In a twist of fate during the COVID pandemic, Jordana’s career as a flight attendant was put on hold, unknowingly leading her to meet the love of her life. A couple years later, they surprised their families with a surprise wedding disguised as Milly’s birthday party. With just three months to plan, Jordana pulled together an unforgettable day! Set at the charming Carlton Wine Room in Melbourne, the next chapter of their love story unfolded. Thanks to the talented Amina Barolli capturing every intimate moment, we now get to share this colourful day with you!

During the height of COVID, Jordana was stood down from her job as a flight attendant, and had to take a job at a bank. Little did she know this was where she would meet her future husband – Milly!

Flash forward a few years, and the couple were out on the town for Milly’s birthday dinner. “It was just the two of us as the friends we were planning on going with bailed last minute. Milly told me they had a cute beer garden out the back and asked if I wanted to go and check it out, which I replied no,” She explained. “After the third time he asked me to come out the back to the beer garden I knew something was going on, so I said yes, to which he stood up and accidentally dropped a box on the floor. I pretended I didn’t know what I saw but obviously knew what I saw, and I quickly went to this beer garden to save him the embarrassment. It was a very him proposal which was perfect in my eyes.”

While guests knew on the day that they were attending a wedding, it was only a week prior that Jordana and Milly told them it was a surprise wedding and not a birthday party for Milly!

Their venue of choice for the day was the beautiful Carlton Wine Room. “It’s located in such a fun area of Melbourne and has the best vibes. I saw a picture of another wedding held in the private room we chose and I knew then and there that was where I wanted to get married,” they shared. “The room we chose had a smaller room at the front of it, which connected, and that is where we had our “ceremony.” Then, we moved back into the main room for our “reception” lunch – it was actually perfect!”

Jordana chose a simple white blazer dress from Rachel Gilbert—something she knew she’d be comfortable in being only five months postpartum. “I wore fun white pumps with bows on the back. And I had cute white sunglasses for fun pics.”

Milly wore a standard black suit and bowtie and wore his favourite classic Converse sneakers to match. “It was a vibe! He also wore cool Raybans for the fun pics,” Jordana said.

This incredible yellow Chevvy is actually Milly’s dad’s, who drove it down from Shepparton for the day—and it made for a great pop of colour in these laneway photos! This was one of Jordana’s favourite parts of the day: “The fun photos of us together out the front of the venue with our sunglasses on! It was just such a cool vibe with the short dress and the Converse shoes.”

Florals for the day were done by Tweed Twigs, and were the perfect blend of red, orange and pinks to contrast the simplicity of the day. “I still dream about my bouquet. They were a mixture of roses, tulips, and orchids, structured so perfectly with an incredibly red/orange box extending from the bottom. Perfection. The room flowers were very dainty and simple. Similar colours to my bouquet in small tubes around the table.”

They had a fun photoshoot outside the venue and in the streets of Carlton with their photographer, Amina Barolli – who is actually Milly’s cousin! “It was even more special because she was able to be a part of the day. We’ve used her incredible service for all of our big life events – engagement, newborn pictures, weddings, etc.”

In attendance were both sets of parents, their siblings, Milly’s grandmother, and his nieces and nephew. Everyone wore whatever they were most comfortable in, which perfectly matched the vibe of the day.

Jordana has no idea what song played as she walked through the rooms into their ceremony space, but she can remember how relaxed she felt with her dad by her side.

The thing Milly remembers most is watching his soon-to-be wife walk around the corner. “She looked so beautiful I started to tear up. Us standing at the altar whilst holding our baby girl is something I will never forget.”

Led by their celebrant Alyce Bailey, the ceremony was intimate and, more importantly, relaxed—exactly as they wanted. “We all felt relaxed. We all shared a few giggles and a few happy tears. It was quick, and it was special.”

The top five things that made their surprise wedding so special included:

“1. Having it so intimate and being able to remember the most special day of our lives with our loved ones.

2. Having our daughter with us throughout the day.

3. Me wearing a short dress, and Milly wearing Converse sneakers.

4. The food and wine and cake were absolutely delicious.

5. Incredible photos to look back on, seeing the amazing little details like the flowers, the place cards, the cake, etc.”

For the reception, Samantha Lentini designed these beautifully designed place cards and menu cards that perfectly matched the colourful yet simple vibe of the lunch. And this incredible cake by Hey Sweet Gee was adorned in colourful pressed florals. “The most special detail of the day was having it so intimate, as that was super important to both of us.”

They had their first dance together to “Truly Madly Deeply” by Jack River, surrounded by their nearest and dearest.

The final piece of advice Jordana and Milly want to leave for future married couples is this: “Don’t feel pressure to have a big wedding if you don’t want one. Do what feels right to you and your partner. The day is about you and your love after all.”

Please join us in giving Jordana and Milly a HUGE congratulations! Not only for planning such an incredible wedding so soon after bringing your beautiful daughter into the world but for creating a day that was uniquely you! Thanks to Amina Barolli Photography for capturing and sharing the day with us.