Real Weddings

Article by

Dani Connor

Posted on

09/08/2023

Posted in

Real Weddings

A modern day love story, Jane and Jack first matched on Bumble and had their first date at a dog park, with Jane’s chihuahua, Olive, there to make sure her new owner had picked a winner. Just over three years later, the pair wed in their hometown of Canberra, and the stoke levels were at an all-time high. Their advice to others about to get hitched is simple: “Get excited – you’re going to have so much fun being the bride/groom for a day!” Amen! To bring the epic celebration together, they turned to the experts. Jane found her stunning Karen Willis Holmes gown at one of our favourite boutiques Mrs Fray, while the ever-so-talented I Got You Babe Weddings was in charge of photos. Scroll down to see all the glorious pics, including snaps of their ride-on wedding lawnmower (you heard!), once the newlyweds have shared their story, of course.

THE VENUE “We wanted a venue in Canberra that could host both our ceremony and reception. We fell in love with the idea of an autumn wedding at The Boat House. It’s an iconic Canberra restaurant with great modern Australian food and wine, and a beautiful view. It was a clear winner.”

LITTLE LOL “Numerous nights at home watching YouTube dance tutorial videos and rehearsing our first dance. I wouldn’t say we ‘nailed’ our first dance but somehow we didn’t disgrace ourselves. We also spent a fun public holiday at the plumbing workshop decorating our ride-on lawn mower wedding car.”

THE DRESS “I found the dress at my first appointment at Mrs Fray, I think it was the fifth dress I tried on that day. My mum, sister, and mother-in-law were having a great time drinking bubbles but weren’t giving me much feedback on the dresses because they wanted the decision to be mine. I felt so comfortable and sexy in the Karen Willis Holmes Margo gown, and I was confident that Jack would love me in the dress too. I trusted my gut and never looked back!”

FAVE DEETS “Coming home after getting my hair and makeup done and seeing the stunning bouquets from Moxom & Whitney was an absolute highlight! They were more beautiful than I could have imagined. Also, my mum and sister helping me to put on my Karen Willis Holmes wedding dress – it’s the magic moment when you transform into a bride! I am forever grateful to Amy from Mrs Fray for her styling help – and for suggesting a cathedral-length veil. I highly recommend the feeling of being surrounded by tulle in the back of a wedding car.”

REFERENCES “My brother attended the wedding of the couple on Hello May‘s issue 37 cover, and he linked me to Lilli from I Got You Babe Photography, who shot it. After lots of scrolling through her beautiful photos on Instagram, I reached out to Lilli with the date of our wedding and a little about us. I thought there was no way she’d be available for our little Canberra wedding, but to my absolute joy and surprise, she was! When I look through her photos of our wedding day I am taken right back to the moment – it gives me goosebumps. We’re so lucky to have those moments captured in time.”

WE’RE GLAD WE.. “Did our bridal portraits and family photos before our ceremony as it meant we could relax and enjoy cocktail hour with our guests. Plus, we were busy doing hot laps on our wedding lawnmower.”

If you’re yet to book in your dream team, we’ve got a directory full of the best of the best. We highly recommend checking out I Got You Babe Weddings for amazing pics, and Mrs Fray for a gorg curated collection of gowns, including the likes of Karen Willis Holmes. Looking for more Canberra-based vendors? We gotchu.