COVID? Pffft.
With an aggressive COVID encroaching from all angles, the pressure on Scott & Ellen and their families leading up to last weekend was intense. Not that you would have picked it from just how calm they all were when I arrived in Toowoomba. I was impressed. Literally the night before the wedding their band had to cancel due to positive tests. The Fonoti Brothers (damn they were good) were able to replace them as their own wedding gig had been cancelled due to their bride testing positive (oh don’t you feel for her?) which gives you a sense of just how alarming the odds against Ellen & Scott were. I know I had been sweating bricks for the few weeks leading up to the day just imagining having to ring Ellen and tell her I was unable to get there, it was with ENORMOUS relief that the day dawned and all of the most important people were coming. It honestly felt like a miracle!
And so it was. A first-rate day that included the proverbial dream couple (not one objection to wandering around in the rain despite Ellen’s dress ending up literally water-logged), wicked venue (Preston Peak Winery is somethin’ else), very easy to photograph Bridal Party (you will see from the photos they had a good time lol) and throw in the fact that Ellen’s parents are old friends of mine. That always makes for some added magic. What a way to kick off 2022! Yep, it’s a sign of how the year is going to go!
Love and the Shit Kit
Scott, a teacher from Brisbane & Ellen, a physiotherapist from Charters Towers had both moved to Longreach for work where they met one day at the local tennis club. Things were pretty awkward on that first occasion but given it is a small community they kept seeing each other around town and one drunken night Ellen requested Scott walk her home. Scott was a gentleman and followed the orders (setting the tone going forward) and gave Ellen a kiss goodnight. The first night they officially got together was at Ellen and Margot’s (bridesmaid) housewarming party. It was a “Shit Kit” theme so they were both looking their absolute best! They made a lot of small talk and kept finding themselves in the same circles. At the end of the party, they were the only two left and decided that they could have something pretty special if they took a chance on it and so that is what they did. And that was it. They were goners. A standout special moment for Ellen is saying ‘I love you’ for the first time. She had never said that to anyone before.
It was in April 2021 that Scott proposed and he chose a spot outside the Coolangatta Surf Club. (Ellen was pretty suss because Scott gave her advice on what to wear and she thought she had heard the snapping sound of a ring box closing lol) Ellen was in a rush to have a beer but Scott convinced her to go and have a look at the waves. After some very ordinary small talk, Scott dropped on his knee and asked the question. Getting a round of applause from all the locals having a drink at the upstairs balcony was the perfect accompaniment to a perfect moment.
Thank you Ellen & Scott for being wonderful humans. I am excited to watch the life you create together, I know you will navigate the ride ahead with the same generous spirit with which you handled all the challenge and excitement of your betrothal.
More From The Bride & Groom:
What do you love most about each other?
E: He is my best friend. He is so funny and kind and makes me feel so happy! He is very thoughtful and always smells good.
S: I love how she supports every single thing that I do and makes life so much better. She always has my back and constantly makes me smile.
What Does Marriage Mean To You?
Making the ultimate commitment to each other to be lifelong partners, best friends and to share in life’s experiences whatever they may be.
What was the main inspiration behind your wedding day?
Our ultimate goal was to bring those closest to us together and celebrate our love and happiness. Every decision we made when planning the wedding was to create an opportunity for us to be with our guests as much as possible and create a fun and relaxed environment for them.
How would you describe your day? How did you feel?
It sounds cheesy but it was honestly the best day of our lives. Better than we ever hoped it could be. Our vendors were incredible, our guests were amazing and we wouldn’t change a thing. There was so much love and happiness in the room.
What was your favourite part of the wedding day?
E: I loved spending time with the girls in the morning and feeling so beautiful once my hair and make up were finished and I got to finally put my dress on – I felt amazing! Then revealing to my parents and bridal party was so beautiful! I also loved our first look and getting to see Scott’s face was amazing! Both – seeing the way our bridal party came together and how our guests came together. The time we got to have with family and our bridal party before the ceremony was a favourite moment. Plus the ceremony was a really special and beautiful for us both. Then the speeches were fantastic!!
S: without a doubt it was finally getting to see my beautiful bride and how stunning she looked. There must have been dust around as my eyes became a little watery.
Were there any surprises or honourable mentions you’d like to talk about?
As much we had everything planned to a tee, there was still the unknown and things out of our control. Two of these were how our bridal party, who had never met, would get along and then the speeches. Both of these blew us away. Our bridal party were so much fun and made the photos such an enjoyable experience. And the speeches, wow! Everyone that spoke did such an amazing job with our MC Shaun being a star. Honourable mentions to our amazing vendors! Everything was even better then we imagined! The flowers were stunning, hair and make up perfect, dresses and suits spot on, Preston Peak was incredible, our photographer and videographers were just awesome!! So thank you to everyone for making our day so perfect!
How does it feel to be Mr & Mrs?!
We both didn’t think things would really change but they have. We have never felt closer to each other, and both our families and our friends. It was the most special day and are so grateful to have each other and the loving relationship we have created together.
Bride’s dress: Wedding dress – Paddington Weddings Second dress – Isabella Longginou
Groom’s outfit: Suit – Peter Jackson Shirt – @JohnHenric Bow tie, cuff links and pocket square – Otaa Shoes – @groomsown
Bridesmaids: Isabella Longginou
Groomsmen: as per groom
Wedding planners: Ellen & Scott
Makeup & beauty: Mirror Mirror Makeup Artistry
Hair: Chantelle Maree Hair
Shoes: bride – Bared Foot Wear Bridesmaids – own shoes
Rings & Jewellery: Rings for both bride and groom – Angus & Coote Bridesmaid earrings – Peggy & Twig
Flowers: Toowoomba White Weddings
Cake: Ellen’s Mum!
Celebrant: Annette Ruzicka
Music: Fonoti Brothers
Venue: Preston Peak Winery