All aboard the love boat: Zoe & Maddox’s Art Deco wedding

Like many couples, Zoe Unkovich and Michael Maddox met at work. Unlike most couples, she was a dancer and he was a guitarist and their ‘office’ was a cruise ship.

“We dated rather intensely for three months while we worked on the ship and then did the long distance thing for nine months,” Zoe, 28, says. “By the time we started our next cruise ship contract, Maddox had bought my vintage engagement ring.”

Maddox, 41, asked for Zoe’s hand in the Caribbean island of St Maarten. The couple had just two months to plan their special day, all while working on board a cruise ship with unreliable internet.

While Maddox hails from Los Angeles, the pair decided to return to the bride’s hometown of Perth for their art deco wedding. They married and held their reception at Bar Lafayette on April 11, 2015 in front of 15 guests.

Zoe says the venue perfectly suited their style. “You can’t improve on perfection. Art deco, dark, moody bliss!” she says. “It had big leather chairs, lamps, paintings and rugs. So homey and yet glam at the same time.”

Photos courtesy of Peter Edwards Photography.

When talking flowers, Zoe requested “goth glam” and got exactly what she was looking for, with the help of The Flowergirl. “It was different and stunning,” she says. “You only do it once so why not make a splash and add some colour”.

After ordering a disastrous dress online, a close friend of Zoe’s came to the rescue to design and make a gown that arrived just one hour before the ceremony. Her advice to future brides is not to put too much pressure on themselves to find the “perfect” dress. “It’s not about looking your most beautiful on the day, but feeling the most beautiful,” Zoe says.