Real Wedding – Jessie & Jane, Nilma North VIC
Jessie and Jane’s invites specified no to frills and yes to feels – a choice that resulted in a wedding day filled with warmth, tasteful touches, and so much love.
Set on their family property surrounded by sweeping country views, the backdrop to do their I Dos was nothing short of breathtaking. Jane looked every bit the effortless glamazon in her simply stylish One Day Bridal sheath, while Jessie was a shimmering dream in her sequinned Shona Joy two-piece. Bouquets of rich vermillion and inky wine accents anchored the look in an overall theme of city sparkle meets modern country.
As the newlyweds took a moment with their superstar photographer Amanda Alessi, the excitement and emotion between them is palpable, making for truly moving images.
We love the way Jessie and Jane embraced the farm style touches of their venue – from typography on tractor tyres to hay bale decor, the attention to detail gives the day a playfully personal feel, with help from our friends at Elderberry Event Hire.
A tractor filled with pre-dinner drinks kicked off the party in the style they would continue, with the celebratory vibes continuing well into the evening. This is one post-covid party we all want to be at! Scroll on for every delight-filled detail.
The meeting.
We met playing local women’s football on the Mornington Peninsula. Jane already played for the team, and Jessie joined in 2010, and we have been together ever since.
The ‘one’.
When we were ‘dating’, we drove to Torquay and found a random block of land to pull up in.
We had hardly any money; we slept in a tiny car but made such fun memories. We knew we were right for one another as we both enjoyed the simple things and dreamt of a simple life together early on.
The proposal.
This was planned well and executed terribly.
I (Jessie) booked an Air Bnb and had planned a picnic/fishing experience by the side of the river with the sinker engraved. Unfortunately, the sinker got caught in the mud first cast and snapped off. There were 90km winds and pouring rain.
I ended up just asking her in front of the fire with a couple of glasses of wine.
Planning process.
We planned most things together, taking our time, which was nice.
We were lucky enough to have family friends who afforded us the opportunity to have our wedding at their property. They helped us plan as we needed to organise everything, from the toilets to the tables and chairs.
The lead-up was nerve-racking because of the weather. We really didn’t have a backup plan for rain, and it poured the day before.
Our day was absolutely perfect, though.
Style inspiration.
Our wedding was in an old farm tractor shed. We were fairly set on the style due to the location and surroundings. We tried our best to combine modern takes with the natural farm / rustic style that the location brought with it.
We were conscious not to combine too many rustic touches, and I think the result was great.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was special. Our bridesmaids were already waiting for us, and we walked one after the other down the aisle with our Dad’s.
One of our best friends played guitar and sang as we both came down the aisle. She sang the song ‘Jane’ by Picture This. It was emotional and special.
The outfit.
Jane found her favourite dress online, tried it on once and decided it was perfect (typical Jane).
Jessie, on the other hand, created a six-month-long nightmare with many changes of mind. I started off wanting something simple and ended up buying a two-piece gold sequined skirt and top.
Nothing fitted perfectly, but luckily one of my best friends is an amazing bridal seamstress and created something nobody expected in a million years. I really loved that I wore something that even I didn’t see coming.
Favourite moments.
After our ceremony, we drove up to the main house in a golf buggy for a small breather.
We were so happy and full of excitement. We loved driving back down the long driveway, seeing everyone looking back at us with just as much excitement.
We pulled up and started the festivities.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage is the perfect combination of support, encouragement, softness, laughs and love.
Not taking each other too seriously, but serious enough and evolving with one another as life moves forward.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Jane by Picture This. (Sang by bridesmaid Rebekah Turnbull)
Signing song: Follow the Sun by Xavier Rudd.
Recessional: You’ve Got the Love by Florence + the Machine.
Reception entry: River by Bishop Briggs.
Funny stories or near disasters.
Our day ran really well, thanks to the millions of people running around for us.
We were incredibly lucky to get our wedding in, just in the nick of time. Two weeks later, the world was in lockdown for the first time, and everything was cancelled.
Everyone has been talking about our wedding for a year now because it was the last party they were able to go to.
Words of wisdom.
When you’re planning your wedding, you think of everything. You worry about the small things, about the colour of things, about the size of things and if it will all go together cohesively.
At the end of the day, we look back at heaps of things we had that were not needed or even thought about. The most important thing is having your favourite people with you and your partner to share the best day of your life. Don’t worry about the small things that may not go to plan. Enjoy the process as much as you can because it flies by so quickly.
Lastly – be sure to take a ten-minute breather with your partner to try and soak it all up. You created the day, so be sure to enjoy it.
For a similar real wedding filled with rich regional vibes and contemporary country style, check out Ally and Laurie’s Queensland celebration – another day of sweet style, stunning surrounds and epic emotion.
JESSIE & JANE’S VENDORS
Ceremony & reception venue: Private property in Nilma North
Celebrant: Kerry McMahon Civil Celebrant. Kerry is a family friend who made the day feel intimate and was incredible to work with.
Photography: Amanda Alessi Photography. Fantastic and easy to work with. We loved our photo’s and still love showing people our ‘fun size’ album.
Videography: Jesse Newman at Neon Sheep Films.
Styling: All of our styling was done by our family friend, who shall remain nameless.
Florist: The Willow Branch located in Drouin.
Hair: Our hair was done by Leah at Kuali Hair Boutique on the Mornington Peninsula and Abby at Abby Hilet Hair Studio, also located on the Mornington Peninsula. They also happen to be two of our very best friends. They travelled up early and did a beautiful job.
Make-up: Chelsea Bagan and Gin Castro from Trophy Wife.
The dresses: Jane’s dress was the Byron dress by One Day Bridal (now Kyha). Jessie’s dress started as a two-piece skirt and top from Shona Joy. Abbie Taylor at Bridal by Abbie’spent a generous amount of time getting the top to fit properly. She is incredibly patient and talented and really believes in what she does.
Shoes: Jane’s – Jo Mercer. Jessie’s – Windsor Smith.
Rings: Jane’s engagement ring was a custom ring made with Jessie’s Nan’s Emerald stone, made by Natalia Milosz-Piekarska at Natalia MP Jewellery from the Mornington Peninsula. She is an amazing jeweller who was so generous with her time. Jane’s wedding ring was a custom gold band made by Yasmin Hackett. Yasmin also happens to be one of Jane’s bridesmaids, who is an up and coming Jeweller located in Melbourne. Such a special gift to do for a best friend. Jessie’s ring was also a custom gold signet ring made by Adam from Camp Nash Silver Goods.
Bridesmaid’s dresses: The only brief was black. So, they are all different.
Catering: Top Nosh food and catering. Livio at Top Nosh did a really amazing job for us. He created an amazing cocktail menu for our guests who had nothing but good reviews for him. We have used him for many birthdays and parties, and he never lets us down. He is a local family man who is really passionate about cooking great food and creating a great atmosphere.
Bar: We purchased a lot of the wine from Zonzo Estate and got some friends of friends to help serve.
Stationery / Signage: Another good friend of ours helped us create our invites and signage with her creative vision. Jessica Dimcevski at Stirrstudio and blurrbureau.com is a passionate and experienced graphic designer turned stylist who was so very generous with her time.
Entertainment: Velvet Archers are fantastic entertainment and a sure thing to get the party started.
Transport: Private buses.
Hire: A lot of our hired furniture was from Elderberry Events.
Honeymoon: Covid home honeymoon!
