Groom reveals stressful wedding day TAB drama

A secret horse race and a hiccup with placing a trifecta bet caused some last-minute panic for these newlyweds

4 min read

September 6, 2022 - 3:00PM

QWeekend

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There were few things Chris Handley could surprise his new bride with on the day of their wedding but Brittany French was not expecting her very own horse race.

Chris sponsored a harness race at Albion Park on the day of their wedding, May 28 this year, and named it, Britt becomes a Handley.

As wedding favours, all guests were handed a mystery trifecta.

The wedding of Brittany French and Chris Handley. Pictures: Pixel Punk Pictures

“He wouldn’t tell me what this secret contribution to the wedding was, which made me a little nervous,” Brittany said, laughing.

But Chris and Brittany like to take a chance, it’s what led them to find each other on dating app Bumble.

After three years together, the couple celebrated their wedding in front of 150 guests with the ceremony at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Hendra, where Brittany’s parents and grandparents were also married, before moving the party to The Rose Room at Cloudland for the reception.

How did you meet?

Brittany: It was fate that brought us together, and a dating app called Bumble. After chatting for a couple of days, Chris asked me on a date but I had to raincheck as I was heading overseas for a couple of weeks. Luckily, he messaged me as soon as I got back and we organised to grab a drink at Riverland.

How did he propose? A lovely afternoon in Tugun, Chris’ hometown, where we had

a cheese platter on the deck overlooking the ocean, which led to Chris very nervously asking the big question. He said, “I’ve been thinking, and I know that worries you … I think you’re pretty great. Will you marry me?”

Honeymoon? 10 days in Fiji. Blissful. We had a week to ourselves, then were joined by some family members for the second half.

The wedding of Brittany French and Chris Handley. Pictures: Pixel Punk Pictures

Any unique or surprising details about your wedding? Chris arranged a harness race at Albion Park to be named the Britt becomes a Handley Pace and all guests had a mystery trifecta. He wouldn’t tell me what this secret contribution to the wedding was, which made me a little nervous!

What was the standout moment of the day? It sounds cliche but it is really difficult to pick one moment because the day was perfect. It was so special to be able to celebrate with all of our favourite people, many of whom had travelled a long way to be with us. Also, our nephew Teddy was an absolute star in his role of ring bearer, a responsibility he took very seriously!

Hens Night? A beautiful lunch at The Greenhouse at Howard Smith Wharves before continuing the celebrations into the night.

Bucks Night? Golf and a couple of enjoyable nights in Noosa.

First Dance song? How Sweet It Is, by James Taylor.

What was your experience like to find your wedding dress? 

I thought I had found my dress at the second boutique I visited. So much so that I almost cancelled my appointment at Karen Willis Holmes. Obviously, I’m so glad I didn’t. I kept the appointment and went with my mum and my two sisters. I tried on a couple of dresses before my sister Caitlin spotted the one and I tried it on.

Bridesmaids of Brittany French for her wedding with Chris Handley. Pictures: Pixel Punk Pictures

What did you find the most stressful about the planning process? Chris: I found the experience particularly cruisy. We just wanted to have a beautiful ceremony and a fun party with loved ones afterwards. But I had a hiccup on the eve of the wedding with the mystery trifectas for the trots race of the year. Keeping a secret from Britt is near on impossible and when I put in the first of the pre-filled tickets it was rejected as the market wasn’t open. This led to filling in another 150 tickets and working out how to fit in getting to the TAB, buying the tickets, stuffing them in envelopes and delivering to the venue on the day of the wedding. Fortunately my two uncles were in town and are very well versed in the operations of the TAB, so they were able to deliver.

Any wedding hacks you can share that saved you time and money? I knew going into planning that I wanted to avoid stress where every possible. Choosing Cloudland as our venue was a no-brainer. Not only was it absolutely beautiful, but they also had a relationship with Main Event Weddings, who styled the reception for us.

Best advice for other couples planning a wedding? Invest in great photography and videography. Phoebe and Dee were both so wonderful to work with. And we’re in love with what we got from them.

Any embarrassing or funny moments throughout the wedding? Chris’ speech was the highlight. I think almost all of our guests would agree, he has a way with words and his speech covered all terrain from the current political climate, to our story before ending with his trademark priest joke. One I may or may not have heard many, many, many times.

The cake for Brittany French and Chris Handley’s wedding day. Pictures: Pixel Punk Pictures

The Bride

Brittany French, 32

Profession Teacher

Parents Paul and Marcella French

Bridesmaids Alexandra French, Caitlin French, Nikki DeVantier, Taylor O’Connor

Dress Karen Willis Holmes

Hair Bec Delaney

Make-up Leah Medutis

Flowers Main Event Weddings

Engagement ring Diamonds International

Wedding planner/stylist Main Event Weddings