Maddi + Davie by Damien Milan - Together Journal

We started saying, “I really, reeeaalllyy like you” to each other – it was this cheeky, knowing way of loving on each other without totally confessing it, but I knew it back then, we were made for each other.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We’re both creatives. Davie is a screenwriter, and Maddi is an actor. We love watching films, eating delicious food, spending time with friends and family and our cat, Iggy.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions? 

We were set up! Towards the end of 2021, when Sydney was emerging from a 4-month lockdown, we were both invited to a dinner, neither of us knowing the other would be there. We both spent the night trying to play it cool and not seem too interested when the truth was, we would have happily skipped the brutal group Uno game to sit and chat in a corner.

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

Maddi says: “Probably much earlier than I admitted to myself at the time. We met at a time when I think both of us were quite happy being single…, but after our first date, I found myself never wanting to be away from Davie.”

Davie says: “It hit me early on, which is ironic for me. Maddi had quite a big role in Harry Potter on the West End coming up, so I was also aware she might soon fly off forever; I didn’t want to ruin that for her. We started saying, “I really, reeeaalllyy like you” to each other – it was this cheeky, knowing way of loving on each other without totally confessing it, but I knew it back then, we were made for each other.”

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

It was our first anniversary, and we were back at Holey Moley in Sydney’s Kings Cross, the place Davie had chosen for our first date. He had planned the whole evening perfectly, so naturally, plenty went awry. After a furiously-paced round of mini-golf (which I won this time, though perhaps Davie was distracted), we arrived at the restaurant to be told, “No, that booking doesn’t exist… actually, we’ve just given your table away”. Eventually, after some serious telepathy on Davie’s part and fevered, hushed talks between the staff, we were sat. Davie’s faith in the place somewhat diminished, he didn’t hand over the ring to be brought out with dessert as he thought he might. Instead, after a lovely meal, he started saying the most beautiful things to me, which came out so naturally I thought we were just saying nice things to each other, so I started in with my own. The only way Davie was able to quiet me down to actually pop the question was to bring out the ring box he’d been harbouring in his pocket since our golf game. I cried with a huge smile. Davie had to ask me to repeat my answer. The chefs, who could all see us as our table was opposite the kitchen, all applauded. In fact, it was perfect.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.

Two words we’d probably use to describe our vision are “classy” and “fun”. We wanted the whole day to feel like a real celebration – of us and of everyone we love. The ceremony was a favourite part of the day for both of us; we both looked and felt great, and it was the perfect blend of relaxed enjoyment and deeply heartfelt and emotional moments. The reception felt like a big party right from the get-go, which was awesome. The décor at Gavroche is so interesting and beautiful that we barely had to style it at all. Our amazing florist Frannie did an incredible job of breaking down the gorgeous piece she’d made for our ceremony and running it down the stairs to place around Gavroche, she really made an already great space look even better.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

Without a doubt, the photos. We stumbled onto Damien Milan through an earlier venue and loved his work. It’s so cinematic, so we went all in, and it definitely paid off. Also, the rings: Bianca at White November is so talented. She worked with us to make sure we got the most unique and beautiful pieces. As we’re wearing them every day for the rest of our lives, we felt good about spending the extra money here.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

We spent so many hours carefully curating a playlist for the whole evening. Though we’d sent it to him and had a discussion about it, our DJ had other plans and went totally rogue. The music was like a nightclub from the beginning of the reception, and Davie had to ask him to turn it down at least once. All our key songs were played at the right time but almost no others from our list. But with some distance, it’s easy to see that it didn’t matter, everyone had a great time and actually, he kept people dancing all night. It’s also quite funny to think back on now – some of the music was just wild.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

For the ceremony, Maddi wore the very elegant and simple White Silk Ascendent Gown by Bianca Spender, who is a friend and a designer Maddi really respects; as a brand and what she stands for. Davie wore a kilt with his clan tartan to the ceremony, with hand-picked brooches symbolising both their parents and his relatives who could not be there. As for the reception, Maddi wore a very fun, sparkly mirror-ball dress, and Davie wore a light, pinstriped, seersucker suit.