A Love Story Nine Years in the Making: Raymond & Bonnie's Understated Wedding at Jackalope Hotel
Raymond and Bonnie's wedding was nine years, one postponed date, and a pandemic in the making — a celebration that had every reason to be grand, and chose instead to be honest. Set against the moody, elemental backdrop of Jackalope Hotel in Merricks North, the day brought together old-world romance with a refreshingly modern sense of restraint. From a dining table anchored by monogrammed loaves and bread sculptures doubling as candle holders, to a groom who wore his everyday style to his own wedding, every detail reflected a couple who knew exactly who they were.
A VENUE WITH NATURAL DRAMA
Jackalope Hotel needs very little help to feel cinematic — its raw, elemental architecture and the rolling Mornington Peninsula light do most of the work on their own. It was the ideal stage for a couple who'd waited through a global pause to finally say "I do," with their three-year-old son, Tyler, by their side. Rather than layering the space with heavy design, we let the venue's own textures lead — timber, stone, and soft natural light framing the ceremony and reception in equal measure.
A TABLE DRESSED IN BREAD AND FRUIT
Bonnie and Raymond's styling brief came from something simple: they both genuinely love bread. So the dining table was built around it — loaves stamped with the couple's own monogram, and sculptural bread pieces doing double duty as candle holders down the centre of the table. Florals were kept minimal, used sparingly to bring a moody depth of colour into the setting rather than to fill it. It became the day's most talked-about styling decision, and a reminder that the most memorable tables are often the most personal ones.
A GROOM IN HIS OWN UNIFORM
Instead of a traditional formal suit, Raymond chose to dress the way he always does — in the Japanese labels he's loved for years, Yohji Yamamoto and Needles, worn with a relaxed, unstructured ease. Bonnie moved between two gowns across the day, a Vera Wang for the ceremony and a Vivienne Westwood for the reception, grounded by Maison Margiela and a considered edit of fine jewellery from Mikimoto, Tiffany & Co., and Audemars Piguet. Together, their looks captured a couple dressing for themselves first — polished, but never performative.
PERSONAL DETAILS WITH MEANING
The day's warmth lived in its small, unshowy moments — a monogram stamped into warm bread rather than printed on paper, a wedding ring from Graff chosen simply because Bonnie loved its design, a ceremony shared with the couple's young son as part of the family they were formally becoming. These weren't details added for effect; they were details that meant something, which is exactly why they photographed the way they did.
A DAY NINE YEARS IN THE MAKING
By the time Raymond and Bonnie reached the altar, they'd already built a life together — a relationship, a postponement, a son. What unfolded at Jackalope wasn't the start of something new so much as the formal recognition of something already deeply built. Guests danced, the candlelit bread sculptures stayed lit long after dinner, and the whole day carried the ease of two people who'd simply been waiting for the right moment to make it official.
Raymond and Bonnie's wedding was more than a celebration; it was proof that styling doesn't need abundance to feel abundant. A love story nine years in the making, told through restraint, film, and two people who never once tried to be anything other than themselves.
Lots of Love,
Ruffles and Bells Team xx
