The Real Wedding of Jess & Tyson
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Intro
The Love Story
Tyson and I had met a few times over the course of a couple of years through our mutual friend, but we never really hit it off. In fact we both had preconceived ideas of each other and had decided that we both didn’t like each other at all, not even as friends. Haha. It wasn’t until the 3rd time we met, when Tyson accidentally showed up at my house with some mutual friends, that we finally had the opportunity to sit down and talk to each other. It was only then when we realised that we both were nothing like what we had imagined – and since that night we have been pretty much inseparable.
Just a couple of weeks later Tyson ran the idea past me of opening a healthy baked potato store, but didn’t have the money or have any idea how he would start it. A week later I sent him the famous Mr Potato logo, a mock menu & start of a business plan & that’s when Mr Potato was born. Just 2 months later we opened our first ever location.
People told us we were crazy to go into business with someone we had only just started dating, let alone just met. But we trusted our guts and took the opportunity with open arms – the rest is history.
The proposal: On our 2 year anniversary (smack bang in the middle of covid) Tyson had planned a romantic dinner for us to celebrate. And although I had an idea that he was going to propose during the night (and he had even been telling me to have a look out of the window at the restaurant as something may appear), we ended the dinner and nothing had happened. After dinner Tyson had told me that we were headed somewhere else, but he had left something at home so we needed to make a quick trip back home. As we were 5 courses and a couple of bottles of wine deep, I had told him that I just wanted to go home, put my pj’s on & get into bed haha.
When we arrived at home he put a blindfold on me and walked me into the house. When he took off the blind fold, I was absolutely blown away. Tyson was down on one knee and our home was completely covered in red roses, balloons, candles & big light up letters that spelt out the words; marry me.
The Venue
Both being born in South Australia we had always planned to marry there. Prior to us even getting engaged, we had lunch at Fino restaurant in Seppeltsfield Barossa & had already decided that when the time came for us to tie the knot, that was where it would be. There is just something about the terracotta terraces, tuscan vibes & streets lined with palm trees, that makes you feel like you have been transported to some exotic European location overseas. Fino had never actually hosted a wedding of our size at their venue, and especially not one outside, so they had some concerns to begin with. But they trusted our vision and it turned out to be the most spectacular night.
The Wedding
We decided to do a fully outdoor wedding, so we had been praying to the weather gods for the best weather possible – & it of course paid off. Plus given the venue we chose has such a beautiful outdoor area, it would be a shame to waste it.
Fino restaurant at Seppeltsfield also specialise in doing feed me options for their menu, so the entire menu (which was made up of 6 courses) was designed for guests to share. We believe that food brings people together, so by sharing food at the table you are able to connect in a special way with those that are seated with you. And let’s be honest we have all been to a wedding where people are constantly trying to swap their meals because they prefer the salmon over the chicken or beef.
- Having all of our favourite people from across the country in one place was a truly magical feeling. Being at our ceremony & being able to look around the room at everyone’s smiles & tears is a feeling we’ll never forget
- Seeing each others reactions as we spotted each other in the aisle, holding back tears, laughing and smiling, knowing that there is no place else in the world you would rather be.
- But I think the most unforgettable moments were the ones in which Tyson & I could just sit back together and take it all in.
The Dress
My dress was a custom designed dress by Alexis George who is a South Australian designer. I had modelled for George for over 10 years throughout my career as a model, so when the time came to finally pick the dress I knew it had to be one of his. The truth is I actually didn’t even visit another designer or bridal store as I had so much trust in him & his vision for my day. Because our wedding was delayed twice due to covid over a 2 year period, there were many times when i started to question my choice of whether i had made the right decision (which i think is normal anyway), but each and every time i visited George for a fitting i fell in love with his creation even more – and although we did make a few different changes and additions over the course of the 2 year period, i could not of been happier with the final result.
Advice For Future Brides
I did all of the wedding planning & concept design myself as I am very creative & enjoy the process of watching my ideas come to life, but if I had the time again, I would definitely hire a wedding planner. For us, we became extremely busy with our business (and lives) in the lead up to our wedding, so I believe that if I had a wedding planner it would have alleviated some of the stresses in the lead up. We also had a lot of our ceremony & reception equipment etc. custom designed and built overseas, so that did cause a few logistical issues the week of the wedding & I did have to put a lot of effort into creating presentations & plans so that everyone could clearly see my vision (canva was my best friend). So if brides are questioning whether to use a wedding planner or whether to DIY, they should really think carefully about how much time (& patience) they have. Although DIY seems like a cheaper option it can definitely end up costing you more time and money in the long run. So a wedding planner could turn out to be their best friend!
Get to know your suppliers. I was lucky enough that being a part of the modelling industry for so long, I had previously worked closely with a lot of the suppliers that I chose for my wedding. But I would definitely suggest that brides get to know each and every one of their suppliers, read reviews & ask advice about certain suppliers in the many online forums, such as bridal facebook groups. Pick those that you only feel comfortable with, as they can honestly make or break your experience on the day.
I would also just tell brides that once the day arrives, to throw the concrete plans out the window & go with the flow. There will be so many things that don’t go exactly to plan & many things that haven’t turned out exactly the way you would have hoped, but absolutely no one is going to notice these details except for you. So leave the stress at home & just enjoy every moment with your significant other regardless of how it turns out.
Supplier Spotlight
- Bride + Groom: @jessdavisaust@tysonhoffmannn
- Venue: @finoseppeltsfield (reception) @seppeltsfield (ceremony)
- Photographer: @wmamot
- Celebrant: @mjhair
- Videographer: @sunnywuvisuals.wedding
- Dress Designer: @alexisgeorgecouture
- Suits: @petershearermenswear@gibsonclothing
- Florals: @thequeensquaters
- Makeup Artist: @lisamariesbb
- Hair Stylist: @studio807.hair.and.extentions
