Jodie and Billy’s wedding wasn’t their first. Back in 2011, before same-sex marriage was legal in Australia, they held a commitment ceremony. They tried to make it traditional, but later realised most of it hadn’t felt right. After eight years apart to figure out who they both were, they reconnected and wanted to marry again – this time with the same rights as straight couples. They were also really clear on what they did and did not want from a wedding.

“Our first wedding actually served as the best tips for what we didn’t want this time”, Jodie told us. “We don’t like white, cutesy stuff and hated the idea of big, impersonal, generic looking spaces. This time was about having what we wanted instead of having what we ‘should’ have. We wanted something to reflect who we are, so we had some non-negotiables: for Jodie it was wearing black, and for Billy it was including their Aboriginal culture. We also agreed that feeling glamorous in the heat of an Australian summer was near impossible, and we wanted a moody vibe so it was a winter wedding from the get-go.”

Before the ceremony began, guests were invited to take part in a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony. Billy is Pairrebeenne, and the couple wanted to start the day with a sense of connection and meaning. The ritual was led by an Awabakal elder, who used native leaves to create smoke and blessed each guest with ochre on the forehead. As an added surprise, he played the yidaki (didgeridoo). “I really just can’t say the word ‘magical’ enough to describe the ceremony,” Jodie said. After this blessing, celebrant Sarah Chippindale took over. Once they were done, the mood shifted, and they walked out to Bad Romance with rainbow confetti cannons going off!

The rest of the day followed the same pattern with zero interest in doing things just because other people expected them. There were no speeches, no first dances, and they didn’t have lots of extra décor. That they did have was DIY. As soon as they arrived at the reception venue, they cut the cake, switched into Converse and Nikes, and settled into the party.

“There are a few vendors we really have to mention,” they concluded. “Your celebrant sets the tone for the day, so don’t skimp on that expense and definitely meet up with them to make sure you like their vibe. We’re still friends with Sarah to this day and every one of our guests remarked how amazing she was. Same goes for photographers. We’d had experience with a cheaper photographer and were disappointed with our photos the first time around (!) we knew it was important for us to get it right. Working with Amanda was the bets decision and the end result was better than we could have imagined.”