David and Josh: An Understated Chic Farmhouse Wedding
After Covid threw David and Josh's initial ‘France’ wedding plans out the window, the two grooms opted for an understated chic farmhouse wedding at the iconic Mona Farm in country New South Wales. The pair threw a three-day celebration with 75 of their nearest and dearest.
Photographer David Collins | Venue Mona Farm, NSW
“I grew up with the media prescribed fairy-tale of romance and marriage, it symbolised completeness and almost the end of the journey. But as I got older, and throughout my relationship with Josh, my view has changed to this beautiful romantic partnership of understanding, growth, change and a whole new chapter in life.”
How and when did you meet?
David: We first met in November 2017 at a housewarming party in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Josh knew one of the housemates through his rugby club, and I knew the other just socially through my group of friends.
Tell us a little about the first time you met?
David: Josh was at this housewarming for his friend, and I for mine - and Josh was already friends with another one of my best friends, Jarrod. So Josh came up to speak to him and we met then. I instantly thought he was a bit special – but we didn’t chat too much. And then the next time I saw him was at Tropical Fruits (LGBTQIA+ New Years Festival) where another of my good friends said “Hey, my mate is coming but doesn’t know many people – can he come hang at our campsite?” and low and behold it was Josh – and he was my New Year’s kiss. He couldn’t get rid of me after that.
Josh: David and I met at a housewarming party in Sydney. We both knew one of the housemates. I went over to talk to a mutual friend, Jarrod, who had arrived with David, but it wasn’t long before David’s blue eyes stole my attention.
The next time we met was at a festival in Lismore. David was sharing a campsite with some of my mates. We instantly remembered each other from the housewarming party months earlier and the rest… is history.
What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
David: Josh is extremely charismatic and inclusive in his communication style – that was one of the first things I noticed. He has this ability to make you feel like you’re the only person he is speaking to, instantly comfortable and that you’re the most important person in the room. And then, the next time you see him, he will remember the smallest thing from your conversation prior and ask you about it, making you feel like “Not only does this guy make everyone feel so welcome and important, but it’s not fake – he is actually paying attention and remembering these details”.
That was the first thing I noticed – other than the fact he was extremely fit with a cute butt.
Josh: The first thing I noticed about David was his beaming smile and animated laugh He giggles at lot, especially when he’s nervous!
Tell us about any standout moments in your relationship?
David: It’s morbid I guess, but my father passed away in 2019, and for anyone that loses someone close to them in a parent type role, it is one of the hardest things you will ever go through. We were in love well before his passing, but when he passed there was this energy shift where through the outpouring of love, support, compassion and guidance he gave me I knew he was my person and someone I needed around me for the rest of my life.
Josh: Supporting David during the sudden passing of his father brought us closer together. I think tragedy does that. It causes you to reflect on what’s important in life and brings a new perspective. It was a tough period but looking back on that now, it set a strong foundation for us as a couple. Fortunately, there have also been so many good times like travelling across Europe and moving into our first home together.
What does marriage mean to you?
David: I grew up with the media prescribed fairy-tale of romance and marriage, it symbolised completeness and almost the end of the journey. But as I got older, and throughout my relationship with Josh, my view has changed to this beautiful romantic partnership of understanding, growth, change and a whole new chapter in life.
I don’t view marriage as a completion of myself anymore, it’s an enhancement of who I am. Marriage is having someone you trust with your whole self, love with your whole self and you know this person will always support you, but also, not unconditionally – they should be able to call you out and keep you true to yourself as well.
Josh: Simply put, I want to spend the rest of my life with David and I believe marriage is a solid foundation for us to build the rest of our lives together.
Tell us about the proposal?
David: Josh proposed in August 2019 in Marseille, France. I had been there the year prior without him and done the most amazing hike through Calanque de Sormiou, it’s a 3-hour hike through a national park to the most beautiful and secluded beach, and Josh loves beaches (like most Aussies!). So, when we knew we were going to be in the area I knew I must take him down there.
It was a huge hike, very high up at some points, edge of cliffs shuffling along, very hot 35+ degrees. We get to the beach and turns out it’s a public holiday and this ‘secluded beach’ is packed!
We try to get a spot and end up being awkwardly perched on some rocks between people taking photos and kids eating sandwiches. Josh was being kinda weird, and I assumed it was just because it was not the secluded location we imagined and it was a little hard to relax. He comes back and tells me we should walk around the cove and “try to find somewhere better”, in my mind I was like “better? We are in the most beautiful place in the world!?”.
We get up and walk around the cove, as we walk around Josh puts his hand on my shoulder and goes “You know I love you right?” and I was like “…yeah?...” and he went into this speech which I cannot for the life of me remember now – but he got down on one knee, I jumped up and down (similarly to my wedding itself…) and we kissed! People nearby congratulated us and we kept it to ourselves for about 24 hours before telling anyone back home. It was perfect.
Josh: I took David by surprise by proposing to him during a holiday to Southern France. I’d purchased the ring two days before we left Australia but still wasn’t sure where and when to ask the big question. I just knew I didn’t want to over-plan it, so I waited for the perfect moment.
One morning while we were in Marseille, we decided to hike through the Calanque de Sormiou. We walked for a few hours before arriving at the most breathtaking beach and coastline I’d ever seen. I knew this was the spot.
I waited for a moment alone and then got down on one knee to ask David to be my husband. He was completely stunned at first but soon after he couldn’t contain his excitement. He was jumping up and down as other hikers walked over to congratulate us. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
When did you get married?
