Episode 7921

The episode also sees the beginning of a relationship between David's brother Leo Tanaka (Tim Kano) and Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou).

Both Honda and Wilson were keen for their characters to marry and they wanted Neighbours to be the first to show a legal same-sex marriage on Australian television.

Luke Dennehy of TV Week praised the writers and producers for marrying two of their most popular characters, and called the episode "an Australian television moment of history".

"[2] Gary Nunn of The Guardian felt the episode would leave LGBTQI+ viewers feeling represented and called Szubanski's appearance "a stroke of genius".

At Number 24 Ramsay Street, Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) is getting ready for his wedding to David Tanaka (Takaya Honda).

At Lassiters Hotel, David is getting ready with his father Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) and his brother Leo Tanaka (Tim Kano) reads out a card from their mother.

Aaron drops off the cake decoration at The Waterhole pub, where chef Gary Canning (Damien Richardson) tries to dodge a woman (Magda Szubanski) giving him cooking advice.

Aaron turns down his sister Chloe's (April Rose Pengilly) offer to act as the celebrant, as he and David would have to marry at a registry office later on.

At the hotel, Leo tells manager Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou) there have been complaints about a group in one of the rooms, which she promises to deal with.

"[8] Honda later told Johnathon Hughes of the Radio Times that as a result of the vote, a potential wedding between David and Aaron would be the first legal same-sex marriage on Australian television, an accolade he felt the show deserved due to the work that had been put into their storyline and other LGBT plots.

[12] Wilson was really keen for Aaron and David to become the first couple to have a legal same-sex marriage, before fellow soap opera Home and Away or another Australian drama beat them to it.

As they deal with a trashed hotel room, the "sexual tension between the couple is too explosive to ignore" and they have sex, making Leo late for the wedding reception.

"[23] Szubanski recalled watching the wedding of Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell (Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue) in 1987 when she was in her twenties.

[24] Wilson also mentioned in his interview with Inside Soap that Szubanski helped "massage the scripts" with the writing department to make sure everything was perfect.

"[24] Jemima is introduced shortly after some confusion results in the original celebrant Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) pulling out of the ceremony.

[24] McManus confirmed that Szubanski would continue to appear in the show after the wedding, and Network 10 stated that Jemima has a connection to "Ramsay Street royalty".

[28] Herbison commented that filming took place on "a pretty cold and miserable Melbourne day",[29] and Wilson said that the unpredictable weather meant that the cast and crew had to be as quick as possible.

You'll see the wedding guests' seating list in the back of some of the shots, the crew usually fill those out with their own names as a nod to all their hard work that goes into it.

[9] Wilson commented, "Once the suits were on and people started to arrive at this amazing set the art department had done such a good job on, I was nervous!

[31] In the UK broadcast, the wedding ceremony features the song "Especially for You" by former Neighbours actors Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue, as David and Aaron exchanged their vows.

Presented by Honda and Wilson, it features scenes from the wedding and reception, with commentary and personal insights into the filming and creation of the episode.

[35] The show's official website on TenPlay hosted a countdown to the wedding featuring articles, videos, photo galleries, and sneak peeks of the episode released daily in the lead up to the broadcast.

Praising Szubanski's casting and performance, McManus wrote: "From the moment that Szubanski's character, the confidant, strange, enigmatic Jemima Davies-Smythe, appears on screen, milling about the periphery of preparations for the nuptials of Erinsborough lovebirds, David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) and Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson), it's clear she's going to steal the show.

She thought that Szubanski brought "some comic relief to the tear-jerking nuptials of Aaron and David" and that her appearance held a "special significance" due to her involvement in the Yes campaign.

[39] Luke Dennehy of TV Week praised the writers and producers for "acting quickly" by marrying two of their most popular characters, as well as casting Szubanski as the celebrant.

[40] They noted that in typical Neighbours style, Aaron and David's day is marred by "last-minute disasters, injuries and family drama.

[41] She also pointed out that "in true soap wedding style, things don't go without a hitch", and hoped that Aaron and David's marriage would "be less eventful!

"[41] In a positive review for The Guardian, Gary Nunn stated "Three decades after Scott and Charlene tied the knot, the nuptials of David and Aaron send a powerful message about Australia's diversity.

"[3] He felt the episode would leave LGBTQI+ viewers feeling represented, as well as sending "a very powerful message" to younger fans, who were able to watch a same-sex wedding during the daytime.

[3] He called Szubanski's appearance "a stroke of genius" and concluded "the episode was also fun, avoiding the temptation to be self-congratulatory or saccharine by being genuinely funny.