Nathan & Jess

Jess and Nathan met through motorbiking friends, but it wasn't love at first sight for this couple! They took their time and became friends first, even though Jess admits she found Nathan good-looking from the start. After a while, those friendly feelings developed into something deeper, as they tend to do, and these two Scorpios ended up love.

After dating for some time Nathan suggested they go on a picnic at the Gold Coast one weekend. Jess thought he was trying to cheer her up because she was having a hard time at work. “It turns out Nathan had organised for our best friends to set up a beautiful picnic at Froggie’s Beach and that is where he proposed. It was such a surprise!” said Jess.

Being a super-organised executive assistant, Jess had seen Gabbinbar Homestead on Instagram years before her engagement and knew it would be in the wedding venue mix. “I had seen beautiful pics of Gabbinbar on Instagram and we came up from Brisbane for a viewing and Nathan got on board immediately,” she said. “It rained on our first viewing and then we came back for another viewing, and it rained even more torrentially the second time, but that didn’t stop us! We love the outdoors and I’m the sort of person who loves salty sea air and fresh-cut grass and being under big old trees in nature. What I loved was that Gabbinbar had a wet weather plan where we could still have the outdoor wedding we wanted without stressing.”

On the wedding day, Jess and Nathan woke up to the famous Toowoomba fog and thought that the weather was going to get them again. “I looked outside my hotel room where the day before I could see for miles and all I could see was fog,” Jess said. “But it parted around 9am and we had perfect weather for the rest of the day!”

The classic wedding had an elegant and minimalistic theme, with the bridesmaids in white, and the flowers and table settings in green and white, with a hint of pink. “We wanted our wedding to be simple and timeless,” Jess explained. “The plan was to look back on it in 20-30 years and still love it all.”

The highlight was the speeches. Jess’ father passed away four years ago and her mum gave an incredibly sentimental speech. “I was just focusing on listening, but I was told after that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Jess recalls. “My step-brother and sister followed up with a fun and hilarious speech that got everyone laughing and brought the mood up again and ready to celebrate. It was perfect.” Then everyone hit the dance floor and the rest was history.

Looking back on such a wonderful event, Jess’s advice to people planning their weddings is simple: don’t get hung up on all the details. “No matter the decision about the car and centerpieces and food choices, it will all be fine,” Jess said. “I was worried about lots of things beforehand and it was all fine. “Our wedding was the best day ever and one of my happiest moments; it was just so much fun. If anything, it wasn’t long enough!”

PHOTOGRAPHY

Matthew Gillam Photography

DESIGNER

Dress: Made With Love Bridesmaid's Dresses: A&N Luxe Label Groom & Groomsmen: MJ Bale Cake: Fig & Coconut Flowers: The Luxe Bloom