A Melbourne hospitality heir has tied the knot in an extravagant wedding at his high-profile parents’ country estate on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Ben ‘BJ’ Keebaugh, the son of hospitality giants Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh, founders of global events company The Big Group, said ‘I do’ to his partner Abbie Greene in a star-studded ceremony last weekend.
The proud parents, fixtures on the Melbourne social scene, transformed their sprawling Barragunda estate into a magical, green-themed setting for 180 guests.
They spared no expense for their only son’s big day, with an industry expert estimating the weekend-long extravaganza would have set them back $500,000.
‘But I imagine many complementary deals were made,’ the expert said.
The bride stunned in a strapless floral-print gown paired with a matching veil, while the groom looked timeless in a crisp white dinner jacket and black bow tie.
The bridal party made a statement arriving in forest-green Range Rovers, complete with custom ‘Mr & Mrs K’ number plates.
Abbie was flanked by five bridesmaids and one bridesman, while BJ stood alongside seven groomsmen.
The consummate entertainers left no stone unturned day with bespoke ‘B and A’ monogramming details scattered throughout the wedding, floral arrangements by designer Joost Bakker, a seven-tier wedding cake and fireworks display.
Melbourne hospitality heir Ben ‘BJ’ Keebaugh has tied the knot with bride Abbie Greene in an extravagant wedding at his parents’ country estate on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula
Former Real Housewives of Melbourne star Chyka Keebaugh and her husband Bruce
The consummate entertainers left no stone left unturned day with bespoke ‘B and A’ monogramming details scattered throughout the wedding, floral arrangements by designer Joost Bakker, a seven-tier wedding cake and fireworks display
The event gurus also hosted a recovery party at the ‘Keebaugh ranch’ for a poolside afternoon which also doubled as a celebration of BJ’s 30th birthday.
Guests – which included influencer Lila Holbrook, Carman’s muesli tycoon Carolyn Cresswell, restaurant royalty Holly Lucas and Decjuba founder Tania Austin – were asked to dress in white western outfits for an American-style barbecue.
BJ, who works as Chief of Staff at United Business Development Services, and his PWC marketing-lead wife have been based in London since 2023.
Days after the knees-up, Bruce took to social media to welcome his new daughter-in-law to the family and joked about his post-wedding come-down.
‘Well, that was one hell of a wedding weekend – so, so many people to thank, and I promise we will do that properly, but for now a few special pics of our beautiful new daughter and our magnificent son, who left today for their honeymoon,’ he said.
‘It’s one thing creating moments and memories for others – it’s a totally different experience when you’re the ones in the middle of the moment!
‘It takes a village and I promise the village will be recognised – but the mother and father of the groom are just still recovering from the “recovery”!’
The bridal party made a statement arriving in forest-green Range Rovers, complete with custom ‘Mr & Mrs K’ number plates
The event gurus also hosted a recovery party at the ‘Keebaugh ranch’ for a poolside afternoon which also doubled as a celebration of BJ’s 30th birthday
In their 25 years in business, The Big Group have evolved into a one-stop shop for luxury events, seamlessly overseeing everything from catering and styling to florals, venue sourcing and staffing.
They’re understood to be worth upwards of $40million.
Their client list includes the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the Australian Open, as well as events crafted for Louis Vuitton, Lexus, Emirates and Dior across Australia, the Middle East, South America, Italy, France and Vietnam.
