Jack & Kendell met during December of 2013 via mutual friends. We met down at Sandgate water front in Brisbane one rainy afternoon just before New Year’s Eve. "I didn’t really want to go because I was paranoid about getting my hair wet and it going frizzy ha. But I couldn’t be happier that I chose to still go that day because I met the love of my life that day" Kendell tells. "It was a really pleasant way to meet each other and we couldn’t be more thankful for December 27th & to our mates for introducing us.” said Jack.
Tell us a little bit about the proposal: Being together for four years before the proposal, we had actually purchased the ring years prior, whilst on a trip in the States. We were in Las Vegas and it all happened so quickly. We knew we weren’t ready to be engaged as we had only recently met however it felt right & the rest is history. Years later the time was right and we took that next step. Jack knew I really wanted to go on a gondola boat so he arranged for us to go on one for dinner along Bribie island canals. As he got down on one knee I said to him ‘just give me the ring already’ that I had so eagerly awaited to be on my finger.
We aren’t all about the big hype when it came to engagement (however the Wedding might have been according to some) his parents back in the day simply had a conversation that they wanted to marry one an other. It was as simple and straightforward as it needed to be. To this day, their marriage of 30 odd years is a true reflection of how we would like our marriage to be. My dream is going to be coming true next June when we will be travelling around Europe, where we hope to visit Venice – home of the gondola boat.
Any funny stories leading up to the Wedding day? Oh boy, do we ever, but wouldn't say they are funny but more interesting stories. One week prior to the Wedding, a bridesmaid fell quite ill and unfortunately was not going to be able to make it down the aisle, we came to a decision the Thursday before the Saturday Wedding that it would be best she doesn’t attend due to her health. Luckily, I was able to fill her spot and my darling friend Mindy stepped in and took her place in the bridal party, coincidently also fitting in the dress that had been made to measure.
The night before the Wedding the maid of honour who is naturally clumsy decided to trip on the stairs on her way up and spilt her knee open. Let’s just say it was a very eventful night and a short hospital visit. Luckily Samantha was able to push through the pain on the Wedding day.
Tell us about finding your dress: For as long as I can remember, we’re talking probably 6 years, I have had my eye on one particular dress. When I look back through my photos I have had a photo saved of it, from 2014 or maybe even years earlier. I love the dress and no other came close to the love I have for it. I tried it on and then still went and tried on multiple other dress’s but I still came back to this classical dress that was and is timeless. The combination of delicate lace and a mountain of tulle, what more could a girl ask for really. Dress designer was ‘When Freddie met Lilly' located in Brisbane Northside suburb of Bardon.
Favourite moment of the day: Our favourite moment from the whole day was when we got to sit down over a nice glass of wine and an epic feed by ‘ wine n dine em ‘ catering, followed by dancing and one giant reunion with our friends and family some of whom we had not seen in years.
What does marriage mean to you? Funnily enough, it didn’t really hit either of us until the day of the Wedding that was to be the first day of the rest of our lives. Reading the letter Jack had written to me, to read the morning of the Wedding was something I will never ever forget, I had tears streaming down my face. Jack is very well spoken when it comes to writing his feelings down on a piece of paper. Marriage to us is making a commitment in front of God, our families and friends under his almighty kingdom. We are each other’s people and no longer divided as individuals, rather as one. We strive to encourage each other as challenging as that may be however each new day is another chance to better ourselves. No matter what life may bring, we will always be beside each other, never in front and never behind. We love and respect each other’s families and strive to live through the life lessons they have taught us.
Jack & Kendell from Jordan Toia on Vimeo.
"No matter what life may bring, we will always be beside each other, never in front and never behind."
