Classic Christian Wedding in Brisbane

]When two photographers fall in love, you just know their wedding will be a work of art. For Sionnan and Andre, it was exactly that – a day full of thoughtful details, heartfelt faith, and timeless beauty. With The Other Bridesmaid leading styling and creative direction, and About Time Co. and Sommar Films capturing every frame, this spring wedding was a true celebration of meaning and memory.

Sionnan and Andre first met as teenagers in their early university days when she was studying architecture, and he was pursuing civil engineering. Their paths first crossed at a networking event for Christian students. Only a few weeks later, in 2020, the world went into isolation, and fate intervened. When Sionnan posted a story asking for drawing suggestions, Andre sent a message requesting Mushu from Mulan. “One drawing of Mushu later and the rest is history!”

To welcome the new year, the couple spent their holidays on Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island), where Sionnan was certain a proposal was imminent. “I was sure he would pop the question on a sunrise walk,” she shared, “and I was fairly disappointed when we made it back to Brisbane and there was no ring.”

But Andre had a different plan in motion. Just a few weeks later, Sionnan’s best friend asked her to take photos for her and her boyfriend’s anniversary: a perfectly reasonable request, since she and Andre run a photography business together. On what felt like the hottest day in January, and exactly three years to the day since they first met, Andre appeared mid-shoot at Victoria Park, bouquet in hand and a beautiful oval solitaire ring ready. “My favourite part of the proposal was that Andre wrote up a 14-page document with his plan to ensure all parties involved would be on the same page!”

Andre wore a black made-to-measure tuxedo from The Cloakroom, with fabric sourced from Japan. “The process of designing and then tailoring the suit with their director, Andrew, was incredible! We were initially unsure whether we wanted to go custom, but after a fitting with their team, it really felt like there was no better option,” Sionnan explained. “The Groomsmen hired tuxedos similar to Andre’s from Tony Barlow, they all went in to the fitting together and had a great time!”

For the ceremony, Sionnan wore a beautiful strapless Milla Nova gown, with an incredible Steven Khalil veil. “I wanted a classic, timeless feel across each look with a subtle continuity between each dress, whilst still having a strong contrast to match the setting of each moment. I shopped at Luv Bridal for my ceremony gown, and their team was wonderful – a shout-out to my maid of honour and bridesmaids for helping the most indecisive bride! Also, Sheena from the fitting room on Edward, who did all of my alterations and got the fit of each dress to perfection.”

Her wedding party wore a mixture of black satin dresses from Shona Joy and Bec + Bridge, matching the modern classic vibes of the day.

With a love and appreciation for beautiful architecture, Sionnan couldn’t go past St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane for their ceremony. It worked out perfectly for the number of guests they wanted to invite, with the ability to seat over 300.

As Andre had spent his early childhood in Papua New Guinea, Sionnan wanted to include a tribute to that part of his life in their wedding. Orchids are one of the things he remembers most clearly about that time, so it was the perfect choice of flower to litter throughout the day. “Working with Bloodwood Botanica, we centred the floral theme on a white orchid, with the bouquets all being orchids, along with the boutonnières. We then had cascading orchids on our wedding cake and a range of white and greenery across our reception venue, also featuring some fruit. We wanted the orchids to feel classic but transition into the reception venue with a modern twist, with some artistic flair.”

Sionnan walked down the aisle to “All Creatures Of Our God and King” played on the cathedral organ. “I chose to walk myself down the aisle, which was a big decision as I wanted it to reflect my own commitment to my husband. It did feel a little bit scary, but I know little girl Sionnan would have been so proud of me.”

As Christians, Sionnan and Andre wanted to centre their faith in Christ. They had two of their close friends read a passage from Philippians 2, a Bible passage that reflects how they want their marriage to be centred on Christ and his life. “We also had two of our close friends write prayers that they prayed before the congregation,” she explained.

“For us, the most important part of our wedding was the way it reflected what marriage means to both of us and being able to celebrate that with our loved ones.”

For the post-ceremony celebrations, Wheel and Spoon provided delicious gelato. As guests enjoyed their dessert in the sun, Sionnan and Andre took their leave for their portrait session. “For our wedding portraits, we wanted something with a similar atmosphere, with a focus again on beautiful architecture, whilst being classic and timeless – QLD government house was perfect, and we had the entire venue booked for the afternoon.”

About Time Co. was the photographer that Sionnan and Andre trusted to capture their classic wedding. “As photographers ourselves, choosing a photographer for our big day was the first thing we checked off the list. We just love the way Amy captures moments as memories in a really authentic way. She captured the entire day without it feeling posed, instead capturing glimpses of our favourite memories. We had the best experience working with her!”

The top five things that made Andre and Sionnan’s wedding so special for them were:

“1. Marrying each other and making that commitment under God

2. The people who celebrated the day with us

3. The venues and the atmosphere they created

4. Working with incredible vendors

5. A beautiful day with perfect weather.”

The reception was held at the QAGOMA Rooftop Terrace. “Sionnan frequented GOMA throughout high school with her maid of honour, so it has a special feel of nostalgia. It was actually Andre’s mum who suggested we look for a rooftop venue, and when we came across the rooftop terrace, it just felt right. The team from QAGOMA were also absolutely incredible to work with!”

When it came to their vendors, Sionnan and Andre couldn’t have been happier with the results. However, four of them really stood out to Sionnan: “ There are too many, but probably our Florist Emilia from Bloodwood Botanica, her work was so beautiful, and also the beautiful cake made by our friend Emily Yang, and a last mention would be the band The Undercurrents, we had so many compliments on their music! And my makeup Artist, Sabrina Walsh, was so, so incredible. All the bridesmaids and I loved our makeup and how she made us feel so beautiful and confident, truly, and an artist!”

A piece of advice Sionnan and Andre want to leave for other couples planning their own weddings is this: “The wedding is just one day it marks the start of a lifetime together don’t get too caught up in the small details but instead take your time to plan a day that is a reflection of your relationship and what you want your marriage to be. Spend more time preparing for your marriage than preparing for just the wedding day: spending quality time together outside wedding planning, premarital counselling, discussing the big things to come, and ensuring you have support around you as you enter this next chapter of your lives.”

The couple chose “The Way I Love You” by Michal Leah, performed live by their band The Undercurrents. “We learnt a dance in the lead up to the wedding from The Wedding Dance School. We practised our first dance so many times and never got it perfect in the months leading up and even the night before, but on the night of our wedding, we got it perfect, even performing it with the band for the first time!”