Jackie & Mark’s Classic White Carousel Wedding

The chic, all white elegance of Jackie and Mark’s wedding is enough to take your breath away. But if that alone does not, there is a beautiful story of two people very much in love that at the core of the day, lays a foundation for what was an incredible celebration. Bek Smith Photography was there to photograph their day.

Of how they met, Jackie tells. “Mark and I have now been together for five years. We met at Boutique in Prahran. As my friend and I were enjoying a glass of wine, Mark sat next to me and I felt an instant connection. His smile and warmth drew me closer and closer to him. From that moment on, I knew our love story began.”

Jackie notes, “Our bridal party was our family. It consisted of our brothers, sisters, niece and nephews! They are the closet people in our lives who we love and cherish very much!”

Jackie remembers, “We chose old school Fiats for our bridal party and a Maserati for the bridal car. We wanted to keep the Italian theme and have cars that are unique and different! The Fiats got so much attention throughout the day.”

Jackie tells, “We knew we wanted a white wedding! We believe a white wedding is timeless and very romantic. We wanted to create a warmth and classic feeling for our guests with a touch of elegance. Every little detail was thought about and planned from the bow on the wedding dress to the bow on our wedding cake.”

Jackie and Mark chose St Anthony’s Church. Hawthorn for their ceremony.

Jackie tells, “My favourite memory from our wedding day would definitely have to be walking down the aisle. Throughout the day I wasn’t nervous at all. I was extremely calm. This surprised me as I thought that I would be nervous or anxious. Then all of a sudden when we got to the church and I began walking down the aisle it all hit me! This feeling came over me that I can’t describe but I’m sure many brides would’ve experienced. It’s the feeling that you know this is it. You’re getting married!

I walked down the aisle to ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri and the one thing I will always remember for the rest of my life will be the look on Mark’s face when he saw me for the first time, standing there in my wedding dress with the veil over my face. It’s a look that I had never seen before and one I will never forget.”

Jackie wore a lace gown by designer Craig Braybrook Couture. She remembers, “I always knew that I wanted a classic wedding dress so I went to the king of couture, Craig Braybrook. We had meetings upon meetings to discuss the exact dress I wanted including the details and style. We decided on a sweetheart neckline and a beautiful corseted top.

The bodice had this beautiful boning detail throughout and it was decorated with different pieces of fine lace and 3D flowers made from lace as well. The 3D flowers were designed all the way through the skirt and train. This was done to give the dress some depth and character. It was then complete with the cutest bow ever around my waist! With the veil, I’ve always wanted a long cathedral veil. I was really blown away by how beautiful my dress turned out. Craig was amazing and so easy to work with, and I’m so glad that I chose him to create my dress.”

The groom and groomsmen wore suits from Daniel Hechter while the bridesmaids wore lace dresses from Lover.

Of their photographer, Jackie tells, “We chose photographer Bek Smith to capture our special moments of the day. Bek is very creative, artistic and passionate about her work, and we cannot recommend her highly enough. Mark and I wanted our Wedding photos to look natural but artistic at the same time. Bek’s work resembles this style and we have been blown away by what she’s produced. Bek also ensured that the day ran smoothly by providing instructions when necessary. We were all very relaxed knowing that she was in control. Mark and I are so happy that we forever have beautiful, quality photos of our special day.”

The Bouquets of Ascha Jolie created white floral arrangements for the day with plenty of greenery, Jackie telling, “We draped the ceiling of the venue with green foliage, white flowers and tea light candles to create that romantic and elegant feeling. The same look was created at the entrance of the venue to provide consistency. We love flowers! Especially white flowers! Candles and white flowers were also presented on the tables and decking area!

Jackie and Mark chose Carousel for their wedding reception, noting, “Carousel is simply amazing! It is everything we dream of and more! It has an incredible deck that looks out to the lake and has the most incredible views of the city. Our guests had so much fun that night with lots of laughter and dancing. Our venue started at 6:30pm. Our guests firstly enjoyed canapés and drinks on the deck. This was a beautiful environment for our guests to socialize when they arrived and enjoy the view of the city and lake.”

“Mark and I both love nature. We instantly knew that we wanted to give a plant, herb or succulents to our guests. We finally choose the succulents as we believed they fit perfectly with our theme and will last a while with good care. We love how we placed lace around the frosted jar to tie in with our wedding.” A four tier wedding cake was created by Cakes of Distinction.

Of their first dance, Jackie and Mark chose “‘If this is it’ by Newton Faulkner. We wanted to choose a wedding song that touched our hearts and was meaningful.”

A finishing touch on this beautiful wedding is the beautiful film captured by Purple Ribbon Weddings of the day.

Congratulations Jackie and Mark! Thank you for sharing your day with us! Thank you also to Bek Smith Photography for sharing today’s wedding with us.