Tell us a little bit about the proposal: Being together for four years before the proposal, we had actually purchased the ring years prior, whilst on a trip in the States. We were in Las Vegas and it all happened so quickly. We knew we weren’t ready to be engaged as we had only recently met however it felt right & the rest is history. Years later the time was right and we took that next step. Jack knew I really wanted to go on a gondola boat so he arranged for us to go on one for dinner along Bribie island canals. As he got down on one knee I said to him ‘just give me the ring already’ that I had so eagerly awaited to be on my finger.
We aren’t all about the big hype when it came to engagement (however the Wedding might have been according to some) his parents back in the day simply had a conversation that they wanted to marry one an other. It was as simple and straightforward as it needed to be. To this day, their marriage of 30 odd years is a true reflection of how we would like our marriage to be. My dream is going to be coming true next June when we will be travelling around Europe, where we hope to visit Venice – home of the gondola boat.
The night before the Wedding the maid of honour who is naturally clumsy decided to trip on the stairs on her way up and spilt her knee open. Let’s just say it was a very eventful night and a short hospital visit. Luckily Samantha was able to push through the pain on the Wedding day.
What led you to decide on your Wedding venue? I had not only seen Weddings held at Lightspace but also events. As quoted on their website ‘Lightspace is Brisbane’s perfect Wedding venue for those seeking something a little different. Our unique combination of raw industrial and purpose-built design features has created an incredible space with limitless possibilities. To us, this meant a blank canvas to create the look that was suited to us. It is a spacious & open area with an ambient feel even without any styling. Our Wedding was indeed intimate however Lightspace made it feel in fact quite large. The two long tables for our guests, Bridal table at the top and separate areas sectioned off made it feel nice and spacious for our guests. No one wants to feel like they’re in a confined space and have no room to move around especially at a Wedding. The main lighting feature, being the canopy of lights draped down above the guests, would have had to be the cherry on top. Lightspace was the perfect venue for our reception, except parking was not the best however that being said it was a weekend so a little more accommodating.
What was the inspiration behind your Wedding theme? We found ourselves looking back through previous weddings we had attended / had seen online for inspiration for our big day. We had a million different ideas but we knew we needed to come to a decision. When I first reached out to Cassie at main event weddings I did not have a clue about a theme / colours / ideas ect that I wanted. I have never been one to DIY and don’t have a very creative side hence we decided to hire someone who calls this their bread & butter. Main event are hands down the best in the business & made us feel so at ease throughout the whole process of planning and designing a wedding. They happily met our budget requirements and understood our needs.
What was the inspiration behind your Wedding theme? We found ourselves looking back through previous weddings we had attended / had seen online for inspiration for our big day. We had a million different ideas but we knew we needed to come to a decision. When I first reached out to Cassie at main event weddings I did not have a clue about a theme / colours / ideas ect that I wanted. I have never been one to DIY and don’t have a very creative side hence we decided to hire someone who calls this their bread & butter. Main event are hands down the best in the business & made us feel so at ease throughout the whole process of planning and designing a wedding. They happily met our budget requirements and understood our needs.
What was your favourite detail about the day? What we loved most about our Wedding was the whole ambience and feel that was created. Lightspace is not an overly lit up venue which is the beauty of it… the mood was soft and delicate. Along with an incredible DJ, lighting that was on point to suit the theme and an abundance of love for our nearest & dearest we could not be happier with how our Wedding day went.
We chose Fort Lytton National Park for our photography location . Fort Lytton National Park's main attraction is the Fort Lytton Historic Military Precinct. The number of compliments that we have received in regards to this very historical national park has been overwhelming. We had the park all to ourselves that day so we had freedom to move around and take our time capturing some of the parks most amazing features that were built in the late 1880’s.
We chose Fort Lytton National Park for our photography location . Fort Lytton National Park's main attraction is the Fort Lytton Historic Military Precinct. The number of compliments that we have received in regards to this very historical national park has been overwhelming. We had the park all to ourselves that day so we had freedom to move around and take our time capturing some of the parks most amazing features that were built in the late 1880’s.
