Real Wedding – Caiti & Jarrod, Melbourne VIC
If ever you were going to experience FOMO about a stranger’s wedding, it would be diving into the unique, playful details of Caiti and Jarrod’s nuptials.
Their number one planning goal was to provide their guests with not merely a memorable evening but an epic, never-to-be-repeated, interactive experience – and boy, did they succeed.
Iconic moments, there were many.
The ultra-fun formalities kicked off with a personalised ceremony by the dazzling celebrant Precious that featured all kinds of smile-inducing quirks like a bingo wheel to select their witnesses and a vintage garden party Polly Pocket House to hold and display their rings.
In place of personal vows, the pair decided to ‘draw chores’ – like making the morning coffees, taking the bins out or feeding the dog – from a paper chatterbox they plan to use for an annual redraw of tasks each wedding anniversary.
While there were ample belly laughs (including during Jarrod’s strut down the aisle to a classical version of Kayne’s Gold Digger) there were also moved-to-tears moments like when Caiti surprised the room by entering to a pre-recorded version of herself singing At Last by Etta James.
Every audacious detail the tone for the endlessly vibrant reception to follow.
After the duo ducked off for matching tattoos – and Jarrod changed into a custom pink Reigner jacket that told the story of their partnership – they celebrated into the night with a Barbie and Ken wedding cake, silver platters of McDonalds and an enthusiastic rendition of Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club led by the couple themselves.
Wish you were there? Us too. But never fear – the joy in this gallery by Jackson Grant Weddings is enough to alter your brain chemistry. Delight in every larger-than-life moment below.
The meeting.
We met in late 2017, it was a drunken festival kiss that blossomed into an exchange of Instagram details, a not-so-eloquent DM slide of Caiti saying “oi ya hot, are you in the army?”, (he is in the navy, for reference) and she had no understanding of the different uniforms. Three months later, all while claiming to be “just friends”, we realised we were absolutely smitten with each other. We have been inseparable ever since!
The one.
It was before we were actually “dating”, Jarrod came round to meet my family and my 80-year-old Nan answers the door, wearing no bra, no dentures, and Supre booty shorts – rather than running for the hills, we get in the car and he says, “well, at least I know you’ll be a GILF”. I knew then that Jarrod was the man for me, he continues to be the calm to my storm and always has the best one-liners to diffuse any tension.
The proposal.
We were visiting Melbourne, and Jarrod organised for us to go to the Van Gogh exhibition at Lume, knowing he was my favourite artist. He thought he was being slick, but this man never organises anything when we go away, so I was a bit sus and got my nails done. Under the Starry Night exhibition, he turns to me, fumbles in his pocket, and says, “We met under a starry night, will you marry me under one?” It was loud but my answer was, “What did you say?” and I made the poor man repeat himself. He was so nervous, he nearly dropped the ring, opened the box upside down and practically yelled the question into my ear. With an enthusiastic YES and a smooch, so began engaged life!
Planning process.
We knew we wanted to create something that was so uniquely us, honour our guests, and most of all have an absolute blast. We took our time and started planning the wedding about 18 months out, giving us ample time to secure the vendors we wanted, and it meant no rushing to make decisions. The whole process was a joint experience; we wanted every element to scream CAITI & JARROD, and the only way to do this was for it to be a collaboration. We spent many Sunday mornings discussing things we wanted and how we wanted to execute them. Some of our best ideas came from long brainstorm sessions where no idea was a dumb idea. I know most people say planning a wedding is stressful, but we actually really enjoyed the whole thing and made sure we gave space to celebrate every step, big or small.
Style inspiration.
We wanted people to leave our wedding going “WTF just happened?” and I think we achieved that. A quote from one vendor leaving our wedding was “you have ruined all weddings for me for the rest of the year, wait, wedding doesn’t feel like the right term – this was a festival of you!”.
