Shann and Jordan met through mutual friends at a house party 13 years ago. Jordan was friends with Shann’s friends’ brother, so they would occasionally see each other at parties or nights out. They hadn’t seen each other for over a year until they ran into each other one night. They started talking then started dating and the rest is history!
Jordan organised a Sunday picnic that he ideally wanted to happen at Kangaroo Point Cliffs, where he had plans to propose. Unfortunately, as it was the 20th of December, when the couple arrived at the cliffs there were no carparks let alone places to sit. The busy Christmas time had thrown a spanner in the works. Shann suggested they keep driving to a cute little park along the river that her sister would always talk about and in fact was the place her sisters Fiancé had proposed to her a few years prior. Unbeknownst to Shann, Jordan was stressing the whole drive, he didn’t want to pop the question in the same location that her sister had gotten engaged! He couldn’t say anything without ruining the surprise, so he just had to roll with it! They shared a lovely picnic along the river, and he proposed just as the sun was setting. He had organised both of their families to be ready with champagne when they returned home. So, the couple celebrated their engagement that night surrounded by their beautiful families.
To Shann marriage “is a partnership that requires a mutual understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses and is about having a companion to love and share in all of life’s joys with. I believe it is the agreement that you will show up everyday for each other and work through all of life’s up and downs together!”
Shann and Jordan were lucky enough to have most of their family present on their wedding day. Shann’s nanna unfortunately could not be there as she was not well enough to make the journey from Longreach. They also dearly missed their grandparents who are no longer with them and had a lovely candle burning for them to acknowledge their presence at the reception.
The journey of searching and finding the perfect wedding dress is a momentous occasion, one that symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter in a woman’s life. The moment when you try on THE dress is an experience like no other. Shann mentioned she had no idea what gown she was looking for when it came time to go wedding dress shopping. She had always imagined she would choose a more embellished gown, “however when I tried them on, they just were not me!” When Freddie met Lilly was the first wedding dress shop Shann went to, and the Hampton gown was one of the first wedding dresses she ever tried on. “I only went to one other dress shop and when I found myself comparing every dress that I tried on to the Hampton gown, I knew it was the one! I always wanted a gown with a low back and buttons running down the back and I fell in love with the gorgeous seamless mesh panel at the front the minute I put it on.”
Shann’s favourite part of the bridal experience was spending the night before and morning of in an amazing hotel with her bridesmaids doing face masks, watching “Bridesmaids” the movie, drinking champagne, and having lots of laughs. “It was such a relaxed day and having my favourite girls around really helped to calm my nerves! Of course, the day/night was amazing too and I loved that I we spent most of the night on the dance floor. The night ended perfectly with us all at Mr Percival’s drinking cocktails.”
Shann’s mum and sister helped with the decision-making process. Her mum had seen THE dress at the first appointment and when Shann’s sister came along for the second dress shop appointment, they were describing it to her and comparing every dress to the Hampton Gown. “Eventually my sister said, “I need to see this dress” and I phoned When Freddie Met Lilly immediately and was able to book in straight away as we were only around the corner. As soon as my sister saw the dress on, she said “this is the one”.
The couple wrote their own vows to add that extra special small personal touch to the ceremony. Their celebrant took the time to get to know the couple, which created a very personalised ceremony, filled with funny stories and anecdotes that really reflected their relationship. Shann wore her late grandmother’s engagement ring, which was a special touch. Shann’s beautiful mum made tiny frames with Shann’s three late grandparents that Shann attached to her bouquet.
“Everyone tells you that the day goes by way too quickly and to try and savour every moment! I really ensured that we spent a good amount of time having fun, dancing, and enjoying our night as well as taking the time out to speak to all our guests.”
Shann’s advice for future brides is “When it comes to the formalities, don’t sweat the small stuff! Anything that was causing too much stress and anxiety or just didn’t quite fit in with our schedule we just eliminated from the run sheet. You don’t need to do every traditional wedding activity just because everyone else does.”
VENDORS:
Dress: When Freddie Met Lilly @whenfreddiemetlilly
Florals: Mrs Gibbons Flowers @mrsgibbonsflowers
Celebrant: Jake Newell @Newellywedded
Entertainment: @janda.events @jakin.it.easy @damiencoopermusic
Hair: Joel Anthony @joelanthonyhair
Makeup: Rachel Blackwell @ru_makeup
Cake: The Sweet Society Co @thesweetsocietyco
Photographer: Tennille Fink @tennillefink
Videographer: Christian Tedman @abstrct.com.au
Bride & Groom: Shann Donohue + Jordan Mellish @shann.donohue @jmellish89