Wedding | Helena & Jake

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met as teenagers, just after the completion of school, and got engaged shortly after our 10 year anniversary while on a road trip through NSW, VIC and SA.

Today, we live on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and do our best to balance the fast-paced nature of life and work with swims in the ocean, time with family and friends, and travel when we can.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

From the day we got engaged, we both knew the big ceremony wouldn’t be for us. We are very lucky to have a special family farm on Helena’s side that has been the location of many holidays over the years, and we couldn’t think of a better place to hold an intimate ceremony with our nearest and dearest.

That being said, there was no way we wanted to miss out on a party and the chance to celebrate with extended family and friends, and so we held a cocktail event down at Ripples Chowder Bay on Sydney’s harbour the following weekend, a delayed ‘reception’ if you like!

How many guests did you have?

30 at the ceremony and lunch on the farm. 120 at the cocktail reception at Ripples the following weekend.

What was your budget? 

We kept it contained through a lot of DIY and the benefit of a private ceremony venue, but that doesn’t come without work - think working bees to make linen seat covers, guest keepsakes and get the farm ready for the day; numerous dashes across Sydney for marketplace purchases; and time spent in line for sample sales to try and hustle for a good deal. But we also had things we knew we wanted to enjoy the experience of and didn’t want to compromise on quality, which absolutely paid off in the end.

Tell us about your outfits.

Helena wore Prea James, a studio collection gown and neck scarf for the ceremony and a mini with a silk organza underskirt for the reception party. Jake wore a P Johnson tuxedo.

We kept accessories simple and with some special keepsakes - Helena’s wedding earrings were her mum’s own wedding earrings, and Jake’s wedding ring was passed down from his grandfather.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

That the whole experience felt like ‘us’.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

For our ceremony, we wanted to create an intimate setting for us to share our personal vows, special but also relaxed and with a sense of fun. Having Helena’s brother be our unofficial celebrant on the day helped to set that tone, and fair to say that Helena arriving on a tractor and us heading for photos on a helicopter (credit to family members with the relevant licenses and access to machines) topped it all off!

Any tips for couples getting married?

Work together to form a clear vision of what you want from your wedding. Stay open to ideas but also know what you want and communicate it when you need to. It’s your day!

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Being on a private property for our ceremony day, up a long and winding dirt road, made the choice of a few, select vendors even more important. And we couldn’t have been happier with who we had working with us to help make the day happen, in particular Zoë Morley Photography and Kristin from Bride To Be Makeup Co. We were sad to say good bye at the end of all the fun!

Photographer: Zoë Morley Photography @zoemorleyphotography | Flora: The Flower Shop Dungog

@theflowershopdungog | Ceremony Location: Private farm, Moppy, NSW  | Reception Location:

Ripples Chowder Bay @rippleschowderbay | Celebrant: Sydney Registry Office on a prior weekend so the bride’s brother could be our unofficial/ pretend ‘celebrant’ on the day | HMUA: Bride To Be Makeup Co @bridetobemakeupcompany | Catering & Beverages: Julianne & Bill (family friends) | Cake: Made by the bride’s brother | Stationery: Design Studio Samantha @designstudiosamantha | Dress & Neck Scarf: Prea James Bridal @preajames_bridal | Suits: P Johnson @pjohnsontailors | Engagement & Wedding Rings: Sarah & Sebastian @sarahandsebastian | Shoes: Mi Piaci @mi_piaci