After their wedding venue pulled the pin just 24 hours before Chris and Jac were set to say I Do in front of family and friends, this resilient team of Melbourne vendors sprang into action and rearranged the entire day. Shifting the wedding to Gather and Tailor (with special help from Nudo Events), the couple were determined to go ahead with their celebrations, despite massive roadblocks along the way. Executed in two parts with an elopement ceremony first up (shot by Lauren Murphy Photography), followed by a bigger party (snapped by Tahnee Jade for Finder Seeker) who would have thought these weddings didn’t go exactly to plan!

Elopement at Cape Kitchen (Phillip Island)

Unable to wed on their initial date due to Covid restrictions, Jac and Chris decided to postpone their larger celebration and have a small, intimate elopement in the meantime. Not surprisingly for these two though (as you’ll read later), their new plan wasn’t without its challenges. “The elopement was supposed to be on the cliff top (Phillip Island) followed by lunch at Cape Kitchen, but this was the day of the large-scale storms,” remembers Jac. “Power was lost at our accommodation and venue so we had to move everything behind the venue to avoid the weather and lunch was cancelled. But we did it, Cape Kitchen were so accommodating and it was wonderful,” shares Jac.

Gather & Tailor Ceremony and Reception

After pulling off their elopement despite the wild weather, the time finally came for their big celebration with family and friends – which yet again, didn’t go to plan. “The day before the wedding, we had a call from the venue to say they could no longer cater for us due to staff in insolation with Covid,” recalls Jac. “With flowers (Pomp & Splendour) already ordered, a cake already made and multiple guests already in Melbourne ready to celebrate with us, we decided that we were not going to let anything stand in the way of celebrating as planned. So, within hours, we managed to find a new venue and caterer, and moved everything across to Gather and Tailor with the help of the wonderful Kim from Nudo Events.” After some serious hustle and dedication, Jac and Chris’ vendors pulled off a magical evening – from the ground floor ceremony (with cocktails on arrival) to the upstairs reception with exposed timber beams and ample dancefloor.

Key Vendors

With so many curveballs thrown their way, the couple really wanted to make a few special mentions, pivotal to pulling off wedding number 2. “We were committed to letting good professionals do what they do best and the only reason we were able to pull together such an amazing day within 24 hours was the people around us, we’re very grateful,” the couple shares. “Hey Jack was instrumental in finding a replacement venue and got everyone moving on the dance floor. Dee from Finder Seeker Photography organised Tahnee Jade Photography, who stepped in and executed the shot list Dee had prepared. Kim from Nudo Events turned a disaster into a masterpiece in a very short amount of time, an absolute life saver!”