A joyful wedding embellished with traditional Italian touches was the perfect celebration of this couple’s love.
The most important ingredient in a big Italian wedding? Love, of course – and Amy and Michelle’s outdoor celebration certainly had plenty of amore! The pair planned a rustic, festival-style event on 4 May 2019, sweetened with traditional Italian customs to reflect bride Michelle’s heritage. And although the sun didn’t quite make it out for the party, the event was as joyous as the loved-up couple.
Amy and Michelle’s romance started in 2012, when Amy moved to Brisbane and joined her local soccer team. A few of Michelle’s friends played for the same team, and she often came to their games to cheer them on. When she met Amy, they instantly connected. Amy’s outgoing personality always kept Michelle laughing, and the two became close friends. Then Amy broke her collarbone playing soccer and Michelle stepped up to care for her; along the way, they fell in love.
Today, Amy and Michelle lead a life of adventure. “Amy’s spontaneous nature keeps me young, and there’s never a dull moment,” says Michelle. “We’ve travelled all over the world together, from the Tomorrowland music festival in Belgium to the amazing Greek Islands.” But, it was when Amy sent flowers to Michelle with a note reading, “Get ready for a night to remember” that the pair embarked on their biggest adventure.
Amy replicated their first date by taking Michelle to see a cabaret show, and while walking along South Bank’s boardwalk after the performance, Amy got down on one knee and proposed… in Italian, no less! And, naturally, it was Michelle’s Italian heritage that fuelled the gorgeous look and feel of their big day. Their rustic-Italian wedding called for lots of pizza, pasta, wine barrels, long trestle tables and olive branches. The couple also embraced an Italian wedding tradition, as their guests covered them in party streamers during their first dance under the charming tipis from Tipi Hire Co. Hardly able to move by the end of the song, Michelle explained that this moment created some of their favourite pictures of the event, all perfectly captured by Danielle from Lightsmith Images.
The wedding was held at Gold Coast Farm House, which Michelle and Amy had fallen in love with at first sight. “We always wanted our wedding to resemble us and our version of a perfect day,” explains Michelle. “This meant a casual, festival-style wedding. We wanted a fun, relaxed atmosphere for our family and friends.” They knew instantly that the Farm House’s lush grounds, mountains, lakes and creeks would give them the idyllic location they were looking for. With the help of Steph from Flour + Stem, the two were able to create the perfect jewel-toned colour scheme (and cake!) for their big day in the great outdoors.
The day itself offered up a few surprises – but nothing this adventurous duo couldn’t handle. After the property’s water tank malfunctioned, the entire wedding party was forced to take a shower from the hose! Luckily, Michelle explains, the owners of the property quickly fixed the issue before the guests arrived and no one suspected a thing. The weather was also a bit of a dampener – relentless rain meant the couple seriously considered moving their celebration indoors. When they decided to try their luck with an outdoor ceremony as planned, the rain finally stopped right before they walked down the aisle. “We had the most beautiful outdoor ceremony,” Michelle recalls.
But the waterworks really started early in the morning, when Amy surprised Michelle by recreating a romantic scene from her favourite movie, Love Actually. Michelle described the special moment, saying, “Amy disappeared for an hour, then knocked on my door and had signs prepared and Christmas carols playing, just like the famous scene from the movie. I couldn’t stop crying. It was a magical moment.”
As Michelle explains, planning a wedding can be completely overwhelming at times, but she and Amy learnt that asking for help is a powerful move. Start planning early and, she says, “If you have an amazing bridal team behind you, then you can’t go wrong. Our bridesmaids were phenomenal, and we couldn’t have pulled this off without them.” Excited to begin their life as a married couple with a little relaxation, Amy and Michelle travelled to Honolulu for their honeymoon. After the stress of planning their dream wedding, these two were more than ready to kick back on the beach, enjoy a few cocktails and sail around the island. Now back home and happily settling into married life, Michelle and Amy are excited for their next adventure – starting a family!
[Little Black Box]
Photography: Lightsmith Images // Ceremony and reception venue: Gold Coast Farm House // Tipis: The Tipi Hire Co //Furniture: Secret Wedding Events // Dresses: Luv Bridal (Michelle) and Grace Loves Lace (Amy) // Suit: SABA // Bridesmaid dresses: JJ’s House // Rings: Michael Hill // Florals and cake: Flour+Stem // Accessories: Swarovski // Stationery: Minted // Celebrant: Natasha Hill // Music: DJ Brad // Barrels: Brisbane Barrel Hire // Catering: The Italian Job Catering // Makeup and hair: Sugar Mobile Makeup
