Real Wedding – Jemma & Tom, Lobethal SA
The morning after his first date with Jemma, Tom called his Mum to tell her he’d found the woman he was going to marry. And he was right.
Standing in a perfectly manicured (thankfully semi-shaded) garden, the two wed on a 40c day brimming with emotion.
The bride wore a modern ballgown described by in-demand designer Kyha as ‘maximalism for minimalists’, featuring a full skirt of classic duchess satin and complemented by Jemma’s choice of an intricate, cathedral-length lace veil, which was later swapped for a statement floral headpiece at the reception.
The styling, like the outfit choices, was timeless and elegant, with an understated sophistication and a distinct air of romance captured expertly by the lens legend, Love Wild Weddings.
Delight in every dreamy detail (and exhale with relief at the tales of not one but many near disasters!) below.
The meeting.
It was a typical modern meeting – we met online, on Hinge.
The ‘one’.
It was love at first sight. Tom even called his Mum the next day to tell her he had met the woman he was going to marry.
The proposal.
Tom had orchestrated the entire day, starting with a pamper at Endota Spa. I then caught up with my friend, Gretta, for a beach walk at Port Noarlunga with one of my greyhounds, Red. We sat down by the mouth to chat and all of a sudden, Tom appeared behind me with our other greyhound, Dug. He was on one knee and asked me for the honour of becoming his wife. As Gretta was in on it, her husband was also present to take photos and video, capturing the moment for us. It was so emotional, special and the most wonderful surprise.
Planning process.
It was quite relaxed, really. My amazing friends were so helpful and thankfully gave us a lot of advice and helpful hints. Tom worked so incredibly hard to make all my wedding day dreams come true.
Style inspiration.
Timeless elegance. We wanted our day to be beautiful and sophisticated, but also minimalist and romantic – just like us. We both cared most about the ceremony as that is where the love is. We loved getting inspiration from real weddings and seeing the different styles and colour schemes – it helped a lot with decision making to see real photos and content. It can sometimes become very unrealistic to see extravagant content that isn’t usually attainable.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was full of love and emotion. Tom and I were in tears (along with most of our guests) as we expressed our love through our personal vows and small details. We had recently lost our greyhound, Red, and so we included him through a photo-locket on my bouquet and also a custom-made pin on Tom’s suit. Our celebrant also did the most amazing job of our love story and it was a wonderful moment to hear it at the end of the aisle.
The outfits.
Tom and his groomsmen wore custom three-piece tuxedos by Joseph Uzumcu. They were simply elegant and so handsome with a classic black and white colour scheme.
Jemma wore the ‘Luni’ Gown by Chosen by Kyha accompanied with an intricate, cathedral-length lace veil.
Favourite moment.
Locking eyes on one another as I walked down the aisle. The tears, the love and the admiration was an inexplainable feeling.
Meaning of marriage.
It’s about committing to your best friend, soul mate and life partner. Starting the next chapter together and signifying your love on your big day together.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis
Reception Entry: Believe by Cher
First Dance: Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion
Funny stories/near disasters.
SO MANY! We had the worst luck in the lead up to the day, including Jemma driving over the water metre at Tom’s parents’ house and causing a near flood of the entire street, and someone side-swiping our brand-new car (which was supposed to be the wedding car for Tom), plus many more! We definitely proved our resilience from these disasters and chaotic moments. It also proved we could get through anything together, no matter what challenges we were faced with.
Planning surprises.
How far in advance you need to book! We got lucky picking a Sunday wedding so we planned in 10 months but if you wanted a Saturday, you likely need 18 months or more! We were also surprised that Sunday is not only more expensive but less common – even less than Thursday weddings!
Words of wisdom.
Work together and try and stay focused on what is most important to you. Try not to get consumed by other people’s weddings and compare yours to theirs. Your day should illustrate you as a couple and not be what anyone else wants. Do what makes you and your partner happy, make it personal and unique!
For more real wedding inspiration, check out Shannon & Louis’ special day.
JEMMA & TOM’S SUPPLIERS:
Ceremony & reception venue: Golding Wines, Lobethal, South Australia
Celebrant: Jen Attard – She was absolutely amazing, not only as a celebrant on the day but in the lead up to the day as well. She is incredibly organised and kept us on track with check-in points and deadlines, she was brilliant!
Photography: Love Wild Weddings – She was amazing both for our engagement photoshoot on the beach and our wedding, such incredible photos and considering we had a 40Cwedding day, you can’t tell in the photos!
Videography: Love by Light – Kirk was great and took amazing content. We hardly knew he was there and he was so helpful on the day with telling us how to pose and what was needed.
Florist: Blooming Bridal – Christine was incredible. We couldn’t speak highly enough of the amazing work she did for us. We were blown away with how beautiful our arrangements were and the incredible value for money. Christine brought all our floral dreams to life and within our budget! They also lasted for almost a month post-wedding which was incredible!
Hair: Amber Stephens Hair Artistry – Another amazing supplier, she made my hair look and feel like a Barbie doll and it also lasted all day in the 40C heat! It was still beautiful and perfect at the end and she is also the most lovely and beautiful soul. It was a pleasure having her around for the bridal prep!
Make-up: Jessica Searle – Equally as incredible as Amber and they are also friends so it was such a vibe for the morning. Jessica does amazing work and for an affordable price too! It stayed on all day in 40C, through the tears and the sweat!
The dress & veil: Kyha
Shoes: Dune London
Rings: DDS Diamonds
Bridesmaid’s dresses: All different, most pre-owned.
Suit & bow tie: Joseph Uzumco
Favours: Custom Greyhound Wine Charms made by the bride.
Cake: Sugar and Spice Cakes
Stationery: Invitations for All Occasions
Entertainment: Ceremony – Ella Ion Reception – Uptown Seeds
Transport: Classic Jags
Honeymoon: United States
