The main visual reference point for Jenna and Chad’s wedding was the final church scene in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. They wanted candles everywhere, a blue neon crosses, dark red velvet drapery, vintage furniture and low lighting.

“I wasn’t afraid of colour and dark colour at that”, Jenna told us. “I didn’t want a single white flower at the venue. We got so many compliments from vendors that our wedding felt unique and different from the standard white and cream wedding décor. I wanted very gothic feeling, dripping amaranth from the chandeliers and huge candelabras. I wanted candelabras on the tables. I handmade the name cards for the tables with little vials filled with black tea and scrolls with each person’s name on them. I really wanted it to feel immersive.”

They worked with some super talented incredible vendors, in particular their florist and wedding planner. “My wedding planner was incredible!” the bride continued. “She brought my vision to life with the vendors and I never felt anxious that a ball would be dropped or we would be missing a component. She was reliable and responsive and I had complete trust in her.”

Another vendor who really stepped up was Julia from Cascara Coffee Co. With the bride and groom in recovery, this was their favourite part as it which represented their love of coffee, Seattle (where they met), and their sobriety. It was an enormous hit with everyone. “The first coffee cart cancelled three months before the wedding but Julia was honestly one of the best parts of the wedding. I wasn’t sure the coffee would be popular but everyone loved the signature lattes.”

The ceremony was officiated by Jenna’s cousin Vincent, which kept it light and personal. There was no wedding party, just Jenna’s sister as maid of honour and Chad’s best friend as best man. They both were invited to wear whatever they wanted.

Jenna walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Video Games by Lana Del Rey. Standard vows were exchanged in the ceremony, with private vows saved for later. The kiss was timed precisely to Northern Sky by Nick Drake. “The best bit of the wedding was walking down the aisle”, she remembered, “It’s a cliché for a reason that your wedding day is the best day of your life. Not even because you’re marrying your soulmate, but to see all the people you love and who love you, in one room, where they may never be together again, is such a special moment in time. Seeing Chad’s reaction to me walking down with my dad, because we didn’t do a first look, was super emotional. And then finally that’s when I finally got to see the ceremony room fully decorated. It was everything I hoped it would be.”

For couples planning something outside the expected, Jenna has some great advice: do not manage other people’s opinions! “You can’t worry about what other people will think and you have to do what makes you happy”, she said. “My mum was really against the blue neon cross above the fireplace, but everyone agreed after that it was such a cool touch and added so much to the alter. I also nixed two floral arrangements that the florists placed on the mantle and the hearth. They weren’t symmetrical and it blurred the vision I had. I wanted all candles in the fireplace and no florals. The florists thought I was crazy and I’m sure a diva but I stayed firm and true to myself and asked them to remove them.”

Looking back, Jenna would not change a thing. The day moved quickly and there were so many decisions to make but the final result was exactly what she wanted. “I’m pretty detail oriented and decisive, but even I was overwhelmed with how many choices I had to make. I had no idea what a bud vase or a Chiavari chair was before planning this wedding. I’m so glad I had a wedding planner who spoke the wedding language to communicate with vendors. I was able to focus on the creative aspects and let my planner Carly handle the logistics.”