Third time's a charm
Morgan & Mohamed Hakam
19th February 2022
When our beautiful client, Morgan, touched down in Boracay in the sunny Philippines for a holiday with her hubby, Moh, she said she was “desperate to relax and enjoy happy hour cocktails”. After any flight, who can blame her?!
But Moh had other plans, convincing her to enjoy a sunset walk with him. It was on that walk he proposed to Morgan, a moment she said was incredibly special because they were able to enjoy the emotion and take it all in just the two of them while on holiday for a few weeks.
However, their love story began many years before this moment. Morgan said at the start it took them some time to officially get together after meeting at the gym Moh worked at but, once they did, everything fell into place so easily and it all just “felt right”.
Image Credit: Katelyn Slyer
Morgan and Moh were yet another couple who navigated wedding planning amongst the COVID-19 craziness. They originally booked a destination wedding overseas but, sadly, had to let go of that plan when they realised the borders weren’t going to open in time. They then locked in the beautiful Bush Bank Weddings in the South Coast before getting hit with another lockdown in 2021 and having to postpone again! Third time proved to be the charm for these lovebirds, and they tied the knot on Saturday 19 February 2022.
Morgan remembers her big day being “very relaxed and so much fun”. The couple wanted to keep the festivities as simple as possible so they removed a lot of the more ‘traditional’ elements from their day. Their ceremony was very personal and was followed by canapes, cocktails and lawn games for their guests. Morgan said it was a priority to her and Moh to spend as much time as possible with their guests, so they only ducked away for a few photos here and there.
Image Credit: Katelyn Slyer
So, what brought Morgan and Adrienne together?
Morgan actually met Adrienne when they were in high school and said she “always admired her talents”. When Adrienne branched out on her own with her signature custom wedding illustrations, Morgan said she fell in love and knew she wanted to commission one of her own, when she got married herself one day. The two ladies reconnected after Morgan ran into Adrienne at the One Fine Day Wedding Fair and got in touch to book her piece straight away.
Morgan and Moh keep their artwork hanging in their hallway, which Morgan says serves as “such a beautiful reminder” of their big day.
Read a bit more about this lovely couple and their beautiful day below!
Image Credit: Katelyn Slyer
Image Credit: Katelyn Slyer
Were there any apps or websites you found helpful when researching or planning for your big day?
I used Instagram and Pinterest a lot in my planning! I also joined the WedShed Facebook group which I highly recommended for all future brides! It’s such a beautiful community with lots of great insights and support from other brides.
How many wedding dresses did you try before you found ‘the one’?
I actually bought the first one I tried on! I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted and I didn’t want to be overwhelmed with too much choice. I only went to the one store and tried on two others just to be sure, but I knew as soon as I put it on that it was “the one”.
Did anything unexpected happen on your big day?
We had the tiniest little bit of rain but our day was truly perfect. If anything did go wrong our family and friends did an excellent job of hiding it from us!
Who was your stand-out vendor?
All of our vendors were amazing but we were so grateful to have found our gorgeous celebrant Marie Maait (@marriedbymarie). She made our ceremony so personal and fun and we loved getting to know her in the lead up to our big day. It felt like we were getting married by a friend who we had known for years which made our day that much more special.
Image Credit: Katelyn Slyer
Image Credit: Katelyn Slyer
What were some of the harder parts of wedding planning?
Planning our wedding during COVID was definitely tricky! We were very grateful that it all worked out in the end, but shifting plans and trying to prepare for the unknown was hard to navigate at the time.
What were the more enjoyable parts?
There were lots of enjoyable parts too, I loved the planning process and working with vendors to bring our dream day to life.
What advice would you give to other couples currently planning their wedding?
I know that it’s a lot easier said than done but try to remember that this is YOUR day. We can get so easily influenced by others that we forget what’s truly important to us and our partner, so try and put yourselves first when it comes to decision making.
Also try not to stress about the little things, I got so caught up in small details that I didn’t even notice on the day - so chances are that our guests didn’t notice either! Enjoy the planning process and remember that wedding planning should be a special and fun experience, not a stressful one.
Custom Wedding Painting by Adrienne Monteverde
Custom Wedding Painting by Adrienne Monteverde
“Adrienne is a truly beautiful and kind person who is
incredible to work with. She is so easy to communicate with
and I love that she stayed in touch during the creative process.”
A Note From The Artist:
Creating this piece for Morgan was the result of a beautiful coincidence. As mentioned above, we actually knew each other when we were teenagers - then fast forward over 10 years, and during a wedding event held in Sydney, who did I bump into - our very excited Bride-to-be, Morgan! There is something incredibly special about creating these sentimental paintings for people I have known personally in my life, and Morgan was no exception. If there is anything I wholeheartedly believe, it is that the world has a funny way of guiding us to exactly where we are meant to be and introducing us to the people who are meant to be a part of our stories. I’m so thankful I was able to reunite with Morgan, and what better way than over our mutual love for art, and her beautiful love story.
Wedding Vendors:
Photographer: Katelyn Slyer | Stylist: Grace and Stone Collections | Gown Designer: Alyssa Kristin, purchased at Love Marie Bridal | Suit Designer: Ted Baker | Rings: Grew and Co | Florist: Grace and Stone Collections | Hair: Kate Sedger | Make-up: Alyce Apps Makeup | Celebrant: Marie Maait | Bridal Party: Taylor Jaques, Danielle Cronan, Ross Fairlie, Andrew Lynam | Venue: Bush Bank Weddings | Stationary Designer: Etsy
Leave a comment or get in touch