Maze of love weaves Melissa & Dave to Airlie Beach wedding

David King’s proposal to long-time girlfriend Melissa Battle was definitely worth the wait.

After eight years together, Melissa, 31, had almost given up on marriage, until Dave, also 31, led his blindfolded bride-to-be out into their Boronia garden.

“All of a sudden he yelled out that I could remove the blindfold. To my amazement I was inside a maze made out of beautiful pieces of fabric. On all of the walls inside the maze where hundreds of photos hanging on string,” Melissa recalls.

“All of the photos were of us, family and our adventures together. Throughout the maze there were also little handwritten notes containing things that Dave loves about me.”

At the end of the maze was a final note and a surprisingly empty ring box.

“Confused, I turned around to see Dave on bended knee with the ring in his hand. Needless to say I burst into tears and of course said ‘yes’,” Melissa says.

After such a romantic proposal, it was important the wedding measured up, and the couple didn’t disappoint with a destination Airlie Beach wedding on May 10, 2014, in front of 60 friends and family.

From providing the stunning venue to planning the day to a tee, Melissa says Villa Botanica left no stone unturned.

“From the moment we arrived on our wedding day we were made to feel special. The ceremony location offered breathtaking views of the ocean and the hand carved gazebo where we were married was exquisite,” she says.

Photos courtesy of Studio Impressions.

Melissa and Dave met through mutual friends in 2005 and, while it wasn’t love at first sight, their friendship quickly grew into something more. “Dave is the most caring and loving partner and would do anything for anyone,” Melissa says.

A quirky first dance mash-up choreographed by Sarah Fry, and a lantern-lighting ceremony kept the celebrations going long into the night.