Melissa Bell & Scott Flanz

September 25, 2020 at Castle Hill Inn, Newport

One evening, Scott Flanz spied Melissa Bell at a Greenwich Village bar and asked if he could join her. “We were smitten from the moment we saw each other,” he recalls. “We started talking and four hours passed in the blink of an eye.” He escorted her to her train, the pair kissed, and have been together ever since. // By Fred Albert, Published in Newport Life, May 2021

Wedding Deception

A year and a half later, Scott collaborated with Melissa’s boss to send her on a fake work trip to a Napa Valley winery, going so far as to create a phony conference flyer and email chain about the event, booking her travel and accommodations, and producing a fake flight itinerary. As soon as she left for the trip, he packed a vacation bag for her and hopped a cross-country flight that departed less than 15 minutes after hers, arriving at the “conference” before she did. Entering the winery, she was escorted to a gazebo overlooking a pond, where Scott popped the question. He also flew out both sets of parents, who joined them for a celebratory dinner that night at the French Laundry.

Planning in a Pandemic

A Rhode Island native, Melissa had always dreamed of a Newport wedding, and chose Castle Hill Inn for both the ceremony and reception due to its setting, food and décor. Planning was complicated by the need to comply with constantly evolving COVID-19 restrictions, which reduced the guest list by nearly half and necessitated ample spacing between guests.

The Bee’s Knees

The bride and groom said their I do’s before a flower-bedecked chuppah: she in a fit-and-flare gown with plunging V-neck and back, he sporting a bespoke midnight-blue tuxedo. Afterward, everyone retreated to a tent decorated in shades of blue, pink and white, with candlelit tables laden with gift jars of honey from Melissa’s parents’ bees.

Where are they now?

The couple’s South African honeymoon was postponed due to the pandemic. They live in Jupiter, Florida, where Melissa is an insurance underwriter and Scott works as an attorney. — Fred Albert

Featured Vendors
Photographer: Dani. Fine Photography
Venue, caterer, cake, planning: Castle Hill Inn
Bridal gown: The Bridal Garden
Bridesmaid dresses: Lulus
Tuxedos: Michael Andrews Bespoke, The Black Tux
Hair: Cassandra Broccoli
Makeup: Glam Done Wright
Nails: Cosmo Nails
Flowers: Toni Chandler Florals