We both have different versions of how this first date went. I thought that she was super-hot and really fun to hang out with, I thought I nailed the date, and it went really well overall. Apparently, G thought I was boring, and she was adamant that she would never see me again.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
BW: G was born and raised in Nicaragua, but moved to Australia when she was 19. I was born and raised in Sydney. G and I are both currently 30 and live in Sydney with our seven-year-old Beagle Levi. G is a Digital Project Manager and I am in the Army. G and I both enjoy going on adventures together, traveling to new places, going to new restaurants, and trying new things! We both enjoy an active lifestyle including going to the gym, beach and walking Levi. We absolutely love all different types of food, particularly pasta! We love spending time with our beautiful families and amazing group of friends.
GGW: Ben has pretty much summed us up! We love our people, we love to travel, we are massive foodies, and the beach is our happy place.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
BW: G and I actually first matched on Bumble! After a solid three days of silence, she finally said “hey.” We cut away with the small talk and agreed to meet up for a drink at the Hope & Anchor in Brisbane in early 2018. We both have different versions of how this first date went. I thought that she was super-hot and really fun to hang out with, I thought I nailed the date, and it went really well overall. Apparently, G thought I was boring, and she was adamant that she would never see me again. We did bond over our love for food though.
GGW: I had this date planned with some guy I had matched with on Bumble, I was not super keen on going on the day as it was a Sunday night and I was tired, but a couple of my girlfriends convinced me to go. My first impression of Ben was ‘wow, those eyes!’ and I’m pretty sure I texted a friend saying ‘he is so hot’. The date was pleasant but it wasn’t an instant connection on my end, I went home that night and told my housemate that I thought he was gorgeous but ‘a bit boring’ haha. Ben persisted in going on a second date, I was hesitant at first but I ended up agreeing to it. Our second date was when we truly hit it off in my opinion, and needless to say – the rest is history!
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
BW: G and I traveled to Europe in 2019 and I proposed in San Sebastian, Spain. I proposed by the seaside at the mouth of the harbour, whilst we shared a bottle of delicious Spanish red wine and some jamon. I was so chilled all day leading up to the proposal, I did a recce the day before, so I knew exactly where I wanted to do it. I used the cover story of let’s have a sunset wine and snack by the sea before dinner. I had rehearsed everything that I wanted to say in my head but when it was time to pull the ring out, my brain went to mush and I got super nervous. I rambled on about some stuff and then finally got around to saying how much I love her, and I asked her if she would spend the rest of her life with me. She said yes straight away! I cried first and then the shock wore off and G cried too. It was beautiful. We hugged and kissed and finished our wine. We then asked some ladies who walked by to take a photo of us, G told them in Spanish that we just got engaged to which they replied “it’s not too late to run.” The rest of the night was incredible, it was like we were floating.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
GGW: Our vision was small, intimate and fun! The ceremony was quite traditional in the Catholic Church where Ben was baptised, and Ben picked his favourite classical pieces for our ceremony music. The reception was at a wine bar down the road, located in Balmain, one of our favourite suburbs which is full of history. We wanted our guests to truly enjoy themselves, with not too many formalities and lots of dancing. The night was so much fun, we didn’t stop mingling and dancing. We were surrounded by all our nearest and dearest, hanging plants, candles, and love.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
BW: G got stuck in Sydney traffic and was 45mins late. It was so humid and I began to sweat a lot whilst standing at the front of the church waiting for her. We laugh about it now! It wasn’t helpful at the time with my mates telling me that she wasn’t going to turn up! (I never had a doubt)
GGW: Yeah, probably being sooo late! And the driver going on and on about how bad the traffic was the whole time whilst I was just taking the deepest breaths to try and relax.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
BW: I wanted a tailor-made classic tuxedo with a shawl lapel. I had my suit crafted by the guys at The Bespoke Corner and I couldn’t be happier. I had never had a tailor-made suit before. The suit is of amazing quality, and it fits perfectly. It is timelessly classy and personalised with my initials stitched on my shirt and the details of our wedding inside the jacket. It’s one I’ll cherish forever.
GGW: I saw my dress online and fell in love with it back in 2020! A whole two years before our wedding. I booked an appointment, tried it on, and bought it on the day. My best friend and brother tried to convince me to try others just in case, but I was sold on my beautiful gown from the moment I saw it. I still am!
Ceremony location: St. Augustine’s Catholic Church Balmain / Reception location: Wilhelmina’s, @wilhelminas_balmain / Photographer: Rachel Gutierrez Photography, @rachel.gutierrez.photography / Videographer: Dragonfly Productions, @dragonflyproductions.lv / Entertainment: Divine Productions, @anthonyhughesmusic / Styling: Honey Lane, @honeylaneevents / Flora: Blumette, @blumette_floral / Bride’s Attire: Karen Willis Holmes, @kwhbridal / Groom’s Attire: The Bespoke Corner Tailors, @thebespokecorner / Ring/s: Diamonds International, @diamondsinternationalbris / Shoes: Steve Madden, @stevemaddenau / Other jewellery/accessories: Christie Nicolaides, @christienicolaides / Hair & Makeup: The Futures Mrs, @thefuture_mrs; @leitai / Fragrance: Maison Margiela Fragrances, @maisonmargielafragrances
