The Wedding
When and where is the wedding?
I can't make it - will I be able to view it online?
We fully appreciate that a wedding in Sydney is a big ask for those abroad.
We'd be more than happy to explore options to allow people to participate from overseas if there's any interest in that - just let us know.
Do I have a plus one?
If you're in a couple, you and your partner are invited.
If your partner can't make it but you can, you have a plus one to bring someone else.
If you are not in a couple or you don't want your partner to come, you have a plus one to bring someone else.
If you have kids, they're invited too (if they'd like to come / you would like them to come).
Just let us know through the RSVP page or by message who is coming.
How far is the venue from Sydney CBD?
About a 20 minute drive / taxi / Uber (which is the best way to get there).
When do I need to RSVP by?
Any early RSVPs are very welcome as it helps us plan for the day. Even an indication of whether you intend to make it would be appreciated with a formal RSVP at a later date.
However, if you could please submit a formal RSVP by 30 June 2025, that would be appreciated.
Dress code
The number one rule is wear whatever you feel comfortable in! However, we suspect that most people will be in cocktail, semi-formal or dressy casual outfits. See an explanation of these terms here (as we had to google them just to write this sentence): https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-guest-attire-cheat-sheet.
October is mid-spring in Sydney, so be prepared for sun, rain, warm weather and colder weather (average highs of 22C, lows of 14C). All going well, the ceremony and dancing will be outside, but dinner will be under a covered terrace.
Gifts?
Absolutely not! This is our chance to celebrate our wonderful friends and family and we want to treat YOU. If you're going to ignore us and insist on a gift (you horrible unnecessarily generous person), please donate that money to an animal charity here in Sydney, e.g. Monika's Doggie Rescue (https://doggierescue.com/).
When and where is the recovery?
Weather permitting, we have booked some tables outside at our local lawn bowls club, Alexandria Erskineville Bowling Club, 1 Fox Avenue, Erskineville 2043, from 12.30pm on Sunday, 12 October 2025. This is about 15 minutes in a taxi from the CBD or is a few minutes' walk from Erskineville train station. We have tentatively booked for people to be able to bowl from 2.00pm - let us know if you're keen so we can amend the numbers if needed.
We'll monitor the weather and let you know if plans need to change closer to the time.
Other questions?
If you have any questions, please just let us know!
Travelling to Sydney
Coming to Sydney
We completely understand the effort and expense that a trip to Sydney entails so please know that there is no pressure for anyone from outside Australia to attend (although we would love for you to be there).
For anyone who is able to join us, we cannot thank you enough for making such an effort for us - we are incredibly grateful and we cannot wait to share the day with you.
Please do not hesitate to spam us with any questions you might have about coming over - consider us your Sydney tour guides!
Below is some high level information, and we can add more in the run up to the day.
Where should I fly to?
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport.
Where should I stay?
It depends what you're looking for.
Sydney CBD is probably the most convenient, with public transport options to anywhere you need to go within walking distance (train, tram, metro, ferry).
To help you find your bearings in the CBD:
Town Hall station is close to the shopping area, as are Wynyard and Martin Place (which are also where a lot of office buildings are so less busy at weekends) and St James and Museum.
Wynyard is close to Barangaroo (which has ferry stops and is on the water).
St James is on the side of Hyde Park that is close to the Botanic Gardens.
Museum is on the side of Hyde Park that is close to Oxford Street (bars, restaurants).
Circular Quay is down by the water, and is convenient for the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the historic Rocks area. The Rocks would be a nice place to stay.
Surry Hills is also a very convenient suburb as it's close to Central Station (the biggest train station that goes everywhere) and is on the tram line. It also has lots of cafes, restaurants, bars and accommodation options - this is where we used to live and we adored it.
If you want to be close to the beach, the Eastern beaches of Bondi and Coogee (and the beach suburbs in between) are good options, but public transport is more limited from there.
We are so happy to recommend areas and places to stay if you let us know what type of thing you're looking for and what your budget is.
What should I do in Sydney?
Below are some of our favourite things to do, but please reach out if you'd like recommendations so we (mainly Sarah) can bore you with detailed suggestions of things to do.
Take the ferry from Circular Quay: from Circular Quay you can go to lots of places, including:
Watsons Bay (take a wander to Camp Cove Beach and walk to the lighthouse, then drop in for lunch and a drink at Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel on the way back to the ferry - FYI, it can be very busy at the weekends)
Rose Bay (grab some snacks and have a sit on the beach or, if you're feeling fancy, book lunch at Catalina)
Have a drink at the Opera Bar: it can be very busy in the evenings and is overrun with seagulls, but it has one of the best views in Sydney if you can grab a spot outside.
Swim at Icebergs: non-members can drop in for a swim for a small fee. There's also a cafe in there where you can get a post-swim coffee. (FYI - not to be confused with Icebergs Dining Room & Bar next door which is a beautiful restaurant if you want a fancy treat but not so good for a swim).
Bondi to Coogee: Start your day in Bondi for coffee and breakfast, then walk along the coast, through beach suburbs like Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly, to Coogee, then stop for lunch in Coogee. See more information here (1.5-2.5hr depending on levels of dawdling / swims). From 17 October 2025, Sculpture by the Sea will be on - with art installations along the walkway between Bondi and Tamarama:
https://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/nature-and-parks/walks/bondi-to-coogee-coastal-walk
Taronga to Manly: take the ferry from Circular Quay over to Taronga (which is also where the zoo is), then walk along the coast to Manly. You'll actually walk past our wedding venue just after Chowder Bay.
You can stop for lunch at Ripples in Chowder Bay if you time it right, or stop for something to eat or a beer in Manly before taking the ferry back to Circular Quay.
