This Sydney wedding had Gothic touches, a wild dance floor and custom tattoos

“Not overthinking and having fun was our approach to the entire wedding.”

Here at Fashion Journal, we make no secret of our love of weddings. We’re suckers for a bit of romance and have a soft spot for weddings that do things differently, whether it’s a Las Vegas elopement or a classic Town Hall celebration.

Alice and Max Kennedy’s story began at a sharehouse in Redfern. Although Alice was close friends with Max’s sister throughout high school, it wasn’t until she moved to Sydney that the two reconnected.  “That house holds a special place in our hearts – it saw a revolving door of roommates, yet out of that chaotic home, we all became the best of friends, fell in love and have stayed connected ever since,” she says. Years later, Max proposed on Christmas morning while they were on holiday in Austria.

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The couple chose to get married at St. Thomas of Canterbury in Lewisham, Sydney’s second oldest Catholic Church, with their reception at Marrickville Town Hall. “We wanted a classic venue with an open space that we could completely transform into a vibrant party atmosphere. The town hall’s architecture is stunning and since we essentially had the space to ourselves, we could truly make it our own.”

And they did. With Alice’s untraditional Balenciaga-inspired tulip gown, musical performances from their friends, a surprise 1am DJ set from Dayshawn Ige, a tattoo artist offering guests custom flash, and a specially-designed beer, Alice and Max’s day was full of personal touches.

How did you meet your partner and how did the proposal happen?

Max and I both grew up on the Central Coast of NSW. In high school, I was close friends with his sister Alix, but since Max was a few years older, our paths hadn’t crossed! A few years after finishing school, I moved to a sharehouse in Redfern where Max also happened to be living. That house holds a special place in our hearts – it saw a revolving door of roommates, yet out of that chaotic home, we all became the best of friends, fell in love and have stayed connected ever since.

Max proposed on Christmas morning while we were in Austria and it was beautifully low-key. Just the two of us cosied up in bed with coffee. As I woke up, he handed me a Luke Edward Hall porcelain box and inside was the ring. We were overjoyed and spent the day celebrating, sipping wine as we wandered through the Christmas markets.

What venue did you choose for your wedding and why?

We held the ceremony at St. Thomas of Canterbury in Lewisham and the reception at Marrickville Town Hall. We wanted a classic venue with an open space that we could completely transform into a vibrant party atmosphere. The town hall’s architecture is stunning and since we essentially had the space to ourselves, we could truly make it our own.

How many guests did you have?

We had 100 guests in total, which sounds wild on paper but it felt so intimate and fun on the day. All we cared about was having a wild dance floor!

Where was your outfit from and what was the process of sourcing it like?

I had the wonderful designer Rhonda Hemmingway recreate a vintage Balenciaga look, adding our own twist. She’s truly incredible and even came by on the morning of the wedding to help me get dressed, which felt so special. The dress had a tulip shape and was super comfortable, so I wore it all day. I didn’t try on any traditional wedding dresses – instead, we simply gathered some references and went for it. Not overthinking and having fun was our approach to the entire wedding.

What about your partner’s outfit?

Max wore a beautiful double-breasted suit from P. Johnson paired with Gucci loafers.

In terms of beauty, what look did you go for on the day and what was your inspiration?

Susan Lillian did my makeup and the incredible Rory Rice styled my hair. I chose a very classic look for the ceremony and kept my hair in its usual short bob. For the reception, Susan updated my eye makeup with a smoky, extended liner, which was a lot of fun.

We leaned into a slightly gothic vibe for the overall aesthetic, so the dramatic eye was a playful nod to that. I loved that I stayed in the same dress all day but refreshed my look through makeup and different floral arrangements, which gave the reception a new feel.

What kind of food and entertainment did you have on the day?

Two of our closest friends, Angelo Quizon and Rick Scully, performed our first dance song, making it feel like a family celebration. Maddison Costello DJ’d, with Dayshawn Ige surprising everyone with an incredible 1am set.

We also had Bella White of Athru Ink as a surprise tattoo artist. She and I created a custom flash sheet and she was fully booked all night! It’s been so fun catching up with friends afterwards and seeing which tattoos everyone chose.

Our friends James and Sophia Sideris, who own Butterboy and Hatrik House, helped so much. James made our wedding cake and loads of cookies, while Sophia designed a custom beer for us.

We collaborated with our dear friends Sam Pauletto and Ben Avery for the paper elements, like invitations and menus and the florals, which were absolutely breathtaking.

Tell us about the photography. How did you capture the event?

We had the amazing Matt Godkin photograph the wedding using film and digital and Andrew Clements captured the day on video.

What did you do to celebrate after the wedding?

The day after, we invited all our closest friends over to our hotel room to watch the NRL, enjoy cake and drink champagne. Then, we headed off to Mexico for our honeymoon. Mexico was incredible! A friend advised us to go straight on our honeymoon so we could stay in that post-wedding bubble as long as possible, which was the best advice. We got to live in la-la land for as long as we possibly could.

Keep up with Alice here.