Real Wedding – Miela & Josh, Esk QLD
Miela and Josh are a true match made in heaven, and their sun-kissed celebration in the rural town of Esk, nestled in South East Queensland, was nothing short of breathtaking. Blending the timeless elegance of Old Hollywood glamour with the raw beauty of the countryside, their day was styled with crisp white florals, lush greenery, and subtle gold accents that caught the light just so as the sun dipped below the hills.
Miela wore a breathtaking two-in-one gown, starting the day in a full duchess satin skirt cinched with a belt for the ceremony, which she later removed to reveal a sleek, classic silhouette for the reception. The hand-beaded pearl bodice, sheer back with satin-covered buttons, and matching pearl veil added just the right touch of modern sophistication.
Josh, honouring his Ghanaian heritage, worked closely with the team at Wil Valor to design a Dior-inspired suit, uniquely lined with traditional Kente cloth; a meaningful detail that made his look all the more special.
Together, they created a celebration that was unmistakably theirs. From a focus on delicious, locally crafted food by Chloe Bowles, to playful and modern touches like a custom bubble tea bar. Every detail was a reflection of their story, style, and shared joy, captured stunningly by Hannah Redman.
The meeting.
Our love story began during my two-month break after my first year at Duke University in the USA, where I was on a basketball scholarship. Wanting to keep up with my training, I asked my church if they knew someone who could rebound for me—and that’s when Joshua Sowah’s name came up. We exchanged numbers, and a week later, he showed up to rebound for me. That night after training he bought me dinner and even opened my car door. I remember thinking he was a gentleman and handsome, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. Little did I know, that moment would be the start of forever.
After a few training sessions, Josh asked me out on a date, but I wasn’t ready for a long-distance relationship, so we stayed friends. Then, during Christmas in the USA at the height of COVID, I found myself reflecting on the kind of husband I wanted—someone trustworthy, Godly, athletic, kind, and a gentleman. Josh checked every box. That’s when I knew he was the one.
Josh pursued me with a patient and steadfast heart, and I thank God every day that he never gave up. He is the man of my dreams, the answer to my prayers, and the love of my life. I am the luckiest girl in the world to marry him and spend forever by his side.
The ‘one’.
Josh: I wouldn’t say it was a moment, it was more so a realisation over time. I remember thinking, ‘Oh wow, this is what a real woman looks like.’
Miela: I knew he was the one when I took a step back during COVID Christmas in the US and really reflected on what kind of man I wanted to be with forever. What kind of qualities was I looking for in a lifelong best friend? I came to the realisation he embodied everything I had ever dreamed of and more. That was the moment I knew my forever was with him.
The proposal.
I play professional basketball in the WNBL. We play all across the country, and that week we were playing in Sydney. Sydney is where my sister lives. I was thinking I was going to a lunch at The Grounds with my sister for her birthday as The Grounds were celebrating 100 years of Disney. We are both Disney lovers, so we had to go! And if you know us, we love any excuse to dress up, so we did!
As we walked to the entrance of The Grounds Disney castle, there was a photographer ‘taking pics for The Grounds social media’. My sister and I got selected from the crowd to be in the pictures, we did a group photo, then I was asked to do individual ones. The photographer said “Disney on three” and as I yelled Disney, Josh (who had flown in only hours before) snuck out of the bushes, surprised me and got down on one knee in front of the Disney castle! It felt like an absolute dream as I’ve always wanted a Disney proposal, and I got that dream proposal.
The surprises continued as I thought I was flying back to Melbourne alone, when the last doors on the Qantas flight closed, Josh walked down the aisle, and the spare seat next to me was filled by him. Literally like a rom-com movie! I couldn’t believe it, such a magical day!
Planning process.
Our wedding style was inspired by the timeless elegance of old Hollywood glam paired with the charm and warmth of country simplicity. The colour scheme was classic, simple white roses, dark greenery, gold highlights, mirrors and crystal theme. It was the perfect blend of glamour and heart, reflecting our personalities!
Style inspiration.
