In Jess and Elliot’s words, here’s a little about them and their wedding on what was looking like a wet wedding day until the skies cleared and the sun came out. As friends of mine, this wedding was extra special!
What’s the story behind the two of you?
Elliot and I met through friends and it grew from there. It felt very natural and right, we were both very comfortable to be around each other and shared many similarities while still having some differences. We enjoyed travelling together overseas and Elliot proposed after a night river cruise in Paris!
Where was the wedding?
The ceremony was held that St Mary’s Star of the Sea. The reception was at Newcastle Town Hall.
Were you going for a certain theme or style?
We wanted something classic, simple, elegant and intimate.
Was there a journey in finding your dress?
I had been looking on Collette Dinnigan’s website and had a dress in mind. I called and asked to be put on the waiting list so that they would notify me, when the dress came in. I received a call on a Friday while I was still working and the shop assistant told me that they were all booked out for Saturday appointments but that they did have an opening that day. I called my mum and asked if she could come down and look at the dress. Luckily she said yes and I was able to leave work early and find my dress. It only took three dresses and I found ‘the one’.
Brides Shoes:
I wore a pair of white Zu heels.
Jewellery and Accessories:
My dad bought me a pair of Swarovski earrings that I wore on the day and I also wore sparkling hairclips that I purchased from ‘Garter Girl’ in Charlestown. Also there was a last minute addition of a bracelet given to me by one of my bridesmaids.
Hair and Makeup:
This was both done by Chic Artistry and they were amazing. They were so friendly and knew exactly what we all wanted! I was very happy with them and highly recommend them to anyone!
Groomsmen:
The suits were from Gentlemen outfitters in Newcastle. They were classic dinner suits and the staff were very helpful.
The whole point of a wedding is about you and your husband to be
The Flowers:
This was done by Peter Herd, in Wallsend. He did an amazing job and many people commented on how lovely the flowers were!
The Cake:
Our cake was made by Euro’s, located in Blackbutt. We had three tiers, with three different flavours (Choc mint, caramel and passionfruit). Very tasty!! The sugar flowers and detailed stencilling made this cake look fantastic.
Invitations and Stationery:
We went to ‘The Write Invite’ located on Hunter Street. They have amazing invitations, as well as other bits and pieces! Pricing was very competitive and the staff were very helpful, showing us how to assemble the invites ourselves.
Food and Drink:
The food and drink was all provided by the staff and Newcastle Town Hall (Blue Star Catering). Everyone commented on how great the food was! The service was friendly and they definitely knew what they were doing.
Bonbonniere:
We ordered special fortune cookies that not only contained special individual fortunes but were decorated as either a bride or groom. They were very unique and were very tasty!
Jessica, is there one special moment you’d like to share about the day?
The most special moment for me would have to be seeing Elliot as I was walking down the aisle. I couldn’t see him until about half way down, and he stuck his head out and had the biggest grin on his face. That was a very special moment for me, it felt like it was just us and all the worry and stress just went away!
The Honeymoon:
We went to Fiji for 10 days, with quite a few of them being windy and wet, but still warm. We stayed at the Sonaisalli Resort and the Pearl Resort, both nice but I wouldn’t go back to either – places like the Warwick and Shangri-La looked heaps better. We did a great day cruising through the Mamanucas spending the day at Castaway Island, highly recommend that for snorkelling, windsurfing etc.
What the most important piece of advice you would like to share with brides to be?
Try to have some ‘down time’ leading up to the wedding. The whole point of a wedding is about you and your husband to be! Go out for a nice breakfast or dinner and have time to relax and appreciate the beginning of the rest of your lives together.
Do you have a favourite photo?
The vines at the Honeysuckle Wine Society provided some great photos, as did some of the architecture nearby. Our lovely cars parked out the front of Newcastle Town Hall were also good. It will be hard to choose our favourite photo for the wall!
How cute are these two little guys!
Jess looked just amazing.
St Mary’s Star of the Sea – fit for a royal wedding.
A minute before this photo, we had the umbrellas out and ready as a shower passed.
Then… the sun came out!
Some of Jess’ favourite photos were taken down near Honeysuckle.
5 minutes of fresh air and a quiet moment to take it all in while the reception partied on upstairs… and time for a quick snap or two.
Beautiful photos! the photo of the thinking groom is awesome. congrats.