Lush Rose Garden Pavilion Wedding

Jayne & Mark

Jayne and Mark’s shared passion for flowers, trees and gardens provided the perfect inspiration for their lush Rose Garden Pavilion wedding. The couple wanted the day to be a relaxed, elegant affair, with a focus on being perfectly intimate – there were 50 guests in total!

After 12 years together, Mark had proposed on Boxing Day 2013 under their favourite tree at Jell’s Park. Jayne was amazed that he was able to surprise her with the proposal! He had been secretly searching for the perfect ring for the past 12 months! They were elated, and the timing was perfect. Jayne loves Mark’s intelligence, ingenuity and his quirky sense of humour. She also adores his practicality and stability, warmth, caring and dependability. Mark loves Jayne’s mischievous sense of humour and her intelligence, and he says, “She is caring and sensitive, and always wants to look after people and animals. She is creative, artistic and gorgeous.”

Jayne wore the graceful “Amira” gown from Mariana Hardwick, with a strapless, sweetheart neckline and mermaid tail which flowed into a rippling, fan-shaped train. The bride’s makeup and hair for her day was styled by Luna from Miss Fox.

Mark and his groomsmen waited expectantly in the Rose Pavilion at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, wearing a charcoal Peter Jackson suits, white shirts and rose buttonholes. The bride made her way to her waiting groom to the delicate strains of “The Swan” – an original composition by harpist Michael Johnson.

Jayne and Mark exchanged heartfelt vows to each other at the floral altar, under the gentle guidance of their celebrant Maree Livy. “We both knew it would be an emotional experience, but we weren’t prepared for our reactions to hearing each other express our love and commitment”, the couple remember. The decadent floral styling of the pavilion, and the bride’s generous bouquet of vintage roses in shades of apricot, marshmallow pink and creamy white, entwined with vibrant green foliage and trailing willow wood, was all brilliantly created by Victoria Whitelaw.

Only a short stroll away in the Royal Botanic Gardens, the wedding reception was held at the historic Gardens House. Jayne and Mark immediately fell in love with the romance of the house and its private garden the moment they saw it. The styling and floral decoration at their elegant reception was also created by Victoria Whitelaw.

The couple’s wedding cake had been lovingly baked by Mark’s mother, and catered for all tastes by having two tiers of chocolate mud cake and one of fruit cake. Mark not only iced it with exact and amazing precision, but also created the sweet, fondant wedding duck couple that sat atop the flower adorned cake. Ducks are a special symbol of their love, and this was a perfect nod to that sentiment.

After a delicious dinner, and amazing selection of wandering desserts and the incredible cake, the guests gathered around the lawn in the private garden to celebrate Jayne and Mark’s first dance together as husband and wife. To the music of “Alright, OK, You Win” by the Delta Rhythm Boys, Jayne and Mark wowed their guests with a series of energetic and agile swing moves, and soon everyone was clapping and smiling to encourage the happy couple!