At the beginning of the wedding process, we used Pinterest to figure out what we liked, and everything just kind of morphed from there. The wedding we originally had planned looked nothing like what we ended up with. From everything being thrifted and poor Jarrod needing to spray paint things pink, to a bingo wheel to select our witnesses and a Barbie wedding cake (complete with her Ken and a replica of our dog), we just did what felt right for us. We found articles on things like advice on dress codes, things not to forget, the key elements of a wedding ceremony, guidance on speeches, etc., very helpful.
The ceremony.
Where do I even begin?! I think by singing praises for Precious and her ability to craft a ceremony that encapsulated us as a couple, it really felt like an old friend was marrying us. However, key moments of our wedding ceremony included Jarrod walking down the aisle to a classical version of Gold Digger and Caiti surprising Jarrod by walking down the aisle to a pre-recorded version of herself singing At Last by Etta James (ugly crying followed from Jarrod). Also, playing rock paper scissors to find out who “won” being a fiancé (Much to Caiti’s disgust Jarrod won) which stems from us being some of the most competitive people ever.
When started to look at writing our vows, we didn’t know where to begin. Precious helped us come up with the idea to put our vows into a chatterbox so we didn’t know who was getting what. Instead, we decided to divide up “tasks” and, on each wedding anniversary redraw who has what. Some of these include making coffee every morning, feeding the dog, taking the bins out and carrying the shopping bags. Best decision we have ever made, and yes, Jarrod is living up to his vow of making me coffee every morning.
When it came to selecting our witnesses, this was a hard choice as our guests were all our nearest and dearests. So Jarrod came up with the genius idea to draw the names out of a bingo wheel. Guests had a ticket that correlated to a ball in the bingo wheel, and delivered with bingo flare, numbers were called. Our witnesses ended up being Caiti’s Nan and Jarrod’s Aunty, the look of excitement on both their faces when being announced was priceless and such a special moment.
Polly Pocket was our ring bearer and we found a vintage garden party Polly Pocket House to hold our rings. We felt it was different to traditional ring boxes (however, similar in price), but also is something that can become a family heirloom down the track. It also looked ADORABLE on the plinth alongside our styling.
Lastly, well before we were engaged, Caiti’s Dad made a joke about how throughout history, there would be an exchange of dowry, in this case, three goats. Argument ensued about how Caiti is not property to be traded, but Dad jokingly stood by his stance and reminded Jarrod often that there had been no payments of goats. During the ceremony, Jarrod gifted Alan (Caiti’s Dad) with a whole box of goats as he said Caiti is worth much more than just three goats. It was lovely to see the inside joke between Jarrod and Alan played out, and Alan was quite chuffed to be the owner of seven goats.
The outfits.
For the ceremony, the vibe was very much classic/timeless with our own personal flair.
Caiti didn’t have a dream dress or even a vague idea of what she wanted to wear. She saw a dress being used to advertise a local bridal boutique, went in to “start” shopping for dresses, and left with the very dress that had brought her to the store, along with a unique veil that matched her style. Caiti knew it was the one when she put it on and just felt like a bride. Her shoes were from her favourite designer, Kate Spade, and were a sprinkle of bling, featuring a champagne cork heel.
Jarro knew he wanted a classic tux for the ceremony. The bowtie was bought after one too many lunchtime wines from Gucci in Paris, and true to his style, the broach he wore was an antique shop find he just loved.
For the reception, the custom-made Reigner jacket set the vibe for the whole evening. Jarrod and Caiti designed it together, incorporating elements that represented them as a couple. The flowers up the sleeves are the same style as the flowers on Caiti’s veil, their dog Winnie features on the back, stars around the collar to represent how Jarrod proposed. Finding something that took a traditional wedding jacket and turned it on its head was so on-brand for the wedding we were planning, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Reigner to make our dream into a reality.
Not to be outdone by Jarrod’s jacket, Caiti knew she wanted something comfier than 3kgs of boning and heavy material to dance the night away. Opting out of a skirt so she could really bust down on the dance floor, she went with loose satin pants (a staple in her wardrobe) and a handmade corset she worked on with her sister Imogen. Imogen had previously made the dress Caiti wore to the engagement party and she knew she wanted her little sister to help her craft something for her wedding day. With the construction of the corset completed by Imogen, Caiti set to work on embroidering the corset to be what she pictured in her mind. A true labor of love to get it done in time for the wedding but something so special and felt very on theme.
