Ray Hadley’s bizarre and expensive wedding gift to new wife

Many brides are gifted jewellery or a love letter from the groom – in addition to the wedding ring, of course – on their special day, but 2GB radio host Ray Hadley opted for something a little less romantic – but far more extravagant – and has given his new wife a racehorse.

The 66-year-old married his third wife Sophie Baird on Saturday, revealing the unique choice of gift in an interview with The Daily Telegraph. The gift was in-keeping with the theme of the couple’s wedding at Saddles restaurant, in Mount White in New South Wales, which is owned by well-known Australian horse breeder John Singleton.

Hadley described the wedding as “magnificent” and said Baird “took his breath away” as she walked down the aisle towards him. The couple has been engaged since 2019 but were forced to cancel their nuptials three times because of the pandemic.

“When she walked down … she took my breath away,” he said. “She looked absolutely magnificent, beautiful. As beautiful as she looked, she’s a more beautiful person. She’s a fantastic wife. [It was] absolutely magnificent, just the best day.”

Hadley revealed on-air on Tuesday that it took Baird a little longer than usual to walk down the aisle, after an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. Hadley said that his wife had to pause at the top of the aisle due to a slight issue with her wedding gown.

“She was standing about 120 metres away, I could see her off in the distance,” he said. “She didn’t start to move and then I found out later that her father David was standing on her dress. So they had to untangle Dad from the dress and I said to the crowd, ‘she could be having second thoughts here’!”

Despite the small hiccup, Hadley said the wedding went off seamlessly. “The sun shone, all the guests arrived on time by the buses, not a hitch … as perfect as you can get and everyone had a great time,” he said.

Baird was Hadley’s personal assistant for 16 years, before they became engaged in 2019. The couple tied the knot before family and friends, with the bride wearing a white off-the-shoulder gown. She walked down the aisle to a song from the couple’s favourite movie Notting Hill – ‘When You Say Nothing At all’ by Keith Whitley.