After the COVID-19 pandemic put singer Samantha Jade’s wedding plans on hold, the 33-year-old is finally confident enough to start organising her big day to fiancé Pat Handlin again.
And for the 33-year-old, there is one element to her wedding day that’s of utmost importance – paying tribute to her late mother Jacqueline Gibbs, who tragically passed away in 2014 after a short battle with cancer.
In an exclusive interview with Now To Love the ARIA Award-winning artist tells us she’s hoping to incorporate a piece of her mother’s wedding dress into her own bridal gown.
“I actually asked my dad the other day if he has her wedding dress, I thought that could be something special,” the Perth-born star tells us.
“I definitely want to pay tribute to my mum in some way… I think that will be important,” she adds.
Despite having to postpone her wedding twice last year in the midst of the pandemic, the X Factor Australia winner says she and Pat are excited to get the ball rolling again.
“We just actually sat down the other day and said ‘let’s start planning again!’ It felt like we’d start and then something would ruin it again,” the singer, whose immediate family is based in Perth, explains.
Gone but never forgotten: As Samantha Jade prepares to marry Pat Handlin, the star is making sure her late mother (R) will be close to her heart on her big day.
(Images: Instagram)Now as the state boarders are reopened, Samantha is looking forward to celebrating in style with a Sydney-based affair and perhaps another event in her hometown of Perth later this year.
“The wedding location may be somewhere around Sydney. But I obviously have to have everyone [fly in] from Perth,” she tells us.
“We’re trying to figure out what that looks like because a lot of people are still nervous to fly so we’re trying to figure out if we do something really small and then have a party in Perth.”
While Sam and Pat, who became engaged at the start of 2019, iron out the specifics, there’s one thing the singer has sorted – her wedding dress!
“That is the only thing that I have planned,” she laughs. “And that’s the most important thing.”
Sam and Pat have been engaged since the start of 2019 and are planning a Sydney-based wedding.
(Image: Instagram)The Bounce hitmaker reveals her wedding dress may shock some people with the star opting for a more pared-back look compared to her usual glitzy aesthetic.
“I can’t say much but I will say that it’s classic. I think people expect me not to go classic and go a little costume-y because I’m a performer but it’s the opposite of that,” she teases.
When it came to picking her wedding dress, Samantha Jade only had one person in mind to help guide her.
“Jules [Sebastian] was the person who when I got engaged, she was like ‘OK, what are you wearing?’ That was the first thing she wanted to talk about!”
“She’s the one who set up the meeting with the designer and has helped me,” she explains of her good friend and celebrity stylist.
That’s what besties are for! Celeb stylist and Sam’s good friend Jules Sebastian has played a major role in helping her pick a wedding dress.
(Image: Instagram)As her wedding day finally comes to fruition, the former Home And Away actress admits she can’t wait to finally be married to Pat, whose father is Sony Music Australia CEO Denis Handlin, and start a family.
“I am excited to be called someone’s wife, I think there’s something really exciting about that. I’m excited to start a family,” she muses.
“We’ve been engaged for so long now and to be honest it feels like we’re married already!”
The singer, pictured with her niece, can’t wait to start a family with Pat.
(Image: Instagram)In between wedding planning, Samantha Jade has also been hitting the studio and working on new music.
“I’ve been really inspired to write new things lately so I’m really excited to get some of those songs out there.”
“If we can do a tour at the end of the year, that would be the dream. I just miss live performing so much.”
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