2GB radio host Ray Hadley gets married to Sophie Baird at Mount White

Ray Hadley has finally married his partner Sophie Baird after the ceremony was postponed three times — but the couple came up against one last obstacle. See the pictures and video.

They had a contingency plan for the pandemic and the floods but the one thing three-time bridegroom Ray Hadley and his new wife Sophie Baird failed to consider ahead of their thrice delayed wedding, held on Saturday at Mount White, was the running of the Golden Slipper.

The horse race was to have gone ahead last weekend but when the heavens opened over Rosehill, the race was postponed to their wedding day.

That wouldn’t be a problem for most soon-to-be marrieds but when you’ve invited equine sports fanatics John Singleton and Gerry Harvey, not to mention legendary horserace caller Johnny Tapp, to your big day – there’s a chance it could be.

Radio host Ray Hadley marries Sophie Baird at Saddles in Mount White. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Sealed with a kiss. The couple wed after the wedding was postponed three times. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Ray and Sophie after their wedding ceremony. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Luckily for the new Mr and Mrs Hadley, Singleton and Harvey didn’t have horses running in Saturday’s race and with a whole half-hour margin between the 4pm nuptials and the 4.30pm race, marriage celebrant Reverend Bill Crews knew what he had to do, even if he had to do it before a congregation clutching The Saturday Telegraph’s racing form guide.

The wedding at Singleton’s acclaimed restaurant Saddles – much like 2GB commentator Hadley’s proposal, which happened on the run to the 2019 Sydney Roosters-Canberra Raiders’ rugby league grand final – was as straight forward and unadorned as the bride and groom themselves.

Hadley talks horse with Gerry Harvey (middle) and Johnny Tapp (right). Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Johnny Tapp (left) and Gerry Harvey talk horses at the wedding. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

There were no personally penned gushing wedding vows: “Not our thing,” said the bride ahead of the big day.

No parade of frilly bridesmaids: “We’re too old for that,” she stated plainly, choosing for her second wedding a white off-the-rack dress from a Willoughby boutique.

Sophie Baird walked down the aisle with her father David. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

There were 118 guests at the wedding. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The couple exchange vows. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The jubilant newlyweds take to the dance floor at their reception.

The only real splash of poetry came from country singer Adam Harvey who at Baird’s request sang a favourite song, Paper and Pen.

“It’s about a woman who gets a letter from a guy who she thinks is breaking up with her,” Baird explained.

“Furious, she writes this letter back to him giving him a piece of her mind. Then he kills himself. Later she reads his letter fully and discovers he was asking her to marry him,” Baird said, unable to contain a laugh at her unorthodox choice of wedding love song.

John Singleton and his partner Vanessa Merrin sneak off to watch the Golden Slipper horse race straight after the ceremony. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Hadley with John Singleton. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Katie Page was a guest at the wedding. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Harvey was joined at the ceremony by his wife Katie Page while Singleton was kept entertained by his on-off partner Vanessa Merrinand a large flat screen television installed in a portable pavilion to which he, Harvey and Tapp retired — at a pace — to watch the Slipper.

Witnessing the exchange of vows between Hadley and his longtime radio producer were Hadley’s Dural neighbours Lenora and Wayne Shipley who is better known to Hadley’s listeners as “Wayne the Butcher”.

Hadley's daughter (left), granddaughter Ava and first wife Anne-Mare. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Adam Harvey before the ceremony. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Hadley informed the congregation they had heard a pared down version of the wedding vows with the broadcaster asking Rev Crews to discard the “if anyone who knows of any impediment to the wedding please speak now …” because he feared wedding guest and rugby league player agent Wayne Beavis could not be trusted to keep his mouth shut.

Among the 118 guests were Hadley’s three children from two previous marriages, Dan, Lauren, and Sarah and Baird’s two, Nick and Jessie, from her first marriage.

Jem Cassar-Daly, the daughter of country singer Troy Cassar-Daly, performed.

The couple will honeymoon at Hayman Island in the Easter radio ratings break – pandemic, weather and horse races permitting.

Originally published as 2GB radio host Ray Hadley gets married to Sophie Baird at Mount White