Favourite moments.
Getting to spend the whole day together. Waking up like any other morning but knowing it’s the last time before we are married was such a special feeling. Being together all day meant we got to experience the highs and the lows together, we truly are each other’s best friends and there is no one else I would rather have with me on the morning of our biggest day of our lives so far.
By doing this it meant that we also managed to sneak away to Le Labo in the morning which was just down the street from our accommodation. In our matching wedding morning t-shirts, Fitzroy just going about its day, we got a perfume that we both loved the scent of. Caiti also plans to wear it when Jarrod is away on his next deployment, letting her relive that special moment, the date and location of our wedding reflected on the label.
We also got a candle with the same customised label that smells exactly how the hotel smelled, filled with the flowers we had brought to do our own floral arrangements, surrounded by our loved ones on the eve of our wedding. Every time we burn that candle, it takes us both back to the apartment we were staying in and fills us both with such an overwhelming sense of love.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage means doing life with my best friend. Neither of us really saw ourselves ever getting married until we met each other and from there we knew we wanted to grow old and grey with each other. Not only do I want to spend the rest of my life with Jarrod, but I want to proclaim the unending love I have for him from every dang rooftop! Marriage symbolises, to us, making a choice to love this person every day and never giving up, even when it’s hard. It’s a commitment to one another to remain the closest of friends and love them through it all.
Wedding soundtrack.
I (Caiti) was in charge of music, and boy oh boy did I love every second of this job.
Pre-ceremony: We had classical versions of our favourite pop songs – ones that don’t typically belong at a wedding, but being played by a string quartet makes it ok.
Groom aisle walk: A classical version of Gold Digger by Kanye West (his choice, I swear). This set the vibe and had all our guests grooving along as the groomsmen and the groom boogied on down the aisle.
Bride’s aisle walk: Unbeknownst to Jarrod, I went and recorded a cover of Etta James At Last and walked down the aisle to this. Having told no one bar my sister and Precious (the celebrant), I announced to my parents, and bridesmaids that it was me singing as they were about to walk down the aisle. Jarrod, being so caught up in the moment of waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle, had not realised it was Caiti singing until she got to the end and asked “did you like your surprise” to which Jarrod was overcome by emotion (the amazing Jackson has actually captured these pictures). This recording was Caiti’s wedding present to Jarrod, as a couple we relate to the lyrics and see so much of our thoughts reflected in the sentiment of the song, having such a mammoth love that you can call your own.
Recessional: The first song Caiti and Jarrod had picked (before they even had a venue booked) was the song they would walk down the aisle to as a newly married couple – Daryl Hall and John Oats, You Make My Dreams (Come True). Caiti pitched it to Jarrod like this; if her life was a movie, she had picked songs for all the big moments and how it would work “cinematically”. With a lively demonstration of how it would happen in her head, when to kiss, when the celebrant would announce “I now pronounce you married” etc, it was set in stone. The moment went down exactly how Caiti and Jarrod pictured it, and Precious executed the timing like a superstar.
Reception entry: We knew we wanted high energy. It was Jarrod’s grand jacket reveal, and we wanted people HYPED! The only song that would deliver was Dizzee Rascal’s Bonkers. Safe to say the vibe was executed perfectly. The photos don’t lie, you can feel the energy in the room when we entered and can just see the amount of fun we were having 20 seconds into our reception.
The rest was all up to our amazing DJ Rumpshaker. He worked so closely with us, and I felt he really did his homework on what we liked and delivered the GOODS! He could read the room so well and made sure the song matched the vibe of what was happening. The brief we gave him was “for the afterparty, we want night club vibes” and boy did he deliver. Having us re-nter (with Maccas on silver serving platters) to Pump It by the Black Eyed Peas.
