Real Wedding - Cara & Jacob, Abbotsford VIC

March 25, 2019 In Real Weddings By Natalie Drum

Real Wedding – Cara & Jacob, Abbotsford VIC

We love it when a couple draws on their own personalities and styles to create the day of their dreams.

With a love of greenery, a fondness for low-n-slow BBQ feasts and of course, their favourite celebratory tipples, Cara and Jacob brought together all the things they love, to celebrate with the people they love.

Jacob leading the charge with his spreadsheet wizardry, this dream team managed to pull together their Abbotsford celebration with ease and the results were truly beautiful.

Check it all out, from the lens of Bonita Photography.

In their words…

The meeting.

Jacob and I actually met when we were both in Highschool (back in the day). We dated for a while, and I was even his year 12 formal date (2005)! We weren’t together long, breaking up over silly ‘he said, she said’ typical high school politics.

We ended up crossing paths again in 2015 when my family bought a holiday home in the same place his family holidayed – Lake Eildon. We caught up one night at Lake Eildon and the rest is history!

The ‘one’.

Cara: When Jacob and I went to the Blue Mountains for a weekend get-away in 2016. It was full of romance, laughter, food and exploring the outdoors.

Jacob: It was pretty early when we first started hanging out in Sydney. Everything was just really easy and fun. And normally I have enough of people pretty quickly, but with Cara I couldn’t get enough.

The proposal.

Jacob and I went on a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam in 2017. I was really keen to see all the temples in Cambodia and watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We had a 4am wake-up call so you can imagine I did not look my best or have my fave outfit on. We watched the sunrise and as we walked to the entrance of the temple, Jacob called from behind, and when I turned around, he was on one knee. Of course I said yes! I didn’t notice at the time, but Jacob had shredded his Cambodian pants from the knee to the crotch in the process of dropping to one knee. Fortunately for Jacob I did not notice the giant rip in his pants. He was determined and stayed focused on proposing and once I said “yes” he pointed out the rip.

The process.

Firstly, it was a matter of building a list of everything we felt reflected who we are and what we would like from our own day. So things like our love of indoor plants, fondness for low-n-slow bbq and our favourite drinks were an instant must-have. Fortunately, Jacob is super organised and knows the ins and out of excel better than his own hand. We worked together to manage all our suppliers via out master wedding Excel doc. I know it’s common to hear the bride does all the work, but with us I’d say it was 50/50. Jacob would argue that he did more which is not true! haha

Style inspiration.

I have a massive fondness for indoor plants, so naturally the Glasshaus had already caught my eye as a place we would love. Glasshaus is an absolutely beautiful space and comes covered in floor to wall plants. This was the main inspiration when it came to styling. We wanted to ensure the styling of the wedding didn’t overtake the space but worked with the space to highlight the greenery. Overall it was a very cooling and fun space to hold the reception.

The dress.

I really felt like my dress was me. It has a bit of sparkle, glitter and lace detail which I love. It’s hard to see in the images, but the whole dress lining has an ivory glitter base.

Searching for my dress was time consuming. I went to many places before one of my bridesmaids mentioned looking at the designer who made her dress. After one visit to Helena Bridal Studio I was certain I had found “the one”.

Favourite moments.

Cara: It’s very hard to say. But I loved one moment at the reception where Jacob and I were holding hands and looking over the crowd enjoying the night. It was a nice feeling to know everyone was there to celebrate us as a couple.

Jacob: It was probably a small moment out of the hustle and bustle of the day. We were at an apartment around the corner from the reception with our bridal party and closest friends. Cara was sitting on my lap at the end of the table. And I was watching all the best people we know together having an absolute blast. It was amazing having my new wife with me and celebrating with all the best people in the world.

Meaning of marriage.

Being with your best friend for the rest of your life and knowing they will always be there for you- no matter the circumstances.

Wedding soundtrack

Aisle: Everything by Michael Buble

Signing: Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles

Ceremony exit: Baby I Love Your Way by Big Mountain

Bridal party entrance songs:

Howlin for You by The Black Keys

Sexyback by Justin Timberlake

The Next Episode by Dr Dre

Burning Down The House by Tom Jones

I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred

Bride and groom entrance: Rock and Roll (Part II) by Gary Glitter

First dance: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Emilie Mover. Mixed into September by Earth, Wind, Fire

Father/daughter dance: You Got It by Roy Orbison

Farewell songs: Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Stevie Wonder and It’s Not Unusual by Tom Jones

Funny stories (or near disasters).

We all know the term bridezilla. In this case, it was not me but Jacob who had a groomzilla moment. He couldn’t find his portable charger the day before our big day which lead to him having a full melt down and needed to be consoled by his parents. Meanwhile, I was off with my bridesmaids having relaxing evening. Jacob did find his portable charger, it was in the bottom of one of his bags. The stress of the day was a little too much for him. Haha

Planning surprises.

Cara: We had multiple suppliers to co-ordinate which was very time consuming. I wouldn’t change the way we did our wedding but I was surprised by how much time was involved in planning.

Jacob: It was probably the efficiency of some of our suppliers. They had such a tight window to get in and get their work done, and admittedly I was a bit worried about it. But the professionalism and efficiency of the suppliers left me in complete awe.

Words of wisdom.

Cara: If you are working, take a week off beforehand. There’s lots of little things that popped up in that last week. Also, take a pair of flats to the reception!

Jacob: Get two or three people you really trust to look after things on the ground. In our case it was Cara’s bridesmaid Krissy and my best-man Sam. And we had some key family members watch over things. Things will go wrong on the day, so you want some people on the ground who you can trust to tie off any issues that might come up so you can get on with enjoying the day.

Last words.

Jacob: I’d just like to thank some suppliers who really went over and above for us. We cannot thank you enough, so hopefully a shout-out to the true legends of the day will go some way to that. Russ Macumber Celebrant. Dee from Bonavita Photography and Glen helping her with the shots. Michael, Jemma and the outstanding team at Bluebonnet BBQ. Yani at Oakleigh Donut Company. The guys from The Mansfield Brewing Company. The team at Oscar Hunt. Ainsley, Nada, Shaan and Roxy at Glasshaus