Kelly & Brett’s Jarrahdale Country Wedding

Kelly & Brett

I am so enchanted by Kelly and Brett’s Jarradale country wedding. They found a sweet little white church they adored and planned a day that centred around the most important part of the day – the ceremony. They wed, they danced under the stars and they made the most of the wedding as an experience, not just one day. They chose Fiona Vail Photography to capture their day.

Brett kicks us off with the story of how they met. “I would say we met at a bar, checking out each other from a distance before making a move, but thankfully I can say we met online – Tinder/Facebook to be more precise. Somewhat embarrassing, but hey… here we are 6 months happily married and in love with our best friend, so bring on our story.”

Kelly chose a gown from Flannel, Brett telling, “Firstly I think it is important to note, as it is possibly somewhat unique, that Kelly bought the wedding dress approx. 1 month before we even got engaged. She was out shopping with her mum, not for wedding dresses, when whilst waiting for their coffees to be made Kelly spotted a Flannel shop across the way and decided to take a look. Next thing, Kelly is walking out with her future wedding dress in hand. She chose it for its uniqueness, its glove like fit, and the fact it felt like it was ‘her’. The experience was unexpected, but a nice memory to hold onto.”

Kelly and Brett chose St Paul’s Anglican Church, Jarrahdale for their wedding, noting, “We found the church very quickly and knew straight away it was going to be the place we would say our vows. Choosing a place for a reception took a little longer, but we eventually chose to focus the day around the church and hold a cocktail reception directly behind the church under the stars.

The church and its surroundings, along with Jarrahdale’s history were the key. We simply made those things and God the focus. The rest evolved from that. For example by having a clear marquee directly behind the church we were all able to be reminded of why we were there whilst being able to enjoy the wonderful bush surroundings.”

After choosing their first dance song (You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker) the couple chose to have a friend (Simon Steenhof) play the song on the piano as Kelly walked down the aisle.

Of their ceremony, Kelly and Brett remember, “As mentioned, we wanted it to be focused on the two of us becoming ‘one flesh’ before God and our loved ones. That was the main driver. We wanted it to be traditional yet “us”. Kelly designed the order of ceremony with the guidance of our Pastor – Ian Weaver. We wanted our Pastor to open by giving a short message on John 15:12 – Love each in the same way I have loved you. We wanted it to be a celebration of love. To be filled with truth. We wanted our faith to be clear. We wanted it to be intimate.”

“The location was simply stunning. The church is something I cannot explain in words. It is as they say “picture perfect”. The history of Jarrahdale being the first timber town in WA also made the day special along with the wonderful Tavern only 100m up the road, which is where guests relaxed during our photo session with Fiona.”

Of their photographer. Brett tells, “Fiona is someone both Kelly and I came across before we met. I began following Fiona on Facebook, being an avid photographer myself, after she photographed a close friend of mine when she was starting out. Kelly and Fiona met at a photography seminar, as Kelly is also a wedding photographer.

When we got engaged we both knew who we wanted to capture our big day. We emailed Fiona within a week of being engaged. Actually come to think of it I think her and Kelly were in discussions before we even got engaged. Fiona herself is a true dream to have as your photographer. From shooting an engagement session to our wedding day she was a true blessing and someone we are glad we fought for. We will be forever thankful for the moments she captured.”

The event was truly a family effort, with the reception held on the church grounds. Brett noting, “The wedding planning itself was done solely by Kelly and I. The organising of the first dance song was done by one of my closest friends, Cherith. The flowers were done by Kelly’s mother who was a florist back in Holland before moving to Australia. You wouldn’t believe she has not practiced it since moving here 12 years ago. Food was a mixture. We hired a spit (pork and lamb) which cooked itself for most of the afternoon with the help of my Father and Brother in Law. Our friends and family supplied meals also, such as chilli con carne, vegetable soup and many Australian and Dutch desserts. We chose not to have nibbles to save on cost, which helped us to afford live music.”

Of their first dance, Brett remembers, “We walked into our reception, after having had our photos taken with the talented Fiona Vail, with three friends playing ‘You Are So Beautiful’ by Joe Crocker. In a way I hoped people would connect the instrumental version to the lyrical version played during the ceremony and find themselves realising what that song was. We wanted their minds to wander back to the ceremony in a sense, and connect the vows given to the celebration of our first dance. We just held each other close as our loved ones watched on. It was a beautiful moment for all.”

As Kelly and Brett knew so many people in the wedding industry, they made the most of it and chose friends to be their wedding vendors, noting, “In terms of planning etc we did everything ourselves to help reduce costs. In terms of vendors I firstly have to start by saying we don’t see them as “vendors” at all. Actually many of the below people have been close friends of mine or Kelly’s for many years. Those who have not been are now viewed as friends. Each and everyone gave us their talents and passion and helped make the day perfect and beyond anything we could have dreamt for.

From Fiona Vail’s engagement photography session and her ability to bring comfort, ease and creativity to any situation; to our talented wedding cake maker Camille (Cake by Camille ) who undoubtedly spent more than what was ever required of her to make the perfect cake for us (taste testing on our kitchen bench is something we will always remember); to Erin Maie and Jasmine Bergsma for helping Kelly look angelic; to our music team Cherith Rowlands, Simon Steenhof and Benjamin Bernal who all practiced on numerous occasions without being asked simply to make our day even more special; to Rae Fallon of The Refuge Collective who (as I am sure you will agree) captured our day beautifully; to the ever helpful butchers at WA Exclusive Meats for providing us with the best tasting spit this side of Byron Bay; to Ian Weaver our Celebrant and Marriage counselor who opened our eyes to what the day truly meant and approached the day like it was for his own children; and last but not the least, Wilma Monster who spent countless hours not only making all the floral arrangements, but also some of the meals and most sort after Dutch desserts.”

As one final hurrah, Kelly and Brett worked with their friend Rae Fallon of The Refuge Collective to have a film shot of their wedding day.

Congratulations Kelly and Brett! Thank you for sharing the stories of your day with us! Thank you also to Fiona Vail Photography for sharing today’s wedding!