First pics: Kellie Gardner & Jeremy Finlayson’s surprise wedding

Everyone loves a wedding, especially a surprise one in which the bride and groom – Kellie Gardner, who is battling terminal cancer, and Jeremy Finlayson – have already won our hearts.

Port Adelaide star Jeremy Finlayson and his wife Kellie Finlayson married at Tennyson Beach, South Australia. Picture: @kelliefinlayson_ / Instagram

• Port couple’s cruel cancer shock

Inspirational Kellie Gardner and Port Adelaide AFL star Jeremy Finlayson have surprised almost everyone, eloping in an intimate beach ceremony.

Originally planning to marry in October, the couple had postponed their wedding while Kellie received treatment following her terminal stage 4 cancer diagnosis in January.

But now the couple, who share an 19-month-old daughter Sophia, have tied the knot before a group of close family and friends at Tennyson beach on Sunday afternoon.

Port Adelaide star Jeremy Finlayson and his wife Kellie Finlayson married at Tennyson Beach, South Australia. Picture: @kelliefinlayson_ / Instagram

While it was raining in the morning, the sky cleared by the time beautiful bride Kellie, 27, walked down the aisle in a gown by Made With Love Bridal to meet her groom, who turned 27 last month.

“There will be 21 of us including Sophia and the wedding is a surprise for everyone but our bridal party, and family and friends attending,” Kellie, who grew up in Port Lincoln, told The Advertiser in the lead up.

Kellie added even little Sophia didn’t know it was her mum and dad’s big day: “Sophia has no idea, she just knows her favourite people will be in Adelaide for the weekend.”

Kellie and Jeremy also wanted to wow one another.

“We have also written our own vows because we wanted to surprise each other,” Kellie said.

While they say it’s good luck if it rains on your wedding day, Kellie already knew she was blessed.

After postponing their October wedding, last month Kellie and Jeremy decided not to wait.

“I wanted to get married with my hair and I have started losing hair,” said Kellie, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

With only three weeks to plan everything, Kellie knew she could count on those close to her to help make it happen.

“I was very lucky – our bridal party and my agency did a lot,” she said referring to Adelaide’s The Models, with whom she is signed.

Sunday’s ceremony was followed by a small reception – again for the group of 21 – but Kellie and Jeremy are looking forward to having a bigger celebration later in the year.

“We will have a party in October if all goes to plan,” Kellie says.

Port Adelaide star Jeremy Finlayson and Kellie Gardner and their daughter Sophia in February. Picture: Tom Huntley

Kellie, who is living with a terminal cancer diagnosis, touched the heart of every South Australian when she and Jeremy shared their story with Advertiser readers last month.

The couple spoke of their love for one another and their daughter Sophia, and their hopes – in time – of giving her a little sister or brother through IVF, or perhaps even surrogacy and egg donation.

Hoping to raise awareness of cancer, and specifically bowel cancer, they encouraged people to start talking openly about their poo and pay attention if they thought anything unusual was happening with their digestive system.

While the federal government sends out bowel cancer testing kits to all Australians aged over 50, Kellie and Jeremy are urging younger people to get things checked out if they are concerned.

Kellie was first diagnosed with bowel cancer at age 25 – just three-and-a-half months after Sophia was born – but it is understood the cancer was likely to have been growing for three or four years before it was detected.

Following a year of chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries, her doctors were reasonably confident they had removed it and that it would not come back.

At the end of the 2022 football season Kellie and Jeremy had holidayed in Hawaii to celebrate, but in January they were shocked to discover the cancer had metastasised and spread to her lungs.

Devastated to be told her cancer was terminal Kellie is determined to beat it and be there for her young family.

Jeremy announced his engagement to Kellie on Instagram Picture: @jezzafinlayson31/Instagram.

Kellie is fighting cancer. Picture: Supplied

In February she told The Advertiser she was proud to have heard of people using her story to convince their doctors to offer them a colonoscopy.

“If I had got it checked,” Kellie said. “If I had got all of my tummy problems checked and not just been thinking I had a lactose intolerance.”

Kellie’s determination to beat bowel cancer and help others by raising awareness of the disease has been recognised. She is a finalist in The Advertiser Sunday Mail, SkyCity Adelaide Woman of the Year Awards in the Inspiration category, supported by The Advertiser Foundation.

The Advertiser Foundation has announced Shooting Stars as its charity partner for this year’s awards.

Originally published as First pics: Kellie Gardner & Jeremy Finlayson’s surprise wedding