A deluge and resulting leeches were an unexpected distraction during a romantic rainforest proposal.

Scott Burchill had organised with Ashleigh King-Turner to celebrate their six-year anniversary with a weekend at Crystal Creek Rainforest Retreat in northern NSW, complete with a photographer to capture the occasion.

Near the end of the shoot, the photographer suggested they go back to their cabin for a few final photos.

Ashleigh was distracted on the drive back after discovering some leeches on her ankle. Back at the cabin Scott went inside to get Ashleigh a Band-Aid … and the ring.

They went inside, where it was lit with flickering candles and scattered with rose petals, while romantic music was softly playing.

Scott got down on one knee and proposed, Ashleigh quickly forgot about the leeches, and accepted and the photographer, who was in on it, captured the moment.

The Rochedale South couple met more than seven years ago when they were both studying business and law at QUT and they married on August 21, with both the ceremony and reception at Hillstone St Lucia in front of 55 guests.

What was the standout moment of the day?

Ashleigh: During our ceremony rehearsal our celebrant Natasha said we should look at each other as much as possible during the ceremony. We took that advice literally and couldn't take our eyes off each other! The ceremony felt very intimate, the whole world melted away and it was just us two - squeezing each other's hands.

Was there a funny moment? As I commenced the bridal procession, a family of cockatoos decided to screech very loudly in unison, breaking the emotional tension!

What would you do differently? We wouldn't stress the little things. The most important thing to us was being able to celebrate with our loved ones and enjoy our special day. In the end it didn't matter that we spelt a few names wrong on our seating chart or that we didn't always stick to the run sheet - it was still perfect.

What would you spend more or less on? Different entertainment options. Having a wedding during the pandemic meant we didn't have a traditional dancefloor segment. We would have loved fire twirling, acrobatics or something interesting to fill that gap. But the extra time gave us the opportunity to mingle.

Did COVID alter your wedding plans? We managed to keep our original plans. We are lucky that our closest friends and family live in Brisbane/Qld. There were only a handful of interstate and international guests who couldn't make it due to travel restrictions.

Advice for others impacted by coronavirus? Go ahead with your big day as planned if possible. Don't put your lives on hold as who knows how long coronavirus will be around. Don't be deterred by the restrictions as your day will still be perfect no matter what. Remember what is important - love!

The Bride

Ashleigh King-Turner, 28

Profession: Ashleigh is a senior analyst at QIC

Parents: Ju-li and Glen King-Turner

Dress: Madi Lane Bridal purchased from Luv Bridal

Bridesmaids: Viktoria Naumoska, Brittany Mills, Shannon Burchill

Hair and make-up: Aurum Bride

Flowers: Unveiling Poppy

Entertainment: Paramount Events DJ and MC

Photo booth: In The Booth

Transport: Tic Tac Tours & Our Wedding Cars

Celebrant: Natasha Lewis

The Groom

Scott Burchill, 30

Professions: Risk and Intelligence Officer at the ATO

Suit: Male Manor Menswear

Groomsmen: Alex Burchill, Robert Mills, Khoa Nguyen

Parents: Debbie Burchill

First Dance song: Conversations in the Dark - John Legend

Honeymoon: Port Douglas and Hamilton Island

Cake: Petite Crumb. Two-tier, with a semi naked buttercream finish and gold leaf detail. One tier was burnt caramel with whitechocolate buttercream, the other was chocolate sour cream with salted caramel buttercream and sauce

Engagement ring: Round Brilliant Cut Diamond, halo setting, white gold from Diamonds International

Originally published as 'I was removing leeches from my ankle when he proposed'