I’ve been meaning to write this post since March. But how do you put into words something that is so right and yet so beyond your own realm of experience? How do you convey the moment when you realise that it truly is possible for two people to fit together utterly and completely? How do you explain the way you can almost sense the universe sighing blissfully as it watches two of its puzzle pieces find each other and fall into place, side-by-side and interlinked?
I wish I could tuck all of you into bed and read you the fairytale of Emma and Scott, in which a backstage pass at a heavy metal gig led to a whirlwind romance that in turn inspired my darling friend to move across the world, first to an oft snowed-in Scottish resort and then to Belgium, where the dragons of bureaucracy couldn’t defeat a love and a passion that had already conquered more obstacles than many of us have had to face head-on.
But such a fairytale, in all its magical glory, would take far longer to tell than we have time for today. Instead, I’ll show you a little of Emma and Scott’s gorgeous wedding.
Because of the tyranny of distance that comprised so much of Emma and Scott’s early relationship, I was incredibly honoured to be one of the few people in Emma’s life to have met Scott before their wedding day. I still remember (excuse me while my heart yearns) the days I spent in Anvers with Emma and Scott at the beginning of 2009 where, for the first time, I saw how completely two people can love, match, and enhance each other.
I’ve cherished Emma ever since we first became friends in high school. She has that incredible and rare blend of inherently awe-inspiring “cool” and genuine kindness. Plus she’s an often-raw-always-vegan, and so I can count on her to get excited about new raw vegan dessert recipes that I come up with.
Emma and Scott, thank you for your beautiful, purely-you, bright red polka dot, love-filled, laughter-filled, beer-filled, and magic-filled wedding day. Thank you for the wedding celebrations that brought me back into contact with Kate of the Gorgeous Eyes/Beautiful Heart and Peachy Alice, with whom I swapped a hundred thousand notes during French and SOSE classes in high school and who, at your wedding, helped me gain the courage to imagine a different future.
Thank you, Emma, for giving me the opportunity to put on a pretty dress and catch up with other old friends, and to constantly answer people that no, I’m not actually your sister, although that would be awesome.
And thank you for giving me the excuse to make you these addictive Union Square Cafe Nuts for your long, long flight back to Belgium from Canberra, because it makes my heart sing when you smile.
Congratulations on your wedding, Emma and Scott, and for simply being you.
Union Square Cafe Nuts, aka The Most Delicious Of All The Nuts
Recipe found here
Makes 2 1/4 cups
- 500g mixed unsalted nuts, such as/including cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and almonds
- 2 tb chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsps dark muscovado sugar
- 2 tsps fancy flaked salt, like Maldon or pink Murray River
- 1 tb butter/Nuttelex, melted
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread the nuts out on one or two baking sheets. Toast in the oven until they’re a light golden brown, about ten minutes, stirring halfway through.
- In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, muscovado sugar, salt and melted butter.
- Tip in the toasted nuts and toss thoroughly or, dare I say it, vigourously and delightfully. Singing a made-up song that goes “Nuts, nuts, nuts are delicious, nuts, nuts, I have pet fishes!” is optional but recommended.
- If you can, resist eating all of these tasty nuts while still warm, and instead package them up give to beloved friends, so that they have at least one truly-edible thing to snack on during their horrendously long flight back home.
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks like it was a beautiful day – sometimes people’s happiness just bounces right out of a photo and even if they’re complete strangers you can’t help but feel happy for them too.
*sings* Those nuts ARE the best, no others shall contest.
I knew you, my Nigella loving friend, would also be a die-hard fan of these nuts
And hurrah! I’m so glad you can see their happiness too 
What a beautiful wedding and beautiful photos
I actually can’t express how much I love that it looks like the ceremony was in a garden and she is not wearing white. I also love that they had these nuts to take on the plane, because clearly they would improve any plane flight.
It was in the backyard of her best friend’s house; when I arrived Emma and Scott were already mingling with everyone; and at one point someone suggested doing the ceremony so we rounded ourselves up to watch the beautifulness
It was just such a perfect, perfect celebration of who they are and their love for each other. My favourite wedding that I’ve been to 
Nawwwwh! Love it, love the dress, and the colour and the gorgeous story of love. Thanks for sharing. Xxx PS: How freakin cool are the tats? I am indeed in awe of the body art goin on, SOOO cool!
Their tattoos are pretty amazingly magnificent!! But then again, Emma and Scott are amazingly magnificent
I am crazy for those nuts! And so is my very, very, very fussy father!
My family and I are all somewhat addicted too
I’ve been making them for years, but then stopped because I couldn’t stop eating entire batches in one day 
I certainly would enjoy attending a polka dotted wedding, as they are one of my favorite patterns, along with argyle…though I’m not sure how well that’d go over at a wedding.
An argyle wedding would be AWESOME. There’d have to be monocles involved, though.
I love your savory nuts. It looks delicious. After I finish with my candied pecans, I’m going to try to make some savory ones.
And the polka dots wedding looks great! I love the idea of using polka dots. How cute is that!!
Pretty darn gorgeous is how cute Emma and the dress are!
