It wouldn't be the first marriage proposal aided along by a few drinks, but there's little else that's ordinary about the impending nuptials of comedians Rhys Nicholson and Zoe Coombs Marr. They will marry at the Comedy Festival club on Friday night, the day before the Barry Awards are held at the same venue. Both Coombs Marr and Nicholson are nominated for a Barry, awarded to the best show of Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
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"We'll be back at Max Watt's for our honeymoon," Nicholson says.
They were engaged last August in Edinburgh when Nicholson came to Coombs Marr's dressing room, where she was still in character as her alter ego, Dave, complete with his trademark patchy beard.
"I was in a nice suit and I think we looked at each other in the mirror and said we look like the most f---ed up gay wedding we've ever seen," Nicholson says.
They went out drinking and the next day Coombs Marr put the hard word on Nicholson.
"She was like, 'I've been thinking about it, I think we should get married'. And then we had to tell our partners. My partner was in Edinburgh with his mother and he had to tell her his partner was getting married to a woman."
Nicholson and Coombs Marr are firm friends, nothing more. Both have other partners. Both are gay. They're getting married to highlight the fact that it is still illegal for them to marry the people they love.
"It's a radical act, and it's not that often you get the opportunity to do that," Coombs Marr says.
"I love weddings, it's a big event for a family and this is serious stuff, but at the same time, we can't do it and we're queer, and we have a history of making mockeries of shit that excludes us."
Mostly, they've been met with support, but there have been a few objectors. "We had this guy on Twitter yesterday saying, 'you're ripping off something that you want, that's a good way to go about it'," Nicholson says.
"And we were like, 'it is actually, because it's all about visibility'.
"If you think about the Mardi Gras and the history of gay protest it's all about access and imagery and putting it in people's faces," Coombs Marr says.
They promise a lot of "strong imagery" at Friday night's wedding, though they're keeping most details under wraps. A "stellar line-up" of mystery comedians will attend, as will their partners and families.
It's unclear who'll be the bride on the night, but at Thursday's photo shoot Coombs Marr wore the white dress as Nicholson helped her become Dave.
"This is what marriage is about, isn't it, having someone to hold your baggie of hair while you stick on your beard?"
It's been a breakout year for Coombs Marr, who is hotly tipped to win the Barry. She heads to New York straight after the comedy festival to start work on a show with Adrienne Truscott and Ursula Martinez.
The ceremony is at Max Watt's this Friday at 11.30pm. Tickets are $25 at the door, some profits will go to national LGBTI youth advocacy organisation Minus18.
