Ben and Maria had an absolute saga of a lead-up to their big day. After helping them plan their Newcastle wedding it had to be postponed due to the horrific bushfires of 2019/2020. Then COVID-19 hit the world and they had to postpone yet again. A pandemic couldn’t stop these lovebirds – they decided to elope in October 2020 in a stunning private ceremony at The Green Cathedral , joined by their sons.

There is never a dull moment with this couple. Having all but given up on having the reception they originally dreamed of, Maria won a local radio competition with Hit106.9, scoring a party at The Beach Hotel as the prize! Suddenly the reception was back on and we got to work making their celebration perfect.

I was absolutely honoured when the couple asked me to be their Celebrant to re-marry them, as well as being their MC and managing their on-day coordination. I’ve held many roles over the years but being a Celebrant was a first and one I was extremely touched to take on, having grown close to the couple as friends.

It looked like things were finally falling in to place for Ben and Maria as their perfect November day arrived and the sun was shining. That was short lived, when Maria realised she had left her bouquet of sunflowers at home, too far from the venue to get to and back from in time for the big event. Ben and I rushed to the closest Woolworths in a desperate search for sunflowers, Maria’s favourite flower. Unfortunately we couldn’t find any and were working on Plan C, when a stranger walked past with a stunning bunch of sunflowers! We explained the situation to her and out of the kindness of her heart she saved the day, gifting us the flowers to use in Maria’s bouquet. An unbelievably kind and luck scenario to find ourselves in. We raced back to The Beach Hotel and I took on the role of Florist, arranging the bunch into a gorgeous bouquet almost as vibrant and colourful as the Bride herself. With the bouquet crisis averted, the couple could focus on celebrating their marriage with their nearest and dearest (plus the one and only Jess Farchione from the Hit106.9 Breakfast team!)

Maria looked absolutely stunning, with hair & makeup from Bespoke Hair Skin & Body. The shoe game was - as usual - a massive hit and guests loved getting involved. Due to COVID-19 restrictions guests couldn’t dance, but Dynamic DJs provided the perfect soundtrack for the evening and Ben & Maria’s first dance was a beautiful moment to witness. Azure Creative captured the special day with gorgeous photos for the couple to cherish forever.

What a rollercoaster the Hatch Wedding was. We were absolutely honoured to help them bring it to life despite the adversities they faced and it’s clear that this couple can get through anything life throws at them together.

Vendors:

Wedding Planning, Styling & Design, On Day Coordination and Master of Ceremonies: @huntereventsnsw | Hunter Events NSW

Reception Venue: @thebeachesmerewether | The Beach Hotel

Ceremony Venue: The Green Cathedral

Photographer: @azure_creative_photography | Azure Creative

Hair & Makeup: @bespoke.hair.beauty | Bespoke Hair Artistry

Entertainment: Dynamic DJs