Clifford and Timothy: A Relaxed Sydney Wedding
With a strong focus on family, friends, food and good wine, this relaxed Sydney wedding for cake maker Clifford (CliffordLuu.com.au) and his partner Timothy was a true celebration of their love.
Photographer Henry Paul | Location The Freedom Hub, SYD
“…We wanted something that was not super structured, really casual – more of a party with family and friends than a wedding.”
Tell us, how and when did you first meet?
Cliff: It was the June long weekend in 2012 at a nightclub; I recognised Tim from speaking to him via a dating app a few weeks prior. Nothing had happened except just a hello as he was with his friends, but we had agreed to meet another time.
Our first date proper meeting was a drink at a pub in Broadway whereby I turned awfully red followed by a movie – we saw Prometheus (I did not know he was a horror buff).
Tim: My best friends and I had chosen to head out clubbing to revive/relive our early 20’s after having not done so for 7 years. I, a little worse for wear, saw Cliff on the dancefloor and noted it to my two friends dancing with me. I think I remember that we had locked eyes, and he came up and said hello. We had spoken before on Grindr but had not met. I told him that I would call him during the week to organise to meet up.
What was the very first thing you remember about each other?
Cliff: My very first impression was that he was very tall and handsome with big blue eyes
Tim: On our first date, I took him to see Prometheus at Broadway cinema but said that we should meet at a bar on the corner of Parramatta Road and Glebe Point Road. He didn’t drink. He was very clean cut, skinny, cute in an adorable way and after bumping into some friends of his, he/they seemed very young. Now thinking back, the fact that he sat while I drank beer and then went to a sci-fi movie with me without subtitles, he was clearly someone who put others before himself.
Tell us about some significant moments in your relationship...
Tim: When explicitly given the option, Cliff said he would continue to date me when I told him I had relapsed with Stage 4 cancer, only 4 months after we met. He came to the hospital every night after work for 2 months and sat with me. He entertained me, gave me back tickles, cleaned me, got me to the bathroom and dressed up in full contagion gear when I was doing a bubbleboy effort during the transplant to either make me or just himself laugh.
The proposal, tell us about that…
Tim: Our engagement was a little understated as I had planned to get it done on Christmas Eve 2019 and was too impatient to wait any further. I took Cliff to Jin Tea house that night and then asked him if we could go and see the Christmas lights at The Grounds. I had intended to propose to him under the Christmas lights, but it was closed to public access when we got there. I suggested we jumped (not even, lifted our legs) over the small fence to sneak in. Clifford refused. So the opportunity was missed.
Instead, I got down on one knee when he opened his first Christmas present (an empty Tiffany box) and proposed to him in our bedroom.
What does marriage mean to you?
Tim: It means that I get to grow old with someone that will help father more animals, keep me grounded and encourage me to do what I need to do to make myself happy.
Cliff: It means that Tim will be “my person” – the first person I call for the good and bad news.
Cliff and Tim’s story continues below ↓
What was the primary influence behind your wedding day?
Cliff: We wanted something that was not super structured, really casual – more of a party with family and friends than a wedding. We didn’t have any traditions that we wanted to include – we wanted a relaxed day with our doggies – good food and wine.
Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Cliff: Mostly online – Instagram was my main source.
How did you choose your suppliers?
Cliff: working in the cake / wedding cake industry, I had few supplies I had in mind that I had previously worked with in the past.
Any surprises on your wedding day?
Cliff: Tim had organised a video message from Delta Goodrem (an idol of mine during my teen years) just before walking down the aisle.
What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Tim: Navigating Covid-19 restrictions. We had postponed once to ensure all interstate guests were able to come.
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
Do what you want, not what others want. Have a big or small wedding, have it local or destination – it is your day, do what you want.
Clifford and Timothy’s Team
Photographer Henry Paul
Venue The Freedom Hub
Suits Institchu
Bowtie Gucci
Flowers Francis Floristry
Cake by me, Clifford
Celebrant Alison Pickle
Furniture Ceremony Arbour and Rug Wed Events Creators
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