The first meeting
Gian Luca and Stephanie first met on the 23rd August 2013 in Bali Indonesia. Both on holidays with friends, they met at a bar called Mexicola in which they became inseparable, spending the remainder of their trip together. Stephanie flew to Melbourne while Gian Luca flew back to Italy, where they continued a long distance relationship. Surprising Stephanie for Christmas, Gian Luca spend a month in Melbourne with her family and friends. On June of 2015, Stephanie moved to Italy for 3 months where she embraced the culture, learnt the language. As her heritage is half Italian, this experience allowed Stephanie to immerse herself in the dolce vita in the beautiful city of Bologna, Gian Luca’s hometown.
Planning the perfect wedding
The idea of marrying in one of the most romantic countries has always been a fantasy for Stephanie. This became a reality when Gian Luca proposed to her over Christmas in 2014. The couple decided to marry in Bologna. Initially the newly engaged couple wanted a low key destination wedding. However, over time, they both realised that they wanted have their dream wedding. Both their families and friends embraced this. Stephanie’s family and close friends chose to be there for the wedding, adding to ambiance of their pending nuptials.
Whilst in Bologna, both Stephanie and Gian Luca (along with the help of his family) began the search for the perfect venue. They both wanted the venue to be breathtaking and in a central location to the historical city centre, with a reasonable distance to the church. They wanted a venue with a courtyard where their guests could enjoy the city and be able to have pre drinks before the wedding ceremony, what the Italians refer to ‘Aperitivo’. Gian Luca found the perfect venue after Stephanie left Bologna. The venue was the beautiful Palazzo Gnudi, a neoclassical building with fresco ceilings containing special rooms for guests to enjoy, and it was close enough for the couple to be able to take breath taking photos in the city town.
As most destination weddings have their fair share of difficulty and drama, choosing the right vendors, suppliers and a team that understands your vision in having that perfect wedding. With Stephanie on the other side of the world, co-ordinating the photographer, church, flowers, bonbonnieres, DJ, hair and makeup along with the finer details of the wedding reception was a challenge. Stephanie was fortunate to be in Bologna 3 weeks prior the wedding with her mother to finalize the wedding details to her specification. Although it was such an exciting and manic time organising the wedding, the couple found the experience special, as they worked with experienced people who understood their vision in achieving that perfect day. Entering the 17th century renaissance church, Stephanie was walked down the aisle by both her parents, and having her family and friends fly over for the wedding made the day even special for her.
What drove her style in choosing the perfect dress and suppliers?
Being quite particular, Stephanie found it difficult to decide on just one dress, as she loved so many and appreciated so many different styles and wedding dress designers. She knew what she was looking for, something glamorous, stylish and she found exactly what she was looking for in the wedding designer Demetrios from the Comobella Milano collection. The internationally renowned designer, has been designing beautiful wedding gowns since 1980, opening his first store in New York City and has been represented by Demetrios Australia since 2001. The experience of the staff at Demetrios allowed Stephanie to enjoy the wedding shopping experience, from the initial trails, colour changes and the finial fitting.
Stephanie relied completely her chosen suppliers in Italy, and she wasn’t disappointed as their expertise and professionalism helped her achieve the perfect day without all the bridal stress. She was particular on executing an experience for her guests, one that they will never forget and also making her wedding unforgettable. From her wedding co-ordinators at Palazzo Gnudi, to the florist, hairdresser and MAC make-up artists, Stephanie walked away with not only great friendships, but with fond memories that will last a life time. All will be catching up with them on her next holiday this year to Bologna.
List of Suppliers
Venue – Palazzo Gnudi, Bologna Italy
Dress-Demetrios Gown @ Rafaela Ciuca Armadale
Shoes – Jeanette Maree Jewellery & Bridal Accessories Armadale
Jewellery – Jeanette Maree Jewellery & Bridal Accessories Armadale
Photographer – diegomariella.com
Video – Urania Wedding films. To view the wedding trailer please follow https://Vimeo.com/188117975
Hairdresser – Robert Di Tursi @ http://www.rocco-parrucchieri.it
Makeup – Federica @ MAC Bologna
Flowers – Maria Rosa Fiorista @ http://www.floristmariarosa.com
Cake – Palazzo Gnudi, backed by the top pastry chef in Bologna and the flavour was Mille Follie
Images courtesy of Stephanie and Gian Luca