Real Wedding – Megan & Jarrad, South Melbourne VIC

Megan and Jarrad were a powerhouse of planning in the lead up to their I-Do’s. That is until the pandemic forced a constant re-working of their vision, until they finally decided to take control and celebrate in an intimate occasion with their closest friends and family. The result was a dream of effortless elegance meets metro glam, a joy-filled celebration crafted to timeless perfection.

Leading these two lovers and their guests into a true treat of a day was our very own Precious Celebrations. We can’t say it better than Megan and Jarrad, who describe Precious as their very own wedding fairy-godmother. The ceremony, an artful combination of sweet emotion, warm wit and genuine romance, was the perfect beginning.

We love the carefully curated floral pillars forming the centrepiece to the ceremony, draped in blooms of softest peach and creamy vanilla, a blend of classic elegance and refreshing modern textures.

A micro wedding calls for a stellar team to capture every moment, which Megan and Jarrad have loved sharing with their friends and family from afar. Tribe talent Elsa Campbell, working alongside cinematography artists Annette and Dani, more than met the brief. The addition of a livestream element by Annette and Dani, so their loved ones could watch the magic unfold, was the perfect final touch to an epic, heartwarming, and so stylish day.

The meeting.

We actually started as graduates on the same day at the same firm but located in different offices (Perth and Melbourne). Nearly four years later, we were assigned to the same project in Singapore and were both based there for four months. We were friends for a few months before going on a first date and then trying to hide our office romance (not so successfully, according to our teammates!).

The ‘one’.

Megan: After our project finished in Singapore, Jarrad moved to Melbourne to be with me. Once he was in Melbourne and I realised we were still having so much fun living our normal lives, I knew he was the one. Plus, he was a hit with my family and friends – and still is!

Jarrad: I was immediately drawn to Megan’s amazing ability to bring the best out of people and create a happy, fun and positive environment. As we started to get to know each other better, I realised that I was becoming a better person in this relationship and wanted to do my best to keep that in my life.

The proposal.

The proposal took place in our home with our dog, Murphy, watching on. Jarrad had champagne, flowers, and the piece of paper Megan had given him in Singapore with her Australian phone number on it. After Jarrad proposed, Murphy grabbed the ring box and made a run for it…luckily, Megan already had the ring on her finger. It was sentimental, private and just about the two of us (and Murphy, of course!).

Planning process.

Due to the pandemic, we had to change our plans so many times. The first wedding that we planned was a breeze – we made quick, well-researched decisions and were super organised.

When lockdown took place in Victoria, things became challenging, and we will be forever grateful to our wonderful family, friends and bridal party who rallied around us. We ended up making the difficult decision to downsize the wedding from 150 to just immediate family, bridal party and partners to reduce the stress of waiting on government restrictions. It wasn’t what we had originally planned; however, we loved our intimate wedding and have since been able to celebrate with the rest of our guests in smaller groups.

Style inspiration. 

Classic elegance mixed with city glamour.

The ceremony.

Our ceremony was so intimate, and I think we were just so grateful to be there in that moment after everything we had been through, with Covid-19 changing so many of our plans. We were heartbroken when the Western Australia border closed a week before the wedding, meaning that Jarrad’s Perth-based family and friends were unable to travel. They watched on from afar, and we will soon be able to relive our beautiful ceremony when we hold a second wedding celebration in Perth.

The outfit.

I made a day of it with my mum and bridesmaids, including pit stops for lunch and cocktails! I had done a bit of research before we went shopping but committed to having an open mind and trying on different kinds of dresses. I had been eyeing off Made with Love, but they were primarily based in Queensland, so you can imagine my delight when I found out that they were opening their Melbourne store a week out from our planned shopping day. I was even fortunate enough to be fitted by the designer herself – Carla, who created the beautiful Andy dress that I eventually chose.

Favourite moments.

Megan: reading our personal vows. It was the part of the day that we were both most nervous about, but it turned out to be my favourite. Being able to express in our own words our love for one another and our hopes and dreams for the future was pretty special.

