Donkeys serving champagne: Australian journo marries in very unique wedding

From donkeys serving champagne to cardboard cutouts of their cats’ heads, we go inside the quirky wedding of Channel 9 journalist Anna Rawlings and Nick Toohey.

Jane Armitstead

@JaneArmitstead

4 min read

April 2, 2025 - 11:59AM

QWeekend

The wedding of Anna Rawlings and Nick Toohey. Picture: Laz Smith

National

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Donkeys serving champagne, a historic church restored by the bride’s parents, an oyster trough and a Shrek-themed hen’s are some of the quirky highlights of the wedding celebrations of Channel 9 journalist Anna Rawlings and her teacher partner Nick Toohey.

The crowd favourites, however, were the hoofed bartenders, with two donkeys acting as waiters by carrying saddlebags of champagne at the Brisbane couple’s stunning Tasmanian wedding. They tied the knot on Valentine’s Day in front of 60 guests in a church (Turners Marsh Uniting Church), which Anna’s parents bought and restored near Beaconsfield in the north of the island state.

The wedding of Anna Rawlings and Nick Toohey. Picture: Laz Smith

How did you meet? Anna: Like all modern-day love stories, we met on Hinge!

The proposal? I had been gifted a Virgin Voyages cruise through work. Nick had the ring with him throughout the trip, and was waiting for the right time. He said he knew it was time when he saw me standing on the balcony. He came up behind me and asked, “While you’re looking at the pretty ocean, would you like to look at something pretty on your finger too?” I grew up on a boat and love the ocean, so it was the perfect place.

Hen’s night? I had two parts to my hen’s – Sail before the Veil, I booked a classic old yacht to sail us out of Mooloolaba. We then returned to my house for a Last Romp in the Swamp, complete with an adult-sized Duloc jumping castle, green cocktails and, of course, costumes.

Buck’s night? Nick’s bucks started with baseball batting and beers at Hamilton. His groomsman Brock surprised him with a corporate box on the first day of the first Test between Australia and India. They finished with virtual golf and a barbecue at home.

The wedding of Anna Rawlings and Nick Toohey. Picture: Laz Smith

Ceremony? It was outside as the chapel would not have accommodated all of our guests. So my aisle walk was a little different. I walked through the church and emerged to where Nick was waiting out the front, which I loved.

What were the most sentimental elements of your ceremony? My dad was once a touring singer, so I asked him to record a cover of Can’t Help Falling in Love for our aisle song. We asked Nick’s aunt who is a nun to do a blessing during the ceremony, and our celebrant was a family friend of mine. We also had a candle for my other grandparents, who have also passed, placed on our signing table.

What were your favourite details of the reception? We held our reception onsite. It started with an oyster trough and the arrival of two mini-donkeys, Saffron and Lilibet, who served Champagne magnums and Tassie ale. My parents’ organised local band Raccoon Dog to play live sets in between formalities that included speeches. We finished the night with canapes, and I changed into my second dress.

The wedding of Anna Rawlings and Nick Toohey. Picture: Laz Smith

Honeymoon? Safari in South Africa.

How did you choose your wedding venue? My parents went to Tasmania for a road trip and a couple of years later, their camper is still down there! Having recently retired, and loving a project, they saw the church for sale while exploring Tassie. I actually visited them while they were considering buying it and promised them that if they bought it, I’d get married there (this was before we were engaged!)

What was the budget for your wedding? Our budget was $40,000 but we spent $50,000.

How did you choose your wedding dress? I drove up to the Sunshine Coast. I think I’d tried on about 10 dresses before the owner took mine off the rack and brought it over. I had “the moment” of knowing it was the one.

How did you feel seeing the bride for the first time? Nick: I had come up with the idea to knock on the church door to signal Anna to start walking down the aisle, but couldn’t remember when I was supposed to knock! It felt like an eternity. But it ended up perfect.

The wedding of Anna Rawlings and Nick Toohey. Picture: Laz Smith

What was the most stressful part of wedding planning? Anna: The finer details. If I knew the amount of planning that goes into a wedding, I wouldn’t have taken on the job myself. I ended up making a 54-page binder to keep track.

Any unique or surprising details? Aside from the donkeys, I think it was very special to be married at a venue with so much history, and owned by my parents. I also surprised myself by agreeing to a photo shoot in the cemetery!

What was the standout moment?Nick: It was special having my niece and Anna’s nephew ring the church bell as we kissed.
Anna: I organised cutouts of our cats’ heads and my bridesmaids carried them in as part of their intro song. After that, I don’t think I saw them out of a guest’s hands! Their little cardboard faces paraded around all night.