If performing for the rain gods in her pyjamas while the sky actively drenched her the morning of their wedding tells you anything about how much Bec wanted her sunken garden ceremony; then you can probably imagine her disappointment when the rain didn’t let up at all. Luckily for her, guests were quickly equipped with umbrellas and ushered away from the wet weather option and back into the sunken garden, courtesy of her husband-to-be Jordaan. Even as the rain continued to drizzle, Bec got the ceremony she had dreamed of – and we couldn’t be happier for her! Captured by Hannah from The Art Of Us, this couple weathered the perfect storm together for their romantic wedding at The Gardens at Bullimah.

Heartbroken and slightly chaotic, Bec travelled up to Darwin in 2019 to visit her friend after a breakup. The goal was to have fun in the sun and forget everything she’d left behind. Their first stop brought Bec straight to Jordaan, whose jaw dropped the moment he laid eyes on Bec. They barely parted from one another while Bec was there, and Jordaan quickly flew down to Perth to visit her once she was home. “It’s almost like the world had already decided, because not long after that, Jordaan’s work offered to transfer him to Western Australia. Jordaan, obviously, said yes immediately. Within four weeks, he packed up his entire life in Darwin and moved to WA!”

Jordaan kept the sweet gestures coming, all the way up to their impressively planned-out proposal at Amaroo Retreat! “He told me he’d booked us a couples massage at the spa, which wasn’t unusual because it’s something we’d done earlier in our relationship. I had my suspicions, but Jordaan was doing everything in his power to convince me otherwise. He kept saying, “No, no, just a massage… and then I’ll take you to dinner at the Gosnells Hotel.” The massage finishes, we go to check out… and the lady hands me six red roses one for each year we’d been together and a key to one of the chalets. At this point I’m thinking, something is happening,” Bec recalled.

“What I didn’t know was that while we were in the massage, Jordaan had Emma, one of his groomsmen’s wives, setting up the most beautiful surprise bubbles and a charcuterie board out on the deck. We got to the chalet, and Jordaan turned to me and said, “Do you want to eat first, or do you want your surprise?”

I opened the door, and inside was a huge arrangement of native flowers, a cake that said, “Will you marry me?” and photos of our three dogs with the ring. Jordaan grabbed the ring box, got down on one knee… and asked me to marry him.

But when he got down on one knee, he said he had this whole speech planned and then just threw it out the window and said, “On the way up here, you asked me why I wasn’t nervous. I’m not nervous because I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Will you marry me?” The second I saw the photos of our dogs, I absolutely lost it. Full ugly crying. Could not pull it together. To the point where… I hadn’t even said yes yet. Jordaan had to ask me again. I said yes.”

While Bec loved their entire vendor dream team, her makeup and hair artists Bethany and Renee from Sorellas Signature took the award as her favourites! “A sister duo who absolutely made my wedding day and the moments leading up to my wedding incredible. They were up at 4:30 am and at my venue until 5:30 pm; they were incredible, so kind, and just wonderful. Honestly, it’s hard to put into words just how kind, caring, and genuinely lovable these two are. They work so seamlessly together, and their dedication really shines through in everything they do. From the very beginning, their communication was exceptional. I felt completely at ease the entire time – there were no nerves, just a real sense of trust knowing I was in such capable hands. From my very first phone call with Bethany, I had a feeling. What was meant to be a quick chat turned into a long, easy conversation, and by the end, I just knew they were the perfect fit,” Bec explained.

“Of course, their talent with hair and makeup speaks for itself – they truly work magic – but what stood out most to me was how supported and understood I felt throughout the whole process. For any bride, that level of communication and care is everything, and I genuinely couldn’t fault them!”

Bec had always seen herself in a silky slim-fitted gown, but from the moment she laid eyes on the one, it was love at first sight. “The dress from Archela Bridal gave me goosebumps and felt like a wedding dress. I wanted something different and felt really special on that day,” she shared.

“My mum gifted me a ring that she had made from all the jewellery my dad had given her over the years. They are separated, but I always loved that ring, and she gifted it to me almost like a something borrowed, but I got to keep it. It has diamonds and rubies in it.”

Her wedding party looked incredible in their matching Bec + Bridge Ellise wrap dresses in the most beautiful burgundy tone, perfect for their autumnal wedding.

The Gardens at Bullimah was their venue of choice for this romantic wedding, with their ceremony in the sunken gardens. With some gentle persuading from Jordaan, their guests gathered in the twinkling gardens beneath the drizzling autumnal sky. “It is like a hidden gem. I feel like Margaret River and Yallingup hold so many wedding venues that heading to a different area of the South was nice. We drove down in winter when the canola was flowering, and it was beautiful. Seeing The Gardens at Bullimah in winter is very different to summer, as many trees are deciduous. However, its natural beauty any season is incredible. The venue has everything you need. So many beautiful spots to get married. The owner, Jen, was an absolute delight when we met. We walked away with no doubts that that was where we wanted to get married!”