Teehee, I wish we could swap our nuts!
I love that wedding! Fun, quirky weddings are the best to be a guest at. I went to a steampunk themed wedding once that was as awesome as it sounds.
Oh, that must have been magnificent! I love when people forgo traditional expectations to instead make a wedding about who they are and what they love
They look so cute together and I love the red!!!
Those nuts look good too.
You’re right, Emma and Scott definitely outshine the nuts
What a gorgeous couple and a fun-looking wedding! I hope mine is as magical.
Oh-ho, you just wait for the write-up I’m going to give yours!
I have no doubts about the extent of your wedding’s magicalness xoxo
Such nice tatted folk you cavort with! Such snowed-in chalets I dream of!
*Nutty nut nuts, I ofttimes don’t like / putty putt putt, mini golf’s a deeee-light*
Nuts nuts nuts, they’re better as butter / If I were you, I eat a fluffernutter!
Are youuuuuu a tatted folk? I is not!
I’ve got one lovely tattoo that I spent six years deciding on and then deliberating on the design. It is of my favorite plant, the maidenhair fern.
While I have plans of covering myself with ferns, this probably won’t happen:)
yikes what happened to my last line there. html FAIL!
It’s taunting me! I keep imagining that line is a portal to a magical secret website but I just. can’t. click.
Oh how magnificent! I can’t wait to see it in person one day
ahhh i am so weak for all types of trail mixes. these look sooo good! and the wedding looks like so much fun. i love fairy tale weddings~
How funny, I’d never call this a trail mix! I think of trail mix as needing non-nut-things too, but you may be right!
And it was a beautiful wedding!
what a gorgeous wedding!!!
It really was
The nuts look divine, and I love polka dots!
Thanks Margaret
Aw, adorable wedding photos! I especially love the placement of the hills hoist – maybe not on purpose, but in combination with the dressed up wedding couple, and the tattoos, it just adds to the complexity that is modern Australian relationships!
Particularly when you consider that Scott is American and his family were watching the ceremony via Skype, and then the happy couple returned back to Belgium soon after!
Awww, what a fabulous wedding – the look on their faces says it all, just so relaxed and happy (and yes, I considered using fantasticamical again but …).
I have to admit I’m a little unsure about that the combination of rosemary, cayenne pepper and muscovado sugar, however you seem so sure about it that I may just have to give it a go – it can’t hurt right?
Doooo it. Do it! It would be fantasticamical to use that word on a daily basis
DEFINITELY try this! I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t find it incredibly addictive. Although I s’pose you’d need to like rosemary…
Having been to loads of weddings in the last few years, there are some which really are standouts. Those ones where you are absolutely sure that the couple in question are two halves of a whole and that you just can’t imagine them apart. Even without knowing your friends, you can see that in the photos.
The nuts sound delicious too.
Lisa, you have no idea what a wonderful comment this was! I’m going to have to order Emma to read these comments
Aww so sweet! And I just love the polka dot dress! Perfect!
Isn’t it all just so gorgeous?
What a lovely post about your friends, ongoing and recurrent. And those nuts look fab too. I should make something like that one day, but can so rarely bother….
Thank you Louise! So lovely to hear from you
They look sweet together, and I love the polka dot dress! And how nice it would be to have those nuts to munch on during a long flight.
I might even be tempted to make some for myself the next time I go overseas, instead of (or as well as) the masses of dark chocolate I always have in my carry-on
And that looks like a meaningful, personal wedding. Love the polka dot dress.
I bet I could’ve confused all the people who thought I was Emma’s sister even more by mentioning that both our mums are called Sue
What an awesome wedding! and NUTS gotta love salty sweetie nut joy
Thanks Lou! It was magnificent
Those nuts look like they are very addictive!
So addictive that sometimes I have to forbid myself from making them in the first place
Such a lovely post! It sounds cheesy but it’s so humbling to see something like that – belated congratulations to Emma and Scott
Not cheesy at all, Eleanor. It means *so* much that this post meant something to you. Thank you
x
How sweet! And like everyone else, I LOVE that polka dot dress
What can I say? The girl’s got style
What a beautiful love story!
And it looks like a wonderful wedding you all enjoyed! I’m happy you reunited with those old friends and had such good and helpful conversations. Talking to friends and getting some support and empathy helps so much to feel good!
I’m so happy you think so, Kath
Everything you’ve said is spot on. Hurrah for love and friendships!
awe! you wrote of their love and perfectness (sorry) for each other so beautiful, my dear. warm fuzzies all round.
Heidi xo
p.s. still waiting to see how our guest list goes
*laughs and laughs* As I started reading your comment, I was already concocting a reply in my mind along the lines of “well, you know how to ensure you get an equally fuzzy write-up, right?” and then I saw your P.S. and started giggling.
this sounds like excellent plane food – can you please take up a job with the qantas catering company – although who wants to work for qantas right now? and it looks like a fun wedding – I love weddings that create their own traditions!
Hmm, yes, I feel that would be trading a stable job for a very-not-stable one! But then again, if it meant I could do my next overseas travel in First Class…