Jaki & Nick’s Vegan Wedding at Albion Farm Gardens

Words by Anastasia Monaghan / Images by Gez Xavier Mansfield
October 22, 2019

Talk of tying the knot first came up between Jaki and Nick on a long drive home to Newcastle, when Jaki tried to sell Nick on a Vegas elopement, but Nick had visions of a bigger affair. With Vegas on the back burner, the pair settled on a relaxed wedding with festival vibes and vegan fare at Albion Farm Gardens. From the wild florals to the gilded bride tribe, local lens lad Gez Xavier Mansfield captured every detail of this relaxed boho bash.

Jaki and Nick comfortably fit 85 guests into The Barn for their ceremony at Albion Farm Gardens. With wooden seats on a cobblestone floor, Jaki’s bridesmaid, Ash (AKA Film and Foliage) was handed the reigns to create whatever she thought would fit the couple’s festival-inspired theme. From flowers spilling over the aisle, to a floral circle installation and those breathtaking wild bouquets, Ash well and truly captured this wedding’s vibe! Add in celebrant Kim Oakhill, who the couple say was beautiful inside and out, and Jaki and Nick’s heartfelt ceremony was complete.

And the good vibes didn’t stop there! Fringe Folk eco tassels, vintage furniture, tipis and lawn games set the tone for Jaki and Nick’s reception, where they opted for self serve drinks from ice buckets, and a whole lot of vegan treats! While the couple had plenty of skeptical guests to an all-vegan affair, they had close friend The Wilderness Chef create an epic grazing table and cocktail dinner, complete with arancini balls and jackfruit sliders their guests couldn’t stop raving about. Jaki’s mum also created 3 flavours of vegan cake, all covered in butter cream icing made from aquafaba!

It may be every bride’s worst nightmare to regret a dress choice a few weeks before the wedding. But not for Jaki. When she realised her dress from Grace Loves Lace wasn’t quite as summery as she had imagined, she took it to her dance studio’s dressmaker who chopped it in half! The end result was a unique two-piece dress that Jaki says felt completely her. As for her bride tribe, the one rule was ‘gold, with sequins and tassels encouraged!’

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Must be fate when one of your bridesmaids is an uber talented eco florist! Ash of Film & Foliage truly earned her bridesmaid stripes, flowering and styling the day. Jaki shares ‘not only was she our florist, but also partly our wedding stylist - answering my questions about anything and everything wedding related! Her creations were breathtaking and I couldn’t have imagined anything more beautiful.”
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With her customised two-piece Grace Loves Lace wedding dress, Jaki kept the rest of her bridal look pretty pared back. “I kept the accessories really simple, wearing nude heels that I already owned and some gold rings as my only jewellery. My hair was in beachy waves… I felt happy and beautiful all day,” she shares.
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Jaki and Nick’s ceremony was relaxed and heartfelt, thanks in part to their celebrant, Kim Oakhill. “We love Kim,” Jai shares. “We instantly felt comfortable with her, with her genuine positive energy felt throughout our ceremony. You really do need to find a celebrant who you feel absolutely comfortable with, and Kim felt like an old friend who completely understood us."
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The Wilderness Chef kept everyone well fed with an all-vegan feast of nut cheeses, fruits, dips, chocolate, and a cocktail-style dinner with nachos, jackfruit sliders, sushi and arancini balls all making the rounds. Jai shares “All of our guests were raving about how delicious the food was, and he even pleased some skeptical family members!”
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Jaki and Nick can’t stop raving about Gez Xavier Mansfield’s photography, explaining that although they’re usually not fans of being in front of the camera, Gez made the experience fun and was extremely patient. That’s our kinda of photographer!
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Credits

Images Gez Xavier Mansfield | Bride's Dress Grace Loves Lace | Groom's Suit Rundle Tailoring | Groom's Shoes Roger David | Rings Diamond Boutique Canberra | Ceremony Venue The Barn at Albion Farm Gardens | Celebrant Kim Oakhill | Flowers Film and Foliage | Catering The Wilderness Chef | Transport Newcastle Limousines | Hair & Makeup http://chicartistry.com.au/ | Prop Hire Crab Apple Vintage | Choreography Becky Fleming |


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