JOSHUA & ADAM

Congratulations JOSHUA & ADAM

26 September 2020, Sylvania NSW

Joshua Helms and Adam Joyce met in 2005. Joshua came to Sydney from the USA to complete his MFA and six weeks after arriving, they were introduced to each other at an Oxford Street nightclub by a mutual friend. “Within five minutes I knew Joshua was ‘the one’. There’s a very long story involving an Easter ham and Joshua ‘pulling a Cinderella’ on the dance floor, abruptly leaving at 5am to go home and defrost the ham for Easter lunch, without exchanging phone numbers. Thankfully our mutual friend linked us back up the following week. We were engaged in 2005 and had to wait for same sex marriage to become legal in Australia. Then back surgery for Joshua, followed by a COVID cancellation and finally cancer surgery for Adam. It was quite a long journey, but we made it!”

“We worked with a wedding and event stylist who took the planning out of our hands. We conveyed our style and aesthetic and let Jo go to work. The original wedding date was 26 March 2020, but we had to cancel 11 days out due to Covid. We then decided to get married on 26 September 2020, after Adam received an unexpected cancer diagnosis in August 2020. We called Jo and asked her what she could put together in three weeks and she immediately started working on a redesign. Our original guest list of 100 was reduced to 20 and we were married in Sylvania at Adam’s childhood home.”

Joshua wanted to create the right mood with the styling and Adam wanted to ensure the food and drink was plentiful and delicious. Joshua creates quilts as a passionate hobby and wanted them featured at the wedding. His latest quilt became the perfect backdrop. With such minimal planning, the focus was on Adam and Joshua’s love. The decisions about guest lists, seating, music, styling, food, etc. became secondary. The couple have an extensive art collection and a painting by Kerry Darlington provided the colour story for their wedding. A tonal metallic rainbow and touches of gold were scattered throughout the styling.

“We had a wedding cake and had everyone cut the cake themselves. The champagne had to be flowing all day and all night, and it certainly was! Along with the wedding cake we handed out Golden Gaytime ice cream bars - because who doesn’t love a gay time at a gay wedding? Instead of flowers, we wore crystal brooches on our lapels. Instead of an arbor, we stood in front of a quilt Joshua had made. Instead of a chandelier, we had a disco ball. Our two children signed the marriage certificate and we live streamed the whole event to family and friends around the world, including Joshua’s quilting friends, affectionately known as ‘the Glitterati’. Our highlight was when the celebrant announced us as Australia’s newest married couple, standing in front of a quilt, in the backyard of Adam’s childhood home, in front of our closest family and friends.”

“Our advice is to focus on the love you have for each other, and your own relationship. Do not waste a moment making sure other people are happy with the plans for your wedding. Relish in your day, as the hours will slip away faster than you could even imagine.”

JOSHUA & ADAM’S WEDDING CREW

Rings

GREGORY JEWELLERS

www.gregoryjewellers.com.au customerservice@gregoryjewellers.com.au

Wedding Planner/Stylist JO KALIVAS EVENTS

www.instagram.com/jo_kalivas_events_styling?utm_medium=copy_link joannekal@optusnet.com.au

Attire - Calibre (shirts, jackets, ties, tie bars, brooches), Twisted Tailor (pants), Florsheim (shoes and belts) Balloons - Bellino & Co Cake - Mastello Creations Catering - The Grazing Co Crockery and Glassware - The Pretty Table Hire Draping and Decorations - NPM Events Furniture - Simply Seated Graphic Design - Starfruit Designs Lighting - Sydney Fireworks Pyrotechnic Photography - Anna Murray Photography Printing - Nasa Design Sydney Props - The Treasure Room Quilts - Molli Sparkles Signage - Letters By LouLou