Bonnie Sveen has married the love of her life, Nathan Gooley in an intimate Tasmanian wedding witnessed by 100 of their loved ones.
Sharing her private album exclusively with New Idea, the former Home & Away favourite admits she’s “still up on the wedding cloud” after the March 11 nuptials.
WATCH: Bonnie Sveen on her Home & Away character Ricky Sharpe’s departure
Held at the picturesque Stewarts Bay Lodge in Port Arthur, Bonnie and Nathan were joined at the altar by their 4-year-old twins Myrtle and Emerald.
“We needed it to be really family friendly because we had 21 kids there!” Bonnie tells New Idea. “So, we wanted things to be nice and simple… and keep it centred on the love between Nath and I and the family.”
The wedding day comes after Nathan proposed on a family beach holiday in March 2020.
Bonnie tells us that, at the time, she was “totally shocked” when Nath dropped to one knee and presented her with a “spectacular” emerald engagement ring because the couple had hardly spoken about marriage.
“We’d committed to each other a while ago and that love was really clear,” Bonnie explains.
“I think having kids… the focus kind of shifts away from your relationship and your romance and even on you as an individual. So, [the engagement] was a gorgeous way to push that to the forefront.”
The couple spent a year planning their big day and Bonnie says Myrtle and Emerald were always going to be a “central” element.
“It was a dream come true for us to have our two little children watching on, and being a part of it, celebrating. We were coming at the wedding as a whole family circle, rather than as just a pair.”
In fact, the bride and groom shared their first dance to a song from the four-year-olds’ favourite movie, Disney’s Encanto. The duo also had formal roles in the ceremony – although Bonnie laughs that Myrtle got “distracted by the crowd” and momentarily “forgot her mission!”
For the Logie-winning star, the ceremony itself was the biggest highlight.
“We just felt, we’re not fulfilling anyone else’s idea, we’re not putting on a show. This is us and our day speaking what we want to each other and committing to each other,” Bonnie says.
“It was the most grateful I’ve ever been in my life to just have this day to celebrate love and each other and everyone’s good health and being able to be together.”
The wedding also incorporated a sacred smoking ceremony performed by Trawlwoolway woman and cultural educator, Trish Hodge.
WATCH: Bonnie Sveen on her game-changing Logie win
“It was grounding and powerful and set the tone for the day,” Bonnie says.
The 100-person guest list was made up of the couple’s extended family and close friends, who were treated to locally sourced produce, wines and beers.
And the day was also filled with personal touches. The Secret Daughter star’s mum Leanne was integral to the event styling, even designing floral table settings that incorporated her own hand grown blooms. Meanwhile, dad Rob fashioned the ceremony arch from salvaged driftwood, which Bonnie decorated with drapes.
“They both had this huge imprint on the day and on the memory,” Bonnie says.
In lieu of a wedding cake, the couple opted to “simplify things” by enlisting loved ones to bake sweet treats for an epic dessert table.
Bonnie, who wore a “romantic” Madi Lane gown, says the party really got started later in the evening when all the kids – and her beloved Great Nan Zena – hit the dance floor!
“Nan could not get off that dancefloor. She brought the best moves,” Bonnie recalled.
The newlyweds farewelled their final guests at 11pm – although Bonnie admits her little ones crashed out hours earlier on a couch!
Upon reflection, Bonnie is in awe of what was an “incredibly powerful and magical” day.
“It was the unification of both our stories and our upbringings and our souls coming together,” said the star, whose gone from being Miss Sveen to Ms Sveen.
“That’s what created that wedding cloud that I’ve been on ever since.”
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea!
