FELICIA X SAM

images by jacob jennings photography

5th November 2022

70 wedding guests

Felicia and Sam met when they were 18 and 19 years old, at a local poker tournament. "We both grew up in families that enjoyed playing poker, and we happened to cross paths at one of our local pub poker tournaments." They had talked of marriage before, it felt natural after being together for so long that at that point they were pretty much considered on the list of people getting married in the future. "I did not know exactly when Sam was going to propose. It was only about 5 minutes before he officially asked me that I had an inkling that there was potentially going to be a big question popped. He kept it hidden pretty well in the lead up!" Felicia shares.

the film. 

Felicia & Sam x EVKA — Teaser from Evelina Katarzynski on Vimeo.

Having Jacob capture our day was like having a chilled out mate follow you around taking extremely good candid photos. He was so easy and fun to work with, and definitely made us feel natural and comfortable with our photos. And the gallery he delivered for us had so many stand out shots that I find it hard to condense into a highlight album – which is why I’ve procrastinated so much to get one done!

An absolute master in videography. EVKA Weddings videography editing style is very warm and romantic, but has a modern twist. She captured some finer details that we didn’t really notice on the day, but made some real impact in our video. She was very thoughtful and creative, and really listened to what we want. What she delivered was beyond our expectations.

 

the proposal.

We were on a trip in Indonesia, and as a doctorate student, we weren’t able to splash the cash on pricey accommodation every night. Sam suggested we book the world-renowned Ayana Resort and Spa for our last night which I reluctantly agreed to because he was VERY keen to do it. A staff member escorted us for dinner through a quiet path in the resort until we reached a private spot and just around the corner I saw a floating platoon in the middle of a small lake with a single set table and rose petals scattered around candles. 

Sam said he had organised it as a surprise for our final night in Indonesia. Once we sat down, I asked Sam, “You’re not going to propose, are you?” to which we both laughed. It was shortly after that, Sam discreetly pulled out the ring box he had been stashing uncomfortably in his underwear for a good two hours and asked me to be his wife.

the venue.

Sam and I wanted something logistically simple for both us to plan, and for our guests on the day where they didn’t have to drive somewhere else or wait around for a few hours in between the ceremony and reception. Our venue selection, The Vine Shed in McLaren Vale really ticked so many of our boxes as an all-in-one venue where we could have our ceremony and cocktail hour amongst the stunning manicured grounds with the vineyards as our backdrop, then easily move into the indoor reception area. 

Our venue was Tuscany inspired meets industrial charm. As big wine buffs, we also wanted somewhere that served high quality, tasty South Australian wine and The Vine Shed absolutely delivered. We literally didn’t go through with some venues purely based on wine tastings! Lastly, the staff absolutely need a mention because they were great in the lead up to, and on our day to make sure it went smoothly.

We didn’t want the typical individually plated alternate drop style of dining for our wedding, or a buffet style. We wanted something a little more creative, fun and interactive. In the end we chose a shared feast style of table catering from Comida. They had so much choice and flexibility in the options we could have had.  I’ve not heard one negative comment about our food! Comida bring a modern twist to Spanish cuisine such that it’s like a combination of modern Australian and Spanish. The food was of such a high quality and incredibly tasty, even our photographer has gone back to their restaurant to eat after our wedding. 

the styling.

Basically, the idea of our day was romantic winery charm with a hint of vintage. I’m a big fan of simple warm neutrals in pretty much everything – so that colour palette my goal for the theme. Think blush, cream and toffee. We didn’t want anything too formal, dated or ‘blingy’ so kept things simple, unstructured, warm and inviting. Our ceremony space didn’t need too much styling or décor, since it was surrounded by lush green vines and manicured grounds. So it was complimented by the simple colour palette that contrasts nicely with greens on the colour wheel.

Lucy from Flora Lab was incredibly patient and understanding of my very detailed approach to organising my flowers. She absolutely delivered on my vision with the budget I had. 

favourite moment.

Our day was so jam-packed, but perhaps it would have to be the start of our ceremony when I was with Sam at the arbour amongst all our loved ones there to celebrate our marriage whilst a Kaurna elder, Uncle Mickey, performed a Welcome to Country and smoke ceremony. 

The runner up would have to be our Flamenco entertainment from Alma Flamenco. We had a vocalist, a classical guitarist and dancers perform fiery and passionate numbers as entertainment during our meals. I dreamed of having flamenco dancers at my wedding for years, and was so happy to see it brought to life on our night.

favourite detail.

If we are talking finer details, I’m a bit of a creative when it comes to designing and DIYing, so I did a lot of it for our wedding. From designing our own stationery and signage from scratch, making my own Swarovski pearl-adorned heels and preparing our own eco-confetti. It’s something I am very proud of about our day and I put a lot of effort into. 

the gown and suit.

For me, I have always known for years I would wear a vintage-inspired long-sleeved gown with lace detailing. So it was quite narrowed down from the start. In saying that, I tried on a LOT of gowns, some of them outside the scope of what I was looking for, just confirmed what I wanted from the start. I actually did most of my dress-shopping on my own, and whilst I loved tagging on friends and family, I found this the easiest for me. I ended up choosing a vintage-ethereal gown Rhapsody in a colour called ‘Bloom’ (with a very slight nude-blush undertone) from US designer Willowby Watters. 

For Sam, he never labours too long on an outfit choice, but like me he knew he wanted, and that was to wear all black (which is the vision I had for him too). His suit shopping experience lasted a few hours and he was done. Much simpler for him but he really knocked it out of the park! I LOVED his outfit. He chose Uberstone for his suit, and Wild Rhino for his dress shoes.

what does marriage mean to you?

It really does symbolise the ultimate commitment to each other for the rest of our lives. It’s a certification of enduring love, support and security. It’s knowing that every day for the rest of our lives, we choose each other. 

classic story.

Ours was the perfect weather you could imagine for a wedding, we were blessed by that. There was no wind, no indication of rain, and the temperature was an optimal low-mid twenties. After our smoking ceremony and our celebrant paid tribute to our loved ones that weren’t with us on the day, a huge gust of wind swept through the ceremony space and whipped my veil out of my hair and into the sky. It was safely retrieved, don’t worry! But it was a very memorable and spirited moment in our ceremony. 

advice.

People will always say to have your day the way YOU want it, and doing what you and your partner value the most. That’s definitely what we did. We did away with a few traditions we feel are a little dated or have lost the true meaning over the years. For example, we didn’t have a bridal party, didn’t force anyone to do a speech if they didn’t want to, and didn’t stage a bouquet or garter toss. Don’t feel you have to do certain things or have things a certain way because that’s what you think is expected of you. 

If there was any advice I could pass on to others planning, it’s to HAVE FUN with your wedding planning.  We spoke with our vendors as if they were our friends and built great relationships with them, which just made the planning process SO much easier and the end result amazing. Treating your vendors with kindness, warmth, patience and friendship will get you a long way. 

wedding songs.

We had all our important songs played acoustically by our incredibly talented musician, Dylan Smith.

Aisle song – Little Lover by Nick Broadhurst

Recessional – Feels So Close by Calvin Harris

First Dance – XO by John Mayer 

images by @jacobjenningsphotography_
florals by @florallab.events
catering @comida_hahndorf
videographer @evka.weddings
bridal gown @willowbywatters
venue @vineshedvenuemclarenvale
entertainment @almaflamencaadelaide
musician dylan smith
hairstylist @samfrost_hairstylist
mua @briannacouznermua