As the heart shaped confetti settles after another Valentine’s Day, The SE Voice reflects on the hand it played in a local love story.


It was a beautiful day in Coonawarra when former The SE Voice reporter Ebony Raymond snapped a photo of James Phillips and Ebony Prelc for a front page photo at Burgers and Beats at Brand’s Laira in October 2022 as part of the Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations.


The pair were on one of their first dates and little did Ms Raymond know but on that day she would have a hand in fate as over the years the pictures have evolved into wedding photos.


James Phillips married Ebony Prelc in a wedding ceremony at her family’s farm on January 11, 2025.


Mrs Phillips (nee Prelc) said of the wedding that “it was the most beautiful day and everything we wanted” despite the hot weather.


“It was forecasted to be a warm one and we were watching the weather closely leading up, it turned out to be a 36 degree day,” she said.


“We loved every minute and are very grateful for vendors, family and friends making it as perfect as we had hoped.”


Harking back to the early days of the couple’s relationship, journalist Ms Raymond said she still remembers the day she met the now newlyweds for the first time at an event at the Brand’s Laira cellar door, right at the beginning of their relationship.


“It was clear from the start how happy James made Ebony,” she said.


“I snapped a few photos of them, and one of those photos ended up on the front page of the paper.


“Not only was it a special memory, but maybe it was a sign of things to come! And it must have been, because now, they’re happily married, and starting this beautiful chapter in their lives together.”