Jaycee & Cam by Kate Roberge

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship … Jaycee and I have been together ten years, we were young lovers and got together when we were 18.

We met at “Schoolies”, which is Australia’s traditional school leavers holiday/party. It’s kind of crazy that we even crossed paths as we didn’t opt for the traditional Gold Coast party option we both happened to select Port Macquarie a small town on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. We grew up in different states in Australia, over 800kms apart, pretty special that we happened to be in the same place at the same time.

We call Newcastle, Australia our home. I’m a carpenter and a concrete artisan with an undergraduate degree in Architecture. Jaycee has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Masters in Public Health, she currently works in the Mental Health sector and has a passion for indigenous health. We have a little fur child/ French Bulldog called Pretzel who takes up all of our time and spends all of our money.

Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…

We got married on a Friday, with 88 of our closest friends and family, from both Australia and New Zealand. We went for the relaxed theme, with some formality, but dropping the typical structures of a Wedding. We chose to keep it simple and have no bridal party, this was not something we chose lightly as we have been in the bridal party of so many of our friends and family members weddings, however to keep the day feeling inclusive and to ensure that no one felt that they didn’t make the cut we chose to give our closest friends and family members special tasks such as readings during the ceremony, speeches, master of ceremonies, ring bearer and signatories. Having kids present at the wedding was also important to us, as they are often neglected from the invitation list. So many of our friends and families have little ones and we wanted to make sure they felt welcome to experience the joy of a wedding.

We chose our venue because of its amazing position at the foot of the Remarkables, which allowed us to erect two amazing tipi structures, in the yard of an opulent house on the Jacks Point Golf course. We took advantage of New Zealand’s beautiful summer nights by having the dance floor under festoon lights off the side of the tipis, our styling focused on the outdoors, with umbrellas, bar leaners and fabric lounges scattered throughout the yard of the property.

The location was a massive focal point for us, almost all of our decisions were made with this in mind from our choice in styling, florals and even our choice in footwear. We chose to use a lot of natural materials and textures such as concrete vases, timber tables and chairs, natural linens for our napkins and outdoor seatings. The colour palette also reflected this.

Our vendors really contributed to the success of our day. Our catering team were exceptional. We had a seated reception and chose to have shared platters to encourage conversation between our guests and minimise wastage. The food was modern and delicious it was a massive talking point among our guests.

Our photographer blew our minds twice over, initially with our engagement photos and then upped the ante when it came to the wedding.

Likewise our videographer, musician and tipi suppliers were all incredible.

Tell us about your main outfits:

Jaycee wore a bespoke tulle gown by Australian designer Suzanne Harward. It was latte in colour, with an embroidered bodice, low back and A-line skirt. The gown was paired with a long single tier veil, also in latte.  The gown complimented the location perfectly, it was as if it was made for it. Shoes were blush flats from Billini, heels would have hindered our ability to take photos in the amazing locations. Jewellery was from One Day Bridal and APM Monaco.

Cameron wore a bone linen suit jacket, pair with black chinos. A white linen shirt and black tie, all from M.J Bale, with leather woven shoes from Urge footwear. Cameron also had his favourite hat present for photos and the reception, this was from Brixton.

What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?

Our most memorable moments of the day included the first look, reception and sunset photos. Cameron and I chose to do a first look prior to walking down the aisle which was captured by our photographer and videographer. It was a very raw and intimate moment, we didn’t have to share this with 88 other people it was nice to have the first few minutes that we saw each other be a private moment between us. It also helped to get all of the nervous energy out and allowed us to be more present during the ceremony.

Our reception location was a complete surprise to all of our guests (not even our parents knew). After the ceremony, our guests were transported via bus to a private residence at Jack’s Point. We had two Scandinavian style tipis set up overlooking Lake Wakatipu and with a backdrop of the Remarkables mountain range. It was so nice for our guests to be able to take the location in the same way that we did when we were scouting for a venue, no preconceived ideas, no googling…just no idea.

Our sunset photos were very special. After dinner, we were whisked away for a few brief moments to have the last of our “couple photos” completed. It felt very romantic the sun was setting and all of our nervous energy had disappeared. I felt like we were truly able to be present in those moments. When we look at those photos now they take us straight back to that point in time, pretty special stuff.  

Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?

Wedding – When planning the wedding. Do you. Do what reflects you as a couple and don’t worry about pleasing anyone else with the decisions you make along the way. Also do your research and pick great vendors, they will save your bacon on the big day and you will thank your lucky stars every day after that.

Rest of your lives – Remember every day the reason why you got married, always be in the moment and stop comparing yourselves to others. Always support each other, life is so much easier when you have the support of the person you love. Most importantly laugh! A lot, every single day. With each other, at each other, because life and love are not always easy and that’s okay.

Ceremony location: St. Josephs Catholic Church | Reception location: Private Residence Jack’s Point | Videographer: Phillip Puckey | Photographer: Kate Roberge | Celebrant: Father Martin Flannery  | Entertainment: Robert Glen | Styling, Planner & Flora: One Fine Day | Hire: One Fine Day, The Flower Room & Gather & Gold | Tipis:  Gather & Gold | Catering + Beverages: Aspiring Catering | Stationery:  Paper/Paper | Bride’s Dress:  Suzanne Harward | Groom’s Suit: MJ Bale | Ring/s: Natalie Marie Jewellery | Bride’s Shoes: Billini | Groom’s Shoes: Urge | Brides jewellery: One Day Bridal & APM Mocaco | Makeup: J.E.T Makeup | Hair: Boho Bridal Hair NZ | Bride’s Fragrance: Carolina Herrera – Good Girl | Groom’s Fragrance: Truefitt & Hill – Apsley