Real Wedding – Jacqueline & William, Melbourne VIC
For Jatz and Will, whose love story is underpinned with ease and effortlessness, choosing a micro-wedding with minimal stress was an obvious choice.
What wasn’t immediately obvious was how much fun, style and emotion would be imbued in their stunningly considered day, captured with dynamic artistry by Maegan Brown Moments.
Choosing the epic EWOW suite at the W Melbourne brought the iconic urban visual drama (and meant they could have their adored doggos present), without sacrificing comfort or elevated hospitality.
Jatz remained true to her chic signature style in a custom gown by a talented family member, while Will cuts a striking figure in his classic tux by Trunk Tailors.
We love that the newlyweds retreated back to the hotel for a late night swim and reflection on the fact that they were beginning their next chapter, as husband and wife. Thrilled vibes abound.
The meeting.
Will – We met about a year before we dated. Jatz’s housemate and my friend were friends and colleagues. We were all hanging out at Jatz’s and her housemate’s place. Jatz said hi but went to bed early, whilst the rest of us hung out till late. We didn’t really speak much until a year later when Jatz moved to a place closer to where I lived and started catching the same trams to and from work.
Jatz – to add, we also happen to catch the same tram to and from work at different times, several times – which led to us carrying on our conversations through text.
The one.
Will – Our 2nd time hanging out was a hike in the Cathedral Range. Up until that point, it was easy and effortless to talk and get to know each other. After that day, I felt there was something special and did not hesitate to ask to date officially.
Jatz – I felt the same during that hike, we spent more than 12 hours together that day, felt extremely comfortable and enjoyed each other’s company.
The proposal.
Jatz took Will to Bali for his 30th birthday and organised a birthday dinner at the Koral Restaurant in June 2022. Once we got back to our villa in Nusa Dua, Jatz gave Will his birthday present to open, and once he opened it, he said he had a present too and proposed (reverse UNO!). He hadn’t planned to do so on this trip, but had brought the ring along just in case. So Will proposed on his birthday, and Jatz did not suspect a thing.
Planning process.
We originally wanted to elope and just sign the papers, and the first thing we secured in the process was our photographer. When we initially put the idea of doing something private past our families, they said they didn’t mind but as we continued through the process, both sides of the family were dropping hints that they just ‘wanted to watch’ or ‘be in the background’, in the end we decided to include our immediate family.
We had planned to go to the Victorian Marriage Registry, followed by a lunch or dinner with our family, but it was fully booked out on the day we wanted (to our surprise!). From there, we started searching for a place to host a micro ceremony to sign the papers, but could not quite hit the minimum spend requirements for the number of people we had at most smaller venues. At some point, we were even considering having a larger wedding to host extended family and friends to secure some venues. Though, as a couple that does not like the spotlight on us, we quickly reverted to our original micro wedding plan.
During the search, we saw some other couples use hotel rooms/suites and came across the W Hotel in Melbourne, which had an amazing suite. From there, it was a joint effort, although Jatz made most of the final decisions!
Planning was relatively easy because it was intended to be a small celebration with family only, and being a Thursday helped with not being under pressure to secure venues. An estimate of costs led to a realistic budget upfront, with a bit of contingency thrown on top – all meticulously kept track in a spreadsheet of course!
Style inspiration.
The priority for us was choosing the right photographer. We both had a style in mind (capturing the moments as they happen with editorial/artistic feel rather than traditional wedding poses) as we don’t typically take serious/posed photos together. Maegan stood out quite early in the search that fit our tastes. After meeting Maegan, it was an easy decision to go ahead!
We wanted to ensure the day could be revisited and remembered, and photos could achieve that. Additionally, being an elopement/micro-wedding, we knew our friends and extended family could not be part of the day, so having an album of great photos is handy in that regard.
We wanted the day to be easy going and chill (like how we are on a normal day), and since we had our immediate family with us, we wanted to also include our two dogs, Moo Moo and Jaffles, our quasi-flower dogs (without the flowers!).
There was a bit of a pearl theme that carried from Jatz’s dress to the flowers, cake and accessories.
