The best love stories often come from a single chance encounter, but this couple’s paths crossed twice before their story really began. On a day at the races with his mates in 2013, Ben noticed Jade and made it his mission to ask her out… at some point. “It turns out when he finally worked up the courage to speak to me, I had left,” laughs Jade. Luckily, fate intervened again two months later, when the pair both happened to be enjoying a night out with friends at the same bar. Impressed by his smart navy suit, Jade pointed Ben out to her sister and friends. Her sister did a little secret intervening of her own and introduced the two. “We were inseparable from that moment on,” says Jade. “It actually wasn’t till a few weeks later when Ben found a photo on his phone from that day at the races that we saw I was in the background and realised I was the girl he had his eye on!” Meant to be.
Going on to date for a year, the two were on holiday in Noosa and enjoying breakfast by the beach when Ben decided to pop the question. Taking his girlfriend for a relaxing stroll along the boardwalk, Ben surprised Jade by having their friends race over and meet them. “They started filming and Ben got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife,” recalls Jade. “I have never felt happiness like that before! We all quickly decided that 9 am was a perfectly reasonable time to drink Champagne!”
The Champagne was well and truly flowing two years later when Ben and Jade’s wedding day (25 March, 2017) arrived. Inspired by their romantic engagement, the two planned a beautiful Noosa wedding with one very particular colour scheme. “I always wanted a white wedding with white everything,” explains Jade. “I love the clean, fresh and sophisticated look of white.”
With her bridesmaids and adorable flower girls dressed in Jade’s shade of choice, the bride was busy getting dolled up when the weather started to become worrying. “It rained on and off all morning, which was stressful because we were having an outdoor wedding,” says Jade. “With the encouragement of my bridesmaids, photographer and videographer (plus a couple of cheeky drinks), we made the call to keep it outside.” Boy, did it pay off.
That afternoon, Jade was walking down the aisle on her father’s arm when the sky cleared and the couple’s harpist began to play. The fairytale vibes were only slightly dampened when Jade’s father decided to crack a classic dad joke. “I asked him to say something funny so it’d get me laughing and I wouldn’t feel too overwhelmed,” says Jade. “As we were right in the middle of the aisle, my dad said in a loud voice, ‘Is that a gun in his pocket or is he just excited to see you?’! I guess I forgot to tell him to only say it loud enough for me to hear!”
Regaining her composure, Jade tied the knot with Ben in a touching ceremony before the two escaped to the hinterland with their bridal party for photos. “Our photographer found a beautiful property in Eumundi for our photos,” says Jade. “It was just so perfect and I love that when you look back on the photos there is so much laughter in them.”
Entering their reception at Bistro C to Beyoncé’s ‘XO’, Jade and Ben spent the rest of the night dancing and listening to speeches. “There was a mix of hilarious and sentimental speeches, all jam-packed with emotion,” says Jade. “Ben actually dabbed during my speech! Yes, my husband dabbed at our wedding – what a time to be alive!”
After feasting and toasting the occasion, the newlyweds were farewelled by their 95 guests with a dazzling sparkler tunnel exit. “Our whole wedding was just filled with so much love,” says Jade. “We really did have the best day ever!”