Jordaan picked out a simple tux from MJ Bale for his look. “We had two black-tie weddings before our own, so he was very purposeful with his tux,” Bec explained.

“The groomsmen all wore a variety of suits and brands, some MJ Bale and some they already had. With bow ties, which they all learnt to tie the morning of, surrounded by a YouTube video, which was very cute.”

“Still Falling For You” by Ellie Goulding, performed live by The Great Southern Ensemble quartet, floating through the sunken garden as Bec walked down the wet brick steps with her dad.

“Nothing compares to live music, and the talented ladies of ASQ were truly incredible. From the very beginning, dealing with Alma via email was an absolute pleasure – her communication was warm, professional and seamless throughout the entire process,” she shared.

“On our wedding day, the rain arrived, but the ladies were so accommodating and gracious, relocating under the verandah at The Gardens of Bullimah so our guests could still enjoy the beautiful sound of their string instruments. Despite the weather, they created such a magical atmosphere and brought so much elegance to the day.”

Bec’s one wish for their ceremony was that it happened in the sunken garden, and with only 10 minutes left until she had to walk down the aisle and the rain was still pouring, she was ready to let that dream go. Thankfully, she has a partner who cares about her wants and dreams, and he quickly ushered everyone with their umbrellas into the gardens to bring that dream to life! “It was such a beautiful moment. The quartet stayed under the verandah of the house, and the guests all showed up with their umbrellas. The rain lightened up, and we pushed on. It made it feel really romantic, and it also made the photos wonderful, and it took all seriousness away from the day. We just totally embraced it!”

This gorgeous marble plinth you can see behind Bec and Jordaan at the ceremony was not only a beautiful addition to their wedding, but was also bought to go into their dream home! “Jordaan and I are actually building our dream home, and it was completed 2 weeks after the wedding. So I purchased the marble plinth seen holding the flowers at the altar from Fleur Studios,” she shared.

“The idea was that the plinth be used at the altar with a beautiful array of flowers, then we would put the plinth in our home with a wedding photo. It was such a stunning piece and meant so much to me. Way more than probably the guests knew. We then used it as a stand for our wedding cake and a point for people to do speeches from.”

Lindy from Lush Florals created all of these beautiful burgundy and green florals, perfectly bringing Bec’s vision to life. “I had a vision board for our florist, who just did the most wonderful job. I’m not a creative, but all I knew was I wanted white, green, plush and burgundy flowers. And I wanted the bridesmaids’ bouquets to be quicksand roses, which were just beautiful.”

Hannah from The Art Of Us took so many incredible photos that Bec couldn’t pick one shot as her favourite. Instead she rounded up her top three! “I love so so so so so many shots! One of my favourites would be the close-up of me leaning on Jordaan’s back, smiling at the camera and him looking off. I also LOVE THE one where my bridesmaids and all holding my dress and veil and I have my leg out the split that’s pretty special,” she explains.

“Or the group shot of all the bridal party standing at the altar at The Gardens at Bullimah; it’s just iconic. I think I’m biased, but it’s the best bridal party photo ever !!!”

Speaking of vendors Bec and Jordaan loved, Hannah from The Art Of Us is definitely one of their favourites! “Hannah is incredible. She makes you feel comfortable; she is incredibly funny, and she just knows how to get the shot! We zoomed through our photos, and I was like, does she have enough? But ofc she did; she just knew how to get the shot. She works around the clock; she’s a Mum and a businesswoman. Her communication was incredible, and I just LOVED her so much. I’ve told her we have to continue to work together for promo work because I need to hang out with her more haha,” Bec gushed.

“But truly an expert in her field, so wonderful.”

With the help of her brother, Bec created their RJ burgundy welcome sign and all of her bar / table signage! “We also had funny certificates to hand out for performances during the wedding night that I created and gave out at our recovery day. This was an absolute hit with our guests. We had all sorts of funny awards”

The best piece of advice Bec will leave you with as we come to a close on this wonderful celebration is this: don’t let the stress take the fun away from your day. “Someone said to me, guests don’t know what they are getting or not getting; only you know what you have planned, so chill out,” she shared.

“You and your husband being the vibe, not your table setting, not your flowers, not your menus or invites. Have fun, enjoy it, and be human! Nothing’s perfect !!!!”

The four things that brought Bec and Jordaan’s romantic wedding together were:

“1. The venue

2. Our vendors

3. Family and friends

4. Being in the south west of Australia: it’s my favourite.”

Instead of a first dance, Jordaan and Bec opted to twirl around the dance floor with their mums before having their second dance! “We did this to honour the strong women who raised us and danced to “It Takes a Woman” by Chris Stapleton. Then Jordaan and I came together, and we did a quick little dance to “You Look Like You Love Me” by Ella Langley. It was low-key, 30 seconds, and we asked everyone to join us.”

A huge congratulations to Bec and Jordaan for this beautiful celebration, and for reaching for your dreams! Thanks to The Art of Us for capturing and sharing these moments with us.