Real wedding: Jose and Marc

Posted on 2 March, 2017

Jose and Marc’s glorious wedding at Gundaroo showed just what you can pull together on short notice, including some seriously well-styled outfits and delicate hand-made styling! Jose takes us through the fun-filled day..

Getting ready

My bridesmaids and I stayed at The East Hotel the night before the wedding. We had a fantastic dinner at Joe’s Bar, and I love the photos of my dad and I in the quirky lounge areas.

The dress

We only had a five month engagement, so getting a dress in a short turn-around was a high priority. I actually bought my dress from a bridesmaid’s store for about $500! I love the low back, full A-line skirt and that my shoes could be a statement. My mum’s wedding sash was turned into an adjustable belt with a pre-made bow so that it wouldn’t be fussy to tie on the day.

The ceremony

I’m still not sure how we packed 104 people into St Joseph’s Church, which is absolutely tiny! At first I was unsure about the horse-shoe layout, but it made for such an intimate and communal experience. Our priest, Father Tony Percy, made a huge effort to get to know us which made the ceremony meaningful but also relaxed. He’s also got a very dry sense of humour! My oldest family friend turned my mum’s fabulously 80’s wedding dress into gorgeous pew ties and an altar cloth, which added an incredibly personal element to the ceremony.

Gundaroo fit the bill perfectly with its rustic charm and beautiful country scenery. Marc and I have always loved the relaxed atmosphere and amazing dining experience at Grazing. I’m also passionate about supporting local businesses and producers.

The reception

Our guests moseyed down to Grazing for canapés and drinks while we had wedding photos. We were lucky to have one of the only sunny days in September, which was perfect as Grazing has a gorgeous outdoor deck and country garden. We opted for a two course meal (main and desert), and instead of a cake, we had a mini leg of ham with crusty bread and mustards for guests to munch on later in the evening.

I loved how our florist Fionna completely understood my vision for bold, unstructured flowers. The flower crowns were absolutely spectacular, I wanted to wear mine so badly that I wore it to our recovery brunch the next day!

My dear friend Nanette and her family hand-made big paper flowers for the walls, as well as potted succulent clippings into antique silver vessels for the table decoration, which reflected beautifully in the candlelight. She also bought her own vintage furniture to dress the chill out space, which made it feel really comfortable and personal.

Our flower girls roved the evening with polaroid cameras, and we have some great candid photos from the night.

We were so thrilled with the wedding, especially as we turned the whole thing around in less than six months and while Marc was overseas working for the year. Kelly’s beautiful photos perfectly capture the special moments, and we couldn’t be happier with the day!

THE LITTLE DETAILS:

Ceremony: St Joseph’s Church, Gundaroo

Priest: Father Tony Percy

Photography: Kelly Tunney Photography

Reception: Grazing Restaurant at Gundaroo

Bride’s dress: Bronx and Banco from Bridesmaid’s Only, Double Bay

Bride’s shoes: Aquazzura and Stuart Weitzman

Bride’s hair + makeup: Hair by Stephanie of Axis Hair, makeup by bride’s aunt Alexandra of Angel Face Barcelona

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Review

Flower girls’ dresses: David Charles London

Bridesmaids’ hair + makeup: Jane and Dijana of Sparrow Makeup

Groom’s and groomsmen’s suits: George & King

Flowers + flower crowns: Fionna of Peony ‘N Pearl

Styling: Couple’s friends Josephine and Nanette

Band: Something Like This

Cars: Couple’s friends

Stationery: Minted

First dance song: ‘Next to Me’ by Emelie Sandé