Intimate Elopement at Angelsey House

When love arrives, it often feels serendipitous – and for Jodie and Mat, their story began with a photograph. Drawn together through images and words, their connection unfolded into a romance that felt destined. When the time came to marry, it was only natural that they celebrated in the place that had brought them together: Forbes. With Sarah of Essjay Photography capturing every tender moment, their elopement at Angelsey House was a celebration of authenticity, intimacy, and the kind of love that makes the world stand still.

In early 2023, Jodi came across a beautiful photo of a sunset over Lake Forbes titled “Violet Dream”. As if the breathtaking visuals weren’t enough to draw her in, the caption with Mat’s description won her completely over. “Jodie started following Mat’s Instagram account and later in the year, Mat sent Jodie a follow request, which she accepted. Two weeks later, Jodie sent Mat a message during what she describes as 30 seconds of bravery, which resulted in a beautiful exchange of minds and souls.”

Mat had been very discreet in his intention to marry Jodie until one day, he was at lunch with her parents, Elizabeth and John. “Elizabeth smiled and said, “Why wait?” Her father, John, smiled, showing a genuine expression of happiness across his face. In early 2024, Jodie and I were with friends at a restaurant in Sydney during Vivid. I had the ring box in a jacket pocket during the night. We finished dinner, and Jodie and I went our own way to experience Vivid. I had no idea where I would propose or how it would look, but I knew it would be that night in Sydney. A sparkling sculpture caught Jodie’s eye. It was captivating and intriguing, and Jodie was curious about what it could be made of, so we walked over to find out. Now, one of the things we say to each other is, “I will love you, even after the last star burns out”. This sculpture was titled “Secret World of a Starlight Ember”. I am like, “This is it! How perfect.” Mat explained.

“I held Jodie against me with my arms around her. I could feel the ring box pressing against her and thought, “What am I going to say now?” So, I simply said, “Want to get married?” Jodie replied, “What now?” There was 30 seconds of silence. I walked a few steps before turning around and saying, “You know how you are the best girlfriend in the world? Do you want to be the best wife in the world?” I started to remove the box from my pocket and go down on one knee. Jodie’s face was a combination of excitement and confusion. I said, “Will you marry me?” She replied, “Oh my God, you are cute. Yes!” I stood up and slid the diamond engagement ring on her finger, and we kissed, and people applauded and cheered.”

As a mature bride planning her second wedding, Jodie struggled with the idea of wearing a traditional white wedding dress. After searching far and wide for anything that felt right, she decided to rethink the concept and wear something that felt authentically her. She chose this beautiful emerald green gown from Morrison, featuring a strapless neckline and fluid movement. She finished her look off with an elven circlet from ILMARU Jewelry to highlight the queen she is. “After years of being a single parent, along with a demanding corporate career, Jodie and Mat’s relationship supported Jodie to finally feel safe to embrace her feminine, authentic self.”

Mat picked out a snappy black tuxedo and bow tie from Tarocash, radiating a classic elegance. “It perfectly contrasted his rugged and earthy good looks. He could not have chosen better, as the look complemented my vibrant, ethereal appearance and feminine energy perfectly. He wanted a simple and classic look that suited the backdrop of the gardens and styling of Angelsey House,” Jodie shared. “We also included John’s 1960 XK150 Jaguar, which he has owned since he was 21 years old.”

As Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” floated through the air, Jodie walked through the gardens toward her husband-to-be. She carried a bouquet of Lisianthus created by Farmhouse Florae. This was the moment Mat would forever cherish, watching her walk towards him as they took their next steps together.

There was no better place for their intimate elopement than in Forbes – the place that unintentionally brought them together. Angelsey House was the perfect location for them to tie the knot, both metaphorically and physically. “As a lover of Australian heritage architecture, Jodie suggested this location as the best location of its kind in Forbes and the surrounding region. The beautiful and private gardens, along with the 150-year-old stables, made the perfect backdrop for the ceremony and photos.”

For Jodie and Mat, it was important to have an intimate celebration, with just the two of them and their witnesses (who were Jodie’s parents!). “We wanted to celebrate ourselves and focus on the intent of the ceremony. We included a handfasting ceremony, where Liz did the reading and John performed the ritual of binding Jodie’s and Mat’s hands together in love.”

Their ceremony was led by their celebrant, Pippa Moore, with the star of the show: a Celtic handfasting ritual. “Handfasting is an ancient Celtic wedding custom, and was traditionally performed to signify betrothal and was something that could only be broken by death (we’re a little less extreme nowadays.) It is the original source of the expression to ‘tie the knot’, and today it still signifies a symbolic binding of the hands, the joining of two hearts, the intertwining of two lives, the binding of two souls and also the joining of their two families.”

With such an intimate vendor team, it wasn’t hard for Jodie and Mat to fall so hard in love with Pippa and Sarah (their celebrant and photographer)! “Both Pippa and Sarah were great. Everything was seamless and was like having two great friends with us to share and celebrate our wedding day together. We love that they smiled and still keep in touch with us, excitedly. Special mention, Pippa managed to still arrive at the wedding after a vehicle accident. That is a real testament to Pippa’s commitment and passion for what she does for her clients.”

The piece of advice Mat and Jodie want to leave for future couples is simply this: “Marry your best friend. Don’t settle for anyone less.”

The thing Jodie and Mat were most excited about for their intimate elopement was how easy-breezy it would be to plan. “Everything came together so easily and collaboratively. We wanted a simple and stress-free wedding, and we got that with beautiful memories.”

For Mat, his absolute favourite photo is this shot of Jodie leaning in and smiling at him while they were eating their Domino’s pizza – and we couldn’t agree more!

Sarah of Essjay Photography was a dream for Jodie and Mat to work with, and the results?! Impeccable. “We met her a few weeks before the wedding to talk about how we saw the wedding theme and how we would like it photographed. We wanted Sarah to feel creatively free and be organic in how she captured our moments that day. She did that perfectly, and the photos are amazing!”

Since there was no reception after the ceremony, Jodie and Mat didn’t have an official first dance. They did, however, have a lovely post-ceremony dinner with Jodie’s parents to wind down the evening. “We also dance every day in the kitchen. Every day.”