Luke Jacobz has tied the knot with his soul mate, Raychel Stuart, in a sunlit Sydney ceremony, New Idea is pleased to announce.
Pandemic lockdowns meant the gorgeous couple was forced to scrap their original wedding plans not once but twice.
So there was a huge sigh of relief when they finally exchanged vows on June 3 in front of 32 loved ones.
WATCH NOW: Luke Jacobz kisses his fiancee. Article continues after video.
Keeping news of their big day under wraps until now, Luke, 42, admits he had started to lose hope that Raychel, 35, would ever become his wife.
But the newlyweds, who got engaged in 2018, both say they are “thrilled” their “lifelong dream” is now their reality.
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Given how long she was made to wait for her big day, Raychel was a very punctual bride.
She arrived 40 minutes early to the ceremony, which took place in a small pine forest in Sydney’s Centennial Park.
She was walked down the aisle by her new mother-in-law’s partner, John.
Both she and Luke have sadly lost their fathers, and US-born Raychel’s brothers were unable to make it from LA.
“John was just absolutely blown away to be asked to do it,” Luke tells us.
“It was a really special moment.”
Raychel says seeing Luke waiting for her at the altar felt “unreal” and “dreamlike”.
“All the pieces together were just so beautiful,” she says with a smile.
Luke looked dapper in a custom suit by Alex Goodman while Raychel wore a simple yet elegant gown.
Creating the floral arrangements herself, she carried a bouquet of native blooms.
In the months leading up to the wedding, there were a few hiccups, as Raychel became sick.
She also had a dress malfunction which needed altering before eventually requiring a brand-new gown entirely.
Luke jumped in to keep the wedding planning rolling, however, so the dramas were avoided and it ended up being “stress-free”.
“It was really good because it meant that we were both hands-on,” Luke says of the shared wedding workload.
After the ceremony, a reception was held at the couple’s favourite Indian restaurant in North Sydney, Lavendra.
They enjoyed “the best food” with an exquisite view of the Harbour Bridge.
For Luke, the most special moment of the day was picking Raychel up and giving her a kiss at the end of the aisle. He admits his emotions were high all day.
“I was a mess. When I saw Raychel I just lost it because we’ve been waiting so long for it to happen. I ended up using all the tissues, and not Raychel which was part of the plan.”
Looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together, the couple share that they are going to try for a family next.
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But with a few family weddings and birthdays to celebrate later this year, they plan to first indulge in some much-needed “R&R” once back from their honeymoon in America.
