Dee & Jonny

With Summer vibes well and truly on our agenda this month, what better way is there to celebrate than by the water? The low-key, chill out the atmosphere of Dee and Jonny’s big day is just the ticket to kick off the month! The couple ditched the traditions that didn’t interest them, and instead focused on each other and a heck of a party, complete with killer waterside views, for their favourite people. With Montana Wilson, behind the camera, it was the ultimate new beginning for the newlyweds who were best friends from the moment they met.

Dee & Jonny became engaged in a very special place- the bride’s homeland of Sri Lanka. Dee explains “Jonny wanted to go visit Sri Lanka where I am from originally. I think he had it planned all along. It was so intimate just like everything else about us. He went and spoke to my parents and asked my dad permission to marry me which I thought was absolutely precious. He proposed on one knee and asking me if I can make him the happiest man alive. He proposed to me inside my bedroom where I had so many memories growing up It was truly special. I also saw him so emotional for the first time. we both cried (happy tears of course!).”

With a tight timeline, Dee found it difficult to find her wedding gown until she landed at Marry Me Bridal. She explains “The dress shopping was so stressful because it was a last minute decision to hold our wedding. I had 3 months and had no idea what I wanted. I went to Marry Me Bridal with my now husband) I wanted his opinion. He picked the first dress which was a beautiful mermaid gown. It looked stunning but It didn’t make my heart go all fussy. I went back there with my mother in law and my fiancé and then the sales lady suggested to me the dress I finally got. It would have never caught my attention as I was looking for a figure-hugging dress. But she convinced why not try a different design for fun. So as I tried it on and walked out – my mother in law and Jonny both went  “oh my god”!
I fell in love with the dress and it screams out my personality as well as being so suitable for the relaxed beachy wedding we had.”

Dee and Jonny met prior to the ceremony for photographs with their bridal party. Dee tells “Montana was just epic. She was like a mouse literally no one knew where she was or what photos she was taking then when she sent me the photos it was like someone was everywhere all at once.
The photos just scream our feelings and our personality and everything special about our day. The best thing I ever did (of course marrying Jonny would come in first).”

Dee even had a last minute addition to her bridal party. “I was probably the most relaxed bride ever. I even had one of my friends who could make it to the wedding from Adelaide at the last minute in our bridal party!”

Says Dee “There was this one photo of us just looking into each other eyes. not at all posed, very natural lost in our own worlds. That photo takes the cake.”

Dee and Jonny hired Style Pop Events to iron out the little details and style up their day, a floral arch overlooking the marina was the grand focal point. “Bree from Style Pop Event. she was such a talented girl with event planning and designing. Loved every bit of her work.” shares Dee.

Wanting to make their day easy on their guests, Dee and Jonny chose Manly Yacht Club for both their ceremony and reception. Dee says “We chose our venue because it screamed everything us. Manly is where Jon was born and bred and is always going to be a special place for us. We didn’t want too much hassle travelling from one venue to the other and all we wanted was to celebrate our love with the people we loved. It was such a cracking day with the weather over 30 degrees.”

For her walk down the aisle, Dee remembers “I chose an Ed Sheeran song because Jon used to sing it to me (still does). My mum and dad both walked me down the aisle as that is our culture in Sri Lanka. I wanted them both by my side.”

The couple chose Cate Brockbank to officiate their day, noting “It was like a dream. it was just about love and celebration. It was short yet full of emotion at the end of the ceremony everyone was crying because Jonathan was so emotional. And he made all of us cry.”

The bride ditched a bouquet for a simple white corsage styled by Pandanus Design. She tells “Flowers were so simple. I didn’t want to spend too much on flowers. But it did the job and the place looked beautiful. I also didn’t want a bouquet so I opted for a corsage instead. It was so much more fun and hassle-free.”

Dee shares “We wanted it to be just about having fun and celebrating our love. Everything from flowers to food was a cocktail style beach relaxed wedding.”

Guests gathered inside as the sun set for a cocktail reception, catered by Fusion Point Manly.  “It was the best food I’ve tasted and we had so much to choose from. The canapes were an absolute winner” remembers Dee.

Tells Dee “As we planned the wedding, we loved just sitting there after a long day and not talk about anything wedding related just reminiscing about us and love. We would just look at each other and realise wow, we are getting married soon. Nothing compares to that amazing feeling.”

And of course, there was Sri Lankan dancing!

The newlyweds kicked off the dance floor with the first dance to Shania Twain’s “Still The One”. Dee explains “We chose the song because we beat all the odds. I am from Sri Lanka, when we met we never thought it would be this serious. He is from Manly. I lived in Parramatta. When you think about it us meeting each other was like one in a million chance., especially two people from completely two different sides of the world. to top it all off not a single mutual friend until we met”.

A big congratulations to you Dee & Jonny! Thank you for sharing the beauty and stories of your day with us. Thank you also to Montana Wilson for sharing her work with us today.