A Relaxed and Heartfelt Wedding at the Deckhouse Woolwich: Nick & Hilary’s Harbour Celebration

Nick & Hilary kept things simple and meaningful with an intimate ceremony at Piermont Registry, joined by just 30 of their closest people. After the “I dos,” we all jumped on the ferry to celebrate their wedding at the Deckhouse Woolwich—easily one of the highlights of the day, with those sweeping Harbour views doing what they do best.

Once we got there, I snuck the couple and their wedding party away for some relaxed portraits before everyone kicked back for a sunny cocktail hour on the terrace. As golden hour rolled into evening, we moved inside for the reception—full of heartfelt speeches, good food, and epic tunes from Ben Fox to carry the night.

Low-key, heartfelt, and full of great energy—exactly how a wedding should be.

Tell me about your The Beginning!

“We met on Hinge, our first date we went bowling at Strike in Darling Harbour on 10 July 2022. It was POURING with rain and I berated Nick for having an umbrella, because I don’t like umbrellas. Nick and I were both very open with the fact that we were not each other’s typical types. Nick usually went to shorter girls who were not straight up and down and I usually went for tall lanky guys. It really does go to show that dating outside of what you think is your type really does work.

On our first date we realised that Nick had actually met one of my bridesmaids years before as he is on the same trivia team as her housemate, so that was funny. And the first time I met his parents I noticed they live one road away from my cousin. When I mentioned this to Nick’s Dad, he said he had known my cousin for over 5 years. Kind of feels like it was meant to be.”

 

When and where did you get engaged?

“Nick goes to Tamworth for a baseball carnival every June long weekend. While he was away he was telling his friends that he wanted to propose, but couldn’t find the right time. His friends told him to just do it as soon as he walked in the door as there is no perfect time. Nick took this a bit too literally and came home, gave me a kiss and then said he had to ask me a question: ‘will you marry me?’.

I asked if he was joking and called him an idiot (in a funny/lovely way), kept asking if he was joking, he kept saying no, so I told him to go and get the ring and come back and do it properly. As a side note, my Father had a ring made for my Mum in 1987, which is the year I was born, and he gave it to her for Christmas when I was 4 months old. My parents decided that they would like to get it resized for me to use as an engagement ring, so Nick and I already had the ring at home.

Something else to add is that Nick said he was going to propose a bunch of times, but every time I mentioned it, he decided to put it off for another month. We could probably have got engaged 6 months before if I hadn’t kept mentioning it haha! In my defense, he had also brought it up a lot and was very open about wanting to marry me.”

 

Why did you choose you have your wedding at the Deckhouse, Woolwich?

“We really wanted a venue that had water views. My parents happened to be out in Australia a few weeks after we got engaged, so came looking at the venues with us. The Deckhouse wasn’t on my initial list, despite coming to a lovely wedding there 7 years ago.

On the day we were meeting my parents and nephew at the venue, there happened to be an auction going on at our apartment building right outside the garages. There were over 30 people there and we couldn’t get out, so ended up arriving at the venue late.

When we got to the venue, my parents had already been shown around a bit and it was as if my Father was selling the venue to us. They were clearly very impressed, even my 11 year old nephew said it was his favourite. I honestly had that feeling about the venue that you are meant to have about your dress, I just knew it was ‘the one’. Also Stephanie who showed us around was so lovely and you can tell they take their jobs very seriously.”

 

What are you most looking forward to on the day?

“Saying ‘my husband’ haha! Spending time with family and friends, dancing, the food! Also, I think that getting ready will be super fun.”

 

Top Tips?

“Don’t be afraid to change your mind. I didn’t spend years thinking of my dream wedding, so wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted. I made a few decisions and then didn’t feel comfortable about them, so changed them. My bridesmaids still joke about whether I will change the colour of their dresses again!”

 

The Deckhouse, Woolwich Wedding – The Vendors

Ceremony Venue: Pyrmont Registry

Reception Venue: The Deckhouse, Woolwich

Florist: Village Florst

Make Up Artist: Gemma Nichols

Dress: Rain Bridalwear

DJ: Ben Fox Band

Cake Maker: Cake Chemistry

Alterations: Nadis Bridal Alteration Studio

 

Testimonial

“So pleased that we chose Hayley to be our wedding photographer. She was super fun, chilled and professional. She made the day so easy for everyone. Would 100% recommend her. The sneak peek photos are absolutely stunning.” – Hilary & Nick