It may have taken three near-misses in the space of a year but it ’ s clear Niki and Josh were meant to be . “ It really felt like the universe was trying to bring us together ,” explains Niki of the pair who were matched via an online dating app only to realise they ’ d met briefly in Greece 12 months before . It was just a brief hello at 3 am in an Ios nightclub , but the stars were aligning . “ What ’ s even funnier is that six months after Greece , Josh looked at renting a room in the townhouse directly across from mine ,” says Niki . He gave the townhouse a miss , but when Josh eventually did connect with his future bride , everything clicked . “ We share a great passion for travel / adventure , good food and wine ,” says Niki . “ Our lives pretty much involve some , if not all , of these things .” After meeting during the pandemic , the pair quickly made up for lost time with travel around Australia and to Niki ’ s home country of New Zealand — where Josh popped the question after receiving Niki ’ s father ’ s blessing . Under the guise of ‘ an anniversary present ’, Josh arranged for a private helicopter flight to take the pair for a secluded picnic lunch on a snow-capped mountain in Queenstown . “ He led me to the cliff ’ s edge for a ‘ photo ’, and as I turned around he grabbed my hand ,” Niki recalls . “ His hand was shaking uncontrollably and my thought was ‘ is he scared ?’ because we were literally on the edge of a very high mountain ?’ But then he got down on one knee ! It was so romantic and one of the happiest moments of my life .” After some serious online venue stalking , the Gold Coastbased couple found a well-positioned venue that ticked every box . “ Our dream was for an outdoor ceremony location but the venue needed to have a nice wet weather option as both my dad and sister ’ s weddings were in gardens and had torrential rain ,” explains Niki . “ We wanted to have the ceremony , pre-reception and reception at the same venue and take all our photos onsite or nearby to minimise the time we were away from our guests . We also looked for venue hire to include catering / drinks packages , tables / chairs , staff etc .” Enter Braeside at Gin House Creek Estate , a secluded hideaway with a convenient location . “ We fell in love with Braeside ’ s beautiful gardens , gorgeous white chapel ( wet-weather option ) and the central yet still private location ( about 7 km from Broadbeach , so our guests wouldn ’ t have far to Uber ),” says Niki . The clincher ? Owner Sam , who made the couple feel instantly welcome . “ Sam offered us so much helpful information and support . Knowing we had her to guide us through the process ( we had no idea how to plan a wedding ) provided so much peace of mind .,” says Niki . “ It sealed the deal .” The couple ’ s wedding style proved a perfect match for Braeside ’ s manicured grounds and chic new reception pavilion . “ We envisioned : soft and romantic ; dreamy and luxurious ; lots of whites / creams and soft pinks ; floating candles in glass cylinders ; fine gold cutlery ; soft velvet chairs ; and crystal chandeliers ,” says Niki . And that ’ s exactly what Arctic Fox Events delivered with their softly romantic florals and gorgeous styling . On the day , Niki glided down the aisle on her father ’ s arm , and she and Josh cherished the moment with 80 loved ones . The newlyweds then aced their reception entrance with a surprise first dance . To ease any nerves around their secret dance lessons , they cued the music and walked straight onto the dance floor . The bride briefly rotated her incredible House of St . Patrick gown ( that train is gorgeous but heavy !) for a more lightweight Chancery option . “ But I loved it so much I swapped back straight after ,” she says . Then they could really relax ! We love a happy ending .”