Alex & Ali’s Surprise Twilight Wedding at The Grounds

Words by Kristy Kyi / Images by Matt Godkin
September 13, 2018

Former Sydneysiders Ali and Alex gave their family and friends the ultimate surprise when their Grounds of Alexandria engagement party during a quick trip home turned into a wedding! And on hand to capture all the details (and surprised faces!) was Sydney photographer Matt Godkin.

The couple, who now live in San Francisco after quitting their jobs three years ago to travel, decided that being back in their hometown was the perfect opportunity to tie the knot and that keeping it a secret was the key to making it fun and low-key. Ali shares, “It turns out that it was far more fun for us to plan a party, rather than a wedding… When it was all said and done, we all agreed it was about as low-stress as a wedding can get. The most stressful part was keeping a secret!”

Close family were in on the secret and pitched in to pull off the surprise. Ali’s twin sister, Pip, just happens to be a wedding celebrant and proved a very useful resource, recommending vendors, helping to plan the night and even trying on wedding dresses on behalf of her sister. Ali says, “Getting married by Pip was by far the most incredible part of the whole wedding thing. From the moment we were engaged, she was such a thoughtful and insightful companion for the whole wedding journey. Then, the ceremony itself was perfect. There was so much of us in it, we loved it. To be married by your sister, to the man you love, in front of the people you love, is pretty special.”

Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin lace kimono wedding dress by Spell Bride lace kimono wedding dress by Spell Bride
As with the rest of the day, Ali and Alex kept their wedding outfits super relaxed with Alex wearing a suit he already had with new shirt, tie and accessories. Ali wanted to wear something comfortable and flowy, and ended up ordering her Spell & The Gypsy Collective dress online, pairing it with a Zimmerman belt.
lace kimono wedding dress by Spell Bride
green wedding signage
flowering gum wedding flowers
Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin
Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin
canapes on silver vintage spoons
Sydney wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria
The couple loved that The Grounds of Alexandria required little styling and fit their laid back style. They share, “We didn’t start looking at venues until about 7 months out, and we weren’t sure we were going to find anywhere. Luckily, The Grounds had a vacancy so we jumped on it. We love plants and the outdoors, so this felt like the perfect combination of greenery and inner-city convenience.”
Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin amazing grazing antipasto table
amazing grazing antipasto table
amazing grazing antipasto table
Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin
The couple’s friends, Amiella & Simon, provided the tunes during the ceremony and cocktail hour with a cool, laidback vibe. They played Roy Orbison’s ‘You Got It’ for the bride’s walk down the aisle and a killer rendition of ‘This Must Be The Place’ for the processional.
love you to the moon and back neon sign lace kimono wedding dress by Spell Bride Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin
Ali and Alex say that a big part of the stress-free nature of their wedding was the vendors they chose to work with. In particular photographer Matt Godkin was perfect for their casual approach. “We LOVED Matt! He was so chill and easy to work with, and our photos are amazing. He was so subtle, most of friends didn’t even notice we had a photographer. Getting the photos back was so fun, we still go through and look at them all.”
Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin roaming dessert canapes Sydney wedding DJ The Vintage Stylus Sydney wedding DJ The Vintage Stylus Surprise twilight wedding at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney / Photography by Matt Godkin

Credits

Images Matt Godkin | Bride's Dress Spell Bride | Groom's Suit In Stitchu | Hair Missy Veyret | Makeup Primrose Playfair | Celebrant In Light Ceremonies | Venue & Catering The Grounds of Alexandria | Florist Silva at The Grounds | Acoustic music Aniella & Simon | DJ The Vintage Stylus |


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