Melinda and Scott wanted a wedding that was relaxed. They embraced the spaces they love in Sydney, and that encouraged guests to have a bit of a mingle, a bit of a dance whenever they pleased. With guests coming in from all over (including the groom’s home country of Scotland, yes there were kilts!) that’s exactly what they got; a beautiful garden ceremony, surrounded by family and friends, and a reception by the sea – all beautifully styled of course (thanks to wedding planner and stylist  Fenn Studio and all beautifully captured by James Bennett Photography ) with additional styling imagery today by Lara Hotz Photography).

After meeting on Tinder it was Melinda’s 30th birthday that led Scott to pop the big question. She shares “He took me for a picnic breakfast at sunrise to our favourite spot on the rocks in Bronte Beach and dropped the knee. It was beautiful.”

Melinda and Scott chose Cass Brothers Productions to capture this stunning film of the day.

Melinda managed to find her Karen Willis Holmes gown at a sample sale. “We only had five months from the time we decided to book a date until the actual wedding, so I had to find a dress relatively quickly. I had absolutely no idea of what I wanted, other than the dress had to compliment my figure.
Karen Willis Holmes was having a sample sale and I decided to go along. After trying on four dresses, I found “the one”! I was on my own and I feel that made it easier to make a decision rather than having my bridesmaids or Mum there.”

The couple chose the beautiful garden of McKell Park, Darling Point for their ceremony, noting “McKell Park was a suggestion from a girlfriend, and once we looked it up, we knew it was perfect for our ceremony. With a view of Sydney Harbour and the gorgeous greenery in the park, we were sold!”

“One funny story is that the wedding car was late to pick me up, so the bridesmaids and I ended up all piling into Ubers to get to the ceremony” admits Melinda. “We were laughing the whole way to the ceremony, it was quite hilarious! I have to note that our wedding planner did not pick the wedding car company, this was something I had already booked myself.”

Scott’s attire was a nod to his Scottish heritage explains Melinda. “Scott wore a traditional Scottish Kilt as he is from Scotland. There is a great Kilt Hire place in Sydney called Scottish Accessories Shoppe & Kilt Hire in Croydon and we hired all the groomsmen’s and family’s kilts from there.”

For these two, it was natural that even their ceremony began with  a nod to family. “Our son Michael was our page boy” remembers Melinda. “We wanted to make sure he had a special part in the day along with his cousin Tilly who was the flower girl. Both my Mum and Dad walked me down the aisle which was really special.” Melinda chose “Simply The Best” (The Noah Reid) version to play as she walked.

The couple chose Over the Rainbow (Craig Bachelor) to perform their ceremony, sharing “We wanted our wedding to feel inclusive and relaxed. Our celebrant, Craig, is a good friend of ours and he personalised our ceremony which was so beautiful. A lot of our vendors were people/businesses we knew, so we had a lot of trust in them all to bring our dream to life, which they did!”

Says Melinda “I don’t know if I could pick just one detail, everything was perfect, and we couldn’t have asked for it to go any better! We loved everything from the styling to the flowers, music and food. The general vibe of the day was just amazing.”

“Our photographer was James Bennett. He was fantastic! An absolute legend” raves Melinda. “We were so glad to have him be a part of our day.”

Styling imagery by Lara Hotz Photography.

And when it was time for the celebration to begin? Scott and Melinda invited guests for a sit-down dinner at Coogee SLSC. “When we did a tour of the newly renovated Coogee SLSC, we knew that was the venue! ” remarks Melinda. “We love being at the beach and by the water, so it was very fitting to have the reception at one of our favourite beaches.”

The couple handed all the detail of the day over to their wedding planner Fenn Studio who also took charge of the styling for the day. Melinda noted “Our wedding planner Jen from Fenn Studio was amazing. I didn’t particularly enjoy the wedding planning, so she was a lifesaver. Jen was on top of every single detail and took all the stress off us. Jen helped us book the vendors that we hadn’t locked in yet and got the best prices for us from all of them. She made our ceremony and reception an absolute dream. Everything looked and felt perfect.” Melinda’s golden advice for you? “Don’t overthink things, if you like a vendor/dress/detail, just lock it in and move on to the next thing.”

While the reception was kept minimal in design, Melinda & Scott made sure to add their personal touches. “Scott’s Mum brought over little bottles of whisky from Scotland with a little tag commemorating the day. It was a huge hit with guests to take home as a keepsake. We also bought disposable cameras which the guests used throughout the reception. We had an absolute laugh going through the images when they were developed!”

The newlyweds made their dance floor debut to “Magic” by Coldplay. Explains Melinda “We chose this song as we have sung it to each other many times over the years and just love it. It’s our special song.”

Congratulations on your marriage Melinda & Scott! Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us! Thank you also go to James Bennett Photography and Lara Hotz Photography for today’s images.