A day eagerly anticipated by the White Lily team is when one of their own become the bride, and that is exactly what happened when long-term employee Jess married her now-husband, Khan at the InterContinental Resort nestled into the beautiful surrounds of Sanctuary Cove.
Jess and Khan have been friends since high school. From unstoppable besties at school to young adulthood, it was only after they'd graduated that the two started dating. With a strong foundation to their relationship, they knew they would still thrive even when Khan began his deployment with the Australian Defence Force. She and their two fur babies - Duke and Hank - were always extremely excited to welcome him home after months away.
Anyone trying to organise their wedding around deployment dates will tell you - it can be quite the conundrum! However, after the dates were finally set, their wedding began to take shape!
Prior to her wedding day, Jess had plenty of time to narrow down her bridal style! Working with wedding dresses-galore, she had six years of trying on dresses at the boutique, which was particularly helpful in understanding the textures and falls of fabrics on her figure. It was no longer a matter of knowing what she wanted in a dress, it was now that she knew what she didn’t want. “Listening to the team make guesses on which dress I would wear was helpful in knowing what they thought would suit me,” said Jess, “and they’re the experts!”
Being such a central part of the White Lily family, it's safe to say we had all been waiting for the day to come when Jess would reveal her wedding dress. However, the bride-to-be kept her cards firmly to her chest when it came to the style. Jess endured months of non-stop guesses from every direction!
Although a risky move for some brides, as Inventory Manager, Jess wasn’t afraid to order a classic soft A-line Mori Lee dress embellished with buttons down the back straight from the catalogue. The end result? Perfection.
"I know it's super cheesy!" She explains, but her favourite part was the fact "That it was a White Lily gown."
“From the moment I started working at White Lily, we all knew one day Khan and I would get married, it was just a matter of when, so I love that it is from a place that is really important to me.”
When planning her wedding, it was important for Jess to keep it simple, wanting her bridesmaids to feel comfortable and confident. “It was also really important to me for Khan to choose his attire, which was an amazing surprise when he was standing at the other end of the aisle.”
Reflecting on her special day, the most memorable moment was her sister Kitty driving her to the ceremony in her late brother-in-law Nick’s car. Although tinged with sadness, this moment allowed Nick to hold a memorable part in their day forever. Kitty "showed great strength," said Jess "and even better - she brought snacks and a banging playlist! It’s a special moment only she and I will share.”
The advice our White Lily bride and Inventory Manager would offer to future brides is:
“Stay on the same page. It’s really important to remember that you’re not just planning a wedding, you’re preparing to be husband and wife!”
Looking into the future, Jess and Khan are excited to build their house, and potentially add another puppy to their family!
You can see inside the couple's Sanctuary Cove wedding down below.
Florist: Khan's Mum!
Cake: Krispy Kreme
Hair and Makeup: Julianne Edwards (Instagram: @julieanneedwards)
Bridesmaid dresses: Review
Suits: Tarocash
