Showbiz

Francesca Packer Preps for Wedding with Style!

Francesca Packer-Barham was ever the blushing bride on Tuesday as she did some last-minute preparations for her wedding to Robert Bates this week.The billionair...

Francesca Packer Preps for Wedding with Style!
BN

Bintano News

Advertisement

Francesca Packer-Barham was ever the blushing bride on Tuesday as she her wedding to Robert Bates this week.

The billionaire heiress, 31, and her betrothed, 46, will tie the knot in an intimate ceremony on Wednesday at the opulent 30,000-hectare Packer family estate in Upper Hunter Valley.

The happy couple were seen running some errands near their Potts Point home, with Packer-Barham flashing a fresh bridal manicure ahead of her big day. 

The brunette was appropriately dressed for her pre-wedding activities, wearing a vintage black Keith Haring jumper with a heart printed on the front.

She paired the crewneck with a set of black leggings and pulled her dark locks back into a high ponytail to show off a huge set of sparkling diamond earrings.

At one point, the bride-to-be could be seen hugging an older woman dressed in a red coat.

Advertisement

Francesca Packer-Barham was ever the blushing bride on Tuesday as she did some last-minute preparations for her wedding to Robert Bates this week 

The billionaire heiress, 31, and her betrothed, 46, will tie the knot in an intimate ceremony on Wednesday at the opulent 30,000-hectare Packer family estate in Upper Hunter Valley 

The happy couple were seen running some errands near their Potts Point home, with Packer flashing a fresh bridal manicure ahead of her big day 

Meanwhile, Bates kept things casual in a pair of shorts and a black jumper over a white T-shirt. 

He did most of the heavy lifting on the day, packing up Packer-Barham's Range Rover outside her home as they prepared for their upcoming nuptials. 

Bates was also spotted filling the vehicle with multiple bouquets of fresh pink roses, including one bunch labelled 'Nonna of the Bride'.  

It comes after reports emerged that Packer-Barham and Bates were set to marry much sooner than believed. 

The couple were initially set to wed under a full moon in Spain. 

Instead they will say 'I do' in front of select family members at the secluded Packer estate in the Upper Hunter Valley in NSW, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday.

Advertisement

The socialite was said to have 'caught many in her wider social orbit off guard' with news the multi-day celebration she planned to take place in Majorca in July was not the main event.

Packer-Barham had planned a three-day event to align with the lunar cycle, with the festivities ending on the night of July 29, when the full moon emerges.

Join the discussion

Does choosing a private family wedding over a lavish public one show true love or just privilege?

What's your view?

The brunette was appropriately dressed for her pre-wedding activities, wearing a vintage black Keith Haring jumper with a heart printed on the front 

She paired the crewneck with a set of black leggings and pulled her dark locks back into a high ponytail to show off a huge set of sparkling diamond earrings 

Advertisement

At one point, the bride-to-be could be seen hugging an older woman dressed in a red coat

Meanwhile, Bates kept things casual in a pair of shorts and a black jumper over a white T-shirt

He did most of the heavy lifting on the day, packing up Packer's Range Rover outside her Potts Point home as they prepared for their upcoming nuptials

Bates was also spotted filling the vehicle with multiple bouquets of fresh pink roses

One bouquet was labelled 'Nonna of the Bride'

Packer-Barham and Bates were first spotted together when he attended her 28th birthday party in November of that year.

With her colourful dating history and his chequered past in business, one well-placed insider joked to the Daily Mail this week that the pair are made for each other.

'Their lives are both pretty dramatic, so they're probably the perfect match,' they said.

But not everyone in the gossipy eastern suburbs set is so blasé.

It's not exactly a secret that eyebrows have been raised over the pairing of Bates - whose buzzy wellness start-ups went kaput after briefly propelling him onto the rich list - with the heiress to a vast family fortune.

During the outing, Packer-Barham flashed her massive diamond engagement ring sparkling on her finger.

The rock looked strikingly similar to the 17.34-carat diamond ring Packer-Barham reportedly purchased for $575,000 at auction house Leonard Joel in 2020. 

Advertisement

Advertisement