‘He proposed with every sort of cheese’: Bride reveals cute gesture

This groom knew what his bride-to-be liked, so he planned the perfect proposal for her tastes.

Tahni Turpin

4 min read

February 18, 2022 - 6:00AM

QWeekend

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A Covid case at a family Christmas party slashed the guest list at this couple’s big day.

Though Lauren Elliss and Nick Gill had planned for 110 guests, they ended up with 85 at their December 29 wedding at the Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley.

“We were devastated they couldn’t make it but we’re so grateful they’re all well now so we can meet up to share our memories and photos with them,” Lauren says.

Wedding of Lauren Elliss and Nick Gill. Picture: Florido Weddings

“We’re also grateful the borders were opened so my brother and his wife could come from London via Sydney, and glad our friends and family from interstate were able to make it.

“Sadly, Nick’s best friend in Singapore wasn’t able to crack through the international border restrictions but he joined us via video on the night, which was huge and a very welcome surprise.”

The Mount Gravatt East pair – who met at the engineering firm they worked for in 2014 – had their first dance to Dance with me Tonight by Olly Murs, with Nick, a former competitive rock and roll dancer, teaching Lauren the steps in three lessons.

The couple honeymooned at North Queensland’s Palm Cove in early January but plan to extend their honeymoon experiences to Sri Lanka and the Maldives when border controls permit.

How did you meet?

Nick and I both worked at a local engineering firm. I had walked into a meeting Nick was in and made my point quickly and firmly, and I left. Nick was intrigued. Our relationship grew from there. Eventually, we purchased a home together in Mt Gravatt.

Wedding of Lauren Elliss and Nick Gill. Picture: Florido Weddings

How did he propose?

After realising he needed to marry me, Nick pulled out all the stops to propose on the cliffs at Howard Smith Wharves.

We had a picnic. Not only did he buy a new ring but a new picnic rug, a new picnic backpack and every sort of cheese that I might like.

Hen’s night?

I was treated to two hen’s parties. My bridesmaids – childhood friends from Townsville – arranged a garden party at The Ville Resort in July.

It was timed so most of my family could attend because they were in Townsville for another family wedding. My Brisbane-based friendship group arranged a long lunch at Howard Smith Wharves.

Buck’s night?

Nick’s buck’s night was held on a boat that cruised around the Brisbane River. The details of the rest of the night are best left unpublished.

Wedding of Lauren Elliss and Nick Gill. Picture: Florido Weddings

Ceremony and reception?

The Calile Hotel. We’d been warned against using the rooftop amphitheatre in December due to the heat and likelihood of a storm but we persisted. The weather gods were too kind! The skies opened and it bucketed down 10 minutes after the ceremony had finished. All our guests were enjoying canapes under the roof of the poolside terrace.

A Covid case at a family Christmas event meant some of my extended family weren’t able to attend. With a few others also having symptoms, we ended up having 85.

Any unique or surprising details about your wedding?

We’d splurged on a floral ceiling arrangement over the dancefloor from Kate Dawes Flower Design, which was a huge hit with our guests taking photos and dancing in and around the streamers. It was one of those “nice to haves” that we don’t regret for a second.

Standout moment of the day?

The bridesmaid’s speech.

My lifelong friend, Digs, had poured her soul into perfectly encapsulating my character with laugh-out-loud funny stories and jibes. She had to stop many times for the applause to die down before she could continue with her stand-up comedy routine.

My one-year-old nephew, James, joined us as we were getting ready and posed for photos with his Aunty Lauren and his Nan Nan. James lives in London and to have these precious moments captured beautifully was a priceless gift.

Wedding of Lauren Elliss and Nick Gill. Picture: Florido Weddings

Any embarrassing or funny moments in the wedding speeches?

The groom relied on a video prepared by the “Actual Best Man” who couldn’t make it over from Singapore. This was a professionally edited video that included a lot of old embarrassing Myspace photos and terrible anecdotes from Nick’s younger years.

It got a laugh from everyone and the final cheers, which included sculling a litre of milk, left the crowd stunned but Nick in stitches.

Best advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Find a great venue with an even better events co-ordinator included!

And for those whose weddings are impacted by Covid?

Be clear on what you are happy to splurge on, build fat into the budget for things that will be priced differently from what you’d hoped, and look for cost savings on things that aren’t important to you or your guests.

Honeymoon?

We didn’t make any grand honeymoon plans to avoid disappointment in the inevitable event they’d have to be cancelled.