What does marriage mean to you? Funnily enough, it didn’t really hit either of us until the day of the Wedding that was to be the first day of the rest of our lives. Reading the letter Jack had written to me, to read the morning of the Wedding was something I will never ever forget, I had tears streaming down my face. Jack is very well spoken when it comes to writing his feelings down on a piece of paper. Marriage to us is making a commitment in front of God, our families and friends under his almighty kingdom. We are each other’s people and no longer divided as individuals, rather as one. We strive to encourage each other as challenging as that may be however each new day is another chance to better ourselves. No matter what life may bring, we will always be beside each other, never in front and never behind. We love and respect each other’s families and strive to live through the life lessons they have taught us.
Jack & Kendell from Jordan Toia on Vimeo.
Any funny stories from the day? Kendell had no idea that the videographer had attached a little microphone to Jack's shirt, luckily the microphone was not being heard through the speakers at the church or that may have been an interesting ceremony. The videographer listening to the coverage later on must have thought I was the biggest chatterbox. The whole way from the ceremony to photo location I chewed Jack’s ear off , that being said I was just so thrilled to finally be married to Jack and wanted to tell him all about the night before and the morning of.
And also Jack being Jack, thought he would get a real laugh from the crowd which he did by writing his Wedding speech on a toilet roll… because of the amount of dribble he likes to talk. When the time came for him to read his speech his Mum chucked his toilet roll across the room. Kendell was very confused as to what was going on but Jack likes to do things a little differently and is a real larrikin.
Advice for other couples planning a Wedding? I must say, I learnt especially towards the end that compromise has to come into play when planning a Wedding. It wasn’t my Wedding - it was our Wedding and a few times I know I forgot that and went off on my own little way. Wedding planning is not meant to a stressful season in your life, however it does become that way for some. Let it be, and reflect upon what’s most important to you and your husband / wife to be. Remember why you love each other and what’s going to really matter in say five years time. We can happily say, that we would relive May the 12th over and over again in a split second. It was the happiest, most joyous, moment in a couple’s life.
Any stand out vendors for the day? Someone that went above and beyond? All of the vendors whom we chose were equally as amazing. Photography was the first thing we really locked in & Greta Elizabeth was a dream come true, her style of photography was exactly the kind that we had envisioned and cannot wait to finally be able to hang some up on walls in our home. Her warm, genuine and thoughtful style of photos filled us with so much joy. Not to mention her second shooter meg who also did a wonderful job in capturing our big day. Greta made us feel at ease, comfortable and the turn around time for the photos was really efficient.
Photography and also videography were two of the most important aspects of the Wedding that we wanted to get right. Jordan Toia was the genius behind the video lens and captured every second of our Wedding, and most importantly the moments that meant the most to us. We understood the style of video we were after and created a tear-jerking video that I still watch every single day to this day.
On behalf of Kendell and I, we would love to thank each and everyone’s contribution to making our Wedding day as special as it was , we couldn’t have done it without the love and constant support from our friends and families.
Styling & hire: Main Event Group @maineventweddings_ // Catering: Wine & Dine ‘M @winendinem // Lighting specifically: AVIDEAS @avideas_ //Bride dress : When Freddie met Lilly @whenfreddiemetlilly // Reception dress : Thurley official @thurleyofficial // Bridesmaid dresses: Camilla & Marc @camillaandmarc // Hair : Jody Callan Hair @jodycallanhair // Bride MUA: Janise Chan @jdolls // Bridesmaid MUA: Hayley Irwin Makeup @hayleyirwinmakeup // Cake: Petal and Peach Bakery @petalandpeach.bakery // Wedding favour cookies : Corner Stone Cake Co @cornerstonecakeco // Videography : Jordan Toia @jordan.toia Gold Lens Weddings // Photography: Greta Elizabeth photography @gretaelizabethphotography // Stationery : Labelle Creative @labellecreative // Wedding car : Tic Tac Tours ( we had the rolls Royce ) @tictactours