See more information here:
Brewery crawl: the Inner West (Newtown / Marrickville / St Peters) has so many craft breweries within walking distance of each other - you can make an afternoon of it. End your tour in Alexandria (where we live) so we can join you for a schooner!
Visit the museums: Sarah's favourites (what a nerd) are:
Justice and Police Museum, CBD (https://mhnsw.au/visit-us/justice-and-police-museum/)
Hyde Park Barracks, CBD (https://mhnsw.au/visit-us/hyde-park-barracks/)
Maritime Museum, Pyrmont (https://www.sea.museum/en/home)
Picnic at Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden in Lavender Bay (https://www.wendyssecretgarden.org.au/). You can get there by taking the train across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and getting off at Milsons Point then walking from there.
Eat and drink!: There are so many brilliant places to eat and drink in Sydney. From rooftop bars, to restaurants by the water, or even places to grab a takeaway cheeseboard to enjoy in the park - we have lots of recommendations and lots of places on the 'to try' list!
It can be expensive to eat and drink in Sydney, but there are also some great happy hours (e.g. Le Foote) - there's an app that can help you find them! https://thehappiesthour.com/
Pubs are also often a good choice for a wallet friendly meal as they usually have a daily special for a good price.
Some places we like:
CBD: Hubert (restaurant), Bistecca (restaurant), Old Mate's Place (bar - best if you get a spot on their rooftop), Bennelong (restaurant at the Opera House), Opera Bar (bar and restaurant), The Baxter Inn ('hidden' bar), Totti's (restaurant), Neptune's Grotto (haven't been but great reviews); Bar Topco (bar with food).
The Rocks: Le Bar at Le Foote (great happy hour 4-6pm with outdoor seating - the burger, fish sandwich and calamari are great), The Glenmore Hotel (pub with views of the Opera House from the rooftop bar), The Lord Nelson (pub).
Surry Hills: Jane (restaurant), Poly (restaurant), Pelegrino 2000 (difficult to get into without booking well in advance, but Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter went there so probably worth it), Bar Copains (bar and restaurant), Bar Conte (negroni bar and restaurant), Lokal (bar), The Carrington (Margot's favourite pub), The Dolphin Hotel (pub and restaurant), Forrester's (pub), The Clock (pub), The White Horse (restaurant), Golden Age (cinema and bar), Bessie's (restaurant) and Alma's (bar) (haven't been but, again, great reviews).
Paddington: 10 William St (restaurant), Saint Peter (restaurant), The Light Brigade (pub with nice rooftop).
Darlinghurst: Love Tilly Devine (bar and restaurant).
Potts Point: Dear Saint Eloise (bar and restaurant - choose a glass of their mystery wine for $17 and get it for free if you can guess the grape varietal and place of origin); The Farmhouse (restaurant), Bones Ramen (restaurant).
Newtown: Cafe Paci (restaurants), Famelia (bar), Stinking Bishops (cheese/bar), Kaiza (restaurant), Hullo (bar), Uncanny (bar), Young Henrys (brewery), Bella Brutta (pizza), Westwood Pizza (pizza, obvs).
Marrickville: Pizza Madre (again, pizza obvs), Where's Nick (wine bar), Poor Toms (gin bar), Lucky Prawn (restaurant) at The Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre (pub), The Grifter Brewing Co (brewery).
St Peters: Willie the Boatman (brewery).
Chippendale/Kensington: Ester (restaurant), Handpicked Cellar Door (cellar door - do a cheese and wine pairing!), Spice Alley (outdoor food court of Asian restaurants).
Rose Bay: Catalina (restaurant).
Bondi: Icebergs Dining Room and Bar (restaurant), Totti's (haven't been to this one but have been to the one in the CBD - you really go for the bread).
Wherever you go - Messina (ice cream - multiple venues). We will also accept you going to Rivareno if Messina is not available.
Other recommendations here:
https://www.timeout.com/sydney/things-to-do/things-to-do-in-sydney-at-least-once-in-your-life
If you fancy getting out of Sydney:
Wineries: We have some great wine regions nearby - Orange and Mudgee are beautiful and are about 3-3.5hr drive away; Southern Highlands/Bowral and Hunter Valley are about 1.5-2hr drive away. If you want any winery or accommodation recommendations, let us know!
Beaches: There are, of course, beautiful beaches nearby. Jervis Bay, Palm Beach, Avalon and Mollymook are all worth a visit. We can get some recommendations from our more beachy friends if you'd like! Also visit here: https://www.visitnsw.com/things-to-do/beaches-and-surf
Hiking: Go hiking in The Blue Mountains - it's a beautiful area (and there are some wineries nearby too!).
Other things on in Sydney in October:
It's jacaranda season! In mid-October, the jacaranda trees will bloom and the lucky streets with multiple trees will be swarmed with visitors looking to get their spring profile picture. Here's some key places to see them (but we also have a street of them round the corner from us - message us for the intel!) - https://www.sydney.com/articles/sydney-jacaranda-trail
The Book of Mormon is showing at The Capitol Theatre until 26 October 2025.
Find a pub to watch the NRL (rugby) Grand Final on Sunday, 5 October 2025.
Book a true crime walking tour in The Rocks: https://darkstories.com.au/locations/sydney/
Go whale watching: https://whaletales.com.au/
Take a bus tour: https://www.hop-on-hop-off-tickets.com/sydney-bus-tours/
Go to Luna Park: https://www.lunaparksydney.com/
Book a sunrise kayaking tour: https://sydneybykayak.com.au/tours/sunrise-kayak-and-coffee
Go watch the fireworks at Darling Harbour on in October at 9pm on Saturday, 25th: https://www.darlingharbour.com/whats-on/campaigns/fireworks
Climb the Harbour Bridge: https://www.bridgeclimb.com