Susannah Guthrie, the digital director at ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar Australia, and Christopher Kohler, the on-air business reporter for Sky News Australia, met after he DM’d her on Instagram. At the time, she hosted a travel show, and Chris saw her on television—plus, their parents were friends, so he wasn’t a total stranger, when she agreed to grab a coffee. “We both knew right away, we’d met the one,” she says. After 18 months of dating, he proposed via a cocktail menu that read, “Susannah, will you marry me?” at the restaurant Aria. “My heart did a somersault.”
Susannah always knew she wanted to get married at the Swedish church in Toorak, where her parents and grandparents were married. For the reception, the couple chose event space Fenix. “We just wanted to look back and not regret any awkward styling decisions in 20 years!” Susannah says. With help from the staff at reception venue, the mother-of-the-bride took on most of the wedding planner duties. “She is incredibly thoughtful and also an excellent organizer, so I couldn’t have had a wedding without her.”
Susannah’s wedding dress was the first one she tried on—which was completely unexpected . . . her mother wasn’t even with her when she found it! The Pronovias gown was “a heavily discounted floor sample at a closing down sale that was several sizes too big,” she explains. “I liked it because it felt easy and effortless, and I didn’t want to stress about finding something else.” She completed the look with her mother’s diamond and pearl earrings and a veil. The groom wore a gray suit from MJ Bale with a pale blue tie.
The ceremony was short and sweet. The bride walked down the aisle with her father to Hans Zimmer’s score from her favorite movie, The Holiday. “Neither of us are religious, so we kept the readings to inclusive, general statements about the importance of love, respect, and loyalty,” Susannah explains. The Swedish pastor spoke in English and Swedish, which was a lovely nod to the bride’s mother’s side of the family. As they signed the marriage certificate, one of the bridesmaids performed “To Build a Home” by The Cinematic Orchestra. After saying, “I do,” everyone moved to the air-conditioned space (important, during an Australian summer!) for the reception.
The river-front room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and lots of marble accommodated all the guests, as they enjoyed a three-course meal. The DJ played songs all evening, and everyone was asked to RSVP with track suggestions to create a cheerful playlist. During dinner, Susannah’s father, brother, and maid-of-honor gave meaningful speeches, and Chris’s sister, and “best woman,” brought the house down with her toast, before the newlyweds thanked everyone together. Then, the two took to the floor to dance to James Taylor’s cover of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You).”
After the reception, everyone surprised the couple with a sparkler exit. They ran through their cheering friends into a limo that took them to The Langham before heading off to Noosa in Queensland for their mini-moon. “We spent a week lying on the beach, drinking cocktails, reading books, and talking constantly,” Susannah says. “It was lovely!”
