It was an emotional roller coaster for Bondi bride Lucy Taaffe when she was robbed and proposed to in the same week.
On the morning of July 24, 2012, Lucy, anxious and jittery after the house robbery that week in which thieves took a watch and wallet, was coaxed out of the house by British beau Ian Ashton. When she remembered she’d left her jewellery behind, Ian, 30, assured her they’d only be gone a short while.
“Within seconds, he pulled out a box and inside was an incredible heart-shaped diamond ring,” recalls Lucy, 29. But when they returned, Lucy’s mood turned to fear – the front door was ajar.
“I immediately pushed the door open thinking we had been robbed again,” she says. “To my surprise, Ian had organised a surprise engagement party with our closest friends.”
The well-planned proposal led to the couple’s floral-themed vineyard wedding on January 10, 2014.
Celebrated in the Hunter Valley, the pair’s mutual love of flowers and Ian’s passion for cricket was entwined to create a unique and truly personal event.
Wandin Estate’s Cricketer’s Pavilion provided the space for the nuptials which coincided with the Ashes Test Series – much to many of the 118 guests’ delight.
Wearing a dazzling Karen Willis Holmes gown, Lucy wed Ian on an enviable 28-degree day surrounded by their little “wedding community” of loved ones from home the UK.
Photographer Cam Neville was there to document the love.
Lucy and Ian’s wedding invitations were old novels specifically selected for each guest and were mostly hand delivered.
The kids’ corner included personalised party boxes with chocolate freckles in their initals, toys and nick-knacks to keep them amused.
In creating the floral theme, a family friend painted floral canvases to differentiate the tables. Guests took home jars full of flowers as bomboniere.
Photos courtesy of Cam Neville Photography.
