Can you tell us a little about how you met?
We met at our local RSL club in Sydney, not the most romantic of places however I can assure you, it is the classiest one I have ever been to. After a few exchanged glances over to each other's tables- and a couple of drinks, Jack worked up the courage to come over to my table and strike up a conversation and the rest is history!
What made you choose The Duke of Marlborough?
We travelled to Russell just before COVID hit and before we were engaged. We went to the Duke for an afternoon beverage, and sat outside on the water on a beautiful summers day, we absolutely fell in love with the Duke and both decided during that first drink that this would be the place that we would get married. When we did get engaged about a year and a half later, we did not look at one single other venue and got in touch with the Duke to lock in our date.
How did you find planning your wedding?
It was an absolute dream, so streamline and no stress involved. Any query we had was responded to incredibly promptly and all requests we had were accommodated to. We had a meeting with the wedding coordinator when we travelled to Russell about 6 months before the wedding, which was great as we were able to discuss finer details and go into all of the spaces that we would utilise during the wedding day, including the bridal suite. We also met with Bridget, one of the owners of the Duke, and Rowen, our wedding coordinator, the day prior to the wedding to discuss specific details, which was incredibly helpful.
Any highlights?
Having all of our closest family and friends in the same beautiful town of Russell, with many of them staying at the Duke. As most of the people that attended the wedding were from Australia and the South Island, most people arrived a few days prior to the wedding and stayed a few days after. It was so great to be able to catch up with everyone before and after the big day, it seemed to take a bit of the pressure off the wedding day itself. It really just felt like a big party with our favourite people and that is exactly what we wanted.
Photography by: Kathy Elliston
