Mr + Mrs Jelley
29th January 2021 | Hotel De Ville, Antibes, France
Instagram: @emily_jelley @si.jelley | Photographer: Clarisse & Johan
Tell us all about your wedding theme...
We were married in the middle of the covid pandemic in France - Luckily at the time of our wedding we were not in full lockdown, however the entire country was under 6pm curfew and all bars/restaurants/function centres were completely closed. I would say our wedding theme was minimalistic as we didnt have a venue where we could decorate ourselves.
Favourite celebrity bride: Can anyone go past Hailey Bieber as the ultimate Bride of the moment?
Something Old: My Nan, (Mum’s Mum) gifted me my Great Grandmother's gold wedding band which I wore on the wedding day and now wear everyday stacked with my wedding band and engagement ring.
Something New: A locket containing a picture of my Mum and Dad, my sister, her fiance, myself & Simon last time we were all together in Australia. I attached the locket to my bouquet so it would be with me throughout the day.
Something Borrowed: My Sister Amy’s white silk wedding robe to get ready in, she had purchased to wear before her wedding in Bali earlier in the year, which was cancelled due to Coronavirus. Amy is like my twin, she is my best friend and my maid of honour, the hardest part of the day was not having her there.
Something Blue: 18ct yellow gold & sapphire ring which my Ma (Dads Mum), passed down to me from her Mother.
Advice for future brides…
Don’t over complicate things, in the beginning we had a huge wedding planned on a gorgeous property in Australia, with 100 guests and all the trimmings, which would have been absolutely amazing, BUT then a pandemic happened and travel became impossible and the only thing that had not changed was how much we were looking forward to marrying each other. We had the best, most stress free day which in the end became about nothing but our love for one another. There is something SO special about pairing back all the details, removing any possible complications and marrying your best friend.
Wedding must-have: A great bouquet (And handsome groom!)
How many guests did you have?
Two witnesses present for the marriage - Approximately 20 friends waiting outside! No family present unfortunately due to covid and travel restrictions.
What music did you have?
Unfortunately due to the circumstances and not having a traditional ceremony and reception we didn’t have our songs as we first envisaged them. Our first dance song - treat you better by Rufus Du Sol will be the soundtrack to our wedding video so it still plays a part in our day.
Did you stick to your budget?
Yes, completely. The best thing about a pandemic elopement, it's almost impossible to splurge even if you try. Top money saving tip: Elope!
Tell us about the ceremony...
Our ceremony was held in the beautiful ‘Mairie of Antibes’, (the french equivalent of a town hall). The Mairie Wedding hall walls are adorned with beautiful murals from romantic french artist Raymond Peynet, which made for the most stunning backdrops to our pictures. My husband is Welsh & I am Australian but we have lived in France for 4 years, we were married in a french ceremony with our friend and wedding planner @cc_weddingsandevents as our translator. The Mayor spoke to us mostly in French and although it was just a civil ceremony we were able to say our vows & promises & exchange wedding bands after the French formalities.
What was the most emotional moment of the day?
Holding Si’s hand when he choked up a little reading his vows. And seeing the Mayor crying during both of our vows, everyone was very emotional!
Favourite wedding planning moment: Having all our paperwork approved by te Mairie a month before and securing our wedding date - After countless documents being couriered from Australia & Wales, Translated to French & Apostille stamped it was the biggest relief in the world to have the wedding approved and given the go ahead - We were very happy to put all the french paperwork behind us!
Tell us all about the dress...
I tried on SO many beautiful dresses and found my dream dress at @madewithlovebridal on the Gold Coast in Australia - The same place my sister Amy purchased her wedding dress - we had the most amazing afternoon trying on dresses & drinking champagne. Unfortunately when the pandemic struck & our wedding plans changed completely, I decided to go with a different aesthetic to a traditional wedding dress and I ended up purchasing a short @vanessacocchiaroparis dress from @netaporter which I absolutely love and despite never having tried it on - fitted perfectly - Thank god!
Tell us about your honeymoon...
It was a complete disaster - My husband had to work a few days after our wedding in Tuscany, Italy - So we got negative covid tests and I tagged along as the restrictions were much lighter during this time in Italy, restaurants and hotels were open. We thought perhaps we could have a little mini-moon to tie us over until the world reopens and we could have a real honeymoon. Unfortunately we were both struck down with terrible food poisoning on day 2 of our stay and after being very unwell for 3 days we finally found the energy to make the 6 hour drive home to France, cancelled all further plans and have tabled the “honeymoon” until further notice.
Favourite wedding supplier: @onshorecellars our friends Ed & Jess hosted our pandemic- friendly post wedding street party/gathering (Who needs a formal reception anyway!) They supplied fantastic wine - including my absolute favourite bubbles from home - @Jansztasmania and decorated the front of the store with roses & our cake. It was so lovely for everyone to be able to safely gather and toast our day, until 5.30pm when everyone had to race home for curfew!
What was your favourite wedding purchase?
My @graceloveslace pink faux fur coat or perhaps @tonybianco white ankle boots, my whole outfit was very un-traditional and I adored that.
Did you make any Wedding DIYs?
I made paper cones which we filled with fresh rose petals the morning of our wedding for our guests to throw as we exited the Mairie. I also had wooden wine glass charms with Em & Si and our wedding date on them made, which all our friends had on their glasses whilst they drank champagne waiting for us to walk out!
Did you have anything unusual at your wedding?
Not really, a small street party rather than a reception?
What was the funniest moment of the day?
There were so many moments that made me laugh throughout the day, I can’t pinpoint one? Perhaps when Si slipped on a curb in his new shoes and broke his favourite sunglasses (Only because I was petrified I would fall over!)
Tell us about the cake...
Our wedding cake was a very last minute addition as soon as we knew the wedding could go ahead it was by @cakefactory_antibes and decorated with white roses to match my bouquet by my friend Jess, who with her husband Ed owns an amazing wine store called @onshorecellars Where we had our small after-celebration.
Is there anything you wish you'd done differently?
Not one thing, it was a such shame our families couldnt be present but that's not something we could have changed given the state of the world at the moment so, no, not one thing!
What was your favourite part of the day?
Either walking out of the Mairie as husband and wife. Or getting home, sitting on the couch and eating uber eats & drinking Dom Perignon reading through all the beautiful messages people had written whilst watching our live stream all over the world - we felt so loved.
Photographer: Clarisse & Johan @clarisseetjohan
Venue: Antibes Mairie & Onshore Cellars @onshorecellars
Flowers: Claire Lyons from Dandelions and Grace @dandelionsandgrace
Cake: Cake Factory @cakefactory_antibes
Dress: Vanessa Cocchiaro Official @vanessacocchiaroparis
Shoes: Me: Tony Bianco @tonybianco Si: Tommy hilfigure
Suits: Tommy Hilfigure
Rings: Samara James @samarajames
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