How did you both meet?

We met through a mutual friend that I knew through Spanish classes and Rob met in high school. He ended up being Robs best man at the wedding too.

Who popped the question & how?

I had been talking about us going away for a weekend for a while and so Rob decided to book us into a beautiful Airbnb in the Blue Mountains. He popped the question on our first night there overlooking the views. I was so surprised that the first thing I said when he asked was “is this a joke”. He won’t’ let me live that one down haha.

What type of wedding did you plan? What was your theme?

We had originally planned to have a winter wedding but unfortunately having our original date in the thick of COVID meant this didn’t eventuate. We ended up having a stunningly beautiful summers day in February which worked out so well because our guests absolutely loved using the balcony and having the extra day light was a bonus. Our theme was mostly soft pinks and whites in the florals and our stationery was a minimalistic black and white look.

What quirky features made your wedding unique?

One thing in particular that made our wedding unique was the fact that the best man was in the USA (unfortunately not able to get back due to travel restrictions). We knew we still wanted him to be very much part of the day, so with the help of City Beach we were able to play his best man speech on the big screen whilst also having him on zoom throughout the day’s festivities.

Where did you hold your ceremony?

We had our ceremony at St Therese Church in West Wollongong. It was the church that my parents were married in and the primary school that I attended. We instantly bonded with the priest there which made it all the more special.

Why did you choose City Beach?

The wedding packages at City Beach included everything we wanted and more. The food and drink options along with the beautiful view and super friendly staff are what drew us to the venue.

What was it like dealing with Wedding Coordinators, Melissa & Michele?

So great!! I can’t express how amazing the wedding coordinators were to deal with. We were initially dealing with Melissa until she went on Mat Leave, and then worked closing with Michele who was super helpful and so great at keeping us calm in the lead up, in particular with all the uncertainty surrounding the restrictions on numbers. Therese was also amazing to work with in the lead up and on the night.

What’s your No 1 go to song that HAD to be included in your playlist?

We kept the music choices pretty flexible but asked the DJ if he could include some Portuguese/Spanish music throughout the night for our family. It was a massive hit with the oldies.

What was your most memorable moment from the day?

Walking into the venue after being announced as Mr and Mrs and seeing all our loved ones so happy for us as we danced our way in.

Any advice for couples about to tie the knot?

After planning a wedding through a pandemic my advice would be to not sweat the small stuff and just remember that the most important part of a wedding is marrying the love of your life. There will always be things that don’t go exactly to plan, but just enjoy the process and most importantly the day because it really is the best day of your life and it goes so quickly. 

What was the funniest thing that happened?

When our wedding photographer almost knocked over our wedding cake! Haha. It happened before we had done our entrance but apparently the look on our guests faces when he walked back into the cake stand and watched the cake wobble was priceless.

What parts made you cry?

All of the speeches! I’m a sucker for a good speech and listening to all the beautiful things our dads, maid of honour, best man and of course my husband had to say was the best part.

DREAM TEAM 

Ceremony Location: St Therese Church West Wollongong

Celebrant: Father Duane Fernandez

Venue: City Beach Function Centre

Photographer: Dan Cartwright

Videographer: Marcus Rusbourne

Dress: Sposabella Bridal

Florals: Bulli Bunches

Cake:     Willow + George

Hair: Natasa Manojlovic

Makeup: Loretta Spinelli

Other: Menus & Luggage Tags – Sketch & Etch