I was so very excited for Paige and Jakes wedding, firstly because they have such a pure love for each other and secondly they were going to be featured by Channel 9, how cool is that! Port Lincoln Hotel (the reception location) was having a story done by Channel 9 news about how Port Lincoln is the newest ‘destination wedding location’ – just 30 minutes from Adelaide.
Well, we locals know about its greatness too; locals like Paige and Jake, who held their wedding ceremony at Tanonga Eco Lodges. It was a unique location on the Eyre Peninsula that I hadn’t shot a wedding at before and a place where Jake and Paige escape to when they need to recharge. And what a heartfelt wedding it was to shoot. Paige and Jake were very open to showing their emotion, and it was so refreshing to see. You could see their love ran very deeply, as it was love at first sight!
“I could say I knew he was the one on my first recess break at Saint Joes. When Sarah walked me over to the hill that overlooked all the year 12 boys playing football, he caught my eye. Sarah couldn’t help but notice and laughed, telling me I had no change as he had a girlfriend. I laughed back and joked that I didn’t care because “One day I will marry him!”’. And so she did!
“The first time I knew Paige was the one for me was the first night I ever walked her home. I had always fancied her from a distance, but I never had a good opportunity to get to know her. Well this night I not only found a beautiful person, but I had actually found my best friend and my soul mate’.
And soul mates they are! “There was a moment early in our relationship when the universe in its funny way confirmed that I had in fact met my soul mate…” Jake had picked up Paige to drive her home after a long day, when he changed the cd to put on his favourite song, Drops of Jupiter….turns out it was also Paige’s all time favourite song, not that either of them admitted it to others! That day they sang it at the top of their lungs on the drive home, and on their wedding night, it was the song they had their first dance to as husband and wife….perfect.
The story of their proposal is just as romantic. With a few drinks under his belt one night, Jake had told Paige ‘3 years and I will propose’. Well their big trip to Europe to meet family was planned for around that time, and with many friends and family giving them stick about coming back with a ring, Jake told Paige in no uncertain terms that he would NOT be proposing to her in Europe. It was the only way he could surprise his bride to be (who usually sussed him out in all his surprises!).
The surprise was nearly ruined though when the ring showed up on the security scanner at the airport. Thankfully a quick thinking hug and distraction from a knowing dad was enough to avoid disaster. Jake had followed tradition and asked Paige’s dad for her hand in marriage, “I tell you now, I was just as nervous to do this as I was to ask Paige!” He proposed to her on the balcony of the family home in Croatia after a beautiful morning together swimming and sunbaking, and she was so shocked and surprised that she cried for an hour – which actually had others worried whether she was okay or not! It was her perfect proposal.
Their Port Lincoln Hotel wedding reception was set to emulate the romance of their relationship and had some beautiful decorative touches from family and friends.
It was a bundle of fun being with this group (and a lot of laughs when I nearly slipped over in a creek where I just HAD to get some photos!) I have to say I loved the flower girls and page boy. The page boy was so cute, he jumped in with me as we travelled between locations (as well as Paige and Jake’s dogs who were included in the wedding!) and as he munched away on his red frogs, we had a good chat about the day. What a giggle.
Paige wore a stunning Pallas Couture wedding dress while her handsome husband-to-be wore Hugo Boss, bridesmaids were treated with beautiful gifts and to a bottle of Moet on the morning of the wedding…but with 3 out of the 5 bridesmaid pregnant, I think it might have been saved for the first anniversary! I loved the ‘in case you get cold feet’ socks for the groom, the special story behind them, and Paige’s bridal headpiece was divine.
The reception was filled with flowers, including an amazing floral display hanging from the ceiling. The decorations followed a white and gold theme, with plenty of green to keep it fresh. They used their engagement photos to create a wedding guest signing book, and a beautiful framed tree print was to be decorated with guest fingerprints as leaves, to hang in their home for years to come…right along side their perfect wedding photos of course!
Not a detail was missed in this wedding – there were even comfy shoes for guests to slip on so they could keep dancing away. There is so much I could say about this wedding, but the one thing I must say is thanks. Thank you Paige and Jake for choosing me to capture your special day and changing your initial date so that I could. Thank you for including me in such a beautiful and unique wedding. Thank you for not holding a thing back and letting your emotions show for your wedding photos to look just so natural. Thank you Paige and Jake for reminding me of the true love that I get to capture as part of my ‘work’… Paige and Jake, I know that your love will last for an eternity. Congratulations… xx
Wedding Dress – Pallas Couture
Bridesmaid dress – Anthea Richer
Shoes – Tony Bianco, Jimmy Choo
Jewellery – Leading Edge Jewellers, Pedemonte Jewellers
Suits – Hugo Boss
Florist – Golden Sable Florist
Cake – Sugar Daisy Cakes
Decorator – Ultimate Celebrations
Wedding Celebrant – Tracy Kenny
Make up – Zwar Beauty
Hair – Natural Skin and Hair
Venue – Tanonga Eco Lodges
Reception Venue – Port Lincoln Hotel
Wedding Photographer – Jade Norwood Photography