A jibe about Lisa Wilkinson, the best man’s speech faux pas that silenced everyone, and the lavish Euro menu – all the inside info on Brittany’s big day
The best man at Brittany Higgins’ lavish French-themed wedding used his speech to poke fun at David Sharaz’s first marriage and Lisa Wilkinson’s Logies disaster.
Ms Higgins married her long-term boyfriend in front of about 80 guests on Saturday afternoon at The Valley Estate – a sprawling luxury estate on the Gold Coast that was reported to have cost more than $100,000.
After an intimate chapel ceremony, guests enjoyed a European-inspired dinner, Mr. Sharaz’s sister sang a musical number, Édith Piaf’s 1945 song “La vie en rose” was played and Ms. Higgins danced with her father.
There were cheers as the speeches began, with words from the parents, the groom and bridesmaid Emma Webster, who Mr Sharaz affectionately called ‘bridezilla’.
Daily Mail Australia understands there was laughter when best man and MC, Alan Horner, jokingly said Wilkinson – who was not invited to the wedding – said she was sorry she wasn’t there but worried she would have to make a speech would love.
However, it is further understood the The room fell silent when he made an ill-timed joke about how he wasn’t invited to the groom’s first wedding to Alexandra Craig in 2018.
Pictured: The bridal table as Brittany Higgins’ father gave his speech (right, with partner Kellie Jago)
The wedding party is pictured, including best man Alan Horner (back row, center, with mustache). Maid of Honor Emma Webster is second from left. David Sharaz’s sister is right behind him
Mr Sharaz married political adviser Alexandra Craig at Yarralumla Brickworks in Canberra in 2018, but the couple filed for divorce a few years later.
Ms. Craig did not comment on her ex-husband’s wedding on Saturday, instead posting a photo of her excursion to a frozen yogurt franchise called Yogurberry.
The groom’s hands shook uncontrollably as he took his vows during Saturday’s ceremony, but his after-dinner speech was much more controlled.
He said Mrs Higgins was the love of his life and she looked beautiful in her designer dress.
However, his speech ended with a bizarre confession about how he had composed the speech the night before while watching a movie, and never finished it.
After an intimate chapel ceremony with a string quartet playing Vivaldi and Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” the newlyweds headed hand-in-hand to the reception hall to present themselves as husband and wife for the very first time.
Despite reports that helicopter noise delayed the ceremony by 45 minutes, it is understood that everything went on time and there were no lengthy delays.
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured giving her Logies speech in 2022, which delayed Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial
David Sharaz is pictured before the wedding ceremony on Saturday afternoon
Brittany Higgins shared a dance with her father, Matthew Higgins, during the reception on Saturday
Guests were given two choices for entrées, including stracciatella with prosciutto and melon, dried olives and a balsamic reduction, or split shrimp with seaweed butter and seasoned sea herbs.
The main meals consisted of chicken breast with potato galette, tomato confit and shallot salsa, or beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes, mushrooms and black garlic gravy – all served with roast potatoes and a rocket salad.
Dessert consisted of a selection of popcorn snickers bars with salted peanuts and caramel popcorn, along with lemon myrtle meringue pie with whipped crème fraîche.
No mention was made at the event of Ms Higgins’ 2019 rape, or of their future defamation lawsuits brought by her former boss, Senator Linda Reynolds.
Guests said the venue was extravagant, but the event itself wasn’t over-the-top or cheesy — the couple didn’t spend thousands of dollars extra for a stack of champagne or an oyster bar.
They said it felt like a fresh start for the happy couple after a tumultuous few years, after being thrust into the spotlight when Ms Higgins went public with her rape allegations.
She said her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann raped her at Parliament House in 2019 when they were both junior political staffers.
He had denied it, but in April a Federal Court judge ruled, on a balance of probabilities, that Ms Higgins had been raped.
Pictured: The menu at Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz’s wedding on the Gold Coast
Pictured: guests entering the chapel on Saturday afternoon, before the ceremony
Pictured: Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz get married on Saturday
On Friday, a day before Ms. Higgins tied the knot with Mr. Sharaz, Lehrmann filed an appeal to overturn the verdict.
In December last year, the couple bought a castle in the south of France with the $2.4 million she received from the Commonwealth in compensation for the way her rape allegations were handled.
It is believed they moved permanently to escape their celebrity status in Australia.
Ms Higgins’ wedding date was revealed in the WA Supreme Court last week, amid Linda Reynolds’ defamation case against her over social media posts that she claims have damaged her reputation.
Outside court, Ms Reynolds’ lawyer Martin Bennett said last week that he had made a request to obtain a copy of documentation relating to a trust account in her name.
The application will seek to determine who the trustee is and who should bring charges in the event Ms Higgins says she cannot pay damages if she loses the case.
Last month, Mr Sharaz withdrew from Ms Reynolds’ defamation action against him because he could not afford it.
He has been ordered to pay Ms Reynolds’ legal costs. If he goes bankrupt, he may not be able to return to France.
After the ruling in April, Ms Higgins released a statement on Instagram saying she felt vindicated: “I was raped. No amount of judgment could ever change this truth.”
She added: ‘I lived with the shame, humiliation and fear of what telling my story would mean for my life and career, like so many other victims.’