David: We held our wedding across three days, 28th, 29th and 30th January 2022 at Mona Farm in Braidwood, New South Wales. The 29th of January 2022 was the official wedding day.
David and Josh’s story continues below ↓
What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
David: We were one of those couples affected by Covid in our wedding planning. Originally we had started planning something in Southern France in Provence. With the intention of having a 3-4 day celebration of not just us and our love, but also an amazing trip with those we love the most and celebrating the families we have built as adults. But, that got kiboshed pretty quickly.
When looking locally, we didn’t really like the idea of a one-day event and really wanted to hold onto the idea of this celebration and holiday with those we loved.
When we found Mona Farm, it was exactly what we were after. The venue slept over 50 of our 75 guests, and the rest could stay at accommodation nearby.
The influence behind the whole vibe of the wedding was chic farmhouse, summer, forest/wildflowers, and family warmth.
Josh: Elegant and understated is how I would describe our vibe. We knew we wanted a wedding venue where our friends and family could stay for the weekend, and we wanted to keep it intimate and stylish. But not flashy.
With its luxury accommodation, contemporary art collection, award-winning gardens and purpose-built reception venue, Mona Farm ticked all our boxes. We fell in love with it instantly.
What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
David: Not getting covid. Haha, seriously though that was my biggest fear. Other than that, it was Josh and my groomsmen. I felt they really supported me, kept me sane (I can get a little highly strung, especially when the forecast is thunderstorms for an outdoor wedding) and remembering what we are there to do.
Josh: For me, the most important thing was making sure David and I enjoyed the ride. Organising your wedding should be exciting. But in the lead up to the big day, there’s so much to do so it’s easy to get stressed. Fortunately, we had great support from our wedding party and the venue which really helped us to appreciate the journey.
Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
David: So lame – but old school euro romance movies and then coupled with imagination we would then google endlessly till we found something that aligned with our vision on Pinterest or Instagram and built our boards that shaped the wedding.
Josh: David was the creative mastermind and helped shape the look and feel. He found our florist, photographer and videographers. I took the lead on the financials and worked closely with the venue on the logistics.
How did you choose your suppliers?
David: Some, like our photographer, were word of mouth, some were known to us like our cake provider who we used quite regularly before. The rest were Instagram finds I believe – florist, videographer for sure. Mona Farm was found through a ‘top venues’ list through a good old google search haha.
Any standout suppliers?
David: For me, it’s the florist hands down – I basically came to her saying, I want the alter and pew ends to look like garden beds organically growing out of the ground. I want it to feel like you live in the European countryside, went for a walk and collected all the flowers and plants you liked and put them in an arrangement – and that is exactly how it felt. It was the only point in the day that I cried happy tears that weren’t related to the ceremony itself. And Sophie, the florist, was the warmest and most genuine person as well. Could not recommend enough.
Any surprises on your wedding day? Or anything that didn’t go to plan?
David: The weather. We were meant to have an outdoor ceremony on the croquet lawn and post-ceremony drinks next to the lake, however, around 10 am on the day of our wedding the skies absolutely opened up. I was in town with my groomsmen when Josh called after speaking with the General Manager of the venue and the news was that we had to move it.
In the weeks building up to the wedding my biggest fear was the weather – but in that moment on the day, when Josh called, I honestly did not care. My wedding day was here, and I was about to marry the man that I love. I did not care if it was on the lawn, under the marquee or even in the pigpen, as long as the day ended with me being Mr O’Rourke I was happy.
Josh: It was perfect from start to end. But no, it didn’t all go to plan. Does it ever? Heavy rain forced our afternoon ceremony from a beautiful lawn to a less-beautiful marquee. Our florists and stylists did a wonderful job making our ‘Plan B’ look like our first choice and everyone managed to stay dry.
What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
David: Budget for sure. Everything is so much more expensive than you think, or you think ‘Oh that’s not too bad’ and then you add it all together and you’re like ‘whoops!’. Other than that, it would be staying on top of changing government guidelines in relation to covid and ensuring our weekend wasn’t too impacted.
Josh: I think I underestimate the time involved in coordinating the wedding. David and I took the ‘divide and conquer’ approach taking the lead on different elements which helped but I struggled in the final weeks to pull it all together and keep up with our busy full-time jobs. Oh and the budget… let’s just say ‘David has expensive taste’.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
David: We spent a few days down in Mollymook at Bannisters: By The Sea, it was the perfect way to relax post-wedding with Josh. Sun, bike rides, food, pool, amazing.
Josh: We went straight from the wedding to a mini-honeymoon at Bannisters By The Sea in Mollymook. We had the best time exploring this sleepy coastal village including dinner at Rick Steins famous restaurant, spa treatments and walks along the beach.
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
David: Get a planner! We went in thinking we would be able to tackle everything ourselves, and our venue did a great job of helping to coordinate a lot of the stuff on-site. But I think we underestimated the amount of work that goes into planning the day!
Josh: There is a lot of expectation attached to weddings. Everyone has an opinion and it’s easy to start comparing yours to others. My best advice is to forget about everyone else and create a wedding that reflects you. Don’t let other people’s opinions or expectations distract you from the great joy of planning your own unique celebration.
David and Josh’s Team
Photographer David Collins
Videographer Moon & Back Co.
Venue Mona Farm
The Suits Oscar Hunt
Flowers Muscari
Cake Black Velvet
Stationery Papier
Celebrant Ben Stanley
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