DJ Rumpshaker also orchestrated such an unforgettable experience for us by organising a way for Caiti to perform Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club (Caiti & Jarrods ultimate hype song). Feeding off the vibes of Caiti on stage singing Jimmy Eats World’s The Middle into a Bluetooth microphone that had found its way into the wedding, he got Jarrod onstage behind a piano, a live mic and let us AT IT. Having our friends and family scream the lyrics along with us and looking out at all their loving faces topped with light-up cowboy hats and feather boas is such a core memory of the day and one that is spoken about every time we see family.
Planning surprises.
We were surprised by how involved it can be; emails, quotes, colour schemes, answering guests’ questions, etc, it was all a bit much. We were so thankful that we had time to take a beat and think things through, and by the time it came to when everyone told us we would be stressed, we had already figured it all out.
But also, how tired we were after. We honestly took like a month to truly recover from the wedding!
Words of wisdom.
Take your time, plan your timeline around the things that mean the most to you, stay off TikTok the week of the wedding, otherwise you will think you regret everything because it’s not the latest trend. Most importantly, be unapologetically you! Do the things that you want to do, it’s your wedding day, no one else’s.
Final thoughts.
We managed to squeeze in a tattoo between our ceremony and reception. It was tight logistically, but it was such a special moment for the two of us. Having a star tattooed on our wedding finger, acting as another “ring” is something we both hold so close. Caiti hadn’t had a tattoo before, and the way Jarrod cared for her and washed away any fears she had, checking in on her throughout the process, was such a loving moment and one we will never forget.
Being so competitive in nature, the two of us wanted to shake up the traditional reception format of dinner, speeches, dance floor etc. So with the help of Precious, we decided to run a game we called “The Quest”. Our guests were challenged to come up and complete random quests. The first being, sprint to a central table, grab a minty, have eaten said minty and prove that they had an empty mouth before being allowed to sit down and be safe to the next round.
Lastly, in the true fashion of our union and wanting to do everything together, Caiti’s mum made an extra two shirts to match the shirts the wedding party had worn that very morning. These shirts were instead of a bouquet toss and also meant that all were on the floor ready to catch, not just the single females! The t-shirts were a hit, with the recipients being a groomsmen’s girlfriend and Jarrod’s brother’s fiancée, whose wedding was just two weeks after ours (talk about a coincidence!!!).
For more personality-packed wedding inspiration, check out Kelly & Jackson’s Fitzroy fiesta.
CAITI & JARROD’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony venue /location: Portico Balcony, Melbourne Town Hall. Sav at the Portico balcony deserves a raise. She was a superstar and made working everything so dang easy. She looked into every little request we had throughout the planning process and made our time at the Portico Balcony as easy as possible. Through booking with them, we were entitled to a photo tour package. We knew where we wanted photographs, and she let us have so much flexibility in this space to get the amazing pictures we have. Her and her team were so accommodating, professional and downright amazing on the day, making us both feel cool, calm, collected and cared for. Giving us and our vendors the ability to tailor our time there to be what we truly needed! The team had set up the space to exact specifications and were on standby for any last-minute requests. Sav, the legend, even ensured that the Christmas decorations that were to be put up were pushed one day to the right as to not impeded on the Grinch getting married! Sav and her team, I honestly think, would move mountains to ensure a couple get their dream day.
Reception venue: Fringe Common Rooms, Victorian Trade Halls, Fitzroy. The Fringe Common Rooms haven’t done many weddings and so it was an honour to be among the first. Jade was our event coordinator and was prompt with responses. Also giving us the ability to visit whenever we were in town to see the space. They were easy to work with and were a great blank space for us to create our wedding day in, plus that disco ball was ICONIC!
Celebrant/Officiant: Precious. Precious came as a recommendation from Jackson and boy are we happy he sent her our way! We feigned neutrality when meeting with her the first time over Zoom, but both were already in love with her and were ready to sign the contract then and there! Her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent are second to none, and her amazingness is still spoken about whenever our wedding is brought up. She made sure everyone knew where to be and when to be there, from ushering guests into seats for the ceremony, getting our reception space set up and organising the chaos that was ‘The Quest’ – she took our rough timeline and made it a reality. Precious is worth her weight in gold, and I don’t know if words can encapsulate just how much we love her and the work she did for us. Taking into account our needs and emotions on the day, giving the best pre-wedding nerve hugs and being the ultimate hype woman when feeling overwhelmed. We cannot forget the amazing ceremony she wrote either, somehow feeling like she has known us throughout our entire relationship and gifting us and our guests with the emotional rollercoaster that was our ceremony! Somehow doubling down and delivering the MC performance of a century at our reception, keeping things moving, acting as a mic stand for Jarrod’s nervous mum during her speech, or just being an all-out superstar in keeping things in check.
