What started as a half-cooked idea over a year ago has now emerged as a loved-up project taking over Unexpected Guest, a flashy gin distillery in an old mechanic’s workshop in Marrickville. Shot Gin Weddings is the love story brought to Sydney by celebrant Adam Seeney (Married by Adam) and wedding photographer Dane Tucker (The Salty Shutter). Together, the pair have more than 700 nuptials under their belt, and they’re now making your special day easier – and, in Broadsheet’s opinion, more fun.
In a glitzy space styled by Sub Subtle, couples with hearts in their eyes will arrive, along with up to 10 of their nearest, to tie the knot. “Dane and I stood back and were like, ‘Holy shit, this is actually bigger and better than we had expected’,” Seeney tells Broadsheet of seeing the space for the first time.
The chapel’s a funky play on a Vegas wedding. But while it leans into the shot-gun wedding aesthetic, there’s nothing tacky or kitsch. Think Baz Lurhmann’s Romeo & Juliet. “We wanted to reference the romance that vibe brings, and we wanted it to look really beautiful and high-end,” Tucker says. “But just a little bit irreverent, a little bit tongue-in-cheek.”
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SIGN UPA corner of the distillery is draped in heavy red velvet, with big-time florals, candles and glowing neon lighting. “The best weddings straddle the line of sentiment and irreverence – that’s what we’re going for. They can disarm you and make you laugh, and then can impact you emotionally because they’ve got your walls down.”
Twenty minutes of your speedy wedding will be taken up with a Seeney-helmed ceremony. “[I always ask], how can we put as much personality from the couple into the ceremony? And here, how can I encompass everything that is special and important and funny about this couple in this tight, crazy little package?”
Worried an hour and 10 guests is too teeny? The boys are confident it’s not. “There’s a certain fashion in the wedding industry, going into elopements and micro-weddings,” Seeney says. “There’s definitely a push of people wanting to do something that’s a little more low-key, a little bit easier to plan, but still meaningful.” (So there’s no need to invite your distant cousins.)
Plus, your Shot Gin wedding is simply a springboard into your day of days – however the hell you like. “Once you’ve had your registry-style wedding, you’ve had your drinks, you’ve played your music, you’ve had your photos, then book a long lunch with all your best friends or go and celebrate however you like to with your people.”
And you don’t have to travel far. In the surrounding streets there’s Baba’s Place, Pepito’s, Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre and Ester Spirits. Or go slightly further with Cafe Paci, Bella Brutta or any of the city’s gems.
So what do you get? “Everything you need to get married,” Tucker says. You’ll be legally married in a personalised ceremony – and Seeney’ll help you write your vows, just as he would if you had a standard wedding. You’ll enjoy the “styled to high heaven” space for an hour, with a cocktail on arrival, a full suite of imagery, a shot of gin and a bottle of Unexpected Guest to send you on your way.
Add on nibbles from the distillery’s menu, or if you’re hellbent on something more, book The Last Supper. “That’s the last one of the day, for the couples who want to bring up to 40 guests. You’ll have the distillery for four hours, and have the option to bring a food truck, order pizzas, get a caterer, put on a band or DJ. You get the keys for the night – our chapel is yours.”
The pair are passionate about their own fields, but their union is the perfect match. “Our mission is to make people think ‘That was the best I could have ever imagined’,” Seeney says. “We want them to be the stars. I pinch myself when I drive away from a wedding, like, that was the happiest moment in someone’s life and you got to be there right beside them. It’s nuts.”
Shot Gin Weddings is marrying a couple every hour, on the hour, for the first time on Saturday November 17. Head to the website to lock in one of six spots.
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