Real Wedding – Jack & Katie, Mount Martha VIC
Gorgeous garden party, relaxed romance and effortless style were the flavours of the day for Katie and Jack’s sweet soiree. Surrounded by friends and family and their super special spoodle, Archie, these two celebrated their love bathed in soft summer sun while sharing the hugest of smiles.
Katie wore a stunning Prea James sheath, creating a chic, contemporary silhouette and a picture of timeless style. Bridesmaids in muted sage coordinated perfectly against the palette of blush and cream florals, natural timber furnishings and accents of ivory, styled and coordinated by G+C Events and supported by our friends at Gather Round Events.
For Katie and Jack, one of the most magical moments of the day came as they spent a few moments together against the breathtaking ocean backdrop for golden hour photos. Photographer legend Michael Briggs had these two looking like laid-back superstars as they amped up the relaxed romance to create aesthetically incredible shots. Scroll on to see it all unfold.
The meeting.
Jack and I met in 2008 as teenagers through mutual friends. We were very close friends for a few years before we finally admitted that we each had a crush on the other.
The ‘one’.
Katie knew right from the very beginning, although Jack was a bit slower to catch on as usual! We dated for just over 11 years before finally getting engaged.
The proposal.
Jack took me on a walk down at Cape Schanck, to the same surf break that we used to go to as teenagers. When I had my back turned, Jack got down on one knee. When I finally turned around and saw the ring, there were some very teary words exchanged before I said yes and then sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. We even sat down in the dirt together because my legs went numb from the shock.
Planning process.
During the planning process, my Instagram algorithm got really good at advertising wedding-related things to me, which was super handy! No word of a lie; I spent so much time scrolling the Ivory Tribe account!
I also found lots of other inspiration from our friends who had previously had weddings by following the links/tagged suppliers in their photos.
The first thing we booked was our photographer, Briggsy (we even booked our date around his availability!). Briggsy had done two of my friends’ weddings previously, and I just knew we had to have him. From there, Briggsy had a heap of information on his website, which helped us to get started on everything else.
Once we got Celine from G+C Events and Styling on board, everything really started to take shape.
Style inspiration.
As neither of us likes to be in the spotlight, we both knew right from the start that we wanted a very low-key wedding with a super relaxed vibe. Jack’s sister and husband very generously offered for us to have our wedding at their beautiful home in Mount Martha. The home has a large (perfectly kept) lawn that was basically a blank canvas! I think the major draw of having it there was that we both knew we’d feel so comfortable and familiar, which would be great for our nerves!
Also, we desperately wanted our Spoodle, Archie, to be there with us on the day, which can get pretty complicated at most venues.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony took place just past the house, in front of the amazing sperry tent set up by G+C Events and Styling. The sun was shining, and it just felt so intimate and personal. Our lovely celebrant Ebony wrote a short and sweet ceremony for us, and we said our own personal vows. Our two nephews, Hunter and Huxley, walked down the aisle and held our rings, which was really special and cute!
The look.
Surprisingly, my dress was the easiest outfit! I’d seen it on Instagram, and even though I tried on a few, the Prea James was always my favourite by far.
Jack’s outfit took a bit longer. We knew we wanted a relaxed look to suit the vibe, aka no tux or formal suit, but it took a while to get the right match of dark pants, light jack vs light pants, dark jacket etc. We spent a few weekends trying different options, but in the end, a mix of Rodd + Gunn and MJ Bale suited Jack the best.
Favourite moments.
Our favourite moment of the day was getting our sunset photos. All the nerves we’d been feeling earlier in the day had gone, and it was the first time we got to spend some time together as a married couple. Briggsy had everything sorted (as usual), so all we had to do was laugh, chat and enjoy being together while Briggsy and Aisle Productions did their thing.
Meaning of marriage.
For us, marriage just means being with each other forever. Our wedding was an opportunity to have an amazing day celebrating our love with our close family and friends ahead of a lifetime together, which is pretty special!
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
Recessional: You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall and Oats
Father / daughter dance: Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
Funny stories or near disasters.
No near (or actual) disasters, thank goodness! There was lots of rain forecasted which made us very nervous as we didn’t have a wet weather plan! But in the end, the day was beautiful and sunny.
The only hiccup was that our nephew, Huxley, who had been so excited for weeks to be in the wedding, got cold feet when he saw all of our guests looking at him! In the end, Jack’s Dad carried him down the aisle, which was super cute.
Planning surprises.
How far in advance suppliers book out! I had a bit of trouble finding someone for hair; everyone I enquired with was booked for our date. I couldn’t believe how far ahead everyone books up! Luckily, I found Erin from Quinn-Smith Hair and Makeup, and she was just amazing (I think it was meant to be).
Words of wisdom.
Take it one thing at a time! Start with a date, and then find a venue etc. Don’t try to do too many things at once, or you’ll get overwhelmed super quickly! Also, I HIGHLY recommend having a wedding planner/coordinator/stylist; it takes a huge load off your shoulders! Celine from G+C Events and Styling was seriously my lifesaver. Our wedding would not have come together the way it did without her.
We love Katie’s choice to purchase a pre-loved gown, especially one from one of our fave designers! For more options as to how you can make sustainable fashion choices for your wedding day, check out a recommendation from us on the blog, here.
JACK & KATIE’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Private Residence, Mount Martha VIC
Celebrant: Ebony Carver. Initially, I had tried to book the same celebrant that my sister had at her wedding the year previously, but she was unfortunately booked on our date. However, she did recommend Ebony to us, which was such a blessing! Ebony has the most bubbly and friendly nature. The overwhelming feedback from our guests about the ceremony was how lovely our celebrant was. Not to mention, she looked amazing!