One of our favourite date nights is to go to a fancy restaurant or fine dining, so we knew for our wedding, we wanted to do that. We chose to take our families to one of our favourite locations, where we had one of our first date nights – Minamishima. They were able to host everyone in their private dining room.
We used Google and IG to find most of our inspirations and tips from other couples. It was reassuring to read about other couples’ experiences who eloped or had micro-weddings, as we didn’t have many friends or family members who had done the same and didn’t want to have any regrets.
The ceremony.
It was intimate, barely scripted, and with lots of fun and laughter. With only immediate family, we could do it our way and enjoy every moment, including saying our vows to each other privately.
The EWOW Suite at the W Hotel was a great place for the ceremony – striking architecture, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking part of Melbourne’s CBD skyline. Minutes before the ceremony, we moved the chairs around to form a makeshift aisle that Jatz could walk along with her father – credit to Maegan for the spur-of-the-moment suggestion that proved amazing.
Our celebrant, Mabelle, was Jatz’s former colleague, which added an extra personal touch hearing her put our story together.
The outfits.
Will – I opted for a tried and tested tuxedo. I looked at many options online and visited a few tailors before settling with Trunk Tailors, who made all the right recommendations for a perfect garment for the day and future wear. Jatz gifted me a wristwatch as a wedding gift, which I wore on the day too.
Jatz – I was chatting with my family member Josie, who studied fashion and sews as a hobby, about my dream dress idea—a simple silk strapless dress with tulle sleeves and a bow train. I hadn’t tried on any dresses yet, but to my surprise, Josie offered to make it as a gift with my Auntie. Since she was in Adelaide, I made a few trips from Melbourne for fittings. To match my pearl buttons, I chose pearl Mach and Mach heels. I never ended up trying on any other wedding dresses, but my dress was the perfect one for me.
Favourite moment.
We loved everything about the day but if we had to pick one, it was probably at the end of the day when we went back to our suite after dinner, headed to the hotel pool (open 24/7!) for a dip, received some sneak peeks from Maegan and reflected on the day (wow, we’re married now!).
Meaning of marriage.
We are stuck together, forever 🙂
Wedding soundtrack.
As we didn’t initially plan to have an aisle, we didn’t have a song ready, but thank goodness for Spotify! We used Best Part by ItsAMoney, a violin cover of Best Part (Feat. H.E.R.) by Daniel Caesar.
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Jatz fractured her ankle a few weeks before the wedding and got out of her moon boot a week before the wedding (phew).
On the day, Jatz’s bow train fell off too many times, and Will picked it up and clipped it back on almost every time. It was a good laugh and captured in our highlight reel.
Planning surprises.
We heard from a lot of our friends and blogs from other couples who got married that the budget will always go over, and ours did! We did add a buffer/contingency at the very beginning, so we really tried to make sure we didn’t go over that; however, it still surprised us.
Words of wisdom.
Do what feels the most comfortable for you as a couple and set a realistic budget that makes sense to you (add more contingency than you think!). At the end of the day, it’s about you two. For us, having our family in an intimate setting ended up being our ideal wedding.
Looking to follow Jatz and Will’s philosophy, and build a wedding budget that doesn’t compromise your existing financial goals? We spoke to financial expert Mel Browne to find out how best to do so, including practical tools and strategies, here.
JATZ & WILL’S VENDORS
Ceremony venue: EWOW Suite, W Hotel Melbourne
Reception venue: Dinner with family at Minamishima
Celebrant: Mabelle Mercado – personal and fun, we loved having Mabelle officiate us!
Photography: Maegan Brown. We honestly can’t thank Maegan enough for her bubbly and fun energy on the day and for capturing the memories for us, it was a super fun day.
Videography: Highlight reel by Maegan Brown.
Florist: Flowers By Brett Matthew John.
Hair: Styled by Teresa P – the ladies loved their hair and felt beautiful!
Make-up: By Jannifer – an Adelaide-based makeup artist and close friend of Jatz, she’s the only person she trusts to do her make-up.
Shoes: Hers – Mach & Mach; His – Loake
Rings: Annys Jewellers – local Melbourne jeweller, Chris is amazing!
Suits: Trunk Tailors
Cake / Cake topper: Cakes by Jie
Honeymoon: Morocco, Portugal, Spain, France
