Sweet Alowyn Gardens Celebration

Gabrielle & Jordan

Jordan and Gabrielle wanted an outdoor, garden wedding for their big day, with a festival theme encompassing a relaxed, fun atmosphere. “We decided on a Sunday, because when we first started dating, we worked different hours and days and we would always keep Sunday as “our” day,” explains the bride. “So we thought, what better day to get married then our day!” The pair chose Tin Drum to capture the magic of their sweet Alowyn Gardens celebration.

Gabrielle remembers how she and her husband came to be. “Jordan and I met at nightclub!” she laughs. “I was out celebrating a friend’s birthday, and Jordan got dragged out with his friends. We started dancing, and shared a kiss before Jordan left. A couple of hours later, we both left different clubs at the same time, and met again in the taxi line. I shared my pizza with him, and he gave me cuddles. The rest is history!”

The bride describes her Gowns Glamorous dress as simple, with ivory lace and an A-line silhouette. “I went by myself to the shop, not expecting anything after an unsuccessful day of dress shopping earlier in the week. I went in, tried on the dress and instantly knew that it was my dress.”

The groom’s attire was from Ted Baker. He wore a matching navy blue vest and pants, with a white shirt and brown belt and shoes. “His vest had a silk purple backing to it, which suited him down to a tee,” tells the bride.

“Jordan and I were really on keen on doing a ‘first look’, which turned out to be one of my favourite parts of the day. Jordan stood waiting in the French Gardens, and our photographer and videographer captured me walking up behind him and tapping him on the shoulder. The moment when he turned around and we saw each other for the first time was so beautiful and emotional. We didn’t say anything at the start and both just started crying tears of joy! It was so nice to have that time together, before all the craziness of the day started. It also took removed all the nerves for walking down the aisle, which allowed me to soak in every second of it.”

The couple were married at the whimsically lovely Alowyn Gardens, and Gabrielle walked down the aisle to “All of Me” by John Legend. “We wanted to have a really relaxed and fun ceremony. We held the ceremony under the beautiful vine archway, which was exceptional. All that was added where white wooden chairs for the guests and some flowers down the aisle,” she explains. “Because we did a first look and Jordan and I had already seen each other and taken some photos, I was just so excited to walk down the aisle. I had no nerves, just pure happiness and excitement. We didn’t want the ceremony to be too long – we told our celebrant, Anthony Cribbes, so keep it short and sweet, so we chose not to have any readings. Anthony re-told our story in a funny yet beautiful way for our guests, and Jordan and I wrote and read our own vows. One thing I really loved was that our celebrant did waited to sign the papers until after he had announced us and we walked backed down the aisle. This kept the momentum going during the ceremony and we both really loved it.”

Gabrielle and Jordan chose Tin Drum to capture their stunning day, who not only took the photos on the day, but also filmed their wedding video. “They were absolutely exceptional!” gushes the bride. “We wanted someone who took more “candid, in the moment” shots, while still getting some classic, posed shots. And boy did they deliver! They were such a joy to work with, they knew exactly what they were doing, and were very professional and managed to capture our day so perfectly!”

Pig in Mud Styling made and organised all of the decorations and styling on the day, the bride telling that not only were they utterly professional, but that they knew exactly how to bring her vision to light for her perfect day. They helped with the making of the invitations, as well as creating the signage and blackboards for the afternoon reception in the gardens. The flowers and decadent cake were created by Carly Newstead.

The pair held an afternoon reception in the Alowyn Gardens, which was then followed by dancing the night away at Coldstream Brewery. “Our goal was to find a venue that allowed us to have food trucks, and somewhere we could also take all of our photos,” says Gabrielle. “And we found just that! We held the first part of our reception in the courtyard at the gardens, and didn’t add much – just some fairy lights and flowers. This is where we cut the cake, had our first dance and Jordan said a quick speech thanking people. And of course, our food trucks! Iv’s Burritos were amazing, and the guys were so friendly and quick with getting the food out. The same can be said for the pizza and ice-cream cart through Pizza Wagon. Both vendors were easy to work with, highly organised and made our day easy and fun. All our vendors were incredible!”

The couple danced to “Carry On” by F.U.N for their first dance in the garden’s courtyard, surrounded by their nearest and dearest. “We had practised it so many times in our kitchen, we thought we had it down pat…. except that we hadn’t practised with me wearing my wedding dress! We had a few wobbly moments, but in the end it was still perfect,” laughs the bride of this sweet moment.