Bride marries at the same church as parents 37 years later

This Brisbane couple got married at the same time and in the same church as the bride’s parents almost four decades later.

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September 10, 2021 - 9:00AM

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This couple married at the same time and in the same church as the bride’s parents almost four decades earlier.

The ceremony – at St Agatha’s Church in Clayfield, at 11am – was attended by 92 guests, before a reception at the Moreton Club in New Farm.

“Our guests all loved the lunchtime wedding,’’ the couple said.

“We chose it because Lucy’s parents got married at St Agatha’s at 11am over 37 years ago, and they had a lunchtime reception.’’

Wedding of Lucy Follent and Zachary Howarth. Picture: Anna Tomlinson

The West End couple – who have been together for four years – married on June 19 this year, and managed to avoid any Covid alterations.

“It was stressful not knowing if things would change before our wedding day, but we decided that we would get married on that day no matter what,’’ they said.

They danced their first dance to Love You For A Long Time by Maggie Rogers, and honeymooned on Hamilton and Hayman islands.

How did he propose?

It was Lucy’s birthday weekend at Kingfisher Island Resort at Fraser Island. We went for a walk along the beach and Zac proposed at one of the lookouts.

Wedding of Lucy Follent and Zachary Howarth. Picture: Anna Tomlinson

He got down on one knee and the ring fitted perfectly.

After the proposal we were both so excited, and ended up hiking for another 10km. We eventually got back to the resort and spent the afternoon drinking cocktails by the pool and calling our loved ones.

Hen’s Night?

A long lunch at Maya Mexican in Brisbane followed by a party bus around the city and drinks/dancing into the night.

Buck’s Night?

Go-kart racing followed by a craft beer boat cruise along Brisbane River. Zac was dressed as Princess Peach and all of the boys were dressed as Mario Kart characters.

Any unique or surprising details about your wedding?

We chose a lunchtime wedding because Lucy’s parents got married at St Agatha’s in the morning and they had a lunchtime reception.

Wedding of Lucy Follent and Zachary Howarth. Picture: Anna Tomlinson

Being a winter wedding, it worked really well, it meant we got the beautiful winter’s day, and could watch the sun set over the river. The sun went down and the dance floor kicked off at 5pm.

We had a sit-down meal with entrees and main, but had a roaming dessert. We liked this idea so that people could get up and mingle once mains and speeches were done.

We also had espresso martinis served after mains. It really got the party going (even Lucy’s Nan had one). It was the perfect drink to get everyone up and dancing!

What was the standout moment of the day?

Zac and I stepped away from the party to spend a few minutes together. We looked back at all of our guests having a great time at the party that we had planned. After the year that we have all had with Covid lockdowns and restrictions, we were so grateful to have our friends and family all together.

Lucy’s older brother, John Follent and his family weren’t able to make it to the wedding because of border closures in Victoria.

This was very sad! But he surprised us with a video message that was played during the reception.

Wedding of Lucy Follent and Zachary Howarth. Picture: Anna Tomlinson

What would you do differently?

I can’t think of anything.

Not everything will always go perfectly, but you realise on the day that it doesn’t matter. As long as you have good food, drinks and music your guests are going to have a wonderful time!

One thing you wish people told you about planning a wedding?

There’s a few tasks that can’t be done until you get RSVPs back, so the last month before the wedding ends up being very busy!

The last two weeks is also when the vendors and the venue want final confirmation on the finer details, including menu and alcohol numbers etc. So it’s a good idea to make as many decisions as early as you can so the last month is just finalising the jobs that can’t be done until you get final numbers.

Wedding of Lucy Follent and Zachary Howarth. Picture: Anna Tomlinson

Best advice for other couples planning a wedding?

I know this has been said before, but choose what you want to spend your money on and prioritise what matters to you both.

Also, choose good vendors who you can trust to make the day amazing. Our videographer (Phoebe Galloway) and photographer (Anna Tomlinson) were non-negotiables for me, so we locked them in early.

Did you have to change your wedding plans because of Covid?

We luckily didn’t have to change our plans. We kept our guest list within the Covid restriction numbers (which was 92 at our venue).

It was stressful not knowing if things would change before our wedding day, but we decided that we would get married on that day no matter what. The hard part is that you can’t really plan for changes in advance because lockdowns get announced at the last minute, so we tried not to think too much about it.

Wedding of Lucy Follent and Zachary Howarth. Picture: Anna Tomlinson

The church and reception venue we chose both had their own Covid-Safe plans, so that meant that they knew the rules and knew how to manage the day accordingly. That took a lot of stress out of planning.

THE BRIDE

Lucy Follent, 32

Profession: Environmental Approvals Advisor

Parents: Marianne and Bill Follent

Bridesmaids: Anna Girardi, Claire Follent, Isabelle Jones, Kate Thompson

Dress: George Wu

Hair: Isabella Jane

Make-up: Sasha Maree

Flowers: Kate Dawes Flower Design

Engagement ring: AG Jeweller. A brilliant cut solitaire diamond, with a white gold and diamond band.