Real weddings – Jacqui & Alex, Melbourne VIC
For Jacqui and Alex, wedding plans fell into place as effortlessly as their romance.
Exemplary spreadsheets skills, a classic colour pallet and the guidance of stellar suppliers combined to create a stress-free planning experience that made love the centerpiece.
Jacqui’s modern yet timeless Karen Willis Holmes gown set the tone for the elegant affair captured by the editorial eye of Mad For You Creative.
Sentimental speeches were the highlight of the night for the newlyweds who grew up surrounded by long and loving marriages and relished in the opportunity to pause and reflect on the meaning of the milestone.
When the time came to revel in the joy of the occasion, Hey Jack’s expert ability to read the room delivered a packed dancefloor.
Scroll on for every sophisticated and swoon-worthy detail.
The meeting.
We met one night in August 2019 at a pub in Richmond through mutual friends… Safe to say we owe these friends!
The ‘one’.
I have no doubt this sound so cliché; but I think we (speaking for Alex here haha) both knew pretty soon after our first date! I immediately felt at ease when I was with him. Conversation was easy (it helps that we can both talk to brick walls) and there was never a silent moment or awkward pause. We quickly came to realise how similar we were and how aligned we were in terms of our values and what we wanted out of life.
The proposal.
Alex had booked a nice lunch for us at Polperro in Red Hill just before the Easter long weekend. I then insisted on doing a wine tasting to which he reluctantly agreed (I was taking full advantage of the fact he was driving – poor guy he was probably sweating bullets by this stage and here I was just drawing the process out). After the tasting, we made our way down to Sorrento and Alex suggested we stop to look at the beach, like we usually do, before the weekend became too hectic. We parked and walked up to our usual spot which is when Alex started to get unusually frustrated at the amount of people around. After about 5 minutes of agitation and me reminding him it was a public space / to chill out, I started to put two and two together. As soon as the last passerby was out of sight, Alex gave me a huge hug, a little spiel and finally asked. There were tears, the sweats (me not him) and everything in between.
Planning process.
Luckily, I love a spreadsheet so that helped immensely with planning! We tried not to lose sight of why we were getting married in the first place and didn’t sweat the small stuff, which all helped in making the leadup relatively straightforward and stress free.
Style inspiration.
We didn’t want anything too over the top or high maintenance and wanted to take advantage of the beautiful gardens around us, so we opted for a relaxed vibe and simple colour palette of greens and whites. Getting inspiration from real weddings I’d say was the most helpful! Blogs like Ivory Tribe really help with narrowing down a look and feel, and also really helped with showcasing specific suppliers work for similar events. Once we narrowed down suppliers, it was also really helpful to take a look at their websites and Instagram so you can get a feel for their individual style.
The ceremony.
While a bit daunting, standing in front of our family and friends, remembering that they were all there to celebrate us was really special and a memory we’ll have forever.
The outfits.
Alex had his suit made through Oscar Hunt after it was recommended by my brother-in-law and they didn’t disappoint! Alex leaned on Wei’s (the Showroom Manager at Oscar Hunt Prahran) experience in the industry, and this ultimately resulted in the beautiful traditional tux Alex wore.
Slightly more goes into the process as a bride, I feel! I dedicated a day to heading to probably six stores across Melbourne and tried on a huge variety of dresses. Very quickly I narrowed down the style that I liked and suited me the best, and in what was probably the fifth store of the day, tried on the dress that I ended up buying at Karen Willis Holmes.
Favourite moments.
Speeches, hands down! They were funny, sentimental and there were lots of tears (mainly from me!). The day is so busy so it was so nice to sit down, pause and just listen to those that not only you care so much about, but that care so much about us as a couple.
Meaning of marriage.
We both have grown up surrounded by lengthy marriages; whether that be parents or uncles/aunties, we’ve been able to look up to these and appreciate the support a marriage comes with. It is the formal commitment we’re making to one another, and understanding that it’s a partnership, in whatever form that takes.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis
Reception entry: Jackie by B.Z feat Joanne
Funny stories or near disasters.
Not exactly in the lead up (aside from all the practices that we did!) but I chickened out of our first dance about 15 minutes before we were due to do it, so I made Alex pull the pin on it entirely!
Words of wisdom.
I know planning a wedding can be stressful for some couples for various reasons, but I can’t stress this enough – don’t sweat the small stuff because I promise, no one will notice or care on the day! Be sure to enjoy the process along the way because the day does truly go by so quickly (I didn’t believe this when people said it to me but I can confirm it’s so true!)
JACQUI & ALEX’S SUPPLIERS
Ceremony & reception venue: Gardens House, Melbourne
Celebrant Megan Watson; Marry Me Megan
Photography: Mad For You Creative
Videography: Lensure
Styling/Decor: Poni Studio
Florist: Wild Flos
Hair: RL Hair Studio
Make-up: Makeup with Pim
The dress: Karen Willis Holmes
Veil: My sisters from her wedding!
Shoes: Cult Gaia
Rings: Montal Jewellers
Bridesmaid’s dresses: a mix of Aje, Bec & Bridge and Rachel Gilbert
Suits: Oscar Hunt
Bow ties: Groomsmen’s own
Catering/ Bar: Atlantic Group
Stationery / Signage: Bride’s Mum!
Entertainment: Hey Jack
Honeymoon: Singapore and Vietnam
