Jess and Andy's day was the purest reflection of who they are as a couple. Nothing was a 'trend' or something you would find in the latest wedding magazine. Their whole wedding was centred around everyone and everything they love - friends, family, pizza, booze and having a good time!
All of the special people in their lives played an important role in making their day come together. Jess's Aunty was the celebrant and told their story with so much life. Andy's clever Mum made all of the bridesmaid's dresses and the boy's bow ties, and his sister made the incredible cake. A handful of their friends made the flower arrangements and did the hair and makeup. While more of their friends help set up the tables.
Everything was just so uniquely them. Anyone that knows Jess would know she would somehow find a way to include dinosaurs on their wedding day, and she did so in the best way. It was the first time (and probably the last time) I'd ever seen anyone walk down the aisle to the Jurassic Park theme song, and it was actually amazing. Jess had also spent hours before the wedding spray painting small dinosaur figurines to decorate their tables.
There were so many beautiful moments throughout the day. Jess did a 'first look' with her Grandad, which was really sweet, and Andy walked down the aisle with his Mum. After the speeches, some of their family members surprised them with a flashmob to the Spice Girls. Then Jess and Andy blew everyone's minds with a perfectly choreographed swing dance they'd learnt for their 'first dance' (no awkward swaying in sight!).
One of my favourite moments was at the end of the evening. Just as I was just about to clock off for the evening and Jess said to me "hey – do you think you could get a photo of the stars for me?"...
"Sure!" – I started looking around for the Southern Cross because I have no idea about space or stars. But Jess knew exactly what she was looking for. She then told me that her late father had sparked her interest in space when she was younger and taught her all about the different constellations and planets. She led me out the front of the venue and pointed up to a couple of stars that form the 'Scorpios Constellation' (Or 'Maui's Hook' for those with children that have watched Moana). I set my gear up for it to do its thing on a long exposure. After 30 seconds, we checked the back of the camera and were both amazed to see the Milky Way and a million more stars that weren't visible to the naked eye. We were blown away.
What I really love about the image is that it's just a photo of the stars to most people. For Jess, it's so much more. It represents the special memories that she has of her Dad, and it was really beautiful and personal moment to share with Jess.
It felt like I'd known Jess and Andy for a lifetime. I honestly feel like I've walked away with two new friends that I could talk to for hours about anything. There were so many special moments from this day that I'll hold close to my heart forever.
Mel x
Venue: Stonehurst Cedar Creek
Caravan Bar: Willow & Me
Kind words from Jess and Andy:
“Dear Mel,
Throghout our relationship, Jess has taken all the photos, and I have stubbornly remembered anything picturesque. Honestly, I figured that all of our guests would get good photos, and I’d remember any good bits. Well, I’m so glad to be wrong, because not only did you take some good shots, you took a whole heap of priceless ones! We are both so damn grateful for all of them, but there are two themes here..
After a zoom call and a few hours on the day, you dialed into who we were personally, and created moments for us to detach from the rush of it all to take in some of the most special moments both individually and as a couple, Our wedding day, as well as the memories of it, would simply be nowhere near as special if you hadn’t been there. Thank you so much!
Love Jess and Andy.”
