Aussie Home Loans boss John Symond’s daughter has tied the knot with her long-time beau hiring out an entire Whitsunday’s resort, but the original wedding had been planned somewhere a little more exotic.
Wearing a $200,000 wedding dress, Deborah Symond walked down the aisle with her Sydney society fiancé Ned O’Neil on Friday surrounded by 120 esteemed guests and the couple’s very famous fathers.
But sources from the wedding have told Daily Mail Australia their original invitations were addressed for St Barts, a small luxury island in the Caribbean popular among the rich and famous.
The couple changed their plans after Cyclone Irma hit the tropical island in September, wiping out much of the township and resorts and causing severe shortages in electricity and water.
Determined to exchange their vows in a tropical island venue, the wealthy family hired out Hamilton Island’s entire exclusive Qualia resort for the three-day long celebration.
Aussie Home Loans boss John Symond’s daughter tied the knot with her long-time beau wearing a $200,000 wedding dress (Deborah Symond and Ned O’Neil pictured) but the original wedding had been planned somewhere a little more exotic
The couple changed their plans after Cyclone Irma hit the tropical island in September, wiping out much of the township and resorts. The luxury Eden Rock hotel (pictured) may have been one of the hotels shortlisted for the original wedding venue
The hotel pictured after it was ravaged by Hurricane Irma when the storm swept over St Barts. It was only last month that the island’s airport was handling daily flights and many hotels are still not yet open
Deborah Symond (pictured) walked down the aisle with her Sydney society fiancé Ned O’Neil (right) on Friday surrounded by 120 esteemed guests
It was only last month that the island’s airport was handling daily flights and a ferry service between St. Martin and St. Barts. Many hotels are still not yet open and are expected to be operation by the end of the year.
With the new location set and perfect weather for the occasion, the couple exchanged vows in front of Mr Symond and Ned’s father Denis O’Neil, a superyacht broker and owner of Rose Bay Marina.
Deborah, who has launched her own successful fashion retailer to rival the likes of Net-A-Porter, wore a custom-made Christian Dior haute couture gown she had especially curated in Paris over the last year.
Diverting from the usual white wedding trend, the striking 30-year-old radiated in a blush pink ensemble with an applique bustier and flowing hemline.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald she had been fitted in Dior’s Paris headquarters since early last year and had organised several stays at the Paris Ritz in between alterations before yesterday’s reveal.
St Bart’s hotel, where rooms start at £777 a night, pictured after the hurricane hit. One witness wrote on Twitter, ‘all that’s left is rock’
Diverting from the usual white wedding trend, the striking 30-year-old radiated in a blush pink ensemble with an applique bustier and flowing hemline (pictured)
According to the Sydney Morning Herald she had been fitted in Dior’s Paris headquarters since early last year and had organised several stays at the Paris Ritz in between alterations before yesterday’s reveal
The couple flew 120 guests, including the ten men and women in their wedding party, to North Queensland where they used the hashtag #Neborah on Instagram to show off the day’s festivities.
Stunning cream-coloured floral displays adorned the podium where they were married and a crisp white piano played tunes for the loved-up couple to dance to.
Speaking to Private Sydney the newly-married Mr O’Neil said: ‘It’s wonderful to have family and friends with us to enjoy what is the happiest day of my life. I am marrying the love of my life and I am the happiest man on earth to be able to share the rest of it with Deb.’
He met his wife over a decade ago through family friends before realising their fathers were old associates.
Ned (right with Deborah) met his wife over a decade ago through family friends before realising their fathers were old associates
They spend much of their time soaking up the sights of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs but also recently returned from a trip to Bora Bora and Deborah’s hens night in Hong Kong
It’s a jet-setting life the couple share with Deborah’s father John and step mother Amber McDonald, who split their time between the couple’s waterfront Sydney mansion, $75 million superyacht and new London penthouse they purchased last year
They spend much of their time soaking up the sights of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs but also recently returned from a trip to Bora Bora and Deborah’s hens night in Hong Kong.
It’s a jet-setting life the couple share with Deborah’s father John and step mother Amber McDonald, who split their time between the couple’s waterfront Sydney mansion, $75 million superyacht and new London penthouse they purchased last year.
Despite placing his $100 million Potts Point up for sale in 2016, the 70-year-old decided to pull the 2700-square-metre property off the market, Daily Mail Australia was told.
Deborah and Ned sashayed around the dance floor to the sound of a live band (pictured)
Deborah’s bridesmaids wore gorgeous pastel dresses in various styles to match with the brides alternate approach (pictured)
It would appear as though many of the couple’s guests wore white for the wedding (pictured)
Mr Symond instead decided to add to his property portfolio, snapping up a home in Knightsbridge, an affluent London area where the iconic Harrods is located.
He also treated himself to a 10-metre superyacht for his 70th birthday in September, 2017, and promptly threw himself a three-day, $7 million celebration.
The couple were rumoured to be looking at moving to London full-time, but Daily Mail learned Mr Symond and Ms McDonald, 45, who he wed in 2016, will travel across the globe throughout the year.
John Symond pictured with his daughter Deborad at the launch party for ModeSportif.com