Just three days out from Amelia and Sammy’s wedding day, predicted catastrophic fire conditions meant they needed to move and rearrange the entire day.
How did you two meet?
We met eight years ago. Sammy was spending a year traveling and stopped off in Australia. She was low on money and was about to change her flight home earlier but was offered an interview at Zara, where she got the job as a cashier where I was already working. I was assigned to train Sammy on the tills. We became close friends very fast, and after a big night with too many long island iced teas, I confessed that I liked her more than a friend. Sammy didn’t want to start anything too serious as she was only traveling, but a few months later, I asked her to stay longer, and she never left!
Tell us more about the two proposals you shared.
We were traveling in Europe in 2016. We met up with Amelia’s family in Santorini, and every night we would all watch the sunset on the roof of our accommodation together. One evening Sam had a bottle of Moet, and the family stayed inside (how I didn’t have a clue something fishy was going on is ridiculous!) During sunset, Sammy got down on one knee and asked me to marry her. Then my mum burst up on the roof because she couldn’t wait anymore, and we all partied!
I also wanted to propose to Sammy and set up a scavenger hunt with clues related to our relationship in our apartment and had her ring hidden in a macaroon box.
We were engaged for three years, 2016, and married in 2019. We didn’t want to get married till it was legal.
You had to rearrange your wedding in three days – what happened?!
Our venue was originally in the Blue Mountains, but three days before the wedding, we made the tough choice to move the wedding to Sydney due to the catastrophic fire conditions. By incredible chance, the Mint was free! So, all our planning spent over the year thinking about our wedding was rearranged in three days!
What was the inspiration behind the wedding?
We had touches of our heritage with Sempre behind us during the ceremony, which means forever in Italian. We had a wattle on our invitations and menus and a rose on them to represent Australia and England. For the rest, we went with the flow and went with what was available.
What are your favorite moments from the wedding day?
A: I loved getting ready, due to the changed venue we all just got ready together at my parents. And when I say we, I mean we. There were so many people! All our bridesmaids, Sammy’s parents, my brother and his wife, my cousin’s boyfriend even popped by for a bit, and the dog had a great time! We had planned to get ready separately, but it was exceptional being together before. But we did hide from each other once gowns were on!
S: I enjoyed hugging everybody once we got married. The feeling of love and joy that was in the air was incredible! It was so special that all my immediate family flew here.
Do you have a stand-out vendor?
It’s impossible to choose as they all were so supportive of the venue change and just made it happen and calmed us down!
The flowers from My Little Peony BLEW our minds and our guests. They are such a lovely couple. Erin and Erica from Margan Photography somehow managed to make two camera shy people look and feel beautiful. And Carol Provan, our celebrant, is so elegant and poised and always had the right words.
Did you incorporate any family or religious traditions into the day?
The knife we cut the wedding cake with was a wedding gift of my grandparents that was used for all of the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren’s baptisms, communions’ weddings, etc. Its cut lots and lots of cake!
We also included the Italian tradition of bonbonniere of five sugar almonds. Each represents something different, health, wealth, fertility, happiness, and long life.
What does marriage mean to you?
It is growing wrinkly together! Being able to be legally married was very important to us. We both come from families whose parents have been together for over forty years. Marriage to us is unwavering unity and support for each other. It is the ultimate public recognition of love in a relationship. It is saying “I pick you forever” It’s also an excellent excuse for a good party!
DWH Recommended Partner
Photography by Margan Photography
Accessories Chloe Boots, Superga, Hells, Senso
Boutiques Luv Bridal, The Bridal Atelier Suit
Cake Alexa Burchell
Catering PB Catering
Celebrant Carol Provan
Cinematographer Joel Tronoff
Dress Alterations Ivonne Couture
Engagement Rings Tok Jewellers, Varoujan
Entertainment Maple Creek
Florist & Furniture | Prop Hire My little Peony
Gown Designers Pronovias, Anna Campbell Bridal
H&MU Kim Kindrat, Emma Dunn
Invites The Distillery
Photo Booth In The Booth
Robes Posy
Signage Sketch and Etch
Transport Uber
Venue The Mint Sydney
Favors Pasticceria Papa
Wedding Party Gifts Earrings made by Amelia
Wedding Party Outfits Shona Joy
Rings Varoujan
