From Tinder to Tuscany: Louise and Scott’s intimate Central Coast wedding, Italian-style

They met on Tinder, said ‘yes’ in Texas, and were transported to Italy for a Tuscan-themed Central Coast wedding at luxury boutique resort, Bells at Killcare.

Sydney duo Louise and Scott tied the knot on December 14, 2019. Their intimate weekend-long wedding was a relaxed, carefree affair full of great Italian food, heartfelt speeches and impeccable live music by Baker Boys Band.

Sentimental rings were exchanged during a bespoke garden ceremony with celebrant I Do by MW which led into a sit-down banquet reception in the restaurant onsite at the award-winning Hamptons-inspired wedding venue.

“It was such a seamless transition from the outdoor ceremony to the reception and we carried the theme through with more white flowers, olive tree greenery and lots of candles,” recalls Louise. “We had two long tables and only had 66 guests so it felt very intimate… Our favourite part was definitely the speeches from our bridal party.”

After inspecting eight wedding venues before discovering the one that “ticked all the boxes,” Louise says the effort and sometimes stress that went into planning their Bells at Killcare Central Coast wedding paid off, leaving her “relaxed and calm” on the day.

Perhaps it was groom Scott’s hand in the planning, having already orchestrated a surprise picnic proposal at the Texas State Capitol during their earlier travels as a couple, including a covert photographer to capture the moment on camera!

Commissioning photographers Folk + Follow and La Lune Cinema to capture the celebrations, Louise and Scott love revisiting their romantic Tuscan-themed wedding weekend, which the bride describes as “an incredible day.”

“We were thrilled with how everything turned out.”

Bells at Killcare is a luxury coastal retreat on the NSW Bouddi Peninsula just a 90-minute drive north of Sydney.

“We found the venue to be elegant, intimate and relaxing,” says the bride. “We were able to have our wedding outside in a beautiful garden before moving inside to the restaurant for the reception, where we were served a beautiful banquet to share. We particularly liked that we could have the entire venue in one place and our guests even stayed on the property in the boutique hotel.

Louise wore a simple, slimline wedding gown with elegant sweep train, paired with a long lace applique veil, purchased from Made with Love Bridal.

“Before trying on wedding dresses, I’d thought I would go with a very detailed and elaborate dress,” recalls Louise. “But when I first tried on the Georgie dress from Made With Love Bridal I knew it was special. It was made from French crepe and felt incredibly light and comfortable, yet was very form fitting with a slim silhouette. When I put the veil on I started to tear up and could picture myself walking down the aisle in that dress.

I truly felt like myself in that dress and the simplicity of the gown allowed me to have some fun with my accessories.”

Floral styling for Louise and Scott’s Tuscan-themed wedding was by the venue’s recommended florist, Mimosa Flowers.

“On the day we were absolutely blown away by the flowers as Jess from Mimosa Flowers went above and beyond. The flowers on the arch were huge and provided such a romantic backdrop for the ceremony. After the ceremony Jess was then able to move the flowers inside to the reception as we had a small arch behind our chairs. She did an incredible job and was so sweet and helpful.”

Groom Scott and his three groomsmen wore navy custom suits from P Johnson, while Louise’s maids contrasted in terracotta orange bridesmaids dresses from Chancery.

“Scott tried a number of suits on in-store but ultimately decided to go with a custom suit from P Johnson. The service was incredible and he really enjoyed the process.”

Melbourne and Sydney photography collective Folk + Follow were there to document Louise and Scott’s day.

A wedding is all about surrender – going with whatever the day brings. It’s in this surrender that we can find real magic – finding beautiful moments and crafting beautiful images in unexpected places. – Ellen, Founder

“We are absolutely over the moon with the photos they took,” says Louise. “They were very considerate and thoughtful and stayed in regular communication with us as we prepared for the wedding. On the day they made us feel at ease and they nailed all the shots that I asked for. It was a wonderful experience thanks to them.”

A delicious Italian menu was served up by Bells at Killcare, served on two long tables in the onsite restaurant.

“The food and was absolutely amazing. It was really important to us that we pick somewhere with good food and Bells truly delivered that. The Italian menu went perfectly with the Tuscan style flowers and wedding.

Canapés were served outside after the ceremony and included prawn spiedini, arancini, oysters and tarts. This was followed by a 3-course shared banquet for the reception which included an antipasto platter, beef cheeks, barramundi, roast eggplant, greens and roast potatoes, followed by a strawberry mascarpone shortcake and dark chocolate dome.

We certainly had plenty to eat and the quality was excellent.”

From the ceremony through to the last clink of champagne, Baker Boys Band, and lead singer Ines, was there to set the tone with live music.

“When I first heard our singer Ines’ voice I was blown away and knew she had to sing at our wedding. Ines sang at our ceremony and then the full band joined her for the reception.

They were fantastic, played an amazing array of songs and kept the atmosphere really positive and lively!”