EXCLUSIVE
Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz will marry next week in a fairytale ceremony at a luxury $20 million estate in rural Queensland.
Mr Sharaz popped the question during a romantic sunset proposal at the iconic Cape Bryon Lighthouse, near her father’s home in Byron Bay, on New Year’s Eve in 2022.
Daily Mail Australia exclusively captured the moment Ms Higgins, wearing an elegant black dress and beige heels, held a bouquet of red roses on the lighthouse balcony as she said ‘I do’.
The couple’s wedding date was revealed in the WA Supreme Court on Thursday, amid Linda Reynolds’ defamation case against her.
Ms Higgins’ lawyers told the court she had wedding plans in early June and would need more time to provide documents relating to a trust fund that could house her property in France, and the remainder of her $2.4 settlement amount million.
Daily Mail Australia can now reveal that Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz will exchange vows on June 1 at The Valley Estate in Currumbin Valley, about 25km south of the Gold Coast.
Brittany Higgins is pictured just after David Sharaz proposed to her on December 31, 2022
The couple will exchange vows at The Valley Estate in Currumbin Valley (pictured)
The estate, set in nine hectares of landscaped gardens, opened in 2021 its owners promise to take over Byron Bay and turn the Gold Coast into the wedding capital of the country.
Wedding package prices are not advertised, but on average Queensland couples spend about $24,000 on their big day.
According to The Valley Estate’s website, the location is the ‘epitome of luxury’.
“A bespoke, one-off space designed to inspire celebration and reflection with loved ones,” the site says.
‘The Valley Estate organizes exclusive, tailor-made wedding parties.
‘Perfect for your special day, we pride ourselves on understanding each couple’s individual needs and meeting your every need.’
Ms Higgins’ best friend and business partner Emma Webster will be her maid of honor.
The site has no accommodation, but Ms Higgins grew up in the area: her father lives on a property in Byron Bay and her mother lives on the Gold Coast.
The location is an old dairy factory, located in rural Queensland (photo)
The nine-hectare estate is billed as ‘the epitome of luxury’ and does not advertise its prices
The estate has a number of locations where couples can take their vows, including a chapel
About a month after their wedding, Ms Higgins will face off against her former Parliament House boss, Ms Reynolds, in a high-profile defamation case in Perth.
The senator is suing Ms. Higgins over a series of social media posts that she claims damaged her reputation by implying she pressured the former aide not to proceed with a complaint to police about her rape allegations in 2019.
Ms Higgins was a junior Liberal staffer at Parliament House at the time, working for Ms Reynolds, Minister for Defense Industry.
Ms Reynolds has consistently denied that both she and her former chief of staff Fiona Brown tried to stop Ms Higgins from going to the police about her assault, telling her her job would be at risk if she tried to do so .
In December 2022, the Commonwealth awarded Ms Higgins $2.4 million in compensation for the way she claims she was treated by her parliamentary bosses after disclosing her rape to them.
The settlement agreement contained a number of allegations against Ms Reynolds that had not been tested in a court of law, denying the senator the opportunity to defend himself in the mediation room.
Pictured: Linda Reynolds outside the WA Supreme Court on Tuesday
In April, Judge Michael Lee of the Federal Court found on a balance of probabilities that Brittany Higgins was raped by her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in March 2019.
However, he also found that Ms Higgins made a series of false statements in her $2.4 million settlement deed – in particular he found that Ms Reynolds and Ms Brown did not try to cover up the rape.
Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz last year bought a permanent property in Lunas, in the south of France.
Months later, Ms. Reynolds tried to freeze her assets.
She is now seeking documents relating to the Brittany Higgins Protective Trust to determine who the trustee is, in case Ms Higgins loses the defamation lawsuit and says she cannot pay damages.
Ms Reynolds is also suing Mr Sharaz over similar social media posts, but he tried to withdraw earlier this month, saying he could not afford to continue with the trial.
The case will be heard for a six-week hearing in July.