I found Pinterest to be an incredible source of inspiration, it became my ultimate wedding mood board. Instagram bridal pages and wedding features were also really helpful for discovering wedding and photography ideas, as well as colour schemes.
The ceremony.
Our ceremony was magical. A moment in time surrounded by all our favourite people, witnessing the most important promise of our lives. The theme was timeless elegance, with lush greenery, delicate white flowers, and vintage gold Chanel chairs creating a setting of pure romance.
As ‘I Get to Love You’ played, I walked down the aisle, locking eyes with Josh for the first time. In that moment, everything else faded away. Seeing him standing there, so handsome in his suit, and knowing we were about to commit our love to each other forever was absolutely surreal. We exchanged handwritten vows, words straight from our hearts, promising a lifetime of love and devotion. And then, the moment we had been waiting for, we said I do, sealed it with a kiss, and walked hand in hand down the aisle as confetti floated around us to the sound of ‘Missing Pieces’. A perfect song, because that’s exactly what we are to each other; two pieces that finally fit together.
The look.
I tried on 15 beautiful dresses, but none of them felt like the one. Wedding dress shopping was such a dream; I truly lived out my own rom-com moment, just like 27 Dresses, a favourite movie my mom, sisters, and I always watch together. Designing my own wedding dress had always been a dream of mine, and thanks to Jodie and The Blushery by Oh Hello Bride, that dream became a reality. My gown was a stunning 2-in-1 design: for the ceremony, I wore a full duchess satin skirt with a belt, which I later removed to reveal a sleek and classic reception look. The bodice was intricately hand-beaded with pearls, featuring a sheer back with satin-covered buttons, paired with a matching pearl veil. Jodie made the experience even more special by surprising me with my very own custom Miela Barbie wearing a miniature version of my wedding dress! To complete the look, I styled my hair in voluminous Hollywood waves by Erin Delahunty and wore a classic blush-toned glam makeup look by Beauty by Mindy.
The task of finding a suit proved to be a lot more challenging than I initially anticipated. It quickly turned from a check list task to a mission. With the help of my groomsmen and friends, we searched every corner of the web. Trying to find everything from designs to material to stores. I went to my fair share of fittings and stores, but there was nothing I fell in love with. Due to my Ghanaian heritage, I originally wanted two suits, a traditional ceremonial one and then one for the reception covered in Ghanaian patterns and colours. This was, unfortunately, a bit tricky to accomplish due to our budget. The search continued until we came across Wil Valor. They are a custom suit designer who are well known for their quality suits. I walked in there off the street and met Mark Ferguson, who took the time out to chat with me about materials and styles. I showed him a Dior suit I loved and explained to him about the importance of my heritage being a part of the suit. I left it with him, and not long after, there it was. A Dior-inspired custom suit lined on the inside with my cultural heritage patterns (kente). It was virtually two suits wrapped in one. He also added pocket squares for myself and the groomsmen made out of kente pattern, so we all had a representation of my Ghanaian heritage on the day. It’s a suit I’ll have for a lifetime and will always cherish due to the intricate design and thought that went into it. Easy to say, the suit of my dreams.
Favourite moments.
Our favourite moment of the day was when we took aside 10 minutes to ourselves to soak in the wedding. We stood back and looked at our beautiful friends and family under the fairy-lit marquee and stars. Some had come long and far, like my bridesmaid and teammates from Duke University, all the way from the US. As well as my sister flying back in from the Paris Olympics for my day. This beautiful moment of spending this gorgeous celebration of our love and commitment to each other with all our beloved friends, all in one place together was truly such a special moment.
Meaning of marriage.
Marriage, to me, is more than just a commitment – it’s a sacred covering in Christ, a choice made with love and intention. It’s the union of two souls before the Lord, walking together in faith. It means having a lifelong best friend, a partner to share every joy, challenge, and blessing with, always growing and supporting each other.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: I get to love you by Ruelle (acoustic Mysha Didi)
Reception entry: Last Last by Burner Boy
First dance: Lifetime by Justin Bieber
Funny stories or near disasters.