Jarrad: Standing at the end of the aisle, watching Megan appear and walk towards me. It was the moment I had been building up in my head, but her huge smile made me feel comfortable. Taking her hand and standing with her in front of our family and friends will be a memory I keep forever.

Meaning of marriage.

Getting to spend the rest of your life with your best friend! For us, it represents a continuation of the love and respect we have for one another.

Wedding soundtrack.

All songs played on the harp without lyrics (instrumental).

Processional: Pachelbel’s Canon

Signing: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

Recessional: Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding

Funny stories or near disasters.

After Megan’s Dad walked her down the aisle and shook Jarrad’s hand, he tripped over the veil and actually stood on it as Megan took a step closer to Jarrad. Luckily, Ashlea, the hairstylist, had so tightly secured the veil that it stayed intact, and Megan avoided whiplash. It was even funnier watching the other guests’ reactions (mix of shock and horror) when we played back the ceremony video.

Planning surprises.

The amount of options that are available to a couple! Before we got engaged, we had no idea how big the wedding industry was. There are so many incredible vendors out there and so many decisions to be made that sometimes you can experience decision-making fatigue. Jarrad likes to take his time researching, and Megan tends to make quick decisions, so thankfully we had a really balanced approach to planning.

Words of wisdom.

Have fun and enjoy the process. It is easy to let wedding planning consume you but remember that in the end, it is about the two of you as a couple and about celebrating your love for one another. (Also, wedding planning is way more fun when done over a glass of wine!)

Are some of your nearest and dearest overseas or interstate? Engaging a wedding cinematographer to every element of your day, as it unfolds, can be the perfect solution to relive the love. Check out some of the best in the business, here.

MEGAN & JARRAD’S VENDORS

Ceremony venue: Half Acre, South Melbourne

Post-ceremony drinks venue: Gimlet, Melbourne CBD

Reception venue: Vue de Monde, Melbourne CBD

Celebrant: Precious Celebrations – Megan’s sister described Precious as our wedding fairy godmother, and she was spot on! Precious was so supportive and helpful in the lead-up and on the day itself; she totally nailed the ceremony – it was the perfect combination of emotional, funny, and romantic.

Photography: Elsa Campbell – all we can say is wow! Elsa is so incredibly talented and has such a good eye for capturing those spontaneous, special moments. Neither of us love being in front of a camera, and Elsa made sure we felt comfortable and were having fun all day! Elsa’s photos are magical and completely exceeded our expectations.

Videography: Annette and Dani – what legends. Our video so perfectly captures our day, and the ladies were so professional and fun to have around. We will always be so grateful to Annette and Dani for pivoting a week out from the wedding and organising such a high-quality live stream video for Jarrad’s family, who were unable to attend due to the border closure.

Florist: Studio Green – Sarah was a dream to work with, and we were so blown away by what she created. We initially shared some inspiration photos with Sarah, and she took that and created floral masterpieces that were truly stunning! Sarah was so patient and supportive each time we changed our plans, never making us feel like we were inconveniencing her. Sarah helped us with so many extra things like sourcing the frames for the ceremony flowers that went such a long way in simplifying our planning process.

Hair: Hair by Ashlea – Ashlea is such a gorgeous person and a wizard hairstylist. She nailed the brief, and the girls absolutely loved having her there on the day. Ashlea was so kind as to fit Megan’s mum in at the last minute and to stay around to put her veil in – we couldn’t recommend Ashlea enough.

Make-up: Natalie Quan and Meiko from Dior – our make-up dream team. The ladies did an amazing job and were just such a pleasure to have around the morning of the wedding! Nat is actually Megan’s cousin, so it was extra special to have her as part of the tribe.

Rings: Michael Arthur – we are so appreciative of the amazing end-to-end experience, advice and quality of the product that we were treated to by Michael and his team.

The dress and veil: Made with Love

Shoes: Gucci

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec + Bridge

Groomsmen’s suits: MJ Bale

Cake: Miss Ladybird Cakes

Entertainment: Michelle Doyle Harp

Transport: Exotic Limo

Honeymoon: Whitsundays and a second wedding celebration in Perth