When she entered the bedroom to help him look, Seb was instead down on one knee asking her to marry him! She said yes – of course.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Bel is originally from Canberra, works in account management and loves sport (anything – gym, tennis, swimming, saunas, running, she loves it!)
Seb is from Sydney, works in Finance and loves watching his team, the Sydney Swans, play at the SCG, especially if they win!
Seb and Bel have been together for seven years and now live a social and active lifestyle in Bondi.
They love going to the beach so Seb can pretend to surf, and Bel can do an ocean swim or read a book.
They are both incredibly close with their families and spend a lot of time with both Seb and Bel’s parents and siblings. The wedding was an incredible moment to bring both families together, making a fantastic day even more special for Seb and Bel.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Bel and Seb met through family – there was a joint birthday between Bel’s Aunt and Seb’s Mother at a bowling club.
They were the only people under 25 not related at the party, so naturally, there was a spark. Bel was fresh off a break up so didn’t think much of it, but Seb was very keen from the get go.
Bel and Seb exchanged numbers on the Sunday, and Seb happened to be starting a new job in Bel’s building on the Monday, so she offered to ‘show Seb the area’.
Seb took Bel on a few lunch dates from the office before being told by his friends after a few weeks of this that he needed to ask her out properly. Seb finally asked her to dinner, so on a Friday night in November 2017, they headed out to the restaurant Dead Ringer, had dinner at the bar, and realised that it was something really special.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
For Bel, they had been dating ‘officially’ for three weeks.
There was a particular moment when they were together, alone, and Seb brought Bel in for a huge hug. During that moment Bel just thought ‘this is Heaven’ and realised that she hadn’t felt that way before about anyone. That feeling has definitely come again many times to her since when she’s been with him. This feeling goes alongside moments when he drives her nuts as well!
For Seb, it might have been one week earlier. Seb was already falling for her, had seen how she was with his family and friends and knew she was the one.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Seb had made ‘plans’ with Bel to go to dinner on a Friday night at an Italian pizza place he knew Bel wasn’t a fan of.
Seb planned to leave work early, take Bel for a quick walk to a nice costal spot, before getting down on one knee. He’d then booked a table at Icebergs Dining Room where they would celebrate.
Seb’s walking plans were ruined by a sudden thunderstorm that swept through Bondi late in the afternoon.
Bel, unaware of the nicer dinner plans than the greasy pizza place, decided to work late right up until the reservation time.
Seb frantically tried to figure out how to get Bel out of the study. He then decided to get Belinda into the bedroom by any means necessary – he chose to ask her for help finding his shoes (having just hidden them). Bel hates looking for Seb’s things, so was really cross she had to help.
When she entered the bedroom to help him look, Seb was instead down on one knee asking her to marry him! She said yes – of course.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
Seb and Bel were after a simple, cosy atmosphere where they could get together with all their friends and celebrate surrounded by everyone they love. They were also looking for a venue which had weddings all the time so there was minimal stress / heavy lifting needed from the couple.
They had originally booked for Public Dining Room at Balmoral Beach. Unfortunately, Seb and Bel proved to have more friends that anticipated so due to capacity exceeding the 110 capacity of the venue, so they needed to find a new venue.
The Grounds of Alexandria was perfect – the team executed everything seamlessly, they felt like it was an intimate and cosy venue, and the guests all loved how original the fit-out was.
Getting married in the Garden Area of the Grounds is so special as you have the whole space to yourself, and during November the 6 pm ceremony time allows for all your photos to be during Golden Hour. Seb and Bel couldn’t have been happier with how their vision came to life!
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Seb and Bel splurged on the size of the wedding. The original goal was to have under 110 guests, however when it then came to the day we needed to have 150.
They couldn’t be happier having splurged on this – they recommend couples consider inviting more rather than less guests if possible as it is incredible to be able to share your day with everyone you love. Another thing Seb and Bel splurged on were lots of smaller extras – a wedding cake large enough for all guests to have a slice, a saxophone player, flowers in the fountain, a fabulous recovery day. Bel managed the budget for the wedding and worked hard to pull back expenses in other areas so that these extras could fit in, and it was definitely worth it!
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Overall, without sounding too nauseating, Seb and Bel had the perfect day. There were no stressful incidents, nothing went completely off the rails, and both the Bride and Groom were able to be relaxed and enjoy themselves completely.
Highlights were the speeches – Sebastian had two best men who made incredible speeches, all parents spoke beautifully, and our wonder celebrant friend made a hilarious speech before our vows. Another highlight was The Grounds of Alexandria’s Garden Area offering the unique experience of having the petting zoo right next to the ceremony. During the ceremony, if you looked to Sebastian & Bel’s left, you could see a goat scratching itself on the fence post – guests loved it!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Sebastian got a custom jacket tailored from InSitchu – blue velvet – which looked incredible and thankfully wasn’t too hot. The Groomsmen were all in their own suits.
Seb’s brother, Felix, left his bow tie in his suit bag. Seb’s dad then tried to be helpful and took the suit bag home early with the bow tie inside just before they left for the photos. A quick Uber delivery solved it all, though!
Bel was in love with her Karen Willis Holmes dress – the thick silk crepe fabric was so flattering and photographs beautifully. Bel’s favourite part of the outfits was picking all the dresses with the bridesmaids, with each of them selecting a different ‘Something Blue’ dress for the day.
CEREMONY & RECEPTION The Grounds of Alexandria (The Garden), Alexandria NSW Australia, @thegrounds FLORIST Fleur de Hell PHOTOGRAPHER Bella Weddings, @bellaweddings_ OFFICIANT Bride and Groom’s Friend – Alex HAIR & MAKEUP Airlie & Co, @airlieandco BRIDAL DRESS Karen Willis Holmes, @kwhbridal BRIDESMAID DRESS House of CB, @houseofcb; Bec & Bridge, @becandbridge; Hansen & Gretel, @hansenandgretel SUIT Custom from Institchu, @institchu VEIL Kleinfield Bridal New York City, @kleinfieldbridal RINGS Lindelli, @lindelli BRIDE’S SHOE Steve Madden, @stevemadden CAKE The Grounds of Alexandria, @thegrounds
