JONATHAN X PHILLIP

city botanic garden brisbane outdoor wedding images by sam wyper photography

wedding date 25 august 2023

80 wedding guests

Engaged in Swansea and married at the gorgeous Brisbane City Botanic Gardens with their miniature schnauzer, Sadie as their ring bearer! "We met in a rather modern, digital way — we both swiped right on Tinder. It was fate, or rather, a well-placed algorithm, that brought us together.

We chatted for a few weeks and then decided to meet at Bird's Nest Restaurant in West End. It wasn't love at first sight for Phillip. He thought I was a bit trashy, turning up in some Nike AirForce high tops. However, despite the questionable footwear, there was an undeniable connection from that very first meeting." Jonathan shares.

the proposal.
Ah, the proposal — it’s a moment we both cherish deeply, although it almost didn’t happen. We got engaged on July 14th, 2021. We had organised a trip to Tasmania during a time when Covid lockdowns were unpredictable. Leading up to our trip, Tasmania went into lockdown. The afternoon before our departure, Tasmania was still on lockdown, so we decided to postpone our trip. But in a turn of events, Tasmania announced at 9 PM that they were opening the next day, so we had to quickly rebook everything.

We got engaged at Piermont Retreat in Swansea, a stunning little coastal retreat. I had no idea that Phil had planned to propose at this spot months before and had been in contact with the venue. Before dinner, Phil suggested we go early for a drink by the fire to watch the sunset. It was the perfect spot to propose. Phil stepped off to get some champagne for after the proposal. However, accidentally, when the lady came out with the champagne, she must have thought the proposal had already happened and shouted, "Congratulations, is there a ring!"

It's something we can laugh about now, but at the moment, Phil was a little upset, and I had to pretend I didn’t hear anything. I just stared into the bonfire, making no eye contact with anyone. We never told her she accidentally ruined the surprise. Despite this little hiccup, the proposal was perfect and filled with love. It’s a story we’ll always remember fondly, and it just adds to the charm of our unique journey together.

city botanic garden brisbane outdoor wedding images by sam wyper photography

J O N A T H A N X P H I L L I P

ceremony & reception location.

When it came to choosing our wedding venue, we had a few criteria in mind. Firstly, it needed to represent us. We didn't want an over-the-top wedding or a traditional style with a rigid itinerary and an alternate drop menu of chicken, fish, chicken, fish (we can laugh about that now!).

Finding the perfect ceremony spot was a bit tricky because we always wanted Sadie, our miniature schnauzer, to be our ring bearer. There was no way we would get married without having her involved in our day. Not many places we liked allowed dogs, but after much searching, we found a beautiful tree in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens that was dog-friendly. The location was perfect, and the council was very helpful, making the process super easy.

The reception took a little longer to find. We had high expectations on a limited budget, and nothing seemed to strike the perfect balance. One evening, after having dinner at Joey's, perched on the top of Kangaroo Point Cliffs, we joked that it would be an amazing spot for our reception. It's a place we love to eat, with the most perfect view of the CBD, amazing vibes, and wonderful food. We joked about approaching them, but when we looked at their website, it didn’t seem like they did events such as weddings. However, we decided to shoot off an email to see what they would say.

To our delight, they came back with a "Yes." We were so excited! The reception venue was everything we could have hoped for and more. The team at Joey's really went above and beyond to make our day a success. It was the perfect blend of everything we wanted and truly represented us.

theme.

We didn't really have a specific theme for our wedding; we just wanted it to represent us. We love good food, wine, and cocktails — and lots of it! Our main goal was for our friends and family to have an amazing time and leave feeling full and happy. We focused on creating an atmosphere that was relaxed, fun, and full of love, ensuring that everyone could truly enjoy the celebration with us.

most favourite moments.

Our favourite moment was when the wedding ceremony started. We had just come down the aisle when Jac, our celebrant and unofficial bridesmaid, stopped and explained that something had been forgotten and we couldn’t continue (this was planned). We hadn’t told anyone that Sadie was part of the wedding.

As Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" started playing, out popped Sadie from behind a tree, dressed in a matching navy suit, carrying our rings. She came down the aisle towards us, rather calmly and not as chaotically as we had assumed might happen. It was such a wonderful moment, and she did such an amazing job. The surprise and delight on everyone's faces were priceless, making it an unforgettable highlight of our day.

how easy did you find your Wedding attire experience?
We found our wedding attire experience very easy. We knew from the beginning that we wanted custom suits but didn't want to spend a fortune. We went to Institchu in the city and met with the fabulous Emogene. We knew we wanted suits from Institchu as we had seen their suits worn by grooms at past weddings, so we didn't look anywhere else. The hardest part was choosing the shade of blue we both looked good in and deciding on the colour of the ties. We ended up with navy suits and burnt orange ties, which looked fantastic. The whole process was smooth and enjoyable, thanks to the expert guidance we received.

what does marriage mean to you?
Marriage, to us, means building a life and a home together that is filled with love, trust, and shared dreams. It’s about cherishing and nurturing our family, ensuring our home is always filled with warmth, love, and understanding.

Marriage means being each other’s rock, offering unwavering support, wisdom, and rational thinking to guide one another through difficult decisions and challenging moments. It should be a beautifully chaotic journey, filled with laughter, love, and endless support, and we’re excited to continue writing our love story together.

advice that helped you the most when planning...
The best advice we received was to remember that it’s your day, no one else’s. Everyone, including friends and vendors, have opinions, and it can quickly become someone else's day if you take on too much of their advice.

Also, stick to what you want. If a venue doesn't offer what you want, either tangibly or within your budget, don't compromise; keep looking until you find it.

We knew from day one what we wanted. It took us many weekends of looking at venues and talking to celebrants to finally find what exactly matched our vision from the beginning. Remembering that it’s our day made it truly that... and perfect in every way.