Claire and Jayden celebrated their love with a breathtaking country wedding at Three Blue Ducks in Byron Bay, Australia. Surrounded by their closest friends and loved ones, they exchanged vows before the serene macadamia orchard and sealed their commitment with a kiss beside vibrant bouquets of trailing delphiniums and peonies. Claire radiated ethereal grace in our whimsical Reno Blouse and beautiful, flowing Rio Skirt. The reception followed, illuminated by the soft glow of tapered candles, as guests gathered at elegantly dressed banquet tables adorned with white roses and personalised satin ribbons. After the decadent 3-course meal, they danced late into the night.

A decade ago, Claire and Jayden's paths intertwined at a vibrant work social. In a ten-pin bowling event designed for random pairings, they embraced the opportunity to connect with new faces. By a fortuitous twist of fate, Claire and Jayden found themselves at the same lane, and in the spirit of friendly competition, the spark of romance ignited.

Over the years, their love grew, and one day Jayden orchestrated a surprise dinner. They glided along the Brisbane River on a scooter to the breathtaking lookout at Kangaroo Point Cliffs, where he had carefully laid out a picnic blanket and basket. As the sun set on the city below, Jayden popped a bottle of champagne, got down on one knee, and asked for Claire's hand in marriage. Claire was completely taken by surprise, and instantly said yes.

“It’s not my birthday, it’s not your birthday, it’s not our anniversary, it’s not Valentine's day... what are we celebrating?!”

THE COUPLE

Claire Bryant & Jayden Bryant

WEDDING DAY

November 2, 2024

GUESTS

57

TO US, MARRIAGE MEANS...

Jayden: A commitment to each other for the rest of our lives to love and maintain our relationship through the ups and downs 

Claire: I can’t say it any better than that, really! A forever love and commitment to each other. A reminder that we chose each other and to always treat each other with kindness.PHOTOGRAPHY

Emma Tkalcevic

MOST TREASURED WEDDING MOMENT

Hearing Jayden’s vows and walking down the aisle. Without a doubt.

FINDING YOUR DREAM WEDDING GOWN

Claire initially struggled to find her dream dress, with the pressure of what she thought she was expected to wear, the sea of trends, and feeling dissappointed in the selection of the first gowns she tried: "...the first few places I went to had dresses that were either way too glittery and princess like, or too basic and evening." Luckily, after her slightly disheartening first experiences, she stumbled upon our Instagram page and knew she was destined for a Bo & Luca gown. It was love at first sight when she tried on our ethereal Reno Blouse and elegant Rio Skirt: "...the first I tried, and I just knew it was for me. I was looking for something form-fitting in some way, but I also seemed to gravitate to fun sleeves. I never thought I’d wear a two-piece, but that made me love it even more. I loved how comfortable I felt in it, no awkward adjusting or pulling up a top while wearing it - it was definitely dancefloor friendly! So, no need for a second dress either, which I never wanted to do anyway. I’d never seen anyone wear anything like it. I absolutely adored wearing it.

THE VENUE

We knew we wanted a country-style wedding, so we were looking for an outside venue. Food was also important to us as we wanted it to be memorable for the guests. We’d visited The Farm in Byron many years prior and had the most amazing lunch. It wasn’t until we’d been to a few venues and felt they were way too manicured and pristine for what we wanted and didn’t feel they represented us at all, that Jayden said, “What about The Farm?” We knew the food would be amazing, and the organic and relaxed vibe was exactly what we wanted.

THE AESTHETIC

We didn’t want it to look manicured or “perfect” or glamorous. We wanted it to feel like it was a special afternoon just for us, with all our friends coming to a late lunch that goes into the night. Plus some formalities in there, of course! Decor, I decided to do entirely myself, which, in the last couple of weeks before the wedding, I was wondering what I was thinking! But I’m so glad I did it because it truly reflected our style. I wanted it to be pared back and not overcrowd the tables as I knew the food would be the main attraction! Pretty and delicate was definitely the vibe. I did all the bud vases myself and found the sweetest lamps & pastel taper candles that created such a lovely glow in the reception. I absolutely fell in love with the “place card” ribbons, which I got from Etsy. Seeing how my guests used them in different ways was so fun - in their hair for the dancefloor, around their glass, even one of my mates wore it around his neck all night!

WEDDING SCENT

Orchid scent by Zara. I decided not to get a new perfume as I wanted to be as authentically me as possible. I wear this every day.

HAIR & MAKEUP

I absolutely adored how my hair and makeup turned out. It was really important to me that I still looked like me. I knew I wanted my hair out and my makeup to look natural but radiant. I booked Lilly Rathie for my makeup for exactly that reason - she specialises in the most beautiful natural bridal makeup. My mum and bridesmaids all felt the exact same - like the best versions of themselves! Sadly, it was raining on the day, and I’m a curly girl - so having my hair out was a risk! But it held together pretty well, and if anything, just became a bit more voluminous as the day went on, which isn’t so bad! Ava was wonderful and took in exactly what I wanted with a slight pin back and face framing, which is similar to how I wear my hair every day.

FLOWERS & BOUQUETS

My beautiful bridal flowers by Jess at Poppy & Fern on site at The Farm were better than I could have ever imagined. The brief was pastel, farm-style. The only flower that was a must-have for me was blue Delphinium, as that’s my favourite. With the bridesmaids wearing yellow, the groomsmen had yellow buttonholes, and Jayden had a blue Delphinium to match my bouquet and his blue eyes (corny, I know, but cute). I knew I wanted something unusual for the bridesmaids, so I found two wicker baskets and asked Jess if she could create arrangements within them. All three of us had the most amazing bright pink Peonies as the centre point of the bouquets, which was such a big surprise and not what I expected. I was in love!!

FOOD & DRINKS

We had complete faith in the food at Three Blue Ducks - choosing the 3-course set menu was easy! We opted for the miso-glazed chicken and coffee rubbed brisket for the mains - some of our friends said that the brisket was the best of their entire life. Enough said! For drinks, we had a selection of wines (red, white, sparkling, rosé) and beer, being massive wine lovers ourselves. We chose not to have a wedding cake and have our guests enjoy the amazing Sticky Date Puddings and Lemon Meringue desserts put out by Three Blue Ducks as a dessert table instead.

FAVOURS

I opted not to do wedding favours on the night as I was really stumped trying to think of something people would actually like, and also want to take home. I’m a massive flower lover and was considering letting guests take a bud vase each - I loved that idea and would’ve done that if I had more time. Instead, I had my ceremony flowers dried and pressed (thanks, mum and dad!) while we were overseas after the wedding. I preserved the petals in resin and made a coaster for each of my wedding guests to send with a thank-you card. A little memory of the day and a forever piece they can have as a reminder of how much we appreciate them. I have a side hustle in pressing and preserving flowers, so I was stoked to do my own, and I love how they turned out - see @millieandmarmalade on Instagram.

ADVICE FOR BRIDES-TO-BE

Give yourself time to work through one element at a time. The overwhelm is real! But try to enjoy the process, as it’s over before you know it. On the day, prioritise what you want and how you want to remember the day. I wanted to ensure I prioritised my husband and spending time with him, and also hitting the dance floor - and I did just that.

WEDDING VENDORS

Venue: Three Blue Ducks, Byron Bay

Photography: Emma Tkalcevic

Flowers: Poppy & Fern Flowers

Food & Drink: Three Blue Ducks, Byron Bay

Hair & Makeup: Ava Belle Bridal & Lilly Rathie