No matter how much planning goes into a wedding, there are always a few hiccups along the way. For us, it was the unexpected impact of a heatwave during our wedding week. Our order of 400 white roses, outside of the imported Colombian roses, was suddenly unavailable due to the extreme weather conditions. We acted quickly, calling around Toowoomba and beyond in search of a replacement. Unfortunately, white roses were nowhere to be found. Instead of panicking, we adapted and worked with what was available – beautiful white Pom Pom flowers. While it wasn’t our original plan, the end result was stunning. A huge credit goes to Felicity, who did an incredible job adjusting at the last minute. The arrangements turned out beautifully, proving that sometimes, unexpected changes can lead to something just as special, if not even more memorable.
Planning surprises.
I was amazed at just how much planning went into a wedding! At first, figuring out where to start felt like a challenge. It felt like a blank canvas, and knowing how to bring it all to life took me by surprise. Since we chose to go the DIY route, we had the freedom to design every detail, which made the process even more exciting. You know there’s a lot to plan, but when you’re picking out everything down to the colour of the forks, it really makes you appreciate how personal and special the day becomes. The craziest feeling was not knowing exactly how everything would come together until the wedding day itself, but seeing it all unfold was absolutely magical. It was such a fun journey, creating a wedding that truly reflected us!
Words of wisdom.
Enjoy the process! This is such a special time in your life, so don’t let the stress of planning take away from the excitement. On the big day, be fully present because it truly flies by. One of the best things we did was we took a moment, just the two of us at the reception, to step away from the crowd and soak in the magic of the day: your love, your commitment, and all your favourite people gathered in one place to celebrate you. It’s a memory you’ll cherish forever.
Last words.
Josh and I are foodies so getting a good chef and a yummy gourmet menu was a must! And we are so glad we got to achieve that with Chloe Bowles. She cooked over the Esk fire pit and coals with the stars being the smoked chicken with chimichurri, the 24hr smoked lamb with sweet and sour saffron onions and lamb jus and the ember roasted pumpkin, fermented honey, herbed anchovy vinaigrette. Chloe cooking the produce over the fire pit created a first-hand experience for the guests to see the food they would soon eat, being made before their eyes! The food was incredible and everyone raved about it!
A unique element to our evening was our Bubble Tea Bar. Josh’s & I’s favourite thing to do after a dinner date, is to go for a bubble tea so we decided to make this part of our wedding and share our love. The bespoke bubble tea bar was accessed through a peephole in the old 1887 hall, which was highlighted by a neon bubble tea sign and marquee lit arrow. There was the ‘Her’ Taro milk tea, ‘His’ Grape Green tea and ‘Our’ Original Milk tea and for those inclined, there was an optional shot of booze.
We also had a classic white Mercedes convertible, which we featured significantly in our wedding, as we wanted unique cinema-style photos with a car by our preferred photographer, Hannah Redman. We wanted epic photos like the classic old Hollywood scenes like driving out in the fields, the romance of driving off into the sunset with my veil blowing in the wind, rear vision mirror views and sitting on the bonnet. The car also made for the most epic reception entrance with a log fog and a fabulous finale and final exit as we drove out between a guard of honour by our guests into a flaring farewell of dry spark flares by Roving Studios.
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MIELA & JOSH’S VENDORS
Venue: Holy Red Deer Estate
Photographer (digital & 35mm film): Hannah Redman Images
Event Planner: Everlasting Event Co
Cake & caterer: Chloe Bowles (ex-Masterchef contestant)
Flowers: Flowers by Felicity
Videography: Patrick Auld Films
Rings: SH Jewellery & Belaron Fine Jewellery
Makeup: Makeup by Mindy
Hair: Erin Delahunty Makeup and Hair
Wedding Dress: Jody Mae Ladhams – The Blushery Bride
Veil: The Blushery Bride
Shoes: David Jones
Suit: Will Valor
Bridesmaid Dresses: Billy J
DJ: Osmic Productions – DJ Zii
Honeymoon: Paris, Venice, Amalfi Coast, Rome
