The Mindful Issue keeps coming back to one idea: a wedding can be anything you want it to be. Not the version your family imagined, not the one trending on Instagram, but the version that is completely and unapologetically yours. Creative director and stylist Philip Boon and architect Nicholas Pucinischi’s wedding is exactly that. When they married on 28 February 2026 at the Fairfield Amphitheatre in Melbourne, they built something that had never existed before. Main wedding photography by Marnie Haddad , with additional ceremony and guest images by Jeremy Kees Orr. This is their story, in their words.

We met at a New Year’s Day party in 2020. Little did we know that within three months we would be in full lockdown in Melbourne and the dating story would become “Do you want to come over to my house and watch telly?” We had a few close friends in common but had never met. Now we have a big, fantastic friendship circle.

We moved into our Collingwood warehouse together in 2021. Then in September 2024, Philip had a life-altering accident and fell down the stairs in the middle of the night. Nicholas saved Philip’s life by calling the ambulance and making sure he recovered well. Philip knew he wanted to be with Nicholas in a more meaningful way, and so he proposed on their fifth anniversary of meeting. New Year’s Day 2025.

We knew from the start that we didn’t want a traditional wedding, or marriage. We came up with the theme of a Brutalist, Futuristic and Metallic wedding day with no heteronormative wedding tropes at all, created for our creative, design and art-filled lives and all the wonderfully creative people we are surrounded by. Think Brutalist meets Wonder Woman’s Paradise Island.

The date mattered too. We were married on Saturday 28 February 2026, a day where all the planets literally aligned in space. And with the Brutalist, Futuristic theme, we chose the Fairfield Amphitheatre in Fairfield. We worked with the City of Yarra for months to secure the right feel and space.

Our wedding was a celebration of feminism, not patriarchy, so we chose to call our attendants the Leading Ladies of our Lives. Five on Philip’s side in gold tones, three on Nicholas’s side in silver. We were given away by our mothers, adding to the feminist vibe. Philip designed and made both mothers’ red outfits.

To fit the Brutalist, Futuristic theme, Philip created futuristic ensembles that would evoke the space age meets brutalist style. Philip’s outfit was gold: gold satin high-waisted wide-leg trousers, a sheer gold organza shirt with leather cuffs, a gold leather shoulder piece, SS 2026 Saint Laurent gold sunglasses and gold block-heeled boots. For Nicholas it was silver: a silver liquid-look fabric oversized shirt, wide-leg satin trousers, the same style futuristic leather shoulder piece in silver, silver heeled boots and Yoko Ono-style sunglasses.

There were no flowers. The Brutalist theme does not work with flowers.

We descended the amphitheatre stairs and were walked down the aisle by our mothers to the 1970s futuristic disco song by Chilly, “For Your Love.” Our celebrant Ben Hull opened with “Welcome to a galaxy far far away.” He was vivacious, unapologetically comedic, flamboyant and futuristic. No readings. We didn’t want a heteronormative approach to the ceremony.

Our super talented friend and performer Tanzer created a unique, one-off performance that evoked totally the feel of our theme and took us to another planet with her voice and talents. Our DJ and friend Andy C created a futuristic disco soundscape with smoke machines, and after the ceremony we all danced to the best 1970s futuristic disco ever.

We designed and produced the signage ourselves, made staff t-shirts, and sourced a central plinth from our friends at Lightly Design.

When we walked to the celebrant and saw all our friends and family in their amazing, unique themed outfits, we gasped at the amount of effort everyone made. That was our favourite moment. That was everything.

 

Our advice to anyone planning a wedding: create a day that you want and don’t be afraid to step away from the normal tropes. We live in 2026. Come up with something different that truly makes your day a memorable event for you, not society.

Absolute brilliant advice and once again, a timely reminder that weddings do not need to fit neatly into tradition, trends or expectation to be meaningful. Bold, artistic and unapologetically personal! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful wedding with us Philip and Nicholas!