Olivia & Kurt | LJ Lovers
A modern romance for the ages, Olivia and Kurt initially met online before committing to each other in a surprise proposal. Despite busy careers they married 17 months later in a love filled ceremony at Summergrove Estate. Continue reading to learn more about their amusing first date, Kurt's perfect proposal and of course, the big day they'll never forget.
From everyone at Louise Jean, a huge congratulations on your wedding! Can you tell us a little more about your special day?
We got married on the 27th of August 2023 at beautiful Summergrove Estate, in the Tweed Hinterland. It was the most perfect day. After all the planning and anticipation, it was amazing to see everything come to fruition. My bridal party and I were up at dawn, having our hair and make-up done, while Kurt and his groomsmen had a leisurely time getting coffee and heading out for a surf. We got married in the chapel on the estate, followed by an hour of cocktails and jazz before moving our reception to the barn. The whole day was just so much fun, full of laughter and love. Our faces hurt from smiling so much - but not as bad as our feet post-dance floor!
How long have you been together and how did you meet?
We’ve been together for almost 6 years. I was studying at veterinary school, about an hour west of Brisbane. Veterinary science is a female dominated discipline and so I gave in to pressure from my friendship group and created a dating profile. After a few dodgy swipes and some awkward dates, a boy named Kurt caught my eye. The rest was history. It took us two months to have our first date, which Kurt planned entirely. We met at a bar on the Brisbane River and had a few drinks before dinner. Kurt bought the first round and asked me what I would like - to which I replied a vodka pineapple. Kurt headed to the bar, where I saw him point to the beer tap, and return with two very dark beers. Out of politeness, I sipped on mine, despite a dark ale being one of my least favourite drinks. I asked Kurt if he liked a dark ale usually - to which he replied not really. I was confused, and asked why he ordered them. He explained that he didn’t hear what I had asked for, went up to the bar and panicked pointing to the first tap that he saw! We laughed, grateful his little misadventure had broken the ice. He promptly purchased me the correct drink shortly after.
You were engaged four years later, can you tell us who proposed and how?
Yes, it was on our 4th anniversary, Kurt had organised a surprise weekend away to Kingscliff, NSW. Years ago, I had previously shown him a photographer in that region that I loved and expressed how much I would love to have some nice photos together some day. In preparation for his proposal, Kurt asked a friend to message me. She made up a story that she wanted to have some family photographs taken while on a holiday in Kingscliff and asked if I knew any photographers. I of course recommended Tiarne, and so her details were passed onto Kurt. Kurt then organised Tiarne to take some sunset photos the afternoon we arrived for our weekend away. Unfortunately, it started raining the minute we got in the car and it poured for the first part of the photo shoot. But once we actually got to the beach, the rain cleared and made way for a perfect afternoon. Our photographer Tiarne asked me to look out into the ocean to take some candid shots. When she asked me to turn around, there was Kurt on one knee. 
What a wonderful story, the perfect proposal. Olivia, we would love to hear more about the wedding, tell us about your wedding day look. What aesthetic were you going for?
I’ve always wanted a simple wedding dress. Above anything I wanted to look and feel like myself. I wanted to look modern, but also classic at the same time. I spent a long day dragging my bridesmaids and mum to a number of bridal boutiques about a year before the wedding. Each shop had something I liked, but nothing I loved. But it was at our very last appointment, I found the perfect dress at Made With Love. It was everything I wanted. I felt so special when I tried it on.
Kurt, how did you feel when you saw Olivia walking down the aisle?
My eyes welled with tears when I first saw her enter the chapel! Olivia looked stunning and I felt so lucky to be the man standing at the altar waiting for her. When we made eye contact I felt very calm and like there was no-one else in the room and that this was going to be the best day of our lives.
Olivia, what made you choose the Lace Ring as your wedding band?
It compliments your Oval Classic Solitaire so beautifully! To try on wedding rings, we made one of many trips to one of my favourite spaces, the LOUISE JEAN showroom at Peregian Beach. I love my engagement ring so much, there was no consideration of any other designer. I originally loved the Fluir Ring, but it didn’t sit quite right when I tried it on. Our wonderful consultant Sian recommended trying the Lace Ring, and it was perfect. We added a hidden sapphire gem to the inside of the band, as my 'Something Blue'.
Tell us, what was the best moment for you both during the wedding?
Our favourite moment was during cocktail hour when we were given a sneak peek of the fully decorated reception space. It was a beautiful moment for the two of us to have a quiet few minutes and appreciate the day so far and to see how all of the wedding planning had paid off. It was so great to enjoy how beautiful everything looked and let the fact we were married sink in. We have some beautiful photos of the moment by our photographer Jessica Turich and even a video of a quiet little dance we indulged in privately by our videographer Rosie Van Films.
How did the evening end?
We were fortunate to have a villa on site at Summergrove Estate where we could stay the night after the wedding. We were absolutely exhausted. Thankfully there were a whole staff of people to shift our belongings from the venue to the villa. We entered the villa to a blazing fire, a beautiful bubble bath, bottles of champagne, some wedding cake that we hadn’t had the chance to eat, and two fluffy bathrobes. We soaked our exhausted feet in the bath, eating cake, and described our individual days, from start to finish. Your wedding day is so busy, you barely have time to speak to the person you’ve just married. It was so nice to just sit, and be with each other. 
What’s next for your journey as a couple?
We’ve both focused on our career the past 12 months, and this will likely continue for the next few years. We travelled to the Maldives for our honeymoon in November which was a dream come true. I also recently brought home, despite Kurt’s objections, a golden retriever puppy, named Phoebe. That brings our total animal count to three. All have been rescues I brought home from my work. They keep us extremely busy, and send us broke, but they fill our house with so much love and warmth, we couldn’t imagine our happily ever after without them.
Images by Jessica Turich
