Sammy + Josh by Matt Godkin - Together Journal

We didn’t want anything overcomplicated, just modern, chic and bold, with pops of colour.

Sammy —— I’m the owner and director of a boutique fashion agency, KENDi Agency, which represents established Australian and New Zealand retail fashion and lifestyle brands. Josh has a background in engineering and now works as a builder. We met in 2018 via an Instagram DM. It was my 25th birthday and I was celebrating with friends in Cronulla. I slid into Josh’s DMs and asked if he’d like to join us. He’d just come back from a weekend camping so he took a rain check, but we stayed in contact, eventually locking in a first date that involved pizza, beers and mini golf. Josh is the calm to my chaos, the yin to my yang.

Josh —— I always promised Sammy I’d propose at our favourite place when she was least expecting it. One Friday, Sammy came home to me cooking pizza and thinking that I’d organised a surprise camping trip. But when we sat down by the fire, I brought out the ring.

Sammy —— We’ve been to many weddings that begin at 3 or 4pm with dinner later on, but we wanted to spend as much time with each other and our guests as possible, so we planned an early ceremony followed by speeches during cocktail hour, a long lunch and an even longer dance floor.

No wedding cake, no bridal party entrance or fanfare. We wanted to keep things very simple and relaxed. We knew the Oaks Ranch venue and the landscapes that surround it are stunning, so we wanted to hero that. We didn’t want anything overcomplicated, just modern, chic and bold, with pops of colour.

We had lots of florals with little greenery but feathers (to compliment the bride’s dress), striking curved benches and block mirror plinths. Music is a big love language of ours, so we wanted to make sure we had the best wedding playlist keeping everyone on the dancefloor.

My sister and I used to send photos of Christie Nicole’s designs to each other. I love how she balances dramatic silhouettes, delicate details and textured fabrics for fashion-forward brides.

I’d seen Christie’s Eileen dress and was obsessed with the fitted bodice, pearl beading and dramatic sleeves. I also tried on the Lily gown, which was crafted from a textured ostrich feather tulle, giving it a sense of fluidity in movement. It was a strapless A-line silhouette with a gathered pleated underlay to give it the right amount of volume with a large cathedral train.

We updated the fit to a structured bodice with a slightly curved neckline similar to the Eileen dress. I added gloves with cascading hand-beaded crystals and wispy feather trim. The experience was seamless and the dress was the perfect amount of statement.