‘He surprised me’: Groom’s epic scavenger hunt proposal around Brisbane

Weddings can be stressful but one Aussie couple found quirky ways to be creative and unique, including using a social media site. It ended in a day they will never forget.

Jane Armitstead

@JaneArmitstead

4 min read

February 11, 2024 - 2:07PM

QWeekend

Emma Brown and Isaac Bongaarts celebrate their wedding. Pictures: Say Milk

Lifestyle

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Before Isaac Bongaarts asked his bride-to-be to marry him, she first had to find him.

Bongaarts set up an elaborate scavenger hunt, sending Emma Brown around Brisbane locations collecting clues all leading their way to right back home to Isaac, who was in their living room with their dog.

The Annerley couple tied the knot after over six years together on August 4 this year at Rainforest Gardens in Mount Cotton before 80 guests.

Emma Brown and Isaac Bongaarts at their wedding. Pictures: Say Milk

How did you meet? We met at the Moorooka Roosters AFL Club Ladies Day in April 2017. Isaac was playing football and Emma was invited by one of their mutual friends.

The proposal? Isaac proposed to Emma in mid-December 2022, surprising her with a scavenger hunt to places around Brisbane that are important to them. Each clue led to the next special location – where they first met, where Emma used to live in the early days of their relationship, where they first lived together and finally their home. Isaac was waiting in their living room with their dog Pepper and he got down on one knee and proposed.

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Hens Night? For Emma’s Hens Party, her Maid of Honour and Bridesmaid (Laura and

Emily) arranged lunch, cocktails and some fun wedding themed games at Stratton Bar and Kitchen with a group of Emma’s friends and family. They then travelled to Paint Juicy for ‘paint and sip’ hosted by a drag queen and went out for a dance afterwards.

Emma Brown and Isaac Bongaarts celebrate their wedding. Pictures: Say Milk

Bucks Night? PJ and Jason organised a weekend away to the Sunshine Coast with Isaac’s

closest mates. They had a day at the races, sang karaoke, competed in a tournament of drinking games and sampled many establishments of the Sunshine Coast night-life.

How did you choose your wedding venue? We chose Rainforest Gardens because of the beautiful ceremony and reception spaces, privacy, proximity to Brisbane and the lovely wet weather option.

What would you spend more or less on? We struck a really nice balance and would not

change how we budgeted for our day. We were very thorough and did plenty of research during the planning process, and could not have been happier with our suppliers and their excellent services and great value for money.

Emma Brown and Isaac Bongaarts’ wedding. Pictures: Say Milk

How did you choose your dress? I started dress shopping at the end of January, just over six months before our big day. There was quite a bit of pressure at some stores to choose a dress the day of my appointment and place a rush order to make sure the dress arrived on time. I probably tried on around 15 dresses before I booked an appointment at Brides of Brisbane where I had such a fantastic experience with Ryley. From my first appointment, Ryley pointed

out which designers could deliver a dress well before our wedding, she gave me plenty

of time to choose a dress and discuss changes to the design, and I ended with a dress

that I absolutely loved!

What thoughts did you have seeing the bride walk down the aisle? Isaac: I have zero knowledge when it comes to wedding dresses (or dresses in general) and asked for it to be a surprise on the day. For some reason when I saw Emma walking down the aisle with her dad, she was wearing something I always thought she would wear without having ever thought about it. She looked beautiful and classic, and I thought the dress and veil worked perfectly together.

What was the most stressful part of wedding planning? You have to make so many decisions throughout the wedding planning process, you tend to develop decision

fatigue.

Emma Brown and Isaac Bongaarts celebrate their wedding. Pictures: Say Milk

Any unique or surprising details about your wedding? Our immediate family all had a special part to play on our day. Emma’s dad walked her down the aisle, Emma’s younger

brother Tim handed up the rings during the ceremony, Isaac’s sister Alex and Emma’s

youngest brother Will were our MCs, our mums signed our marriage certificate and our

parents spoke at our reception.

What was the standout moment of the day? We both loved the entire day but a highlight for us was travelling together to the mountain top for sunset photos and having the opportunity to spend some time together. We both also really enjoyed soaking up the moment while signing our marriage certificate. This provided a quiet time to catch up and enjoy the surroundings.

Isaac Bongaarts and dog Pepper. Pictures: Say Milk

What was a wedding non-negotiable for you? A private and outdoors venue not too far

from Brisbane.

What would you do differently? We were so fortunate to have such a special day and

would not change a thing!

Top wedding hack? Go the extra mile finding great vendors, Pinterest is awesome for

ideas and if you are crafty, have a go at designing your own stationary, signs and guest

gifts which can save you money and adds a personal touch. Also, don’t feel pressured to

do things on your day because it's the ‘normal’ or ‘tradition’ and look beyond the popular

vendors.

Best advice for other couples planning a wedding? First, plan the day for what you want, your favourite wedding should be your own! Also, start early, become proficient in excel and regularly block out time to keep ahead of deadlines. It can be a daunting process at times so approach the planning in smaller chunks. Finally, try and enjoy the planning as much as you can because all of the hard work is well worth it and the day goes by quickly.