“We wanted it to be a laidback affair – less of the official stuff and more of the party stuff” explains one of the stars of today’s easygoing wedding day Mon. “No being taken away for photos, just candid shots of everyone having fun. We had a rustic/vintage venue with enough room to wear out the dancing shoes, a grazing table, pizzas, and mini-slice desserts.”

If you can’t stand the fuss, and want nothing more than to celebrate your wedding day with your favourites over cheese and wine, then the way that Jess and Mon celebrated their day will give you all the inspiration. From Mon’s incredible floral wedding gown to Jess’s smart, custom-tailored suit. To their venue, a favourite for the city’s live musicians, to the urban backdrop for their wedding photos. The pair invited Little Car Photography to make sure their day was beautifully captured, just as it was.

These two were meant to be if the way they met was anything to go by – they share their story. “Mutual friends of ours were dating at the time and wanted to introduce us for months. However, Mon was planning to move to Sydney for a few years, so we both declined the invitation.
As per chance, we ended up meeting at a Christmas party two weeks before she was supposed to leave. The connection was almost instant, and after a whirlwind two weeks, decided to give the long-distance thing a shot. Almost eight years later and here we are, married for nearly two years and going strong!”

Jess and Mon met before their ceremony for a first look, the photographs, and their photographer both receiving rave reviews. “Sarah was an absolute dream. We knew her from a previous wedding day that we were both in the bridal party for; she was unfortunately unwell on the day, but after spending the day with her and seeing the results of her photography, we thought, “If that’s what she can produce on an off day, imagine what she can do at her best!”
She fit the vibe that we wanted for the day just perfectly and fulfilled every request that we had. She was laidback, she made sure we took all the deep breaths in all the right places and took the time to soak in the moments that mattered most, and made us trust that she would take care of the rest. She over-delivered!”

Jess received a very, very special gift on the day, says Mon. “Jess’ Oma had passed away a while before the wedding. Her mum (Pat) presented her with a fabric heart she knitted herself the night before the wedding. One side was made from one of Oma’s scarves, the other was made from Pat’s wedding dress. Jess kept the heart in her breast pocket for the wedding day.”

Jess and Mon did away with a traditional wedding party. “We opted to not have an official wedding party. Instead, we chose five close girlfriends each (our chosen family) to share a champagne breakfast and get ready with. This made it a really fun day.”

Let’s talk attire! Mon chose a floor-length, blue floral gown from Review, while Jess wore a suit from Shane Ave.  “I love bright colours and it felt much more natural than wearing white” says Mon, while Jess adds “I wore a custom-made suit perfectly designed by Shane Ave. One of our friends helped me pick an orange bow tie and suspenders.”

The flowers?  Mon tells “A dear friend put them together for the bride(s) and the venue. She is so talented, and used the colour scheme of my dress for inspiration.”

Jess and Mon chose Adelaide live music venue The Jade Adelaide for both their ceremony and reception.”The Jade is a beautiful, rustic building (St Pauls Rectory), and has been a live music venue doubling as an events venue for many years. It’s in the heart of the city, yes, but it is a beautifully serene and colourful area, with a beer garden on the outside, and a dance floor/stage on the inside. The building, staff and vibe are so perfectly relaxed.”

The brides chose The Beatles “Here Comes The Sun” for their walk down the aisle.

Mon & Jess were married by Wendy Hall. They remark “We wanted a quick ceremony, full of our story and self-written vows. Our best friends did a reading, one was an excerpt from the poem The Owl & the Pussycat by Edward Lear and the other was lyrics from ‘Rolling Stone’ by Passenger.”

The couple added their own touches to the day. “We had a lovely macrame wall hanging made by Jess’ cousin which served as a backdrop for photos. The great thing about the venue was that they allowed us to do what we wanted with the space to make it as personalised as possible.” Guest took home jars of specialty teas from Kappy’s Tea & Coffee as wedding favours.

And then it was time for the newlywed’s dance floor debut, Jess remembering “We danced to one of Mon’s favourite songs, an instrumental called “A Calf Born in Winter” by Khruangbin.”

A big congratulations to you both Jess & Mon! Thank you for sharing the story of your day with us. Thank you also to Little Car Photography for sharing today’s beautiful wedding!