As the spring skies of Jervis Bay opened up, Elliott and Finn gathered their close friends and family and made it official. Nothing could rain on this couple’s parade – not even the rain itself.

Sebastian Paynter captured the day in a beautiful editorial style alongside their videographer, Josh from Joyride. “Seb worked so well with us and our videographer in such challenging conditions – it literally poured with rain ALL day!”

What started as a fleeting meeting grew into the beautiful relationship Finn and Elliott now share. “We met when we were teenagers in 2012. We had the same friendship circle and officially met one night at a mutual friend’s birthday party. We continued to cross paths on nights out with our friendship circle. And that was it… we were ‘together’.”

Fast forward a few years, and Finn is 32 weeks pregnant, and they were planning their annual end-of-year trip down to Berry with the family. “We planned to go to our favourite secret beach together. Elliott threw out the obligatory invite to his family (who he expected to turn down the offer, given it is a 30 min bushwalk), but they accepted. It was a convoy. Elliott seemed quite nervous that morning – he unknowingly left his phone at the coffee shop, but I put it down to him being a perfectionist and wanting everyone to enjoy the day, given we had talked up the spot so much. After a 30 min walk through the bush, we arrived to find it was picture-perfect – not a gust of wind or cloud in sight,” Finn reminisced. “We went for a swim and sat down when Elliott asked if I wanted to go for a walk – I thought this was just so we could have some time alone. We had just about made it to the end of the beach when I noticed he was lagging behind. I turned around and he was down on one knee. I had no idea what was happening. So much so that I kept asking what he was doing. He asked me to marry him – I’m not actually sure I ever said yes; I was in so much shock! We turned back, and our whole family was there to congratulate us, it was one of the happiest days. It then rained for the two weeks following. Elliott is adamant that if it was raining that day he wouldn’t have done it. It had to be done at our favourite spot.”

Elliott wore a timeless black tux from Belance Tailors, elevating the simple look with their signature satin roll cuffs. “Originally, we were looking for something a little more relaxed; however, decided we wanted to look back on our wedding in 20, 30, or 40 years time and not cringe at our decisions, so we decided on a classic black tux.”

Opting out of a formal wedding party, they decided their daughter, Sunny, was the perfect addition to their small party. She walked down the aisle in a white taffeta dress from Next, with an adorable flower crown and matching mini-bouquet.

Finn had two looks throughout the day; her first was the gorgeous silk gown from Helen English Bridal. “I had made appointments at a few Bridal stores and just didn’t have my heart set on anything. Given the order timeframes due to Covid, I didn’t want to order something and regret my choice in a few months’ time,” she recalled. “I had an image of what I wanted in my mind when I came across a photo of another beautiful bride in the exact dress! I contacted Helen English and made the decision then and there. It was timeless and classic, and made-to-measure – something you generally don’t get at the larger Bridal stores.”

Initially planning to elope, the couple switched their plans after Elliott had a change of heart and wanted to share the weekend with those closest to them. They decided to go with Worrowing as their venue, in (usually) sunny Jervis Bay, as it held a special place in their hearts. “The major drawcard for us was the ability for friends and family to stay on-site over the weekend, which was super special. We also made sure the Wet Weather Ceremony Option was a good one (little did we know, right). It was the first week of the 2021 Lockdowns, so we never actually got to see the venue in person before booking it, but after a Facetime tour with Brodie from Worrowing, we put a deposit down straight away.”

Finn and Elliott planned and set up the whole day – and the styling turned out immaculate! “We planned everything – every vendor, every detail. Our main DIY component was the setup. We did this the day before as I had a vision of what I wanted. We set up all the tables, chairs, tablecloths, glasses, candles etc. It was a mammoth job, but I’m so happy I trusted myself to style it!”

As Worrowing is in the heart of the Australian bush, they wanted to choose flowers that contrasted their surroundings and opted for dainty meadow florals. “We kept our florals quite neutral and had a few pops of yellow here and there in the mini daisies and flannel flowers. The amazing Sophie from Muscari brought our vision to life with her table settings and ceremony arrangements. My daughter Sunny and I had matching bouquets of mini daisies.”

All of the vendors that helped make this day special left a lasting impression on the newlyweds. “I wouldn’t hesitate to use each and every vendor again. Our amazing on-the-day coordinator, Amelia, from Wedding and Event Creators, did such a magnificent job taking the stress away and dealing with the coordination when all I wanted to do was cry about the weather!”

The rain showed no signs of letting up, so they had to say goodbye to the garden party ceremony they had been dreaming of. Instead, they went with the wet weather ceremony option.

Finn walked down the aisle with her mum as “Wedding Song” by Angus and Julia Stone played in the background. “Elliott and I tossed up a few options, including walking down the aisle as a family and even me walking down the aisle by myself. But there is just something sentimental about walking down the aisle with your mum (and I loved the element of surprise for Elliott seeing me for the first time!).”

The ceremony was light-hearted, romantic and personal. It was a perfect mirror of Finn and Elliott’s relationship, with non-traditional readings and laughter. “Our celebrant, Aniella could not have created a more special ceremony – there were many tears shed by our guests which is a testament to the intimate ceremony she created.”

They stayed away from most traditions, “We’re not overly traditional people – we always say we will create our own traditions!”, but there was one exception. “Just before I walked down the aisle, my aunty handed me my Nana’s – who had recently passed – Rosary beads. I’m not a religious person, but we walked down the aisle with them, and it felt like the perfect homage to her.”

Elliott and Finn cut their cake (with Sunny supervising), from By Gigi after the ceremony concluded. “This meant our guests could enjoy a glass of champagne and actually eat our delicious cake!”

As their guests enjoyed the cake, the newlyweds headed off with Seb and Josh in tow to complete their wedding portraits. “We worked with the amazing Sebastian Paynter, who I actually flew up from Adelaide, I loved his work that much! I love how realistic and editorial the photos are – it’s almost as though you are in the moment. Again, we wanted to look back on our photos in 20 years’ time and fall in love all over again. I can truly say I wish I could frame each and every one of them!”

After the photos were finished, Finn changed into her reception outfit. The stunning mini-dress from Lurelly perfectly fit the reception vibe and allowed her to dance without the train getting in the way.

The reception was set up as a shared banquet-style meal provided by Rabbit and Co., so guests who hadn’t met yet had the chance to bond. The personal nature of the day was threaded throughout every detail. And as the night continued, it turned into one big party to celebrate all types of love.

When the time came for their first dance, they chose a song that was significant to them. “Real Love Baby” by Father John Misty, while not a traditional first dance song, was the song they listened to throughout their pregnancy with Sunny.

“The best piece of advice we received was – take a moment just the two of you on the day, away from everyone else, to just reflect and chat to each other.”

A huge thanks to The Wedding and Event Creators for submitting this timeless wedding – and thanks to Sebastian Paynter and Joyride for capturing it. And to Elliott, Finn and Sunny – congratulations on this beautiful event!