Here at Modern Wedding, we are firm believers that love is love. It knows no bounds of age or sex or culture. Love is simply love, and to fall in love is pure magic. Jacqui and Temujin are a beautiful example of that – an unlikely match who fell madly in love and plan to marry in April. While there may be an age gap between the pair, with Jacqui being 61 and Temujin being 28, the couple knows that they have found their life partner. We were lucky enough to have their engagement shoot shared with us and we just had to show you!
The Unlikely Couple…
The love that you see between this wonderful couple is incredible. You see two people admiring each other, happy, looking forward to getting married in April. But Temujin and Jacqui didn’t fall in love at first sight. What turned out to be soulmates finding each other, began as an innocent friendship. Temujin walked into one of Jacqui’s dance classes and immediately thought “I need to know about this woman because she has got such personality, and she hasn’t even said anything yet”. Jacqui was married at the time and saw Temujin purely as a student.
Fast Forward Two Years…
Two years after they first met, with Jacqui now being single, they both happened to be in Singapore one day. Temujin invited Jacqui to see his show and a friendship began. They talked about the world, Jacqui’s ex-husband, and the struggles of life. They found themselves talking for hours on end until the sun rose. “I couldn’t wait to race back to sit engaged in the most interesting conversation with the most extraordinary, unique human being I’ve ever met. We would just sit cross-legged staring at each other” she says. Then, one day, they kissed.
The Feedback From Loved Ones…
When the relationship began, Jacqui hid Temujin on her houseboat, afraid of the judgment she may receive from others. For her, it was the first time she had been in a relationship with such a large age gap. Once the relationship was out in the open, they received mixed reactions from loved ones. Temujin’s family is very supportive of the couple, while Jacqui has had some of her sisters and mother disapproving. For many other family members and friends, it simply took seeing the couple together to realise they had something special. The couple have also come to realise that discrimination based on age is something that is experienced by many couples, regardless of the relationship itself.
Learning To Love…
Apart from the public discrimination, the couple is aware that there are problems that will have to be faced. Jacqui having daughters means that her life balance is different from that of Temujin, but like so many relationships, they make it work. Jacqui also worries that she will leave Temujin as a young widower to which he responds “I’m not sure why we live life like that where we worry about who is going to die first.” Despite the issues they face, Jacqui says there is nowhere else she would rather be. “I am now experiencing the kind of love I dreamed of when I was a little girl. I had to wait until nearly 60 to say this was the fairytale love….this is what I thought relationships should be.”
A Designer Dream…
The couple truly had the most incredible team by their side for their engagement shoot. Some of the best vendors in the industry came together to ensure this couple had the most magical day possible. With the couple often receiving criticism and comments about their relationship, we wanted to hear what the love industry experts had to say! Nicky Apostolopulous, designer for the iconic brand Velani, shared that she wanted to be part of the shoot because “love is love and we shouldn’t discriminate on sex or age. I’m hoping that everyone can accept and understand that two people are in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together regardless of their age”. Nicky dressed Jacqui in the most incredible gown for the shoot – an Italian lace bodice in a soft champagne with a multi-layered tulle skirt.
Capturing The Love…
Dean and Rachel Bentick of Inlighten Photography captured the couple on the day. “When Nicky told us about Jacqui and Tem’s story, we knew straight away that we wanted to get on board and create something special, for both the couple and Nicky” they explained. When asked about their views on love and it coming in all shapes and sizes, the photography duo shared that couples with age gaps are quite common, but the male is usually older. “We have photographed lots of couples who consist of an older man and a younger woman. It had never crossed my mind that we had never before shot an older woman with a younger man! Over the last 20 years, we’ve photographed love in so many different shapes and sizes, I was shocked to realise we’d never captured a relationship of this nature before. And not noticed. It was an honour to be a part of highlighting this couple’s loving relationship, and hopefully give other couples who may share a similar relationship, the confidence to know that love is beautiful in every relationship.”
Beautiful Words From The Beauty Team…
The bride also got to work with the most magical glam team that is Lizzie Liros and Ann Hassarati. Both were touched to be asked to join the shoot by Nicky from Velani. When asked about intergenerational couples, Lizzie shared “I’m not one to judge anyone and why judge someone who is in love. Love is love, it’s a blessing to be in love and if two people are happy then god bless them both.” Ann has a similar sentiment sharing, “To be able to find love in itself is a blessing. But love is hard work. You have to continue putting in the effort and continue to choose the other. I personally appreciate those who challenge “traditional” ideals and chase love and happiness regardless of old norms. It’s inspiring and a great example for the next generation.”
Engagement Shoot Vendors: Dress: Nicky Apostolopoulos, Velani / Photography: Dean and Rachael Bentick, Inlighten Photography / Suits: Alex Goodman / Hairstylist: Lizzie Liros / Makeup: Ann Hassarati
