The ring Nic bought for Ruby almost disappeared in the dust but their love continued to sparkle

Mid-afternoon sunlight swathes the edge of the verandah on Mabbin station, 250 kilometres west of Mackay, Queensland, as I sit with Bill Fordyce, reminiscing about his eldest son’s wedding. I’ve heard more than once that his speech was incredibly moving and when I ask about it, he is hesitant, tells me it wasn’t very good, but agrees to read it to me. Bill disappears into the house momentarily and brings back a crumpled set of handwritten notes from the pocket of his suit that hasn’t been worn since the wedding earlier this year. While he reads, his voice thickens with emotion, and I understand just how proud he is.

“They say to get your big rocks in place. Well today, Nic and Ruby, you are laying down one of those big rocks. Today is one of the most important and best days of your life. You will have your challenges, like any other couple, but help each other, enjoy each other, look after each other, and grow together.”

Bill’s son Nic Fordyce, 26, proposed to Ruby Hubbard, 24, here at the Fordyce family’s 15,000 hectare property, Mabbin, when he took her on a water run in September 2019. Ruby, who grew up in Walgett, New South Wales, says the proposal happened when she least expected it.

“We met at a campdraft in 2017, just after I had moved to Rockhampton to study agriculture at university,” she explains. Nic was living five hours away at Mabbin, so they did long distance for about two years before becoming engaged. That weekend, while Ruby was out visiting Nic, the pair had done the full circuit of the property checking waters and were on their way home when he proposed.

“It was quite funny how it played out really — I drove the car through a gateway and a cow came out behind me, into the wrong paddock,” she says. Nic and Ruby tried to push the cow back in, but she ran away, and they had to leave her, causing a bit of a quarrel between the couple. “I’m sure anyone who has worked with cattle can probably relate, but I was cranky because we just had a heated moment,” she says, before laughing.

About five minutes later, the afternoon took a very different turn when Nic asked Ruby to stop at a tank where he had set up a picnic with Champagne, and asked her to be his wife. As it turns out, the rogue cow wasn’t the only little mishap in Nic’s plan. He proposed with a stunning oval-cut white diamond from America, as he wasn’t sure of the exact design Ruby wanted. “I thought it was really special that he let me design my ring.

His brother Hugh picked the diamond up in town, but when he got it home, he accidentally dropped it in the dust and was fumbling around trying to pick it up before anyone saw him,” Ruby says with amusement.

After the engagement celebrations eased, it was time to plan the wedding. But then, the most wonderful surprise of all came when Ruby and Nic found out they were expecting a baby, and their son was born on 1 July, 2020. “The wheels sort of fell off the wedding planning when Hudson came along, but it just happened the way it was supposed to. I think I was a lot less stressed about everything for the wedding because Hudson was here, and he was my priority,” she says.

The couple married on 15 May, 2021, at Earlando, 2500 hectares of private Whitsunday coastland, 50 kilometres north of Airlie Beach in Queensland. “The family who own it are from the land and they felt more like friends to us than wedding vendors,” says Ruby. “It was like we had known them forever and they helped make our day so perfect.” She describes visiting the wedding venue as a surreal experience, with a dirt road winding through a paddock dotted with palm trees and grazing cattle, that eventually opened out over a hill to incredible ocean views. “For us, that venue was like getting the best of both worlds: you’re getting married on a functioning cattle property, but you’re also getting this glamorous venue that is so breathtaking.”

Ruby and her bridesmaids had plenty of opportunity to take in the picturesque views out of their windows during the limousine trip to the ceremony, when the air conditioner stopped working. “We were driving along the dirt road going into Earlando and we were getting absolutely covered in dust coming through the aircon — I had to put the window down because we couldn’t breathe,” Ruby says. “At that point I just couldn’t worry about my hair and make-up, because I knew it was either have my hair a little bit messy from the wind, or rock up to the ceremony covered in dust.”

