A whimsical outdoor Italian wedding was the inspiration behind the beautiful celebration of Sunshine Coast couple Jesse and Bree Moore.
A celebratory garden party; sprawling grass, festoon lighting and touches of pink set the scene for the September hinterland event.
Romantic, serendipitous and pure joy – their wedding echoed the young couple’s sweet love story.
You see, it was love at first sight for Jesse and Bree, who met at church three years ago.
“I had a really big crush on Jesse,” Bree tells salt.
“From the beginning, it was very straightforward and easy to spend time together. We both had clear intentions and were honest with each other, which allowed our relationship to blossom and grow quickly.
“It was effortless, and I quickly discovered that he was the most kind, caring person I had ever met, and I didn’t want to let go of him.”
Jesse echoes Bree’s sentiments.
“We fell in love very quickly but didn’t tell each other for a few months to be wise,” he says. “I knew I was going to marry Bree not long after our first date. Having been friends before, we had an effortless connection and shared the same values. I thought she was the most beautiful girl and started looking at rings six months into dating so I didn’t waste any time.”
Their proposal was a family affair with both sets of parents playing a role in the engagement celebrations.
“Jesse organised his parents to buy tickets to a play at QPAC in Brisbane as a birthday present for me,” Bree recalls.
“My parents happened to be staying in Brisbane on the night he proposed and were out for dinner with Jesse’s family and we planned to meet up after the show.
“After the show, we were walking to meet them when Jesse told me he had to run to the car to get something. He came back with a bag from Sunglass Hut and started leading me in the wrong direction.”
Jesse led a slightly confused Bree to a grass field in the middle of Brisbane’s South Bank, stopped and dropped to one knee. Of course, Bree said yes.
“My dad and I made a case for the ring to go inside the glasses case because I knew Bree would find it on me if I didn’t hide it,” Jesse tells salt.
“It was a very elaborate plan because she asks a lot of questions, leaving her suspicious, and I am not good at making up stories. I was super nervous the whole show and became even more nervous when she started asking why we were walking in the wrong direction afterwards. My nerves turned to joy when she said yes, and I was so happy we could have our families there afterwards to share in our excitement.”
The couple were married three months later in front of 110 guests at the quaint AnnaBella Wedding Chapel in picturesque Ilkley. The ceremony was followed by a reception in Tanawha at their friends’ events venue, Kingdom House.
“We loved the idea of a garden wedding with festoon lights glowing over the tables,” Bree says, reflecting on the theme.
“We were inspired to make a lot of our wedding décor ourselves to be as minimal as possible and to stay within our budget. Jesse and I shoot wedding videos and photography, so had been to lots of weddings leading up to our own. We noticed that the small details at the receptions weren’t as important as people having fun and enjoying themselves.
“We didn’t sweat the small stuff because we knew we would just remember the people and the moments.”
Family played a key part in the couple’s special day.
Jesse’s grandfather Alan acted as celebrant, marrying the pair. Their brother’s sister-in-law Sharleen was the wedding photographer, while Bree’s dad pitched in to help with the financial aspects of the celebration. Jesse’s dad also lent a hand, building and creating items, such as the dance floor, to bring their vision for the reception to life.
“We also had a great friend of ours offer to gather a team of people to help set up everything on the day,” Jesse adds. “They were life savers and exceeded our expectations.”
The day went off without a hitch and finished with music and dancing under the stars.
“It felt like it all went too quickly,” Bree says. “I loved dancing with our families. My dad chose the father/daughter song himself, which was very special.
“It was such a stress-free wedding, and everyone had fun.”
Jesse adds: “Our families made speeches that were very touching. We felt so loved and honoured.”
THE RINGS
Jesse spent around three months researching engagement rings, collecting photos and gauging Bree’s interest in certain designs. With a solid plan in mind, he spoke with Jo and her team from to Hold & to Have in Buderim. They came up with a number of designs for Jesse’s consideration.
“It was an exciting process as they discreetly called me and sent photos of the progress, so I could plan the proposal ahead of time and not accidentally give it away,” Jesse recalls. “The ring was beautiful. I wanted a timeless look as trends go out of style quickly, and a big stone isn’t always a good stone. The final design had a round diamond in a square basket and smaller diamonds around the side, a gold band and sweeping shapes that look amazing from up close and far away. The whole experience was excellent, and I couldn’t recommend To Hold & To Have enough.”