When we tell you that things got a little wild at Jess and Des’s wedding, we don’t say it lightly. A couple who opted for a £casual and fairly quick ceremony— so that they could £get into party mode— with their friends and family, Jess and Des wanted their wedding to be, simply put, a big party with heaps of awesome vendors (like We Play Records)…and, man, is that what they got.

£The dance floor was pretty crazy and I would say we spent the most time there. At one point I was wearing my dad’s hat, Des was doing the worm on the ground and I was riding his back to the Pony song. I ended up leaving the reception forgetting my shoes, overnight bag, veil, bouquet (which I wanted to hang dry), and my chiffon top and silk belt which was part of my outfit earlier on (these were never to be found!). We also forgot to eat so Des did a 2am McDonald’s run from our hotel. But it was all worth it,— explains Jess, who (despite losing a piece of her beloved dress) rocked a to die for A La Robe ensemble.

£I always knew what kind of dress I wanted: something minimal, low back, preferably silk – no lace, frills or any of that stuff as it’s just not me. So I thought (when it came to the shopping) it was going to be pretty easy because I knew exactly what I liked and didn’t like. But trying to find a simple wedding dress was actually pretty hard! I also didn’t want to spend a fortune. Then I saw this dress on Pinterest and fell in love. I Googled stockists and managed to find it at a store (Hope x Page) not far away and absolutely loved it.—

A no frills day filled with fun times and described as £classy, romantic and a little quirky—, it’s not surprising that this Sydney wedding was overflowing with amazing memories – like their runaway veil moment captured by Dan O’Day Photography. £During our photos we took to the city streets for some shots. There was a fair bit of wind that day and just as Dan was taking a shot of us, my veil flew straight up and landed in the power lines! We were on such a high from just being married we couldn’t stop laughing. It was still quite windy so we thought we’d hang around to see if it would fall back down. After untangling itself and landing in another power line, it finally fell free and Des leaped up and caught it. We had people cheering for us from the balconies and cars which had stopped in the street.—

As far as other favourite details and moments go, there were quite a few according to these newlyweds, like their Sammy & Lola Til Death’ neon sign, the retro ice cream van and, for Jess, seeing her husband to-be as she walked down the aisle towards him. £I had a bit of a walk and it wasn’t until I turned a bend towards the end that I saw him. Des isn’t a crier at all – in the 12 years we’ve been together it’s been a very rare sight. But I saw him well up just a little bit – and that was just enough for me. It was a special moment I’ll never forget.—

Jess and Des’s elegant and romantic celebration of love was originally featured in Issue 16, on sale now. Shop online with Mag Nation or through the HM online store here.

CREDITS Photos Dan O’Day Photography // Event planner / Stylist and florist She Designs // Florist The Floral Decorator // Printer Morgan Printing // Ceremony and reception National Art School, NSW // Catering One Pot Catering // Food trucks / carts Classic Treats // Photo booth Photo Corner // Signage Sammy & Lola // Entertainment We Play Records // Celebrant Catherine Coulson // Engagement ring Goldenet // Brides wedding band Gabriela Artigas // Grooms wedding band Angus & Coote // Bridal gown designer A La Robe // Bridal Boutique and veil Hope x Page // Shoes Jimmy Choo // Accessories Country Road // Hair Marli Rose // Makeup Stefanie Pratico // Suit Saba // Shirt TM Lewin // Tie / Bow tie Scotch & Soda // Shoes Aquila // Flower girl outfit Zimmermann.