One of the highlights for the 165 guests in attendance at the reception was the incredible band. Ruby and Nic had previously seen Fat Albert play as a supporting act for Daryl Braithwaite and thought they would be perfect for their wedding. “We barely got to finish our first dance before everyone was out on the dance floor, and they stayed there all night. We even had to cancel our father–daughter and mother–son dances because we just couldn’t get our guests away from the dance floor,” she recalls fondly.

Today, the newly married couple have settled into life with little Hudson in a cottage near the main homestead on the family property. As I leave Mabbin, Ruby, Nic and Hudson are about to head out on another water run, and I can’t help but wonder what surprises this one will have in store for them.

LISTEN: Melinda O’Donoghue is known as the Outback Wedding Dressmaker. Article continues below.

IN DETAIL

Bridal party
Maid of Honour: Amy Atkinson
Best man: Hugh Fordyce
Bridesmaids: Tayla Mather, Chelsea Gall
Groomsmen: Zak O’Brien, Tom Russell

Cake
The couple’s chocolate cake with buttercream filling was made by a home baking business in Moranbah, Queensland, called Kylie’s Kreations. Kylie also made a cake for their son Hudson’s first birthday, not long after the wedding. “Our cake wasn’t ready until the day before, but luckily a friend was able to detour to Moranbah on her way to pick it up for us, and it travelled four hours to the venue in a car fridge,” says Ruby.

Celebrant
The couple’s family friend, Claire Thompson, was the celebrant. Claire only does weddings for people she knows.

Dresses
Bride’s dress: Ruby wore the stunning Bella top and skirt by Match Made Bridal, which she found at Babushka Ballerina, Brisbane. She had always planned to wear a more traditional style wedding dress, but when she tried on the set for the first time, she felt very special in it. “The more I thought about it, I realised the outfit was so suited to us and our situation: it wasn’t a traditional dress, but we hadn’t really done things in the traditional way either, so it just felt right.”
Veil: Ruby’s nude tulle veil was also purchased from Babushka Ballerina.
Bridemaid’s dresses: All the bridesmaids wore dresses selected from the La Lune collection by Shona Joy. Amy wore the La Lune Bias Slip Dress in Sage, while Tayla and Chelsea both wore the La Lune Bias Cowl Midi Dress in Sage.

Menswear
The groom and groomsmen all wore suits from M.J. Bale.

Flowers
From Sofi & Flora.

Food
Canapés, entrées and then an alternate drop for the main course with options of peppered beef sirloin with butternut confit, and dukka and herb–centred chicken roulade. Aquava Boutique Catering.

Hair
Intuition the Art of Hair

Jewellery
Earrings: The bridesmaids’ custom earrings were from Treasure Chest Co.
Ruby’s rose crystal drop earrings were a gift from her aunt and uncle and were the Tahlia style from Swarovski.
Engagement ring: Ruby’s halo-style engagement ring (top) was made with rose gold by Penfold Jewellers in Brisbane, using the white diamond that Nic proposed with.
Wedding band: Ruby’s wedding band was from Millroy Jewellers in Mooloolaba, Queensland.

Make-up
Ruby and her bridesmaids’ make-up was done by Tiesha Willoughby from Mackay, Queensland, whose family also owns a trucking business that the Fordyces use to transport their cattle.

Music
The fabulous band was Fat Albert. “They made the night so fun — at one point, I was even up on the stage singing with them,” says Ruby.

Photographer
Jessica Turich was the photographer. Jess has captured many special milestones for the couple, including Ruby’s 21st birthday celebration, their first photos as a family of three, and now their beautiful wedding. “She is amazing at what she does and made everyone feel so relaxed,” says Ruby.

Venue
The couple were married at Earlando, an exquisite venue on the Whitsunday coast in Queensland. Owners Ben and Teena Titley host a maximum of 12 weddings per year, between May and October, at their cattle property.

Wedding planner
Plan My Wedding Whitsundays. “We were really able to relax and enjoy our day thanks to our wedding planner, who did all the little jobs that no-one wants to do,” says Ruby.

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To hear more extraordinary stories about women living in rural and regional Australia, listen to our podcast Life on the Land on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.