Ellen and Brad’s Elegant Marquee Wedding at Broome’s Gnarangannie

When it comes to breathtaking wedding locations, Broome’s Gnarangannie at Gantheaume Point is nothing short of a dream and for former West Coast Eagles star Brad Sheppard and his stunning bride Ellen, this idyllic spot became the backdrop for their celebration of love. With a guest list of 150 close friends and family, their wedding day was a picture-perfect fusion of luxury, style, and romance.
The couple, known for their effortless style, made the wise decision to enlist the creative genius of Jessica Hawkins from Bertie Does for the planning and styling. Jess, one of Perth’s most sought after wedding stylists, brought her A-game to Broome, transforming the already gorgeous venue into a chic oasis that left guests in awe. The marquee, a centerpiece of the celebration, was styled to perfection with luxe tableware by Flou and plush furnishings sourced from local Broome companies. Every detail was meticulously curated, creating an atmosphere that was both elegant and inviting.
Ellen, the epitome of modern bridal beauty, turned heads in a bespoke gown from Pallas Couture. The gown featured intricate detailing and a detachable skirt, allowing her to glide from the ceremony to the dance floor with ease and style.
THE INSPIRATION: “There wasn’t necessarily a particular inspiration but just a collection of ideas that we loved and were brought together by the amazing Jessica Hawkins from Bertie Does. We chose colours of whites, creams and light pinks and kept the bridal party in black and white which we felt complimented the vibrant colours of the backdrop. We wanted to be able to have a long table reception dinner and then dance under stars.”
THE DRESS “Ellen was lucky enough to go through the experience of creating her dream custom gown with Pallas Couture, which started in September 2023. I wanted to be able to wear the same dress for the entire night but loved the idea of a dramatic skirt that could then be removed later for a second look and ready for the dance floor. It was such an amazing process to get to see it brought to life by the team at Pallas. It was my dream dress! I complimented it by adding a veil with pearls that felt like a little bit of Broome and it tied in with pearl cufflinks that I had gifted Brad on the morning of our wedding.”
THE VENUE “We moved to Broome and got engaged in May 2023. Broome has become such a special place for us that it seemed only fitting that we would get married here. We loved the venue of Gnarangannie for its beautiful views, red rocks, blue ocean, sunset and Cable Beach and that we could really make it our own by bringing in what we loved to create our perfect day.”
WHAT MARRIAGE MEANS TO US “For us getting married hasn’t changed a huge part of our day-to-day life. We already live together, have two dogs and are settled in our life but it meant another level of commitment. Marriage to us means you are wholeheartedly committing to loving and supporting each other through both the good and hard times no matter what the future holds. We loved getting to make this commitment to each other in front of our friends and family and are well and truly enjoying the post wedding bliss.”
SOME ADVICE “Depending on what kind of wedding you are hoping for, there can be more logistics planning a wedding in a smaller town but all the vendors we worked with were amazing. It was so special to have our friends and family, both local and visiting, come to Broome to celebrate our love. Our advice would be to really prioritise what’s important to you both, focus on those and let the other stuff go.”
WE’RE GLAD WE… “We’re so glad we had welcome drinks and a recovery. They didn’t need to be big events but just gave us time to really enjoy and catch up with everyone that had travelled to attend the wedding and meant that on the wedding day we could focus on being together and really cherishing the moments of the day as a couple as the day goes by so fast. We truly felt we had got to see and enjoy everyone’s company by the end of the weekend, which was so important to us.”
FAVE DETAILS “So many moments! One of Ellen’s favourite moments was walking down the aisle with her parents and seeing Brad. Our vows, the words, the emotions all in the most beautiful place with all our favourite people just felt so incredibly special. To get to be showered with so many beautiful words by everyone that did a speech and then of course the dance floor! We didn’t stop from our first dance until we had the leave and it was so much fun.”
VENDOR LOVE “Julia, we just wanted to say a big thank you for your beautiful photos, how quickly you’ve had them to us and what a pleasure it’s been to work with you.”