Khat and Simon

If there was ever a wedding defined by “colour, laughter and sequins” it would be the bright and bold garden celebration of today’s newlyweds, Khat and Simon. These two embodied every bit of those three words chosen as their wedding theme; from filling their day with as many flowers as they could, to adding sequins and literal sparkle at every single turn. But there is a beautiful story behind the glimmer! Festive photography by Charlotte Exton is accompanying the story today, as we share what is sure to be something unforgettable.

The pair met online, with Simon adamant about the way he felt from day dot. Khat tells the tale, “I had been on ‘Plenty of Fish’ for one day and Simon, for one year. He wrote ‘YOU! I LIKE YOU!’ in his first message. I told him he didn’t know me from a bar of soap and he replied that he would like to get to know me over coffee. We met that day for afternoon tea and as soon as he walked in I thought, ‘Oh damn, this could be the boy I marry’. Our first date lasted eight hours before it ended because the police beeped at us for kissing outside my car and told us to move along.”

The groom chose a deep eggplant coloured suit by Zimma Tailors, upon the hinting of the bride. The suit and his look were kept secret from Khat until her walk down the aisle.

Kate’s bridesmaids each wore a colourful kaftan from Camilla. The bridal party included a very special friend: “My maid of honour was seven months pregnant for the day and I just couldn’t believe how amazing she was,” notes the bride. “She made every possible emotional stress or family drama melt away. She looked after so many of the details and it was really special to think that her gorgeous baby boy was there for such a special day.”

Khat chose to wear a voluminous, custom ballgown. “I chose an amazing dress from Marry Me Bridal in Mosman which I customised with sleeves, lace appliques, velvet ribbon and beading. The girls at Marry Me are so lovely that I ended up working a few shifts at the boutique and helping brides select their dress!”

Khat and Simon set their wedding style from the get-go, the ceremony decorated with plenty of sparkle and a rainbow of fresh, eye-catching flowers.

The bride walked down the aisle with her father to an acoustic version of Tina Turner’s ‘Simply The Best’.

The ceremony was led by Nicola Josey. Khat and Simon made sure to not only honour present family members but also those no longer with them. “My brother read a Pablo Neruda reading and we incorporated a ‘ring warming’ where the rings were passed around to all guests who set an intention for our future,” tells Khat. “My cousin was the celebrant which meant that she incorporated some really beautiful touches about my mother who passed away from breast cancer a few years ago. The ceremony was genuine, full of tears and laughter.”

Khat and Simon made sure to include their very favourite people in their wedding party, choosing “both our brothers and our friends who are our chosen family. We had six bridesmaids and six groomsmen. Each person is so different and important in our lives; it was a true delight that they all agreed to be a part of the day.”

“We visited one of our groomsmen and one of our bridesmaids overseas to ask them to be a part of our wedding in person. It was great to go from talking about the wedding in the snow in Canada and over dinner in Brooklyn to then having them both be present on the day.”

These two couldn’t be more thrilled with their photographer Charlotte, noting, “Charlotte is everything. I couldn’t have asked for a cooler, more talented artist to capture the day. She was on-board from day dot and knew exactly what we wanted in terms of colour and fun. I will love her forever and cannot rate her work highly enough.”

Khat and Simon chose the nature-filled venue of Eden Gardens for their ceremony and reception, remarking, “We chose it because we love plants and flowers and wanted to get married in a garden. The display garden at Eden is filled with art and sculpture which we also thought was great fun.”

A florist herself, Khat sourced all the flowers personally and asked her friends to execute her vision. “I was able to hand select all my flowers. I spoke to the best growers and literally just picked everything I loved, that was in season, and that was vibrant. I was like a kid in a candy store picking fragrant roses, huge purple orchids and textured natives. I left it to some incredibly generous and talented friends to put it all together and surprise me. Suffice it to say they outdid themselves!”

Guests were gifted garden seeds as wedding favours in customised packets.

The speeches were as colourful and love-filled as you can imagine. Says Khat. “Simon and I both have younger brothers who we love dearly. They both made speeches that were warm, funny and make me teary every time I think about them.”

The first dance? Well these two couldn’t let the serious nature of the event take over, the bride and groom, who chose Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘At Last’, ended up in fits of laughter. The bride shares, “we had planned to dance to it romantically but I did take one chorus to push him up against the wall and slide down him slowly like he was a tall glass of water and I was a woman caught in the desert, dying of thirst! Everyone was shocked and burst out laughing including my Nana.”

And with the formalities done he newlyweds were ready to party – Khat switching up her look with a sparkling sequinned gown made generously by a friend. She explains “The dress was inspired by a drag ensemble that haunted my dreams. It was so fabulous that I knew I had to wear something like it on my wedding day. I loved doing a reveal to everyone wearing that dress, it was so extra and I had about 30 rare pinks, fragrant Cattleya Orchids pinned into my hair. I felt like a queen!”

And the dance floor was epic, thanks to Simon’s careful planning. Khat explains, “For Simon, it was important to include some great songs to dance to. He pored over playlists of his favourite songs for months selecting each one with the intention of making sure everyone would get the chance to have a good boogie.”

Of course, a wedding such as this demands film. Mitch Tooley captured the day as it unfolded.

A big congratulations Khat and Simon! We’re so thankful that you shared all the beautiful stories of your day with us. A big thank you to Charlotte Exton for today’s beautiful images.