Monique + Jacques

#&FLREALBRIDE FEATURE

THE GEORGIANA GOWN

Monique and Jacques laid back Australian wedding epitomizes the modern boheme. As a plant and flower lover, Monique knew the floral arrangements were important to her, and the unstructured florals in her mind were a match made in heaven with our whimsical and romantic Georgiana gown.

After first meeting Jacques on a night out, they had an instant connection, and the rest as they say, is history. The two knew they wanted the wedding to have a relaxed, naturalistic feel to reflect the bush setting of the venue, and together with collected items Monique had found over time such as antique brass vases, the celebration evoked a mood both natural yet atmospheric.

The Deets: 

Bride Monique

First name of Hubby Jacques

Photographer Elsa Campbell Photography

Location + venue Cave Hill Creek, Raglan

Bridal boutique Soho Bride

Accessories

Rings: Jewels in Life

Earrings: Ruby and Sage

Clutches: Made by our friend, Nina!

Hair/Makeup

Hair: Kimberley Jones and Eve Salon

Makeup: Kimko Beauty

Shoes Basque

Cake None – we’re not really sweet tooths!

Flowers Asdaisydoes

Describe you and your guy? How did you meet?

Jacques and I met completely unexpectedly on a night out. We were introduced by mutual friends, many of whom we had in fact been connected by for many years. However, somehow we had never actually crossed paths. We had an instant connection and discovered pretty quickly that our interests, values and tastes were closely aligned. Friends, family and fun were all areas we related in.

Jacques is the calming influence in our relationship, while I am the organiser. We balance each-other out perfectly. We also have a lot in common ... We’re both clean freaks and foodies who love quiet time at home together and partying in equal measure. 

How did you know he was The One?

I think it all happened very organically. We were completely comfortable in each-others presence, felt safe to be ourselves and I felt like I never had to try too hard to make it work. I think we both saw things in each-other that we adored and were inspired by. 

Describe yourself. What do you do? What is your regular street style? 

I can be quite contradictory in my choices at times. My wardrobe is a mix of all black items and bright coloured, statement pieces. I wouldn’t say I have a specific style as I tend to just buy what I like in the moment rather than trying to match to any particular type of look. However, I feel the most myself in a pantsuit or boxy pair of pants and tee with some casual sneakers. I think my look reflects in my mood so I like to dress for comfort. Getting dolled up in high heels isn’t really my thing. 

What was your bridal style? 

I knew I wanted a dress that was lace with a relaxed and flowing look and that I wanted it to be more of an ivory tone rather than a stark white against my fair skin. As a plant and flower lover, the floral arrangements were important to me and I had an idea of how I wanted them to look before I even found a dress. So coordination of the colourful, unstructured look I had in mind for flowers was a key consideration in matching my dress and accessories.  

What made you fall in love with your &FL dress and where did you find it?

I found my Georgiana gown at Soho Bride, a warehouse loft store in Geelong. It was the first shop that myself and the girls went to. I arrived with a really specific vision that I didn’t think I was ever going to stray from. Lace, loose fitting with either a batwing or off the shoulder sleeve. However, when I tried on dresses that fit this vision they completely swallowed up my tiny figure and no-one was feeling it. My bridesmaid Audrey picked up the &FL gown which was only in store for a few more days for a trunk show and suggested I try it. When I put it on my five bridesmaids, mum and mother-in-law all unanimously named it “the one.” I loved the way it sat, the way it flattered my figure and that it matched the vibe of our wedding so perfectly. We also all noticed how beautifully the blush underlay outlined the incredible lace patterns. Most importantly, it was more comfortable than I could have ever imagined a wedding dress to feel!

Describe your wedding- any inspiration or themes were your drawn to when planning? What was the vibe?

We knew from the beginning we wanted the wedding to have a relaxed, naturalistic feel to reflect the bush setting of our venue. The venue was so naturally beautiful that we knew doing too much in terms of decorating would draw away from it. I had an album of screenshots saved in my phone to collect and compare images of elements as we went so I could ensure everything worked together aesthetically. I collected items as I found them over time such as antique brass vases which I bought second-hand, complimentary frames and tealight candle holders from bargain stores and pampas grass which Jacques and I collected and dried at home. Once we had a few ideas in place, everything just continued to flow. We also sought out a local business called Nomad Styling to hire rugs and cane furniture to give the styling an extra pop.

Fave thing about your day? Any surprises?!

It’s hard to pick a favourite moment as every aspect of the day was pure magic in my eyes. I have fond memories of walking into the glamping tent next to mine to be greeted by excited bridesmaids in the morning, being completely spoilt and supported by the girls all day, the joy of reading our vows to each-other in the ceremony, sharing special moments to some of our favourite songs, an epic dancefloor and choreographed bridal dance plus an incredible mix of hilarious, heartfelt and tear-jerking speeches that we will never forget. 

Overall, I’d say the raw emotion and expressions of gratitude that we felt from everyone was one of the most memorable aspects of our wedding. I was surprised by how many people were emotional as I made eye contact with them walking down the aisle and the feeling I had in this moment is something I will forever cherish. I also loved that having guests stay at the venue meant that the fun didn’t end when the wedding reception did as we wanted the joy to last forever! 

What's the one piece of advice you could give to brides?

So many people said the same things to me; not to sweat the small stuff, not to worry about pleasing everyone and not to stress too much. But I learnt that these things are inevitable parts of the planning process and I like to think all the worry over little details paid off in the end. So my advice is to look after yourself throughout the planning process and to allow yourself time to plan gradually as it will get overwhelming at times. Even in the most stressful moments try not to lose sight of why you’re doing it and to appreciate how many people are there to support you. Once everything is in place, kick back on the day and remember to take time to sit and soak it all up. Some of the best advice we received was to escape together for a small moment and just reflect on what you’ve created. We snuck off to one of the decks on the lake which overlooked our venue. It was a precious, uninterrupted moment.

What does marriage mean to you?

We saw the wedding itself as a meaningful opportunity to share and express our love in a more official way with all the people who helped us get to the point we are at now. I see marriage now as our two families formally connecting, taking a plunge into the unknown together but continuing to support, encourage and challenge each-other in the same way we always have. It’s choosing to commit to one another no matter what happens.

Life post-wedding means ....

Hopefully life continuing as it is! We love the life we have created together and find the most solace in the small moments together … watching movies at home, cooking, gardening etc. Returning to normality post-wedding was what we craved most.

Words by Monique