Photography: Jackson Grant Weddings. When it came to choosing a photographer, it was a tough gig – with many falling short of Jarrod’s high standards given he is a photographer himself. When we were suggested Jackson by a friend, it was a no-brainer. He was the first thing we had booked and was what cemented Melbourne as the location we would get married in. Jackson had such a way of bringing out the personality of people who he had just met in the photos. He has such a way with people to ensure the best end result. There is so much personality infused into his work, but he does such a great job at making it customised to the couple! He was also a godsend during the planning process, helping us come up with a timeline that was actually achievable and ensured we were focused on what meant the most to us on the day. This wedding wouldn’t have been what it was without Jackson’s help behind the scenes! And the photos we ended up with speak for themselves!
Videography: BottleBrush Films. Bottlebrush was a no-brainer for us, we wanted our wedding filmed in the style of The Office and there is no one else we would entrust this with than the legends themselves! Andrew was so warm on the day and made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera.
Florist: Arranged by us and Caiti’s nan, purchased at Prahran Market
Hair: Arriane, Natural Image Hair & Beauty. Caiti’s legend of a hairdresser since she was 15 flew down from Sydney (she was also a guests) to do the hair for everyone on the day. Ari has been doing Caiti’s family’s haircuts and colouring for years, so he has a good understanding of what she was working with. It also gave Caiti and Ari the opportunity to work on styles every time she came into the salon. She had also been cutting Jarrod’s hair in the lead up to the wedding, meaning all the little idiosyncrasies associated with hair she was well across, resulting in everything being magnifique *chefs kiss*.
Make-up: Hannah Hocking Hair and Make-up. Caiti knew she wanted someone who was blonde because she would get the best results for another blondie, but she also wanted someone who could do brunettes justice as both girls in her wedding party were brunettes. Lastly, she wanted the Mum’s to look and feel a million dollars and on her search for the all-star of makeup she found not many artists showed photos of an older demographic, until Hannah! Hannah had a way of making sure that no matter who is in her chair, they looked their absolute best! Accentuating their natural features and letting their own beauty shine through and not be overwhelmed by the makeup, which is exactly what Caiti wanted. Hannah was amazing through the trial process, working with Caiti so she felt her best and listening to her concerns. Hannah felt like an old friend on the day and made all who sat in her chair feel comfortable, no request was too big and ensured that we stuck to the timeline we had provided, including touch-ups after tears were shed throughout various stages of the morning. She also must have used some super strong make-up, not a single budge, on any of us, throughout the entire day!
The dress: Hera Couture
Veil: Tony Federici
Shoes: His – R.M. Williams// Hers – Kate Spade
Rings: His – Black Finch // Hers – HLSK & Matilda Foley
Watch: Breitling
Bridesmaid’s dresses: ASOS
Suits: Tuxedo – Cambridge Co // After party jacket – Reigner
Bow ties: Gucci
Catering: 11 Inch Pizza
Favours: Foxtails & Co
Cake: Barbie and Ken cake made by Jarrod & Caiti’s Nan
Stationery / Signage: Caiti’s mum & Caiti
Entertainment: DJ Rumpshaker. We knew the vibe we wanted for the dancefloor and Rumpshaker lived up to his namesake – seamlessly giving us the more chilled vibes throughout the dinner, speeches, cake cutting etc to Boiler Room vibes on the dancefloor. I have sung his praises earlier but cannot recommend Daniel enough as a DJ. He understood the assignment and delivered 10 fold.
Décor: Vinnies
Honeymoon: Korea & Japan
