Aarron and Robert: Queer Joy, Bright Colours and Sassy Fun

Aarron and Robert’s wedding at Canvas House in South Melbourne was a heartfelt celebration of their eight years together. From their first meeting in St Kilda to a life filled with adventures and quiet moments of joy, their love was at the centre of every part of their day.

Photographer The Lavender Haze | Location Melbourne, AUS

“Marriage is the next step in our journey and the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the world.”

How and when did you meet?

Aarron: Robert was on holiday visiting friends in Melbourne when their mate Ricky told them he had a ‘surprise’ waiting at the pub. Robert and Ricky headed out for a drink at Veludo’s in St Kilda and the surprise turned out to be meeting me.

Tell us a little about that first time you met…

Robert: Initially I read Aarron as straight and didn’t pay him much attention, but as the night wore on and it became clear there were certain mutual interests, we got chatting and realised we were attracted to each other.

Tell us about the standout moments in your relationship…

Aarron: Too many to count - eight years is a long time! A few… Four days in when I got drunk and told Robert he loved them. Robert spent the next 24 hours spiralling and overwhelmed before saying it back two days later after an amazing ‘date day’ in the city involving Korean BBQ and Robert accidentally spilling half a bottle of Chardonnay on me during a Gold Class screening of X-Men. Six weeks in when Robert left to go back to the UK and we both realised we were in this for more than a holiday romance. Robert: 4 months in when Aarron flew to the UK to surprise me on my birthday. 3 years in when Aarron got down on one knee in our local park and then surprised me (yet again) with a rooftop engagement party with 50 of their friends and family. 5 years in when our anniversary fell between lockdowns we were able to take a beautiful wintry trip to Hobart and had some amazing dining and exploring experiences. Every day we get to dance around the kitchen, eat lovely food together, and flop on the couch with their Rottweiler, Manuka.

Have you ever faced any issues of non-acceptance?

Aarron and Robert: Our families have been very supportive, but it has been a journey for some of them, and we’re grateful that they have done the work. The worst we have faced is the odd slur shouted (always from a moving white van). That, and the fact that the equal marriage plebiscite was in full swing when Robert moved here, and the exposure to the 'no' campaign was traumatic and disheartening. Fortunately, we were relatively insulated by our incredibly supportive friends and community.

What does marriage mean to you?

Aarron and Robert: Marriage is the next step in our journey and the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the world. We’ve already been through the process for a partner visa, and that is a huge commitment, but by taking the next step and getting married, we’re honouring the legacy of everyone who fought for our rights to marry. Additionally, normalising our relationship in our circles, such as work or around our friends’ kids, is a huge step towards true acceptance and provides others who may be struggling with a positive role model.

Who proposed, and how?

Robert: Aarron proposed; we were walking through the park and running late (as usual) for lunch reservations, so Type A me was stressing and couldn’t work out why Aarron was just wandering around. Eventually, just as I was about to chip off to go get ready, Aarron tied the dog to a bench, got down on one knee and presented me with Aarron’s grandmother’s engagement ring. Aarron said ‘I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you’ and then immediately stood back up and said ‘I don’t know what to say now’. I said ‘no, this is the bit where I say something’ and said yes. Later that day, after lunch, they went upstairs and Aarron had organised 50 of their friends and family to be there as a surprise engagement party, and had spoken to my parents in advance as well (who were there via FaceTime). Turns out dozens of people knew I was getting engaged before I actually did!

When did you get married?

8th March, this year.

What was the main influence behind your wedding day?

Aarron and Robert: Queer joy, bright colours and sassy fun! We told our guests the dress code was "Be bold. Be brave. Be beautiful. Be free.

What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding? 

Aarron: Robert’s three considerations were that we had fun, our guests had fun, and we ended up married.

Robert: Aarron's were: family be present and family and friends that had passed be represented as well. As well as get through the ceremony without bursting into tears.

Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?

Robert: Aarron is Māori and so was presented a Korowai (cloak of feathers) by his family to wear during the ceremony - considered by the Maori as a Taonga (treasure). He also wore a heru, a Maori comb Additionally Aarron’s father, uncle and cousin sang a waiata aroha (traditional love song) at the reception.

Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?

Aarron: Being fortunate to work at Canvas House alongside my colleague and CH's director Nash Ingram, we were able to bring together many years of industry inspiration. The brief: work with what we know, and flood the space with as many candles as we could. Incorporate nature through an abundance of florals and cascading greenery. We started ransacking the local op shops for their crystal pieces - vases, bowls, ashtrays, glassware anything and everything that we could get our hands on. From there our brief was to create a space that went from ceremony to reception seamlessly. While also consulting Dani Santos at The Green Room. Dani and the team went above and beyond creating the most incredible sculptural floral pieces that sat as the backdrop for the ceremony and then segued seamlessly into the reception space.

How did you choose your suppliers?

Aarron: Working in the industry made it a lot easier to reach out to trusted friends and colleagues which made the planning that much more personal and meaningful. Working alongside colleagues you consider to be like family meant the world to both of us. The rest of the search started with Theodore's directory, where we found our incredible photographer Jacinta at the Lavender Haze, and also finding the amazing celebrant Renee Thompson.

What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?

Aarron: working in the industry. Lol the pressure was on and we worked around the clock leading up to the big day.

Where did you spend your honeymoon?

Robert: Our mini-moon was spent on the Mornington Peninsula indulging in hot springs, spa treatments at Aurora Spa and staying at the Continental, followed by more spa treatments and two nights at Jackalope Hotel. The honeymoon is set for a Californian sojourn in 2025 - San Diego, San Fran, Palm Springs, Napa Valley.

Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?

Aarron and Robert: It is YOUR day. Don’t let the weight of other people’s expectations dictate what happens or how it goes. Additionally, don’t be afraid to lean on the people around you, especially your wedding parties - you would take joy in doing the same for them, they know what they’ve signed up for, they love you and they want to support you.

Aarron and Robert’s Team

Venue Canvas House - Nash Ingram and Aarron Baker (On THEODORE)

Food Fourside Events - Katie Clough and Justin Derrick (On THEODORE)

Photographer The Lavender Haze (On THEODORE)

Celebrant Renee Thompson

Styling and Florals The Green Room Albert Park

Makeup She Paints Face

DJ Gaz Kempster

MCs Ayesha Gibson and Dominic Gruenewald

Cake Spitz’s Bakehouse

Robert’s Suit InStitchu (On THEODORE)

Lighting SelectAV

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