Real Wedding – Jenna & Daniel, Bulleen VIC

May 17, 2023 In Black and White, Pink, Real Weddings, Victoria By Ivory Tribe

Real Wedding – Jenna & Daniel, Bulleen VIC

What happens when a bride and groom take to the streets of Melbourne in their wedding looks, bouquet in one hand and skateboard in the other? With visual artist Elsa Campbell behind the lens, absolutely stellar magic!

Jenna and Daniel took to their wedding with the approach that it is simply a moment in time to celebrate with loved ones. And at its core, their day is all that – but simultaneously so much more. Unique style, uplifting vibes and relaxed, genuine joy coalesce to make this celebration truly one of a kind,

Beginning with a cruise through Melbourne’s streetscapes to drop into some of their favourite spots before landing in the gardens of Heide Gallery for a laid-back, emotion-filled ceremony, Jenna and Dan made the absolute most of their dream day. Gallery chic with a twist was an inspired styling decision that led to ultra-modern elegance with a nod to tradition, accented with fushia detailing and an unwavering sense of understated cool.

To see this uniquely epic celebration in full, scroll on.

The meeting.

We met back in 2010 at an Art Gallery Exhibition Opening. I walked up to Daniel and commented on the colour of his t-shirt. We chatted about skateboarding, music, and favourite colours – not much about art at all! I walked away and told a friend that I had just met the man of my dreams.

The ‘one’.

Instantly! I remember waking up the next day after meeting Daniel and feeling giddy.

The proposal.

We were living just outside of Mount Hotham during 2020. We went out to lunch at a nearby winery called Ringer Reef on the first weekend that Covid restrictions were eased. After lunch, we went on a walk through the vineyards. As we were strolling along, Daniel called out to me with a, “Hey Jenna, do you want to get married?”. I turned around, and he was holding a ring and got down on his knee. It was a very casual and carefree proposal – very us.

Planning process.

The first step was really organising the ring! Daniel and I designed my engagement ring – he had used a placeholder ring for the proposal. We’re both originally from Adelaide and so had our rings created at a jeweller that I used to walk past on a daily basis while I was at Uni.

Once the engagement ring was ready, the next step was to plan the wedding.

Our overall plan for the wedding was to have a day that reflected us. We wanted it to be simple, classic and relaxed. Initially, we were planning to have our wedding at an art gallery in Fitzroy North with an 1800 Lasagna dinner. However, we canned that idea when we realised that it was just going to be a logistical nightmare – and a bit too DIY for what we wanted.

I had always dreamed of getting married at Heide. We used to visit quite frequently when we first moved to Melbourne. We were delighted when we realised that both Heide Kitchen and Elsa, our photographer, were available on the same day. Coincidentally the date that we set is just six days shy of the date that we first met.

Style inspiration.

We wanted a wedding that was relaxed, casual and fun yet with a point of difference. I called it ‘art gallery chic, with a twist’. For inspiration, I looked quite a bit at Ivory Tribe, Hello May and Together Journal.

The ceremony.

We had The Clams dressed as giant jellyfish (also known as The Siphonophores) slinking around as guests arrived. I’m a Clam and so to have them at the wedding was really special.

Our celebrant Gen is an old acquaintance from Adelaide – she was perfect, really natural and told our story perfectly.

My brother Trent read a passage as well as Daniel’s niece, Ruby.

We also had a giant cardboard cutout of our Cat, Alfie. It was great to see so many people taking pictures with him.

The look.

I wanted something classic yet chic. I fell in love with a Maggie Sottero dress made from Mikado silk, complete with pockets. I added a pop of colour with fuchsia pink shoes and red nail polish.

Daniel, well his outfit journey was a little more relaxed. It involved buying a pair of Doc Martens and an APC t-shirt and then wandering into Country Road on a Saturday morning and buying an off-the-rack suit.

Favourite moments.

The whole day was an absolute joy, but I loved just hanging out with Daniel before the wedding. Visiting two of our favourite places, Operator Diner and Caretakers Cottage, for photos was great. We also took our skateboards out to the Melbourne Museum Plaza – we often go to this spot to skate, so it was nice to be there on our wedding day.

Meaning of marriage.

For me, marriage is a commitment to each other for the rest of our lives. It’s so special to stand in front of our friends and family and make a lifelong promise to one another. And to have a fun party with our closest loved ones is an added bonus!

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle (Jenna): Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper

Reception entry: I love you, Lou Reed

First dance: All Day and All of the Night, The Kinks

Funny stories or near disasters.

Not really, we were seriously so relaxed about the wedding that there weren’t any near disasters.

Planning surprises.

We took a very relaxed yet methodical approach. I think our level of relaxation towards the wedding surprised a lot of people.

One thing that made everything super easy was our invites. We sent out wedding invites with a giant QR code linking to our wedding website. We got so many comments on our invites, and the website made things really easy because all the information was housed on The Knot site.

Words of wisdom.

Don’t put too many expectations on yourself or on the day. A wedding is a moment to celebrate with loved ones – simple as that.

So, the question has been asked, the champagne popped, and congratulations flowed – now for the next step! But working out where to begin is never easy. We’ve put together a handy guide to your wedding planning journey so you can relax and enjoy every magic moment. Check it out, here.

JENNA & DANIEL VENDORS

Ceremony location: Heide Museum of Modern Art, Bulleen

Reception venue: Heide Kitchen, Bulleen

Celebrant: Genevieve Dawson-Scott

Photography: Elsa Campbell

Florist & decor: Botanical Quarter

Hair: Dolly Ward

Make-up: Self

The dress: Maggie Sottero Designs

Veil: Raffaele Ciuca Bridal

Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Rings: Andrew Mazzone Design Jeweller