor.
Transport: UBER Lux – Tesla
Décor: Pepe’s Amalfi Summer Decor
Hire: At the Beep – audio guestbook
Honeymoon: Minimoon to Adelaide coast/Maclaren Vale with our two fur babies
Other: Photos in Fitzroy Gardens
Hotel: #
