The magic of autumn is on full display at Christina and Jamie’s elegant wedding at Hopewood House. From the stunning blooms to the most picturesque garden ceremony, each and every detail shines thanks to the couple’s planning and dream team of vendors who went above and beyond to create the perfect day. The couple say the atmosphere was warm and loving as their families came together to unite them. Capturing the day, the details and the bride and groom amongst the glorious autumn light was Maple and June.

Christina and Jamie originally met at Coles, with Jamie working in the fresh produce department and Christina in the deli. “We would chat as we set up at 5am in the morning,” says Christina. “Eventually we started hanging out outside of work and after a couple of year of friendship and poor timing, we fell in love.”

For the big proposal, Jamie bought tickets to Europe for Christina’s birthday and they planned a huge adventure together. “We set off and I may have done a small bag search. I found nothing, no ring!” reveals Christina. They travelled to Amsterdam, London and Paris. One day, Jamie encouraged Christina to get her nails done. She checked his bags again. Nothing! “Little did I know that Jamie had sent a replica ring to Paris and picked it up, keeping it in his pocket for the remainder of the journey. We travelled south to Florence and Jamie proposed by our hotel window, overlooking the Duomo. I found out after he had tried multiple times but we got interrupted by big crowds or harmonica playing Italians.”

On the morning of their wedding, Jamie was joined by his group of friends and Christina’s brothers for a couple of games of pool and some glasses of whiskey.

For his suit, Jamie went for a classic look and wore a custom made tux by Montagio. “We realised later that we bought our outfits from the same building!” says Christina.

Christina’s nan passed away three weeks before the wedding, so her dad gave her Nan’s ring to wear on the day. “I was showing my other grandma the night before and mentioned I didn’t have anything blue, so she gave me her ring to wear as well,” says Christina. “It was really special to wear something from each of my grandparents.”

To find her dress, Christina went shopping with her mum and sister. They visited Fashions by Farina in Sydney as they stocked a Pronovias dress she had found on Instagram. “As soon as I put it on, I kind of knew. I walked out of the dressing room and Mum burst into tears.” Christina’s aunty also lent her a Viktoria Novak headpiece.

For their wedding party, the couple only had a flower girl. “I have about 10 beautiful women who I would’ve included so instead, I asked those closest to me to dress elegantly and join me the morning of,” explains Christina. “I gave each of my friends a special job – my sister made a hilarious speech while my best friends helped me get ready, held my flowers and signed the registry.”

Their wedding ceremony and reception was held at Hopewood House. Christina and Jamie stayed on-site and got ready there. Their guests arrived to champagne and their ceremony was held in the beautiful gardens.

Flowers on the day were by Lina from Chanele Rose Flowers & Styling. “Lina met with us before the day and completely understood what we wanted. She went above and beyond to create the most lush and elegant flower arch for our ceremony,” says Christina.

Christina’s dad walked her down the aisle to a string quartet playing ‘Come What May’. “We have faced a lot so the piece really resonated. Dad burst into tears when he saw me.”

Jamie says his favourite moment of the day was seeing his wife in her wedding dress for the first time as she walked down the aisle.

Christina and Jamie opted for a traditional ceremony. Christina’s family minister, who married her siblings, officiated the ceremony. They had a Bible reading read by a sibling from both families, and had a string quartet play while they signed the registry. According to the couple, their ceremony was perfect.

While the newlyweds had photos across the grounds, their guests were treated to delicious canapés, drinks and lawn games as the sun set.

Maple and June were the photographers on the day, and Christina and Jamie say they were accomodating and fun. “I’ll admit I was confused when Angela made me go stand in a bush, but when we got the photos back it made sense, surrounded by the beautiful red turning leaves,” says Christina. “Angela kept getting so excited about the lighting, she made us feel so at ease. The photos are all stunning, I am so thrilled with them.”

The reception was held in the venue’s dinner hall and featured flowers, candles, crystal and autumnal touches with plums, grapes and leaves intertwined – all set up by Chanele Rose Flowers & Styling. “The night before Lina messaged me asking if she could include some autumnal vibes to the white theme,” says Christina. “I said sure, I trusted her completely. I found out later she had rung the venue and found our the trees leaves were turning red so she included this in our floral displays. It was such a nice surprise and our guests loved the fruit on the table!”

Christina and Jamie had their first dance to ‘You Are the Reason’. Their friends and family stood around them and then after the first chorus, everyone joined in.

Their advice for soon-to-be marrieds? Try not to stress! “In the lead up, things will go wrong and change. Don’t stress or linger on things out of your control. On the day, stop and just absorb it all. I loved sitting down during our ceremony and watching our friends and family happily supporting us.”

Thank you so much for sharing your story and stunning day with us, Christina and Jamie! We can certainly feel the love radiating out of these amazing photographs by the talented Maple and June team.