Equal parts romantic and whimsical, Danielle and Josh’s wedding was a joyful celebration that was a whole lot of fun. Think timeless fashion (that ivory tux and that dreamy beaded gown!), lush florals bursting with colour, cheeky toasts, and a whole lot of Taylor Swift.

Set against the stunning Chapel Ridge, the day brought together everything they love most: good food, happy guests, and the people who matter most – including their 10-month-old daughter Emily, who stole hearts in her tiny flower girl dress. With the wonderfully talented James Day and the team from CloudHerd Film Co. behind the lens, every laugh, tender glance and champagne-soaked portrait was captured to perfection.

It wasn’t love at first sight for Danielle and Josh; in fact, the first time they met, they barely registered each other’s presence, more focused on the NRL game in front of them. Round two was a different story. It was fate that they sat next to each other at a mutual friend’s birthday dinner and struck up a conversation… Danielle shot her shot in Josh’s DMs after the party and quickly had their first date lined up.

The morning after their anniversary, Josh secretly planned to meet with Danielle’s mum to ask her permission to propose. Later that day, as the ring was burning a hole in his pocket, the pair headed down to McKell Park in Darling Point to enjoy a picnic in the sunshine. “The park was busy, and after a group of girls obviously enjoying the afternoon sun had left I found a quiet spot where I popped the question. She said yes… then we took a couple of pics and sent them to our family.”

Josh always knew he wanted to wear a classic tux – something that was well-fitted yet had room for movement throughout the day. He selected this gorgeous ivory suit from Woolcot St Tailoring in Sydney, perfect for this spring wedding. “After my first consultation with Anthony, I knew I’d selected the perfect place. Offered a whiskey on arrival, we chatted about options, and I ended up settling on a classic tuxedo with an ivory jacket.”

He had his brother as Best Man, and his brother-in-law and Danielle’s brother as his other two groomsmen. They wore black Ferrari Formal tuxedos to contrast with Josh.

Danielle wore the enchanting Indigo gown from designer Liz Martinez from Ivory Room Bridal, with intricate beading details and a fluttery skirt. “Many years before I met Josh, I had always admired the whimsical, ultra-feminine dresses from Liz Martinez, and whilst I tried on many designs and brands, I felt my best self when I slipped into this dress and knew it was going to be the one.”

She had something old (her late father’s blue handkerchief), something new (the gorgeous gown), something borrowed (her mother-in-law’s tennis bracelet) and something blue (the handkerchief again).

Her best friend was Maid of Honour, alongside her sister-in-law and close friend as her bridesmaids. Dressed in mismatched silky black Shona Joy dresses that reflected each party member’s style, they perfectly matched the groomsmen.

Josh and Danielle’s 10-month-old daughter, Emily, along with their nieces, Alexis and Elle, were the adorable flower girls, dressed in dusty rose dresses from Arabella & Rose.

Chapel Ridge was the perfect venue for this romantic spring wedding, with the iconic sandstone chapel and manicured gardens. “It was important to us to have our guests relax and not have to travel to and from the ceremony and reception on the day, and Chapel Ridge is a venue that is perfectly set up to do it all. Danielle’s Catholic family priest agreed to marry Danielle and me there. We were captivated by the beauty of the place – the lush, manicured gardens within the natural boundaries of a working cattle property and the reception area adjacent to the chapel, adorned with chandeliers, overlooking the grounds with trees lit up by fairy lights at night. Every part of the property is a photo opportunity, and we adored seeing our guests take their own beautiful snaps, too. It was just magical!” Josh shared.

Their florals were bursting with garden roses, dahlias, and coral peonies, all in gorgeous shades of orange and pink. “The flowers by The Faithful Florist were incredible – I left the brief pretty open, and I was just gobsmacked when I saw the bridal bouquets first; they were all I could have ever hoped for and more.”

