Here at Fashion Journal, we make no secret of our love of weddings. We’re suckers for a bit of romance and have a soft spot for weddings that do things differently, whether it’s a Las Vegas elopement, a tropical getaway or a Town Hall celebration.
Danny Sherry‘s proposal to his partner, Andi didn’t quite go as planned. It came six years into their relationship while the pair were holidaying in Ubud in Bali. Right as Danny was about to pull out the ring, the couple were hit by a bout of food poisoning. A few days later, Danny proposed while they were staying in Nusa Lembongan. “Back at the villa, he asked me to put on some music and dress up for a night out. As I went to get ice for the wine, I turned around to find Danny on one knee, secretly filming the moment on his iPhone,” Andi says.
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Technically, the couple ended up having two weddings. They officially got married at a registry in Darling Harbour with their immediate family, so Danny’s grandmother could be there. A couple of months later, they held a second, large celebration with the theme, ‘Vegas rhinestone cowboy,” in the Northern Rivers at local restaurant, the Salty Mangrove.
After the merged ceremony and reception, where they had a traditional bridal party ‘walk-in’, speeches and first dance, everyone boarded buses, taking them to the Brunswick Heads Bowling Club, as the name suggests, for barefoot bowls. The couple’s friends stepped in as DJs and one of the groomsmen played on the guitar between sets. “Originally, the guest list was 160, so those who couldn’t attend the ceremony all joined us at the Brunswick Heads Bowling Club for an ol’ fashioned Hoedown.”
Fashion Journal: How did you meet Danny and how did the proposal happen?
Andi: We met on the Manly Corso the night before I was heading to New York for work. Danny lived in Manly and knew who I was through a mutual close friend. I was walking when I suddenly heard my name called… it was such a surreal moment. We were both nervous and ended up talking absolute shit. Danny had just gotten a Ralph Wiggum tattoo and I told him it was really bad. Fast forward and the hour I landed, Danny called me and set up a date.
For our six-year anniversary, we went to Bali for 12 days. Danny had planned to propose at a restaurant in Ubud but just before he could pull out the ring, I turned white – we were both hit with brutal food poisoning and had to make a quick exit. We then spent the next five days horrifically unwell in a remote villa, 45 minutes outside of Ubud.
Once we recovered, we decided to spend the rest of the trip in Nusa Lembongan and booked a beautiful villa. On our third day, after a mix of scooters, kayaking and a few too many margaritas, Danny insisted on buying a bottle of Pinot Noir, despite it being ridiculously expensive on the island. I protested, pointing out that we could get ten margaritas for the same price but he was determined. Back at the villa, he asked me to put on some music and dress up for a night out. As I went to get ice for the wine, I turned around to find Danny on one knee, secretly filming the moment on his iPhone.
Did you have a theme for your wedding?
The theme for the wedding was ‘Vegas rhinestone cowboy’, inspired by our 30th birthdays spent together in Vegas. Originally, we planned to get hitched at the Elvis White Chapel but instead we set out to recreate the atmosphere, outfits and energy of the Vegas Strip.
What venue did you choose for your wedding?
We officially got married in Sydney in July 2024 at a registry in Darling Harbour with just our immediate family, since Danny’s grandmother couldn’t travel. Luckily, she was able to sign our marriage certificate with my mum, which made it extra special. From the start, we always planned to have a second celebration with our close friends and the family who couldn’t make it – hence Vegas rhinestone cowboy theme.
We chose The Salty Mangrove in New Brighton, our local restaurant and bar, since we’ve spent so many afternoons there in the garden or by the river. It was basically the ceremony and reception combined, with our big bridal party doing a traditional ‘walk-in’ followed by a first dance and speeches.
Was it a big or intimate wedding?
Our registry wedding was small and intimate, with a strict twenty person limit, just enough for close family. In contrast, our Vegas rhinestone cowboy wedding was capped at 85. We originally had 160 on the list so it was hard to cut it down but it felt like the perfect amount of guests in the end.
Where was your outfit from and what was the process of sourcing?
My outfit was custom-made by Melbourne designer, Dyspnea. I always knew I wanted to wear Dyspnea for the Vegas wedding. It was perfect for the theme and covered in rhinestones with a ‘So Fresh, Greatest Tits’ named top and a fishtail skirt with a train. For the first wedding, I wore a very modern silk dress, so I knew for the second wedding I wanted something that truly embodied my personality.
Due to delivery issues, the outfit arrived just two days before the wedding, which was a bit stressful but it turned out absolutely perfect. My red cowboy hat came from the local vintage store called Strange Day, where I added a diamond strip around the rim from Spotlight. The platform red boots with pink love hearts were sourced from a vintage shop in the U.S.
What about Danny’s outfit?
Danny’s velvet star-button-up shirt was by Italian designer Phix and his pants were deadstock I.Am.Gia. We found the pants on Depop in a women’s size six, so we had to get creative to make them fit. Our good friends at Marsh Workwear added the black stripe down the side.. His white cowboy hat, featuring a black snake design, came from Billy Bones Club, sourced through local vintage dealer, Mr. Vintage, and his red leather snakeskin cowboy boots were also sourced from Strange Day.
In terms of beauty, tell us about the look you went for on the day.
Luckily, one of my darling bridesman, Samual Battenally, a well-known hairstylist, was able to whip up a blow-dry just an hour before we had to leave. We kept it simple with a clean, sleek bob. Unfortunately, the friend who was supposed to do my makeup fell very ill that morning, so I asked another bridesmaid to make do with whatever makeup I had lying around (since I don’t wear makeup, the options were pretty minimal). I wore just a light bronzer, mascara and some Blistex on my lips.
What did you do to celebrate after the ceremony?
After Salty Mangrove, the guests hopped on buses to the Brunswick Heads Bowling Club where we had barefoot bowls, hot chips and plenty of tacky Vegas-themed decorations. Our two good friends, Jamie Lowe and Steph Turner, played on the decks at separate times from 5pm to midnight. One of the groomsman, Tom Fisher, played beautiful acoustic blues in between sets. Originally, the guest list was 160, so those who couldn’t attend the ceremony all joined us at the Brunswick Heads Bowling Club for an ol’ fashioned Hoedown.
What kind of food and entertainment did you have on the day?
Salty Mangrove is known for its incredible Mediterranean menu, so we had Chef and owner Dave Moyle curate a stunning spread that included an extensive selection of grazing platters, skewers, and a mix of vegetarian and meat-based delights. For the music, we had Dingo Balearico, Salty’s resident DJ, spin records throughout the afternoon.
Tell us about the photography. How did you capture the event?
We were incredibly lucky to have Maleika and Corey Halpin from Calika Weddings photograph the bridal party beforehand, capture guests arriving and document our walk-in. After that, we handed out disposable cameras to all the guests and set up several VCR cameras to record the rest of the afternoon into the evening.
What was your favourite part about the celebrations?
I think the most beautiful part was having the first intimate wedding at the registry with our family, where we could truly be present and spend quality time without the pressure that many couples feel when doing the rounds and speaking with every guest. The Vegas rhinestone cowboy celebration was a chance to celebrate with all of our closest friends and family, enjoy the day and night and throw an unforgettable party. And a huge shoutout to Jaz, the event planner at Salty’s, who helped us plan the afternoon and ensured everything went smoothly from start to finish.
Keep up with Andi here.
This article Inside stylist Andi Sherry’s Vegas rhinestone cowboy wedding appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-04-02 10:28:00
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