June 9, 2026 — 5:00amWe have only seen a few social media glimpses of the celebrations so far, but suffice to say the wedding of Melbourne’s Christopher Baillieu to his American fiancee Merrill Hermann in St Louis is a front-runner for the society wedding of the year.Chris, the son of Samantha and Charlie Baillieu, who has been in the investment banking space, and his bride Merrill, whose family is in capital management and has deep roots in the Missouri community, wed at Grant’s Farm on June 6.Christopher Baillieu and Merrill Hermann wed in St Louis on June 6, 2026.@brucekeebaugh / InstagramAmong the guests to make the 15,000-kilometre trip from Melbourne to Missouri were various members of the Baillieu family and their friends, along with hospitalitarians Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh from The Big Group and well-connected publicist Betsy Pie.When it comes to detail, this wedding looked to CBD’s trained eye like something straight out of a fairytale. This is a hyper stylish merger of US - Australia relations.Grant’s Farm, of which Merrill’s father Robert is chair, is a historic property in St Louis and was originally home to American Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, who held the office from 1869 to 1877. The property, which is usually open to the public, was closed for the private nuptials.Christopher Baillieu and Merrill Hermann at their wedding in St Louis on June 6, 2026.@chykak / InstagramContent posted by guests online, that included a wedding welcome note and reception menu, shows the bride arriving in a wagon drawn by Clydesdale horses for the vows which took place under a floral arch beside a lake in the lush ground of the property.Napkins featured a crest representing the couple, beer at the reception was branded ‘The Baillieus’ and there even appeared to be a giant topiary kangaroo on a lawn at the residence.The rehearsal dinner, where wines from the Baillieu Vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula were poured, was held at the St Louis Country Club with Chyka Keebaugh noting on social media: “The Aussies hosted tonight with a great BBQ and delicious salads and of course pavlova and Haigh’s chocolates for dessert.” We wish the newlyweds well.According to comments posted on social media, about 180 people travelled from Australia to the US to attend. Now, returning to the topiary kangaroo, the larger-than-life roo, in fact, two of them, fashioned out of foliage, were positioned on a lawn at the bride’s family home as seen in snaps posted online by wedding attendees.Inside Rebekah Giles’ Opera House weddingA wedding closer to home of Sydney defamation solicitor, Rebekah Giles, and her Melbourne property developer husband, Tim Price, was always going to draw some of the most influential names in legal, political and media circles.So we were hardly surprised to hear a swarm of CBD favourites were among those who turned out to witness Giles and Price tie the knot at the Sydney Opera House over the weekend.High-profile solicitor Rebekah Giles tied the knot with the Melbourne property developer Tim Price in Sydney over the weekend.Instagram accountsAmong the legal heavyweights were top silk Arthur Moses, SC, and his partner and former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, and high-profile barrister Sue Chrysanthou. Also there was Noel Hutley, SC, the barrister who represented Gina Rinehart in a bitter legal fight involving her children, and counsel to Rinehart’s eldest children, Christopher Withers, SC.The property types were also out in force. They included the high-profile architect William Smart, along with the award-winning architect Richard Francis-Jones. Blainey North, the interior designer whose client list has included everyone from Nicole Kidman to members of the Packer family, was there as well.The media contingent, meanwhile, included Karl Stefanovic and his wife, Jasmine, Sky News Australia host Sharri Markson, Chris Dore, editor-in-chief of The West Australian, and the Seven Network’s morning TV boss, Sarah Stinson.The rest of the guest list included a mix of boldface Sydney names, including money man Charlie Aitken and his wife, Ellie, as well as Rafael Bonachela, artistic director of Sydney Dance Company, Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh, Greater Western Sydney captain Toby Greene, and Simon Goodwin, director of coaching and performance at the Sydney Swans.Giles and Price were married by Norah George, wife of Giles’ business partner Patrick George. There was even a fake telegram from none other than Luke Sayers for good measure, which we hear had the couple’s guests in stitches. A big CBD congratulations to the happy couple.From pollie to pop star, Jess Wilson’s surprise moveNow, this is unusual. It is an election year and politicians are popping up all over the place, often in out of context areas, making the most of any media opportunity, but we did but expect to find Opposition Leader Jess Wilson on stage at John Cain Arena revving up a sold-out crowd for a touring rock star.Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson introduces Indian rock star Anirudh at John Cain Arena for his sold-out show on Thursday, June 4, 2026. @jesswilsonMP/ InstagramWilson was playing hype woman for Indian singing sensation Anirudh on Thursday. Anirudh, a hit-maker and acting star with 11.4 million followers on Instagram, was in Melbourne as part of his world tour and it fell to Wilson to welcome him to the stage. It was Wilson’s pop star movement.“Anirudh is about to perform to thousands here in the Indian community, in the Tamil community, (I) can’t wait to hear from this global superstar,” Wilson told the crowd.“It is absolutely wonderful to be here tonight with thousands of you as you have come to see the global sensation that is Anirudh.”Wilson was apparently invited by the local promoter of Anirudh’s show and met the star and his family backstage.While the opportunity may have been on Wilson’s bucket list, there is no doubt it was also a chance to show support for Melbourne’s Indian and culture and to get in front of a sizable crowd. The Liberal Party has made no secret of its courting of support from the community and leaning into the pop culture is an interesting move.John Buckley is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.Fiona Byrne is the CBD columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners