Crocodiles, Vows and My Last Wedding in Katherine

Some weddings feel like a celebration long before the ceremony begins, and Sam and Joe’s was absolutely one of them.

Planning a wedding in Katherine, NT, has its advantages. The climate, at that time of year, is hot, dry, and wonderfully predictable. You can set everything out a few days before with confidence that it will still be there for the ceremony! This steadiness created the perfect backdrop for family, friends, kids, neighbours, and visiting relatives to arrive, pitch in, and enjoy the slow build toward the big day.

What fun it was to be there as people gathered, meeting each other, laughing, helping, carrying chairs, arranging flowers, hanging lights, tasting food, and offering opinions about the best place for this or that. There was a buzz that happens when a community of people, who genuinely care, come together.

And Sam and Joe, along with their three gorgeous girls, were an absolute joy to work with. Relaxed, easygoing, happy to delegate, and just as happy to get stuck in themselves, they created a wedding environment that felt more like a family festival than a formal event.

Then, on Saturday morning, the wedding day, life added its own twist. A message arrived from my son in Sydney: his wife was going to deliver their first baby five weeks early. I had planned to be there to support them at that time, but the timing had other ideas. The day became one of those moments where work, family, love, and responsibility all intersect at once.

With all that held gently in my heart, I made my way down to the jetty on their dam for the ceremony. (And yes, as locals reminded me, there might be crocs in that water.) The musicians, a handful of talented players from the Darwin Symphony Orchestra, played classical pieces that drifted over the water as guests found their hay bales and seats.

The ceremony itself was gorgeous. Sam and Joe were radiant.

From the ceremony introduction, “It was important for Joe and Sam, to have you, their dearest family and friends, to share their wedding day with them. They feel it is a gift to be able to celebrate and share this rich love of decades with those they respect and love – those who have loved them through the good times and held them together through the hard times.

Joe and Sam’s story began simply, on the steps of a museum, sitting together, sharing a conversation and a quiet moment. From the very beginning, there was ease. No pressure, no flirting, no performance, just a genuine connection and a sense of safety and being fully seen. It was an easy meeting, both felt totally safe from the get go and left a lasting impression.

Over time, their paths crossed again and again, a welcome surprise to connect again at a party in Nightcliff, turning up at work for long coffees and smokes and then more delights, with friendship, and care always at the core.

Their early years were full of: bush work, travel, wild nature, laughter, music, animals, big conversations and even bigger dreams. They built a life together, piece by piece. They supported each other to follow their own paths and grow as individuals while still being side by side. “

They kissed and as they went to mingle with guests, a surprise, Joe sang a love song to Sam. A few others joined in, and it was magic, tender, surprising, and true.

The celebration flowed into the night with dancing, warm air, laughter, and good people. And sometime in those late hours, far away in Sydney, my grandson was born safe and healthy.

On Sunday morning I drove to Darwin and caught a ‘red eye’ flight and headed south to meet him, the sweetest ending to a full and unforgettable weekend.

The closing wedding blessing: “Joe and Sam, may you continue to grow a deeper sense of calmness and a greater depth of love. May your relationship continue now more forever than forever was before; and I know as you are each other’s best friend, you like that idea a lot.”