Gatsby-Esque Celebrations
A night full of laughing, twirling and love was forecasted for the 24th of September 2022. But, my gosh, did I get to witness so much more than that. Not only did Rhi & Dan invite me along to capture the strength and passion of their marriage ten years on, there was also an official renaming and two birthdays to celebrate! Let’s paint a picture…
The Gatsby-esque venue was filled with slowly burning candles among the opulent teal coloured walls and elegant black bar stools. There were sparkling gowns, checkered suits and glitter beards! The air was filled with an abundance of love while people elegantly waltzed in. It was soothing to see guests arrive to such a love-filled space; not a single person was spared a warm embrace by someone from the family. Large trays of food travelled through the mingling guests by wait staff who seemed to appear from thin air. On those trays were everything from magnificent grazing boards to rustic pizzas and skewers and sliders.
Towards the middle of the evening, the crowd gathered on the dance floor where Rhi and Dan renewed their vows, showing the complete solidity in their love for one another. The two of them confessed that as they continue to grow older, their love will continue to grow stronger and more beautiful in every facet of life. There were tears amongst the family as we moved onto a second official ceremony, one that marked an important part of a young gentleman’s life. The crowd, braced with love, watched Sailor as he commemorated his official new name with the blowing out of a single candle. Not long after, we were greeted by Shushu, the resident drag queen. Shushu was an absolute delight who knocked the guests socks off! With two show-stopping performances in a world of colour and joy, she had everyone up dancing the night away.
Shoes were tossed aside, the congo line started up, loud belly laughs were heard from afar and everyone was enjoying themselves silly. The night was ended with one final celebration, two birthday cakes to celebrate Rhi and another guest at the event. I’m so thankful to have been invited in to such a full-of-life, monumental and enjoyable night. Congratulations Rhi & Dan, for not only acing 10 years of marriage, but raising a beautiful family with a pillar-of-strength-community surrounding you all.