Mon & Anna's Sydney Opera House wedding

Mon and Anna kicked off married life at the Sydney Opera House. Yep, THE Sydney Opera House was their wedding venue. How flippin’ cool is that? For this pair of around four years, the iconic landmark is a hub of memories harking back to their early dating days – attending concerts together and picnicking at the nearby Botanic Gardens. “The Sydney Opera House felt like our kind of church,” they shared, adding, “It felt like a really unique and memorable location for our family and friends to visit and celebrate in style for locals and visitors to Sydney from around the country, and overseas.”

Scroll on to read how Mon and Anna made the space their own, their wedding planning advice and where they looked for inspiration. Plus, of course, the happy snaps! Standing ovation for Miranda Stokkel who captured these.

THE VIBE “We went for black tie: glam as our vibe. Sparkles, tuxes, gloves… think opening night at the Opera House. We wanted everyone to feel a million bucks.”

FAVE DETAILS “ALL OF IT! Our family and friends went to so much effort, travelling from all corners of the world to come and celebrate with us. Having our friends Ben and Hamish as our celebrants made our ceremony incredibly personal and loving, setting a beautiful tone for the day. Our families delivered beautiful and funny speeches that we loved. Poho’s flowers were, without a doubt, one of the standout favourite elements from everyone at the wedding that day! Stunning bouquets and arrangements that framed the ceremony, around the room, and on each table for dinner. Also, the Pepper June photobooth was a lot of fun! We set it up right next to the dance floor, complete with a red carpet and velvet rope, which Sam arranged. Friends and family came through to use it all night long.”

MEMORABLE MOMENT “Reading our vows to each other was incredibly special, too. We knew everything about the wedding, including our dresses and accessories, but we chose to keep our vows a surprise until the day. Honestly, that was probably my favourite moment.”

MARRIAGE MEANS “We really just love love! We’re so happy to have found each other and we wanted to celebrate it and share that joy with our friends and family. Plus, weddings are a perfect excuse to get people to visit, so honestly, our wedding was just an elaborate way to bring our nearest and dearest together!”

REFERENCES “Samantha Burke was our guiding light for most vendors and HELLO MAY! A brilliant source of inspiration and information, it was really helpful to see how some other queer weddings came together.”

A WORD OF ADVICE “If your budget allows, hire a wedding planner like Samantha Burke. She and Lizzie made our day so much better! They took care of all the little details beforehand and made everything run smoothly on the day. Go for the best photographer you can afford. Miranda was an absolute blast, and we look back on our day with even more love, thanks to her! Throw in something surprising, like a brass trio [Tillee Music]. Everyone’s been to so many weddings that they can feel a bit same-y. Adding a unique touch really helps the night pick up!”

Hosting your wedding in Sydney… at the Opera House or the surrounds? Here’s a handy dandy list of our fave NSW-based vendors. If it’s more real city weddings you’re after, you’ll love these, or you can pick up a copy of our latest issue for stacks of inspo, vendor spotlights, products we love, and more.