A couple who reads together stays together. But a couple that plans an ethereal book-themed wedding together? Well, now you’re talking about a real-life modern love story! With their loved ones by their side and a curtain of misty rain, Kye and Jaison tied the knot surrounded by the thing they love the most – books (and each other). And with it all captured by Maple and June, it was a day they’ll never forget.

As he studied at university in Wollongong, Jaison worked part-time at Hungry Jacks, where he met his best friend, Taylor. Kye and Taylor had gone to school together, and when Kye saw her post Jaison on her socials, he instantly added him! “A few months later, our mutual friend had a house party, and we were both invited. Kye and I spent the whole night talking and really connected. I remember thinking, “I am going to marry that man one day!”.”

On a holiday with their close friends, Kye and Jaison went for a walk along the beach. As they got the rocks, the background was so beautiful that Kye got down on one knee and proposed! It was the perfect opportunity (sans Kye’s cut knee).

Kye opted for a traditional three-piece suit in a classic grey tone with a blue floral design, a black bowtie, and a boutonniere made by his stepmother.

He had four people in his wedding party – Jackson, Andrew, Alicia and James. They each wore the same suit as Kye, without the vest. Alicia wore a grey jumpsuit in the exact same shade, and everyone had a sage green flower pinned to their lapels.

Jaison, on the other hand, went with a bridal-inspired look with an oversized pale blush suit that had a sparkly sheen. He wore the jacket unbuttoned to show peaks of the lace top underneath. The look was completed with a subtle pop of makeup, sage green nails, white platform shoes, and an ethereal flower crown. “I didn’t want to wear a traditional suit; I wanted something that was ethereal and original and would wow people.”

With his four best friends, Taylor, Justine, Emma and Boadicea, by his side, Jaison was ready to head to the ceremony. His wedding party wore floor-length sage green satin gowns with neutral nails and nails to sit into the blush and green colour theme.

Bendooley Estate in the New South Wales Southern Highlands was the venue for this ethereal wedding. As part of their wet weather plan, the ceremony was moved to the stables, with the lake and a misty sheet of rain as their backdrop. Guests entered the ceremony space with book-themed welcome signs made by Blaze Displays.

Kye’s stepmother is a florist at Albury Florist Centre, and she created all of the ethereal florals for the day. Following the blush and green theme, she made four beautiful bouquets, Kye’s boutonniere, all the table pieces, and Jaison’s flower crown.

Jaison walked down the aisle with his mum as “Anchor” by Mindy Gledhill played, as the rain let up for just enough time to get inside. “When we arrived at the site, it was bucketing down rain; I was told that I would have to walk down the aisle with this ugly black umbrella; I really didn’t want to, but just as I was about to walk, the rain cleared up, and I could ditch the umbrella, when I arrived under shelter, holding Kye’s hands, the rain started again. It felt like Mother Nature was giving us her blessing, too.”

Squished in with all of their loved ones, Kye and Jaison wanted the ceremony to be relaxing and carefree for everyone. Their celebrant, Sheree Foley, was an incredible choice to bring their love story to life. “We didn’t have any readings, but Kye and I read our vows aloud; we stuck them in our favourite books. Our rings also came in a little box we made. My little brothers were in charge of holding the books,” Jaison explained. “It was also really important that Kye and I had a celebrant who could capture the uniqueness of a queer wedding. Sheree took the time to really get to know us individually and as a couple and captured our relationship so perfectly.”

It was also really important for both Kye and Jaison to include their loved ones as much as possible on the day! Giving all their siblings special roles and creating ways to involve them in any way possible. The love they poured into their loved ones was returned tenfold; it was almost tangible throughout the day. “I loved the amount of love and support there was in the room with us, we received an overwhelming amount of blessing from everyone, and it made us feel so special and proud to be a queer couple. So many people approached us afterwards and said how refreshing it was to see such unconditional, genuine love in one room.”

All of these ethereal moments were captured through Maple and June‘s talented lens. “They were phenomenal. Their kindness and professionalism were unmatched. They have such a rare and unique ability and vision, and we were in love with every photo and video. They were a gem to work with from start to finish. They really took care of us and even gave us a few little gifts. I would recommend them again and again.”

This shot of Kye and Jaison in the rose garden is their absolute favourite from the day! Giving all the ethereal wedding vibes mixed with an editorial shoot. “It is very sultry, moody and sexy. A few people have said it looks like it was pulled straight from a Vogue shoot hehe.”

Their favourite part of planning this ethereal book-themed wedding was creating the reception space and putting together the seating plan! “It felt special to start to group people and formulate a plan of how the reception would feel and look. It was the step that started to make it all feel real and exciting,” he explained. “The reception was in the book barn, a beautiful, rustic, barn-styled room that is a book store by day, we had three long rectangle tables and the bridal table up the front, and behind us was a backdrop of books, there was a magnificent fireplace, and we had a fully vegan wedding, and the food was outstanding.”

This beautiful cake was made by Jaison’s mum and covered in edible photos of Kye and himself. But that isn’t where the customisation ends with their reception! Book motifs can be found throughout the whole day, but especially in this bookstore setting. “We had our vows and rings in books, all the signage looked like big storybooks, our guest favours were bookmarks, and we married in a book barn!”

The top five things that made this ethereal book-themed wedding so special included:

“1. Having so many of our family members involved in the wedding,

2. All of our cute little book motifs,

3. The genuine love and support that was felt in the room, all of our favourite people in the world in one place,

4. The dance floor! Everyone got up and had a dance, and we really got to dance with everyone at one point,

5. The way Kye and I could really be ourselves and celebrate our love together.”

Kye and Jaison choreographed their first dance two days before the wedding, and while Jaison was very tipsy when it came time to perform, he and Kye executed it perfectly. They danced to “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele, which was recorded and sung by Jaison’s best friend Emma.

Congratulations, Kye and Jaison, on this ethereal book-themed wedding – you did an incredible job! And thanks to Maple and June for sharing it with us.