HOW DID YOU AND YOUR PARTNER MEET?

It was a series of sliding door moments. The first took place during a public speaking class at Bond University in 2011 where we were tasked to present a speech on the topic of ‘family, friends and memorable moments’. Little did we know that the person who would become family was right there watching. In the months that followed we crossed paths several times across campus. The small fleeting moments felt so natural right away.

WHERE DID YOU GET MARRIED?

We got married at Gardens House in the Botanic Gardens. It’s the perfect garden setting right in the heart of Melbourne, surprisingly a rare gem for such a leafy city. In the trenches, in the early stages of launching our skincare business TUTTOFARE together in 2022, the Gardens became our spot where we would go for a bit of downtime, just down the road from home. While most people walk the perimeter of the Gardens, or The Tan as locals call it, we prefer walking through the garden. It’s our favourite spot in Melbourne. Gardens House stole our hearts from the first site visit with its storied heritage and cinematic character.

WHY DID YOU PICK BEC + BRIDGE FOR YOUR BRIDAL PARTY?

With my bridal party scattered throughout Brisbane, New York and London, it took many goes to find the perfect shade of yellow. Nothing came close to BEC + BRIDGE. It was the dress that all three girls felt their best in. As their BEC + BRIDGE dresses were closer to white in shade than perhaps other bridesmaid dresses, simplicity was key. The Moondance dress felt like almost a reversal of my own look, and yet complementary in the way it was also backless. Where I wore my hair down with the high-neck, halter Danielle Frankel Sasha gown, my girls wore up-dos and a strapless neckline. Together, the looks felt romantic, elegant, and just a little bit daring. Like a familiar classic, done in a decidedly modern way, which is how we styled the rest of the wedding, too.

WHY DID YOU PICK THE COLOUR ICE YELLOW FOR YOUR BRIDESMAIDS?

The warmth of Gardens House provided the perfect backdrop for the buttery yellow dresses. During the planning process, the combination of my red lips, pops of red flowers and yellow dresses raised some questions. But it couldn’t have turned out more perfectly. I love contrasts, and in this case, a colour palette of soft pastels against a definitively summer red felt like the perfect embodiment of our whimsical European garden party vision. Being a February wedding in Melbourne, it all had a very high summer feel.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE DAY?

Absolutely everything aligned for our ceremony. Quite literally, the sun aligned, and everything was dappled in late afternoon light. You could just feel the love beaming. I almost have to pinch myself. I feel so blessed to have had our closest family and friends there, happy and in good health, celebrating our day. So many of our guests made a great effort in travelling from interstate and overseas.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANY SOON-TO-BE BRIDE?

One of my top tips is to work with vendors who have worked together previously as it makes coordination so much more seamless. Even better, if they’re friends of each other, like many of mine were.

Also, don’t feel pressure to incorporate traditions for tradition-sake or borrow too heavily from passing trends of the day. While Italian-inspired weddings were on trend at the time, throughout the process of planning our wedding, I realised I didn’t want to copy-paste my Italian heritage into an Australian setting. It just didn’t feel right. Both are special in their own ways. So we reimagined tradition in our way.

Whatever you do, it should feel authentic to you as a couple. If you’re not vibing white roses, don’t have them. If you love fruit as much as flowers for styling, go wild. And if you want to wear red lipstick, be brave and do it. It’s your day, after all.