A year ago today, Jess Farchione and Angus Harper married in a stunningly picturesque Hunter Valley ceremony surrounded by family and friends. Their union was simply everything they liked packed into a two-day festival of their love. We wanted to celebrate their first year of marriage by interviewing the couple ahead of their anniversary and sharing the story of their special day.
Jess and Angus are both Newcastle success stories, with Jess hosting breakfast radio on HIT106.9 and Angus an eminent festival operator and venue manager. They met after a casual back-and-forth Instagram exchange turned flirtatious, and connected in person while celebrating a home-ground win for the Newcastle Knights at The Greenroof. After three happy years of courtship, they married on April 10th, 2021.
Their scenic service at RedLeaf Wollombi was reminiscent of a big family gathering at a countryside Tuscan villa. The Hunter Valley setting was easily mistakable for a wine region further afield, with olive branches, lemons, and terracotta evoking a warm Mediterranean ambiance. The couple enjoyed what felt like a destination wedding, within a 90-minute drive of Newcastle.
“We never wanted a destination wedding, we didn’t have grand plans for an Italian elopement, but RedLeaf left us feeling as though we were getting just that. The romance of it all, the grandeur and the gardens, the little details and the possibilities. It was everything we wanted and then some.” – Jess
For Jess’s grand entrance, Angus himself constructed her a modesty curtain of their own design. We love the theatricality of a partition hiding the bride from view while she moves from the car to the alter, to make her entrance even more show-stopping. Celebrant Lauren from Hungry Hearts Co then officiated the ceremony, and the happy couple were wed!
(One of Angus’s favourite memories was) “seeing Jess appear through the modesty curtain. For anyone who doesn’t know what a modesty curtain is, it definitely was not a thing until Jess requested a “stage-like curtain to hide her from the guests as her car arrived”. So out of some timber and fabric, I knocked up a 2.4×2.4 structure to do just that.” – Angus
The pair are undoubtably passionate about food, and loosely centered their wedding theme around sharing a big family meal. Jess and Angus even referenced their favourite foods in their vows, and arranged for their restaurant of choice Meet to cater the event.
“We get so much joy from sharing food and talking about it, cooking together, discovering new eateries and visiting our favourites, so for us both to weave that into our vows was just perfect.” – Jess
They hoped shared platters would encourage guests to bond over the delicious culinary offerings. Their party was also treated to gelato and a midnight snack of pasta cacio e pepe, served out of a giant 36kg Parmigiano cheese wheel.
“We wanted shared platters of food to encourage people to engage and interact with another, as though we were all sitting round our family table for Sunday lunch. It was exactly what we imagined and then some, with everyone raving about the quality and service.” – Jess
For the pair’s first dance as a married couple, they chose to soundtrack the moment with James Morrison’s ‘Precious Love’. Which was followed by a rendition of ‘That’s Amore’ performed by close friend Tyran Stig. Afterwards, their DJ Silent Shout kept the hits coming and the dancefloor full long into the evening.
“We chose James Morrison’s ‘Precious Love’ … we also hold the principles of gratitude and respect very highly and the idea of your love being something “precious” felt really special. We had a good friend of ours who is an incredible singer take the mic after our first dance and perform a stirring rendition of Dean Martin’s ‘That’s Amore’ and it blew everyone away. The footage of everyone joining in for that final chorus is truly magic.” – Jess
“Our DJ is an absolute master of his craft and I’ve seen him at work for myriad functions and events but he took it to another level for us. No one left the dance floor the whole night (except to get some spaghetti and gelato or another margarita)” – Angus
In a welcome departure from the status quo, Angus organized the event and was the main planner of the wedding. One of the only things Jess had to worry about was her dress, but friend and stylist Kate Kohler ensured the couple looked as beautiful as their backdrop. Jess wore a stunning custom beaded gown with oestrich feather detailing by Pallas Couture, and an adorable, plumed shift dress by Rachel Gilbert for the reception. Angus & his groomsmen’s suits were expertly fitted by our team at Rundle Tailoring. Angus wore a Sloane dinner suit by Joe Black, with the Archie dress shirt from Gibson, shoes by Florsheim, with a bowtie and pocket square from Carlo Visconti. For a personal touch our staff at Rundle Tailoring embroidered the couple’s names and wedding date into the lining of Angus’s jacket.
We have had the pleasure of dressing Angus’s father for over twenty years, making him many made-to-measure suits including his first as a barrister. We have also had the pleasure of dressing Angus and his brother for many events, and it was an honour to continue the tradition and dress Angus for his wedding.
“As always, our experience with Rundle was phenomenal. The team at Rundle care just as much if you’re shopping for a pocket square as they do when we came in for Angus and his groomsmen’s suit fittings. The quality is always apparent, and the customer service is unparalleled. It was joyful, fun and romantic, but professional and calming.” – Jess
Jess and Angus’s wedding was so picturesque and joyous that it was covered by Vogue Australia, and the couple’s advice for one’s own Vogue-worthy day is individuality. They recommend crafting a celebration around your own tastes and passions, rather than subscribing to the obligations of tradition or fads.
“Build a day to suit your tastes, your likes, your desires. Don’t do anything because ‘that’s what everyone does’ or ‘that’s how it’s always been done’. The biggest compliment we received on the day and continue to receive is just how “us” the day was. No detail was prescribed or dictated by trends or tradition, it was simply everything we liked.” – Jess
Jess and Angus’s passion for uplifting local business led them to employing an all-local team of vendors for their big day (and recuperation lunch the day after). We at Rundle Tailoring, along with our community of local wedding vendors, were honoured and excited to be a part of this most beautiful couple’s wedding.
Congratulations again Jess and Angus on your first wedding anniversary!
Check out their feature in Vogue Australia!
The Team:
Video @morelifefilms | Photography @hungryhearts_co @jordankmunns | Venue @redleafwollombi | Celebrant @hungryhearts_co | Florals @bayleaf_floralsandstyling | Stylist @_katekohler | Dress @pallascouture | Reception dress @rachelgilbertau | Shoes @billinishoes | Suits @rundletailoring | Bridesmaids @katiemareedesigns | Makeup @makeupbybonnielee | Hair @thenewblackindustries @ryanbaldwinhair | Tan @camerafinishglow | Smile @allsmilesnewcastle | Nails @yu_ntns | Rings @kateandkole @whitakersjewellers | Marquee @katalanetents | Furniture @beavisyoureventteam | Glassware @rewardhospitality.newy | Napkins @table_threads | AV @equipmultimedia | Signage @genr8printing | Produce @raritywholesale @carla_rarity | Music @jeromeplaysguitar @komiti_music | DJ @silentshoutent | “That’s Amore” @tyranstig | First dance @tonidottcom @ujay26 | Coordinator @letterpressevents @lukeclenton | Bread @bakeduprising | Oil @pukaraestate | Catering @meetxmeat | Late night pasta @raftonon | Giant cheese wheel @gourmetfooddistributors | Caravan bar @boozysuzie_caravanbar | Wines @brokenwoodwines @lisamcguiganwines @ushertinklerwines @vindenwines | Limoncello @earpdistillingco | Gelati @scoopandrolltrike
