Josh and Nick: A Love That Found Its Way

Josh and Nick’s story begins in Brisbane in 2017, with a chance introduction, an instant pull, and a connection neither of them was quite ready to name. What followed was a slow-burning love built on friendship, shared music, and the quiet courage of becoming themselves together. Their wedding is a joyful reflection of that journey, a celebration of chosen family, collective joy, and a love that grew patiently before taking centre stage.

Photographer Beck Rocchi Photography | Location New South Wales, Australia

THEODORE Mag: How and when did you meet?

Josh and Nick: We met at a friend’s 21st birthday back in 2017 in Brisbane. The birthday was for a friend Josh went to school with, and Nick worked with at university. Josh’s school best friend (who he had technically dated a couple of years earlier) ended up introducing us. At the time, neither of us was out.

THEODORE Mag: Tell us a little about that first time you met…

Josh and Nick: We were instantly drawn to each other, but neither of us could really express it at the time. Something just felt different, like we’d found our person, even if we didn’t know what to do with that feeling yet. We spent most of the night talking and laughing, feeling more like ourselves than we ever had before.

A few days later, Nick signed up for the university club Josh was president of under the guise of “loving Marketing so much”, but with the ulterior motive of a secret crush. That led Josh to invite Nick to his own 21st birthday, even though we’d only met once.

Nick ended up being the last one standing with Josh that night, alongside Josh’s brother, who later said, “That guy Nick was really cool, it felt like having a third brother.” Little did he know that one day he would.

Despite all of that, things didn’t move quickly at all. We were best friends for about a year. Neither of us was properly out, and we didn’t know where the other stood, but the feelings were always there. We finally acted on them a year later, the night before we were meant to move in together as friends into a share house with a group of mates.

THEODORE Mag: What was the first thing you noticed about each other?

Josh: I noticed Nick’s loud shirt. In true Brisbane-2017 fashion, it was covered in monstera leaves, and I remember thinking how cool he looked. Then I noticed his gorgeous smile and infectious laugh. We still have that shirt to this day, and even included monstera leaves in our table runners as a nod to it.

Nick: Josh was easy to spot. He was surrounded by friends, wine in hand, mid-conversation, and honestly, nothing has changed since. There was something about his energy: confident, but not loud, just warm and open. Being around him felt fun. Then a cheers went wrong, and he smashed his wine glass. Somehow that made him even more endearing, and I took that as my moment to go over and say hi.

THEODORE Mag: Tell us about the standout moments in your relationship…

Josh and Nick: In the early days, music was always at the centre of our relationship. We went to countless gigs, festivals and concerts together. After six months of dating in secret, we went to Splendour in the Grass, which also marked the beginning of us coming out to a small group of friends. Everyone there knew we were together, so for the first time we could fully be ourselves. That weekend is when we truly fell in love and said “I love you” for the first time.

Coming out to our wider friendship group on a getaway in the Hunter Valley was massive for us. We were both so nervous about actually saying it out loud, and about what it might change. These were our people. They’d been in our lives for years, and there was still this huge part of us they didn’t know. When we finally said it, we were met with nothing but love. It was the first time we felt like everyone truly knew us, and the beginning of the chosen family that ended up standing next to us on our wedding day.

Coming out to our families followed, and again, we were met with overwhelming love. Spending holidays together with our families for the first time stands out as especially meaningful. We were both nervous about meeting each other’s parents, wondering whether we’d feel accepted or really belong. Instead, we were welcomed so openly that it quickly became clear we weren’t just visiting, we were gaining another family.

Things took another step forward when we moved to Sydney together about seven years ago. Josh moved first for work, and after six months of long distance, Nick joined him. Finding our feet, building new friendships, and creating a life together in a new city was incredibly meaningful.

Most recently, we grew our little family again by welcoming our Samoyed puppy, Toby, a year and a half ago, the light of our lives, and a constant source of joy, chaos and fluff.

THEODORE Mag: Have you ever faced any issues of non-acceptance?

Josh: I grew up in a smaller town on the Sunshine Coast, and there was a lot of teasing and bullying for acting gay. I was lucky to have a beautiful group of friends who always supported and stood up for me. When I got to university, though, I kept that same friendship group, which made it hard to really reinvent myself or fully figure out who I was.

Because of that, it took me six months of dating Nick before I came out. I felt like I’d been lying to my best friends for so long about my sexuality and identity, even though it turned out to be the least of their worries. It took years to really accept myself. Being able to find that acceptance and grow into who I am alongside my soulmate has been truly incredible, and I can’t thank Nick enough for constantly pushing me to be a better version of myself.

Nick: I also grew up in a smaller town in Queensland. While I’ve been lucky to have supportive family and friends, growing up I always felt different to the people around me. The casual homophobia was very real, especially at an all-boys school, and coming out as gay felt impossible at the time. It wasn’t until I moved to Sydney that I finally felt like I could fully be myself.

THEODORE Mag: What does marriage mean to you?

Josh: Marriage is about finally feeling at home in myself, with my favourite person by my side. It’s feeling deeply seen and loved, and knowing I don’t have to shrink or hide any part of who I am. It’s choosing each other every day, growing together, and feeling safe enough to be fully, unapologetically myself. With Nick, I get to become the best version of who I am, not alone, but together.

Nick: To me, marriage is building a life with your best friend. It’s choosing fun, laughter and adventure together, and really savouring the ordinary moments as much as the extraordinary ones.

