Online dating couple tie-the-knot on Sunshine Coast
Not every online date ends in a wedding, but Katherine and Gregory are among the lucky ones. After their first date they knew they had hit the jackpot.
QWeekend
Don't miss out on the headlines from QWeekend. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THESE newlyweds tell everyone they “found each other online at exactly the right time”.
After chatting on the internet, Katherine and Gregory first met for drinks at Tide Wine Bar, in Manly, on Brisbane’s bayside.
“This turned into dinner and lots of wonderful conversation. To say we hit it off would be an understatement,” says Katherine.
- Cinderella wedding a fairytale come true
- Drag queens made our wedding a day to remember
- Hospital romance blooms for doctors
Love quickly blossomed and a proposal followed in December 2018, at Rovaniemi, Finland (the home of Santa Claus).
Katherine recalls: “We went on a private snowmobile tour to see the Northern Lights. In the middle of the wilderness, surrounded by snow-covered trees, wild reindeer and fox footprints, we sat by a fire.
“Greg had secretly organised the proposal with the tour guide (who just happened to be a professional photographer).
“While the tour guide took photos, we sat by the fire and Greg got down on one knee and made me the happiest girl in the world.”
The couple, of Manly, enjoyed an intimate ceremony on the lawn at Maleny Manor, on the Sunshine Coast, followed by a garden party for 85 guests and a sit-down three-course meal.
Wedding highlights included the choreographed first dance, which took place on a pontoon over the pond at sunset. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” says Katherine.
Theme?
Modern romance. White tablecloths with eucalyptus foliage centrepieces, glass hurricanes with white church candles.
First dance?
Extraordinary Magic by Ben Rector.
Honeymoon?
Lux South Ari Atoll, Maldives – an incredible experience. We enjoyed scuba diving, swimming with a whale shark, manta rays, turtles and reef sharks.
What made this uniquely your wedding?
We spent a great deal of time making it feel very personal. We ensured loved ones who had passed were still a part of our day by featuring a table with photos. Each person involved in our day was a close friend of ours and we felt as though we were surrounded by love. We didn’t have official bridesmaids or groomsmen. I asked five of my closest friends to wear navy and we all had hair and make-up done together on the day. Greg spent the morning with close friends and then got ready with his brothers and father.
Special memories?
Feeling incredibly elated the entire day. We can honestly say there were no nerves, everything ran smoothly, and we were so unbelievably excited and in love. It was a perfect day.
Funny moments?
On the dancefloor, towards the end of the evening while acting out the lyrics to Darryl Braithwaite’s Horses, “And if you fall I’ll pick you up”, Greg slipped on the wedding dress, fell to the floor and took his bride down with him. After a moment of sitting on the floor laughing, we got up and continued the dance.
THE BRIDE
Katherine O’Reilly, 33
PROFESSION Primary schoolteacher
PARENTS Jillian and Jim O’Reilly
BRIDESMAIDS N/A
DRESS Gown by Enzoani, purchased from While Lily Couture
HAIR Hair by Nicola
MAKEUP Natalie Hunter Makeup Artist
FLOWERS Mondo Floral Designs
ENGAGEMENT RING Oval cut diamond solitaire with a rose gold band (Xenox Diamonds)
THE GROOM
Gregory Reedman, 35
PROFESSION Engineer
PARENTS Rodney and Alexis Reedman
GROOMSMEN N/A
SUIT Black tuxedo by M.J. Bale
TRANSPORT N/A
ENTERTAINMENT Baker Boys Band
CAKE Three tier semi-naked cake from Chocolate 2 Chilli, decorated with florals from Mondo Floral Designs. Flavours: Chocolatemud, salted caramel and lime and coconut.
CONTACT
hannah.davies@news.com.au
PHOTOGRAPHER
Ben Connolly
Qld groom’s cheeky trick for shock beach proposal
It took just six words for this Queensland man to distract his future bride for long enough to dig out a ring and drop to one knee for the ultimate beach proposal.
‘Never cried so much’: The moment that broke Susie O’Neill
Susie O’Neill has always been unshakeable, but now the legendary swimmer and longtime breakfast radio host is staring down “the hardest thing she’s ever done”.