Jess + Jake’s Coastal Clifftop Wedding | Shepherds Hill Newcastle | Sarah Nash
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Micro Wedding at Shepherd Hill Newcastle
A wedding in Shepherds Hill, Newcastle wasn’t what Jessica & Jake had in mind at first. Because to the pandemic, they had to postpone their original plan of having a big wedding celebration at Murrays Brewery in April last year.
Sadly, it’s a common refrain.
Like many couples in the same boat, they made the tough decision that they just wanted to BE married and that they’d have a very small wedding with a handful of guests and then they’d host a huge party with all the dancefloor shenanigans we used to expect when restrictions eased.
They had to make a lot of compromises to ensure their little wedding went ahead. Not all their guests could be at their reduced-sized event. I think the state borders were closed at the time and so we had to Facebook Live some of the guests. It all felt a bit unfair and less than ideal, AT THE TIME but now, with hindsight, their sweet little city micro wedding on top of Shepherd’s Hill doesn’t look so bad at all.
I know so many couples that would give their right arm to be married in Newcastle right now, whatever the circumstances.
Given the current lockdown and the seemingly never-ending nature of the virus, I’m pretty sure Jess & Jake are probably feeling even more grateful now that they got married when they did.
Got Your Back Sista!
When Jess drastically downsized her wedding plans to a micro elopement in Shepherds Hill, she decided not to have any bridesmaids.
It didn’t make sense to have others standing up there during the ceremony seeing as there was only a handful of guests anyway. Jess and Jake got ready together that morning so lots of the traditional bridesmaid duties were made redundant.
Throughout her life, Jess’ gorgeous sister Angie has been there for her, laughing with her during good times and supporting her through challenging times. Even without the bridesmaid title, it was no different on her wedding day.
Jess’ caring sister Angie jumped in and helped out left, right and centre. She was like a one-woman circus act juggling all the balls so that everything ran smoothly and was stress-free for the couple.
She touched up Jess’ lippy, Zoomed the ceremony so father-in-law Colin in WA didn’t miss out.
She was the first to throw her arms around the couple and congratulate them and she helped wrangle the couple’s gorgeous son William while they got photos.
Who needs a bridesmaid when your sister makes the best unofficial bridesmaid in the world ?!
Are you ready for love on Shepherds Hill?
I love this photo of Jess arriving at her wedding at Shepherds Hill at the top of King Edward Park.
There was no walking down the aisle to a carefully chosen song, with all eyes on her.
But this was a GRAND ENTRANCE in it’s own way.
I was waiting on a bench for all the guests to arrive, when this vision in white carrying some colorful natives appeared out of the corner of my eye, while her husband-to-be and their families trailed behind her.
It was Jess, marching up the hill with a huge smile on her face. She was ready to get the show on the road, to lock this thing down and be married.
She and Jake and their son William had spent the morning together, getting ready and then having a few drinks with their family and friends. They all arrived in the same car, and then Jess lead the way.
It’s kind of a metaphor for how she approaches life: WITH GUSTO!
Jess & Jake are both in the RAF and had to survive their fair share of challenges including dating long-distance early on in their relationship and again when Jake was deployed to UAE and USA. It was particularly hard on Jess whose love language is quality time, but she is practical in the best sense of the word, and determined.
Seeing Jess stomp up that hill is a good reminder to anyone getting married that there are no rules, only traditions, and it’s up to you to figure out which ones you want to follow.
Sarah Nash Photography | Starshots Hair Makeup Photos
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Hi, do you know how we can book Shepherds Hill Reserve? Was wondering if there was any info on it or do we have to book a micro wedding in order to use it?
Hey Amy, you book it through Newcastle Council. If you are having a big wedding, you’ll definitely need to book so that you can set out chairs and an arbour. For micro weddings and elopements, some couples choose not to book and just take a chance!
Thank you Julie