Charlie Kelly, the Sydney restaurateur who owns Double Bay venue Bartiga and is a former partner of socialite Dina Broadhurst, married his partner Mira in a surprise ceremony at a luxury villa in Canggu, Bali on Sunday.
Friends and family who had been invited months earlier to what they were told was an engagement party learned at the event that the couple were about to exchange vows. The announcement came at Arnalaya Beach House, a waterfront villa popular with destination-wedding parties, according to accounts of the gathering.
The technique—hosting a social event with guests under the impression it is an engagement party or other casual gathering and then holding the wedding—has gained traction among younger couples in recent years. At Sunday’s event, some attendees and observers criticised the approach, saying it contravened traditional expectations of wedding etiquette by not giving guests advance notice that they would be witnesses to a marriage.
Kelly and Mira announced their relationship publicly in recent months amid media speculation. The couple chose Arnalaya Beach House for its views and privacy. Organisers had sent invitations describing the gathering as an engagement party, and the switch to a wedding took place during the scheduled event, people familiar with the day said.
Destination weddings have long allowed couples to stage private ceremonies away from their main social circles, but the surprise-wedding format has prompted debate inside Australia’s social set and among etiquette commentators. Supporters say the approach allows couples to celebrate on their own terms and reduces the pressure on guests to travel for a single formal occasion; critics argue it can be disrespectful to those who arrange time and expense to attend.
The ceremony in Bali follows a string of public moments involving Kelly, whose work in hospitality and connections in Sydney’s social scene have attracted media attention. Details about the guest list and whether members of Broadhurst’s circle attended were not independently confirmed.
Kelly’s venue, Bartiga in Double Bay, has hosted high-profile events and is known for a contemporary dining program. Arnalaya Beach House, the wedding site, is marketed as a luxury rental with direct water access, a factor cited by event planners as a draw for destination ceremonies.
The incident illustrates wider tension between evolving wedding practices and established social norms. As surprise and micro-wedding styles proliferate, commentators and guests continue to debate what information couples owe their invitees before expecting them to participate in a milestone event.