Photography: Michael Briggs Photography. Briggsy was the first supplier we booked, as we’d met him previously at two other weddings. We’d seen his energy and knew he was exactly the type of guy we needed to avoid awkward wedding photos! At the time, we had a couple of potential wedding dates in mind and ended up choosing the only one of those dates that Briggsy was still available. Honestly, I can’t speak highly enough of Briggsy, his amazing photos are one thing, but the vibe and energy he brings is something so unique that I’ve never seen another photographer compare.
Videography: Aisle Productions. Zac and Louise from Aisle productions were recommended to us by our photographer, Briggsy. They were so kind and thorough throughout the whole process; I’m so thankful that we booked them! Zac and Louise know Briggsy quite well, so having our photos taken was just like hanging out with friends.
Styling: G+C Events and Styling. I contacted Celine from G+C Events and Styling quite early on when I started to get overwhelmed by the planning process (e.g. how many couches/stools would I need for 70 people? How much lighting would we need?). I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to bring everything together on my own, so I decided to get some help from an expert. Before I started to make enquiries, I wasn’t sure if the extra cost was going to be worth it, but in the end, it was the best decision we made! Celine was incredibly kind, patient and helpful. She really dedicated her time to make sure the day was everything that we dreamed of. Our brief was relaxed, understated and “less is more”, and I’m sure you can see from the pictures that everything was just perfect!
Florist: Millicent Green. I absolutely adored our florals from Millicent Green! They are a local supplier sourced by Celine from G+C Events and Styling.
Hair: Quinn Smith Hair and Makeup. Erin from Quinn Smith Hair and Makeup did an amazing job with our hair! Initially, I had wanted to wear my hair out in loose curls, but sadly my hair is so thin and straight that it just doesn’t hold a curl at all. In the end, I decided to change my hairstyle to a low pony at the last minute (without a trial!) with some extensions to help hold the curl (recommended by Erin). I’m so, so glad we took the risk and made the last-minute change because I absolutely LOVED how my hair ended up. I’m so thankful that Erin was flexible enough to go with it, and also for the hair extension suggestion!
Make-up: Katie Winkler Makeup. Katie Winkler just so happens to be close friends with my sister, and I’ve been lucky enough to have her do my make-up in the past. So I never considered having anyone else for the wedding! I don’t usually wear make-up, and for our wedding day, it was really important to me that I still looked and felt like myself. So, my brief for wedding make-up was exceptionally minimal! We were all so happy with how it turned out; I can’t recommend Katie and Emma highly enough!
The dress: Prea James on Still White. I’d seen the Mira dress by Prea James on Instagram a few months before I tried it on, and it was always my favourite by far! Unfortunately, because of the COVID lockdowns, I was late to be able to try on dresses, so I was cutting it super fine with ordering, and I wasn’t sure if the gown would arrive in time. In the end, I found the Mira gown on Still White from another girl who just so happened to be really similar in measurements to me! So, it worked out perfectly.
Veil: My sister’s veil. My sister got married about a year before I did, and we both wanted a very similar, simple veil. So it made sense to share one! Plus, it felt special having a little something of hers with me on the day.
Shoes: Jo Mercer. I wore the Novi Mid Heel from Jo Mercer in Bone, and the girls wore the same in Tan. They are the most comfortable shoes, and we’ve all worn them so often since the wedding!
Rings: Katie’s rings – Mike from Classical Diamond Jewellery. Jack’s ring – The Gentleman’s Smith. Jack had my engagement ring custom-made by a local jeweller, Mike from Classical Diamond Jewellery, with a little (secret) help from my friend, Jess. My wedding band was also made by Mike and designed to sit flush against the engagement ring. For Jack’s ring, we wanted something plain and hardwearing. We found The Gentleman’s Smith online and were so happy with their customer service. We must have tried about eight rings before we found the perfect size!
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec + Bridge. I wanted something that all of the girls were comfortable in, so we picked a colour we all loved and then each of the girls picked out a style that they liked the most!
Suits: Rodd + Gunn and MJ Bale
Bow ties / ties: MJ Bale
Catering & bar: Gather Round Events and Peninsula Paella. Gather Round Events were really a one-stop shop for us! They brought their Pizza Wagon (which obviously served AMAZING pizzas and salads), their Old Fashioned Bar, Cool Room, Privy the Pretty mobile bathrooms (which are SO fancy!) and some picnic tables. It made it so easy having a single supplier bring so much. Our guests raved about the pizzas – they were definitely a highlight!
John from Peninsula Paellas was definitely the most relaxed supplier we had! Not to mention his paellas were so delicious! We had two flavours, a chicken and chorizo and a seafood mix. I think our guests really appreciated having a few different food options; there was definitely no shortage of food! Both food vendors left some of the leftovers behind, so later in the night, there were heaps of pizza and paella for everyone to snack on.
Cake: Cookies and Crumbs Melbourne. So that we didn’t have to allocate someone to cut and serve a cake, we decided to go with a couple of dessert grazing boards from Cookies and Crumbs, who were sourced by Celine from G+C Events and Styling. They looked amazing on the table, were so easy to set up, and, more importantly, they were delicious!
Stationery / Signage: G+C Events and Styling, invites by Sea and Paper Studio. Our invites were made by Sea and Paper Studio in a really minimal arch design. Then, Celine from G+C Events and Styling made all of the signage in a similar design to match. It was a true testament to Celine’s attention to detail.
Entertainment: Blue Avenue Entertainment
Décor: G+C Events and Styling, furniture – Peninsula Party Hire, sperry tent – UnderSky Aus. All of the set-up and décor were sourced by Celine from G+C Events and Styling. This includes the amazing Sperry Tent from UnderSky Aus and furniture from Peninsula Party Hire.
Honeymoon: Beach Club – Hamilton Island
