Jackie & James

Date: 1st March 2018

Gown : Dion for Brides

My wedding story:

James and I meet at a BBQ on 14th September 2013. It wasn't love at first sight for me, every time James would catch my eye he would wink at me. All I could think was who was this awkward person and why does he keep winking. Later that night my housemate received a message asking if I would be interested in going on a date to which I responded with no!

In November 2013 James and I once again came across each other at another BBQ. This time James sat down and spoke with me in a nervous manner where he convinced me to go on a date with him. As much fun as the date was there was nothing there for James and I to continue on with... well so we thought! In January 2014 James and I had begun to see more of each other at parties and social events and began a friendship. In February we were getting along so well and he was there for me when I needed it most, so we decided another date may be on the cards. This date was nothing special just dinner at hogs breath and some cocktails at the pub but it was the most fun I had ever had with someone and then it hit me like a tonne of bricks that what I thought was a great friendship was actually only the beginning of our true love story.

Fast forwarding a couple of years to April 2016, James was turning 30 and my mum had purchased us tickets to Tasmania as a birthday getaway for James (also my home state) or so I thought. Little did I know they had something completely out of this world planned for me.

On 19th April James and I found ourselves on top of the Stanley Nut (the cork in volcano) looking at the amazing views when a gentleman asked if we would like a photo. As I turn to get a photo taken, James is down on one knee. He planned this proposal so perfectly, someone to take photos in Tasmania with my family around to celebrate this amazing event in my life.

As soon as we got back to Western Australia from our little getaway I began to plan our wedding and the first place I called was Dion for Brides.

Exactly 3 years from the day we met, I walked into Dion for Brides to begin my search for the perfect dress with my mum & best friend that had flown all the way from Tasmania to be there for it.

As soon as I walked into Dion for Brides I was taken aback by the amount of amazing dresses and felt a little overwhelmed but my consultant put me at easy within seconds and before I knew I had the little white gloves on and getting excited to start trying them on. I had set my ground rules with the style that I wanted and let my mum and friend lose in the store. I was so sure I wanted a lace, long sleeve mermaid style dress. I begun to try the dresses on and I was so overwhelmed at looking at myself in a wedding dress that I had to take 2 minutes and stare at myself in the mirror to gather my thoughts. My friend had picked this big princess dress and as I looked at it on the rack I was dreading trying it on because it was everything I didn't want but I knew that for my friends feelings I had to show her how horrible I would look in it. The consultant helped me get into the dress and zipped it up, the dress fit 100% perfectly. the consultant asked me to close my eyes and turn towards the mirror (I thought oh it is that bad), she opened the curtain and I heard my mum gasp which scared me a little then I was instructed to open my eyes. As I stared at this big princess dress in the mirror and thought wow that lady looks beautiful to only release that it was me I was looking, everyone had said to me that you will know the dress when you try it on and I knew this feeling more than ever in that one moment I wasn't a person planning a wedding, I was a beautiful bride that couldn't be more proud. My advise to future brides is that you may have a vision of what you want but try all styles because you never know what you will fall in love with. Fair to say I purchased the dress on the spot.

The wedding day was so magical. Getting up at 6.30am to have breakfast and champagne, getting my hair an makeup done and receiving the most beautiful messages from family and friends just made my day but nothing can beat that moment of putting my dress on and having my mum help me. This moment is something I will treasure forever and wish I could have frozen in time to experience again.

The wedding day flew by so perfectly that all of the minor details like not little the candles on the table just didn't matter because I was staring into the eyes of the man I now call my husband and remember thinking that no matter what happens we are in this together as one, as a family.

The next day I sat down with my husband and tried to explain the feeling of putting on that dress and walking down the aisle to him when it hit me, there are so many people in this world that can't afford a dress like that or even a wedding. They want to get married but may never get to experience the feeling I had in that moment because they or their partner is terminally ill. This thought brought me to my knees and I knew what I needed to do.

I have donated my dress my Wedding Wish that help terminally ill couples get married that otherwise couldn't afford it. knowing that someone out there is going to get that magically feeling I got on my wedding day out of that dress makes it worth every dollar.

I would like to thank Dion for Brides for this experience and for allowing me to pass on the dress to help someone else's dreams come true.