Jessica and Sean's Beautiful Melbourne Garden Wedding

Jessica and Sean

Following our Pipemakers Park engagement shoot, Sean and I were never shy when it came to colour; we never imagined anything else but a vibrant spring wedding with a quintessential Melbourne vibe to it. We found the perfect garden, photographer, Hyggelig Photography and videographer, Video Boutique who shared our vision and with some incredible luck we scored the most beautiful day that September had to offer in 2016.

Sean and I were married at the Pioneer Women’s Gardens in Kings Domain Park, Melbourne on the 17th September 2016. We chose this place because it felt like a little secret garden filled with 1920’s charm, secluded from the busy city nearby with blossoms everywhere!

Sean’s suit was purchased at Moda on Bridge Road in Richmond. The owners were super helpful with choosing the right suit, creating a waistcoat and making the alterations within a short timeframe. The groomsmen’s suits were hired from Myer.

I loved putting together the Bridesbabe dresses! Once I knew that one of my bridesmaids would be seven months pregnant at the wedding, all ideas of matching dresses went out the window. This was for the best as it was so exciting finding mismatched dresses! Two dresses were from Alannah Hill, one was purchased at Review and the maternity dress was from Seraphine. Our flower girl’s dress was purchased at Lacies The Kids Fashion House.

The incredible floral arrangements were created by the oh so talented Kate at Mary Mary Studio. Kate was pivotal in helping us create the fresh/garden feel for our wedding.

Let me introduce you to my gorgeous shoes ‘Lu Lu’ by Rachel Simpson. These shoes had a big influence in our wedding – from the colour of the invitations and the groomsmen’s ties to the garden games that Sean cleverly created. They were the perfect dash of colour and my ‘something blue’.

My dress was purchased at a Karen Willis Holmes sample sale. I’d always liked her dresses but it was the lace that blew me away when I first saw the particular dress ‘Lillianna’ hanging on the rack. It was such unique lace that had been too difficult to source so the dress had been discontinued. After a couple of small alterations to make the dress my own including adding a bow and converting the back to buttons, the dress was a dream come true.

It was a huge coincidence that both my mum and Sean’s mum had also had daisies featured on their wedding dresses.

Mae Taylor was the most amazing hair and make-up artist. She went above and beyond all expectations! We all had so much fun getting ready – including Sean and the boys!

Mum and I stayed at The Park Hyatt the night before the wedding. The suite we chose was perfect as it had lots of space for everyone to get ready in. With a view of the Cathedral, Mum and I watched the sunrise on the suite’s terrace on the morning of the wedding.

Just three weeks before the wedding date I completed my first 42 kilometre cross-country ski race, Kangaroo Hoppet at Falls Creek. All of the skiing and boxing leading up to the date helped me to feel strong and confident on my wedding day.

My Nanna was so sweet as she clipped our family heirloom necklace around my neck.

Because my niece loves the song ‘Lean On’ so much and she loves it when I dance the bird, we just had to listen to it on the way to the ceremony.

When we arrived at the garden I could hear the jazz music playing and that was when it all sunk in. I kept thinking this is really happening. This is our wedding!

Both my dad and my mum walked me down the aisle.

It was a real family affair as our celebrant, Brent McGregor, was my Grandpa’s cousin; our two readings were done by my two cousins and Sean’s sister.

I just had to show Sean my amazing dress while our parents were signing our marriage certificate.

And they lived happily ever after… and yes, this is normal behaviour for Sean – the seventh child of seven!

Sean created poems on stickers for the petal cones; my Dad and niece had been collecting and drying the petals for the best past of the last twelve months. Sean was also clever enough to make the garden games and wedding sign. We hired our chairs from TappaNappa. Lyn was very reliable and easy to work with.

Our videographer and photographer had the brilliant idea of visiting a bar in Melbourne to have some non-traditional photos taken. We absolutely love the way they turned out!

Sean surprised me by lifting me up in the middle of Collins Street! Luckily there were no trams coming. All of the cars driving by wound down their windows and yelled their congratulations. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

We just had to have some quirky photos taken in the burger shop Royal Stacks. People were just sitting there eating burgers and chips and then there was us, this big energetic bridal party. It was just too much fun!

Our reception was held at St Andrews Conservatory and we can’t recommend the staff or venue enough! Susan helped us every step of the way to plan and carry out a seamless evening. We just loved the versatile space. Lots of room for dancing and did I mention the hanging lanterns? Their glow was stunning.

I added straps to my dress for the reception to make sure that I could dance for the entire night.

I love this image; three generations of marriages – 64 years, 36 years and just a few hours.

Mum and a whole team of friends came together to help us make these delicious biscuits to give as favours!

My Grandpa had been teaching me to dance in the months leading up to the wedding. He had been a dancing teacher in the past and he was great!

Nothing could stop this gorgeous girl from dancing up a storm. She spent most of the night dancing with one leg resting on a chair. Champion!

Sean and I danced our first dance to ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.

We could not have imagined a more perfect day! All of the planning and careful vendor selection really helped us to create the wedding of our dreams and we can’t thank them enough. Also a huge and very special thank you goes to our wonderful families. Their love and support shows no end and we are so fortunate to have them.