‘The groom’s mate dressed up in my wedding dress’: Bride’s funny prank on husband to be

This cheeky bride played the ultimate prank on her new husband on their wedding day and his reaction was priceless.

There was no shortage of showstopping moments throughout Natasha Monds and Conor Goodchild’s wedding day.

The Fortitude Valley newlyweds tied the knot in front of 100 guests after three years together. Their big day was celebrated at a wedding venue owned by Conor’s mum, Holy Red Deer Estate in Esk, about 65km north of Ipswich, on May 28 this year.

The party quite literally went out with a bang as fireworks lit up the skies to close out a night full of surprises and spectacles.

Natasha Monds and Conor Goodchild's wedding. Picture: Hannah Redman

Throughout the night, the couple emerged from a cloud of smoke, guests left their well wishes on a vintage vinyl Elvis record Can’t Help Falling in Love and the garter toss involved a shock twist for the groom.

“Conor’s mate dressed up in a wedding dress and when Conor took off the blindfold, he got the laugh of his life,” Natasha says.

The couple met at a university party and “instantly clicked”, she says. “We shared all the same interests to the point that friends pointed out how identical we were in every way.”

How did he propose?

Natasha: Conor has always been a romantic. In year 10 he went on a school trip to Lamington National Park and he said he would propose to his future wife on top of the waterfall. And that’s where he proposed to me.

He set up fairy lights along the trees and blindfolded me so when I opened my eyes, I was met by the song Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley and a bouquet of roses (my middle name is Rose). It couldn’t have been an easier “yes”. This song was also the one I walked down the aisle to.

First dance song? Goodnight Julia by Seatbelts from our favourite TV show, Cowboy Bebop.

Natasha Monds and Conor Goodchild's bridal party. Picture: Hannah Redman

Honeymoon? Greece, including Athens, Santorini and Mykonos for three weeks.

Hen’s night? A bottomless brunch at the Island on the Gold Coast. We then met up with the guys later that night and partied together.

Buck’s night? Did a VR (virtual reality) session at Zero Latency and then met up with the girls.

Any unique or surprising details about your wedding?

There were many. We had a record as the signing book as we both love retro/80s, we were married at my mother-in-law’s wedding venue, we had a custom bridal party entrance which each bridesmaid and groomsman chose and, at the end, as a newly married couple, we emerged through a smoke machine followed by fireworks.

We also had a surprise for the garter moment. Conor’s mate dressed up in a wedding dress and when Conor took off the blindfold, he got the laugh of his life.

One of Conor’s mate’s pranked him by wearing Natasha Monds’ wedding dress for the ‘garter moment’. Picture: Hannah Redman

What was the standout moment of the day?

The fireworks were amazing.

Theme? Glamorous/boho.

What would you spend more or less on?

Spend less on bar staff and only have them for the duration of the speeches as most people drank premix.

What would you do differently?

Nothing. It was a perfect day with perfect weather.

One thing you wish people told you about planning a wedding? People will let you down, even the people you thought would be there for your wedding can prioritise other things. Be happy that the people who do make it are truly your friends and family.

Best advice for other couples planning a wedding? It’s going to have its stresses and it’s going to feel like a never-ending story of planning but just remember all the effort you put in will be repaid for the day by 10-fold. Just remember you only get one wedding.

Natasha Monds and Conor Goodchild's wedding. Picture: Hannah Redman

What was the most expensive item on the day? The wedding dress.

Any embarrassing or funny moments in the wedding speeches? My father-in-law was on the most recent season of Survivor and he got the nickname “Juicy Dave”. When he got up to do his speech the entire bridal party chanted “juice”, this continued throughout the night.

Did Covid impact your wedding? We purposefully had a year-and-a-half engagement so we wouldn’t have Covid dramas. It was cutting it down to the fine line though as we had some relatives who couldn’t be vaccinated and if the laws didn’t change right in time people like Conor’s grandmother wouldn’t have been able to come.

What helped you get through the stress of planning a wedding? We always had plans on top of other plans. For example, our celebrant got stuck in Sydney two hours before the ceremony so we had a backup just in case this happened. We also knew that Michelle (Conor’s mum) would help us if Covid came back and laws changed, as our wedding was at her venue and, luckily, we would’ve been able to reschedule without payment. This would’ve been the case even if we weren’t related.

Natasha Monds and Conor Goodchild had guests sign an old vinyl on their wedding day as the guest book. Picture: Hannah Redman

The Bride

Natasha Monds, 24

Profession: Marketing

Parents: Yvonne and Richard Monds

Bridesmaids: Chloe Hughes, Eliza Parker, Kira Kealy-Waltz, Gabrielle Joslin-Thomas, Briana Goodchild, Miela Goodchild

Dress: White Lily Couture

Hair and make-up: Jim Jiranuttaruj

Flowers: Kathryn Sommerland (The Long Paddock Florist) for tables, arches and decor, Flowers by Felicity for bouquets

Engagement ring: James Allen, and wedding ring was custom made by Argyle Jewellers but designed by Conor Goodchild

Wedding planner/stylist: Michelle Goodchild

The Groom

Conor Goodchild, 24

Profession: VFX artist

Parents: Michelle and David Goodchild

Groomsmen: Patrick West, Hamish Braithwaite, Pierce Braithwaite, Nikul Sharma, Harrison Caughlan, Jai Hunt

Suit: Politix

Videographer:
Kyle Head

Celebrant: Graeme Politanski

Caterer: Hellenic Smallgoods (dinner) and Pippa Claire (charcuterie)

Cake: Michelle Goodchild