30kg couture dress, a white horse and crystal chandeliers: Inside Ellie Gonsalves epic vow renewal
Ellie Gonsalves surprised her husband on their two year anniversary with one of the most epic gifts of all time – another wedding.
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Two years to the day after tying the knot, Ellie Gonsalves and Ross Scutts celebrated their anniversary in the most extravagant way – with another wedding.
It was made even more spectacular with model, actor and influencer Gonsalves surprising her husband with the lavish vow renewal as an extraordinary anniversary gift.
The day was as stunning as their original wedding, with 28 guests in a Bridgerton-inspired event at The Valley Estate in Currumbin Valley, with the ceremony in the Green house and the reception at The Manor.
The room was filled with pink, purple and white flowers, Swarovski crystal chandeliers, candles, a four-tier, heart-shaped vintage cake, champagne tower and an oyster bar.
Gonsalves had two custom couture looks with a corset and two different skirts (her first look weighed 30kg), and a custom fabric flower as her bouquet.
Scutts was dressed in a suit under the ruse of a formal evening just with Ellie but was blindfolded and taken into the room and met with the surprise.
The biggest of all was watching Ellie arrive on horseback. The goal, she says, was to make something regal, soft and unexpected – and different to their original wedding which was on March 27, 2023, at the Gold Coast’s La Luna Beach Club.
What prompted the vow renewal celebrations? Ross and I have been together for 16 years, married for two, and over time, we’ve come to value creating unforgettable experiences together over traditional anniversary gifts. We’ve surprised each other in big and small ways, but this time, I wanted to orchestrate something truly extraordinary – a moment that felt like a love letter to him. What I had in mind while planning was couples wait a decade to renew their vows, but life has taught me that time is never guaranteed – not tomorrow, not next year, not 10 years from now. I didn’t want to wait to remind him just how much he means to me, I want to show him now. I lost my dad years ago and Ross lost his dad soon after, so we had this realisation when we were pretty young that the next year is not planned. Life is not promised and 10 years from now is not promised.
How did you pull off the surprise? Keeping it a secret was very hard; I’d get so excited about things and all I wanted to do was tell him. Planning a wedding is already a wild ride, but planning one in secret? That’s next level and I couldn’t have done any of it without my incredible wedding planner and beautiful friend, Alysia Bridger. I’ve NEVER been able to get away with a surprise and she brought my vision to life in ways I couldn’t have imagined, making this entire experience feel like a dream. There were a few close calls while on the phone with some of our friends and I had to keep my phone on Do Not Disturb for five days before the event so Ross didn’t see any last-minute calls or messages from people. Alysia, and I knew that to keep the surprise together, we had to keep Ross completely distracted. Alysia worked her magic by co-ordinating a set of fake plans with him, making sure he was busy thinking he was the one planning something special for me.
Meanwhile, my management team had Ross send in his measurements for a suit, explaining it was for an upcoming event. I reached out to Farage, who created the suit without a fitting. It wasn’t weird that he was getting into a suit because he knew it was a formal afternoon.
What was behind the Bridgerton theme and your amazing entrance on horseback? The Bridgerton theme was honestly the perfect fit for what I wanted to create. It’s timeless and dramatic – I don’t do things by halves so of course we had to make it dramatic – and that’s exactly the energy I wanted for our vow renewal. I’ve been riding horses since I was seven. The horse I rode in on was the same one Ross rode on our anniversary three years ago. It was honestly so cinematic.
Tell us about your wedding looks? With our second anniversary approaching, my beautiful friend Steven Khalil and I had been discussing the idea of creating a couture piece together.
How did you choose to do the vows this time around? For the vow renewal, I chose to write new vows. Ross didn’t know anything about the surprise, so he had to wing it, but what he said was so heartfelt. While our original vows are still meaningful, I felt we continue to evolve as a couple over the years, so I wanted my vows to reflect that. For my aisle entrance music, I created a custom theatrical/orchestral version of our favourite song Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey.
What was the most memorable moment? Seeing Ross’s reaction when the surprise was revealed was everything. I thought he was going to be very shocked, but what I didn’t expect was for him to cry the whole time and honestly, it got me because he NEVER cries.
You’ve set the bar high for anniversary celebrations. What’s next? I won’t ruin the surprise because we’re already working on it. We’re not having children … so I think celebrating your love for each other is just such a beautiful thing to do.
The Bride
Ellie Gonsalves, 34
Profession Model and actor
Dresses Steven Khalil
Pre ceremony look Madoh
Film Focl Media
Content Dewie Creative and Focl Media
Wedding planner/stylistAlysia Bridger Events
Jewellery, rings Calleija Jewels
Make-up Alex Perrin
Hair Hatem Kassem
Cake Emily Bakes
Wedding bouquet Steven Khalil
Horse Zephyr Horses
Florals The Blossom Tree Company
Celebrant Amber Gillam
Stationery KC Times
The Groom
Ross Scutts, 38
Profession Entrepreneur
Suit Farage
Music Custom version of Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey
Catering The Valley Estate
Candles Candles By Jessica
Chandeliers Chandeliers To Die For
Linen Harbourside Decorators
Tableware Table For Louis
DJ and Sparks Osmic Productions
Chairs The Chairman Qld
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