Jess & Dan’s Bohemian Barn Wedding

Words by Amy Richardson / Images by Miranda Stokkel
July 2, 2018

Jess and Dan’s gorgeous wedding is giving us all the feels. On their experience of married life so far, “We LOVE introducing each other as our wife. It is extremely validating and exciting that we have the same rights as all other Australians and we won’t ever take our marriage for granted.” The girls drew inspiration from all aspects of their lives for their relaxed and fun barn wedding, captured by Miranda Stokkel.

Seeking a venue that would allow them the flexibility to create their own scene for their story, the character laden Baxter Barn on the Mornington Peninsula proved itself with a resounding ‘yes’ to every question the girls had. They said their forevers in front of the heritage cottage, in a celebration of their love and life together. “We wanted to be different and rebel against tradition. Both our parents walked us down the aisle, we didn’t throw any bouquets, there was nothing old, new, borrowed or blue. Our ceremony was incredible, without a doubt the best moment of our lives. We both thought we would be really emotional but we were just so incredibly happy!” The natural beauty and untouched bushland of the venue fit the couple’s overarching theme of natural, bohemian and colourful.

Guests were served canapes and feasting style mains by Baxter’s in-house catering team, Going Gormet, before it was time to party the night away. Jess and Dan share, “Boy did our guests party!  We thought it might be a little subdued being a Sunday evening but we were wrong. We had everyone up on the dance floor and the vibes were just incredible. It was a real joining of families and friends and it was so amazing to have experienced. The party time went incredibly quickly as did the whole day. We often sit and discuss how we wish we could do it all over again. It is definitely a day we will never forget or take for granted.”

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After trying on a dress in the search for her wedding outfit, Jess knew immediately that she wanted something different. “I started researching alternative wedding outfits and came across a photo of actress Elizabeth Banks wearing a caped jumpsuit at a Vanity Fair party and I really loved it. We took the idea to our designer (and friend) Shez who loved it and we then designed the outfit together from there.” Her custom-tailored jumpsuit by Shehzarin Batha Couture and striking cape fit the remit for something contemporary and elegant with a bit of edge.
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Also custom designed by Shehzarin Batha Couture, Dan’s inspiration for her dress was bohemian, relaxed and feminine. She paired her beautiful soft fishtail with handmaid Nanna Woo Statement earrings and Windsor Smith heels.
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Jess and Dan chose celebrant Anthony Cribbes to officiate their ceremony, as Jess had already witnessed him in action at a friend’s wedding. “Our ceremony was so amazing and a big part of this we owe to Anthony. Every one of our guests LOVED him. He is such a genuine, funny and caring guy and we really felt like we had a great friend standing up there marrying us.”
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If you can believe it, Dan and Jess styled all their stunning bouquets themselves, sourcing wild blooms from Azalea at South Melbourne Market. “Kylie was super helpful and made sure there was going to be a great range for us to choose from the day before our wedding.”
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Talk about hair goals! Those flowing, glossy tresses have us spellbound. Jess has known Shannon and Cary of SKB Hair for years, so had no doubt they were the perfect pair to style both bridal parties. “The morning was super relaxed and fun and we both absolutely loved our hair on the day."
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Jess and Dan weren’t overly enthusiastic about their pending portraits, but once they were in front of Miranda Stokkel lens, their fears were quickly forgotten. “Miranda brought our love to life on our wedding day. She turned a component of our day that we weren’t super excited for into our favourite part of the day! We have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback we have had from our photos and we absolutely love them.”
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Credits

Images Miranda Stokkel | Rings Orion Joel | Hair SKB Hair | Makeup Jessica Schifferle | Celebrant Anthony Cribbes | Flowers Azalea | Catering Going Gourmet | Entertainment Bradley Green | Stationery/Invitations BMF Designs | Venue Baxter Barn | Jess' dress Shehzarin Batha Couture | Dan's jumpsuit Shehzarin Batha Couture | DJ Daniel Toop | Cake Kake |


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