Dark and moody is the vibe of today’s wedding celebration, and we’ve fallen pretty hard for Bonnie & Jayden’s glamorous and moody wedding day. “Romantic gothic!” says Bonnie, when asked about the style of the day. “A winter wedding, all indoors lit by candlelight. We chose a 5 pm ceremony so it was dark and just beautiful. All our guests had to wear strictly black formal attire which complimented the vibe of the evening.” She tells us about their day, captured by Ashely K Wedding Photography and held at Roomba’s at Mt Aitken, and about how she and Jayden came to be…

We met at my local footy club! I am the president and Jayden was a recruit. He proposed at our gender reveal! He swapped the confetti cannon for one that popped multi-coloured streamers, and to my shock once I realised, he was on one knee. It was in front of a small group of our closest family and friends!

Jayden wore a bold, burgundy jacket with black suit pants. The burgundy matched well with the groomsman’s ties and bridesmaids’ dresses.

I wore an elegant couture gown I designed and made by Vasiliki Couture. Long sleeves with floral and bead embellishments, full skirt with detachable gathered pieces including a detachable large bow which sat perfectly on top of the cummerbund of the skirt.

The dress was my favourite part of wedding planning, as it was made from scratch from my design, it was such a cool process. I did it all by myself too to surprise everyone including my mum and sister.

We had handmade artificial flowers from Etsy in Hong Kong from Baby’s Breath by Sarine for our bouquets.

Roomba’s at Mt Aitken was absolutely perfect for the theme. The building has such old-world historic charm with a maze-like tiered structure to the several rooms on site. Guests made their way through the levels towards the ceremony space, each with its own unique decor. It was like being transported through a haunted mansion! Everyone loved it! The beautiful fireplace across from the bar in the reception centre was a hit. The black chiffon curtains, fairy lights, black tablecloths, burgundy napkins and tall silver candelabras on the tables were also heaven!

I wanted the dress code to be strictly black formal to ensure the entire venue complimented the theme. We had a black cake from Lee’s Sweet Creations, black tablecloths, and then added burgundy and candles to make things pop. I DIY’d the flowers, and the candles all over the place, everywhere I could! I also designed the entrance sign on Canva.

Two of my best mates, Bec and Beecho, walked our almost 2-year-old daughter down the aisle prior to the bridesmaids.

I walked down the aisle to “Like I’m gonna lose you” by Jasmine Thompson. My dad Anthony walked me down the aisle. My mum Shelley was the celebrant which made it special. Jayden’s parents Lisa and Gary officially presented/announced us as husband and wife after we signed the certificate, which was special as it included all immediate family.

The whole room was dark besides candles and small mood lights at the front of the aisle. It created such a beautiful atmosphere! I wanted it to seem intimate and moody.

Having our daughter walk down the aisle and be so well-behaved and enjoy the evening was so awesome! Along with some of her young cousins too.

 

Our photographer Ashley K was incredible! She nailed the theme and complimented our laid-back style. Her images are just beyond beautiful. I have so many compliments on them, and that they should be in magazines. Our favourite photograph of the day was when Jayden and I were in a side room with candles and a chandelier.

Tell us about your first dance? What song did you choose?
This years love by David Gray. We didn’t do anything special! My dress was too big! Haha.

My husband loved everything as much as I did – the venue, food, drinks, decor, DJ, dress the works! Jayden said he loved the ceremony. He loved the atmosphere from the candles to the music. It was cute to see our daughter walking down the aisle too, in a matching dress to the wedding party. And of course, my beautiful bride! It was great having lots of family involved in the ceremony too. It was all stress-free and fun thanks to Bon and her meticulous planning. It was always going to be an awesome day and night. Having a late ceremony was grouse too as we didn’t have to rush around.

The speeches were all so different and really captured us as a couple, and most importantly didn’t drag on! Having our close family and friends there was special including having my mum as the celebrant, Jayden’s parents involved in the ceremony, my dad walking me down the aisle, and my sister in the wedding party.

The music had to be incredible as music is my biggest passion! We had such an amazing DJ – Vibe Sounds and Events – that kept the party going!

 

The night was a full moon!!! Everyone thought I planned to have the wedding when it fell on a full moon but I had no idea until the night. Not only that, there was a big fog on the night so the full moon, fog, romantic gothic theme… it was just “like a scene from a movie” (lyrics also in our aisle song).

With regard to the wedding and planning, don’t overcook things! Keep it simple. On the day, whatever happens happens. Everything happens for a reason in the end, so just go with the flow and trust what and who you’ve chosen to make it a special occasion. It goes very quickly so don’t sweat the small stuff and have fun! Get that dancefloor opened early and get the formalities out of the way!

Thank you to Bonnie & Jayden for sharing their glorious wedding with us, and Ashley K for their beautiful images, and the Roomba’s team for sending it out way!