So there was joy and hope and sadness all rolled into one emotional day as Macarthur couple James and Kylie Wiggins decided to get married in the unit so their premature son Dolton could be by their side for the special occasion.

It was the first wedding for the unit, which has otherwise seen many naming ceremonies, christenings and other blessings for the special babies in its care.

Dolton was born on June 25 at 25 weeks – 15 weeks early – weighing only 790 grams.

His parents believed he would not pull through and were about to consider starting palliative care for him.

That monumental decision prompted the couple to investigate getting married in the unit so their son, who was breathing with the help of equipment and couldn't leave the hospital, could be by their side.

They were married on August 20, the ceremony conducted by Kylie's aunt, Sandy MacDonald, a Salvation Army officer. Her maid of honour was sister Carissa Dockary.

The ceremony was also live-streamed to other family members – including Kylie's sons Kodi, 12; Ethan, 9; and Owen, 4 – at the Oriental Terrace restaurant in Erindale so they could share in the experience. The ceremony was projected up against a wall of the restaurant. It was a moment when the whole extended family could celebrate something positive and do all they could to will Dolton to be better.

"It was looking like Dolton wouldn't pull through and we wanted him to be with us for the ceremony," Kylie said.

"It was very emotional. One of the nurses was crying. It was just really overwhelming."

But there is a very happy footnote to the story. Dolton's condition has improved and on Wednesday he was taken off the more restrictive oxygen and put on a less invasive machine.

He now weighs 2.62 kilos and there is hope he may be able to leave the hospital in November.

Clinical director of the hospital's neonatal department, Dr Hazel Carlisle, is also the consultant caring for Dolton, a little boy who has been through so much already.

"Babies who are that premature require treatment for a number of weeks and months and quite often they have quite a long period of time where they are at risk of dying from being premature," she said.

"And there was a period of time we thought his risk of dying was higher and that's when the family started to look at options. It's also when they approached us about having a wedding.

"It's certainly unusual to have a wedding in the nursery. One of our focuses for the baby is to ensure the care is very family-centred. So we try to support parents of all the babies in the nursery.

"And obviously one of the important things is trying to support the parents on their journey and to have their personal requests met. We think that's really good for their emotional well-being and future."

Dr Carlisle said the staff were aware of providing privacy for the family and the ceremony was able to be conducted for them in a room alone.

"Even though we haven't done a wedding we've done similar ceremonies for the babies. It was a busy day for all the babies in the nursery but certainly something the nurses are used to managing," she said.

Dr Carlisle said while the wedding occurred under trying circumstances for the family, it was also a joyful event for them and the unit.

"When staff are looking after babies who are extremely unwell, one of the things that gives us a sense of reward or achievement is being able to support families' need. How ever we do that, it makes us feel good," she said.

"So being able to support a family and take part in a joyous occasion is very rewarding."

Dr Carlisle said Dolton would still need special attention but things were looking more positive.

"He's doing better, he's getting stronger every day and he is needing less intensive care," she said.

"He's moving along in his journey and he's getting closer to discharge."