AC Bride Jacqui & Daniel

Brimming with joy and overwhelming love, the wedding of Jacqui and Daniel captured our hearts from the moment we saw their incredible wedding photos. We are honoured to share this beautiful celebration with you, their love story is truely one that will leave you in awe.

Wedding Location | South Yarra, Victoria | Ceremony - Garden’s House, Royal Botanic Gardens | Reception - The Glasshouse, Olympic Boulevard

Wedding Date| 31.03.2019

Meet Jacqui & Daniel | We are both very fortunate in that we love what we do for work! I am a Senior Brand Manager at Lion Dairy, and Dan recently started in the Planning and Delivery team at NAB. I have been at Lion for six years and absolutely love it- the culture is unbeatable! Dan has had a slightly different growth journey. He started off in the sports science sector and then transition into commerce and finance, landing him where he is today. We actually now work right across the road from each other! Super convenient!

How we met | We have actually been friends since year 11! Dan and I met at his year 11 formal- I went with my next door neighbour who happened to go to the same school as Dan. Dan and I were always just friends. We used to spend hours upon hours in year 11 and year 12 talking online over MSN (showing our age!) about life, our goals and our favourite Nandos menu items. We sort of lost touch for a couple of years and then rekindled our friendship at a mutual friend’s party five years ago. We kept in touch and when the time was right we finally got together. I never thought when Dan asked me where he should have his 21st birthday at all those years ago that I would reciprocate by asking him where we should have our wedding this year!

The Proposal |It was a rare occasion where I had to work all weekend filming TV ads for work. Dan had asked if he could take me out for dinner on the Sunday night. Filming was running late so I called Dan to let him know and he sounded a little bit flustered that I had delayed our dinner date (I soon found out why)! When I finally arrived home three hours later than expected (oops), Dan still insisted that we go out for dinner. We started walking to our favourite restaurant, but I was so tired from work that I asked him if we could just get take away and go home and watch Married At First Sight! He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t say no without me suspecting something, so we got take away Greek food and commenced the walk home. I remembered I needed food from Coles so I even dragged him into the Supermarket on the way home. Little did I know that he had a ring in his pocket! Despite me wanting to get home quickly so as not to miss Married At First Sight, Dan managed to get me to walk through the park on the way back. I had had a dream months and months prior that Dan proposed to me in a park with my favourite Rocky Road from the Yarra Valley Chocolate Factory. Next thing I know, he is down on one knee, Rocky Road and ring in hand! Safe to say that the Greek food went flying across the park, my squeals of excitement woke the whole neighbourhood and I said YES!

The Dress | I had stumbled across Anna Campbell on Pinterest months prior when I was sussing out wedding rings and dress styles. I remember seeing a stunning photo of the Sorrento dress and I honestly fell in love with the beauty of the dress, the intricacy of the beading and the clear attention to every single dress detail. After the proposal, I booked an appointment at AC Armadale. It was the first and only wedding dress store that I visited.. the rest is history!

Finding ‘The One’ | I was greeted by the beautiful Lauren at Anna Campbell, Armadale. Lauren walked me around the store and I selected five dresses that I wished to try on. They were all gorgeous and I honestly could’ve chosen any of them to be the one. However, Lauren graciously asked if she could suggest one dress from the newest collection that was just about to hit the racks. She said it wasn’t likely something that I would’ve chosen for myself, but she thought it would suit me. Lauren brought the dress out from the back, I tried it on and mum cried, my mother in law cried, and then I cried. It was at that moment that I new the Raine dress was the ONE!

The Anna Campbell Experience | I purchased my dress from the Anna Campbell Boutique in Armadale. The most memorable experience, aside from Lauren suggesting the chosen one when I wouldn’t have even thought to choose a dress like that, was when they invited me back into the store with my grandmother to see the dress one last time with the veil before purchasing. It was such a special and unforgettable moment. They also let me try on a few more dresses to put on a bit of a fashion show for gran!

Memorable Moments | Dan and I are Jewish, and a beautiful tradition in the Jewish religion is to spend the week before the wedding apart. I moved back home with my family, and Dan moved back home with his. The next time we were going to see each other was at our Bedeken, or ‘veiling ceremony’. The Bedeken was such a highlight. We can’t even explain the emotion that overcame us during that moment. We had spent 8 days apart prior to the wedding and so seeing each other for the first time was the most beautiful feeling we have ever experienced. We were both totally overcome with emotion. Hearing the Rabbi leading the boys singing ‘mazel tov and siman tov’ as they walked down the stairs towards me and my family for the very first time that day was incredible. We both could not stop crying happy tears and it is a memory that will stay with us forever and ever. We have already re-watched the footage so many times!

Wearing my Anna Campbell Dress |I felt like an absolute princess- a mature, sophisticated princess. The dress made me feel elegant and just beautiful. The beading of the bodice was by far the highlight. The crystals and pearls were glistening in the small beams of sunlight peeping through the clouds. I also adored the bow at the back of the dress. I wasn’t sure if I liked the bow at first, but it really made the dress in the end and was the small, elegant detail that was such a surprise!

Pearls of Wisdom for Future Anna Campbell Brides | Honestly, aligning first on what the important elements were and the ones we weren’t going to worry about was the best thing we did. When a few things here and there wavered from the initial plan, we just went with it. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your suppliers are and the vibe during the lead up and on the day really is within your control, despite any little hiccups.

We received two great tips from friends in the lead up to our day and I would love to pass these on!

1) Spend as much time on the dance floor as possible. Everyone will follow you into boogie wonderland creating such a fun atmosphere.

2) During the night, take a step outside the venue and look inside to really appreciate all of your loved ones being there for you, celebrating your love. Take that moment in as it goes so quickly that you sometimes forget to just stop and take it all in!

Dress: Raine Dress

Photographer: Brett Scapin | Instagram

Videographer: Micky Capparelli | Instagram

Venue: Ceremony - Garden’s House, Royal Botanic Gardens

We chose this venue as we knew we wanted to be close to nature on our wedding day, amongst the greenery and natural beauty that the Gardens provide. Jacqui’s brother got married two years ago in the exact same spot, under the exact same Chuppah and we hope to make this the start of a sentimental family tradition.

Reception - The Glasshouse, Olympic Boulevard

We wanted something a little bit different, with the vast views of AAMI park the beautiful colourful lights that surround that venue. The Glasshouse felt homely, it was spacious enough to fit a ‘big enough’ dance floor, but not so big that it felt cold. Warmth was a big factor for us.

Florist: Ivy & Eve | Instagram

Wedding Planner: Nat Roth at P2P Events | Instagram