It’s the quiet stuff – morning cuddles, cooking dinner together, driving with the windows down and sleepy days. And it’s the louder stuff too – staying at parties way too late, dancing until dawn, laughing until your face hurts.

Most of all, it’s knowing that no matter what life throws at you, you’re on each other’s team and you get to keep choosing each other every day.

THEODORE Mag: Who proposed and how?

Nick: Josh proposed. We were on our first-ever European summer together, and on our second day in Rome, we went up to Villa Borghese overlooking the city. We found a quiet spot near a fountain, and Josh asked me to “be his forever gay.”

THEODORE Mag: When did you get married?

Josh and Nick: Just shy of eight years into our relationship, on the 29th of November 2025.

THEODORE Mag: What was the main influence behind your wedding day?

Josh and Nick: We wanted the wedding to feel like a festival – a full, immersive experience. Having our closest friends and family stay on site was essential, as was making it a three-day celebration filled with joy, partying and an unforgettable dance floor at the end.

More than anything, we wanted it to feel like a gift to our friends. That’s how the theme “Outdo the Grooms” came to life – we wanted everyone to feel like stars and to feel like it was their day too.

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

Josh and Nick: That it felt like a true celebration – not just of our love for each other, but of the love we share with our friends and family. More than anything, we wanted the weekend to be about togetherness, laughter and collective joy. We wanted every moment to be a reflection of us, from all of the little details to show our personality and our story.

THEODORE Mag: Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?

Josh and Nick: Not traditional ones, but very personal ones:

Our mums walked us down the aisle.

Our dog Toby carried our rings.

One of our best friends officiated the ceremony.

Our flower girls were a group of close friends.

Our wedding party were mostly couples, so we had them give speeches in the order they met us, allowing guests to experience our story as it unfolded.

We also wove our personalities throughout the day – from custom table runners featuring our favourite things, to Nick creating visuals for the after-party, which we called “Woof Doof”. Toby made multiple video cameos alongside a custom logo, and later that night, we played All My Friends by LCD Soundsystem with a surprise montage of videos featuring everyone at the wedding throughout our lives.

We also host an annual event called Big Gay Brunch, which has evolved into a themed extravaganza each year (Sicilian, Slim Aaron’s, Enchanted Forest and Midnight in Paris). Our welcome dinner the night before became Big Gay Brunch: The Wedding Edition, with a Space Cowboy theme to match the ranch setting, and JR even had a giant spaceship they installed for their Christmas Party to tie it all together.

Our stylist then also brought that same level of playful extravagance into the Wedding Day, the day of, with the reception tables and absolutely nailed it.

THEODORE Mag: Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?

Josh and Nick: A mix of Pinterest, previous work from our stylist and venue, and a few queer celebrity weddings (i.e. Ben Platt’s). The vision was always about energy, joy and celebration rather than tradition.

THEODORE Mag: How did you choose your suppliers?

Josh and Nick: Our wedding planner Kath from Bow Creative curated our styling, photography and overall look – we trusted the experts completely. We had interviewed a few stylists, but Kath really “got us” from the initial phone call.

Our suits were designed by one of our best friends, Bridie Alman, and then custom-made through a manufacturer Josh had used previously.

We chose our DJ, Tseba, after seeing him support Cosmo’s Midnight – his queer, fun, rave-leaning energy was exactly what we wanted. He played some RuPaul and the Glee cast version of “Let’s Have a Kiki”, and we were hooked.

Jackson Ranch was the first venue we viewed and instantly felt right. It ticked every box: on-site accommodation for 40+, a festival-style reception in a tent, incredible food, the ability to keep the party going into the night, and the ability to host every event across the weekend. The lake, pool, separate event spaces and menu curated by Rick Stein took it to the next level.

THEODORE Mag: What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?

Josh and Nick: To be honest, nothing springs to mind, between the venue and our planner/stylist being so attentive and incredible, everything was so stress-free. The hardest thing was choosing among all the amazing food on offer at the venue.

THEODORE Mag: Where did you spend your honeymoon?

Josh and Nick: We actually did a pre-honeymoon that we combined with our Bucks. We did our bucks overseas in a gorgeous villa in Costa Brava, Spain. After that, we headed to Sifnos in Greece, where we stayed at Nos. It was absolutely stunning with a private pool in our villa overlooking the Aegean Sea. We ate and drank so much, lazed by the pool and watched shooting stars at night.

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

Josh and Nick: Design the day around your personalities and what you love, rather than what’s expected of a wedding. When you think about how your guests will feel (welcomed, included, celebrated) everything else falls into place. The most meaningful moments come from generosity: sharing your joy, creating space for connection, and making everyone feel like they’re part of something special, not just watching it. We deliberately wanted to make everyone the star of the show and focused on that.

Josh and Nick’s Team

Concept Design, Styling and Coordination Bow Creative

Photographer Beck Rocchi Photography

Floristry Mrs Gibbons Flowers

Venue The Jackson Ranch by Bannisters

Draping The Look

Linen Table Art Event Hire

Stationery (Custom Runner, Signage, Paper Goods) Peggy and Polly

Hire SOCO Event Hire

DJ Tseba

AV and Lighting Divine Audio

Candles and Candle Holders Hall of Flame Candles

Suit Designer @bridiealman

Suit Manufacterer @perte_dego

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