The moment Josh remembers most of all was just before Danielle walked down the aisle, and the anticipation of what was about to come. “Standing at the end of the chapel in anticipation for both of my beautiful girls to come down the aisle… seeing 10month Emily being pushed in a little cart by her cousins shares the highlight with the stunning figure Danielle made as she walked down the aisle looking the most radiant I’d ever seen her…surrounded by our nearest and dearest.”

Sadly, Danielle’s beloved father is no longer with us, so her oldest brother stepped into his role to walk her down the aisle. A string trio from Vicello Strings began to play “Wildest Dreams” by Taylor Swift as she stepped into the chapel. “I’ll never forget us both with tears in our eyes outside the closed chapel doors, knowing this will be a special memory created between us.”

Their ceremony was a traditional Catholic wedding, without Communion, as they wanted to keep it short and sweet. “We opted for traditional vows and had a special candle in the church representing my dad’s presence on the day,” Danielle explained.

For Danielle and Josh, wedding planning was an overwhelming task; the endless options and decisions to make would have been much harder without the help of Hunter Events NSW. “The never-ending options can really feel like its own job in itself. Having our wedding planner assist in curating options took away some of this stress but kept all the fun components in.”

As Emily was only 10 months old, Danielle had to schedule pumping breaks throughout the day. “Life has its own plan for you sometimes, and it reminded me of an unbreakable part of my bond with Josh that we have this cherished child together.”

Capturing this magical day alongside Danielle and Josh was the talented James Day! “He is just the most phenomenal photographer. We loved his work, and when we chose our wedding date, it was our second priority after securing the venue to have him available to shoot us. His creativity, use of surroundings, and the way he connects and makes you feel at ease were all evident on the day. We were so, so happy with our photos when they came back.”

Hello Naomi created their beautiful wedding cake, complete with custom toppers to present their little family – Emily, Danielle, Josh and, of course, their cat! All of the catering for this spring wedding was done by Fennel and Co., keeping guests well-fed and happy throughout the night. “We had nothing but incredible feedback on the food on the day.”

If Josh had to pick six things that made their romantic spring wedding so special, he would say:

“1. Having our daughter whom we waited for for many years there was more than we could have dreamed.

2. Our waltz – it was a moment to share more of our personality.

3. Groom and Bride speeches – both were unwritten and off the cuff and represented each other perfectly.

4. Having mentioned Emily and Danielle walking down the aisle.

5. Our photo session on the grounds at Chapel Ridge. We took an old Landrover troops to a part of the grounds where the light was perfect, and speaking for myself (Josh), not being the best at taking photos, I had the best time, spraying champagne in the air and giggling as we posed under the expert guidance of James.

6. Carmel’s (Danielle’s mum’s) Speech – in typical fashion, I was trying to solve the problem of procuring Danielle’s handbag from the event coordinator, which didn’t go unnoticed by Carmel, who quipped, “Pay attention Josh,” mid-speech, to laughs and claps from the guests. I went bright red.”

When asked what advice they’d want to give to future couples planning their own dream weddings, Danielle had this to say: “As a couple there are many challenges you’ll face along your journey, some small, some large, things that you won’t be the best at… but communication and empathy for your partner will go a long way in making sure you don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re in this as a team. You win & lose together. But if you can become experts in having the hard conversations… everything else becomes easy.”

As huge Swifties, Josh and Danielle worked with Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Bondi to learn a waltz to “Invisible String”. “Learning a bridal waltz once a week for 6 weeks prior was an extremely fun way to connect, have a giggle and build excitement leading up to our wedding day.”

Their absolute favourite moment captured throughout the celebrations was at the very end of the day, as the newlyweds came back to their room to pick up Emily. “It captured the real start of the rest of our lives together as a family post-wedding.”

A huge thank you to the wonderful James Day for capturing every beautiful, and to Hunter Events NSW for sharing this beautiful day with us. And to the newlyweds: Danielle, Josh and little Emily, congratulations on such a stunning beginning to your next chapter as a family!