Vintage Glamour - Issue no. 11

WeddingDay light up your passion

ISSUE NO. 11

Vintage Glamour COOL RETRO CHIC

E

ditorial

Over the years we have featured:

• 54 weddings

• 17 cover models (including four men)

• 16 different venues With this Autumn issue we come to the close • 15 wedding gowns

• 6 real bride make-overs of Wedding Day’s issues for this year.

• and 9 different variety of cakes!

We cannot quite believe that we have been in the wedding industry for three years now, Plus countless bouquets, flower arrangements, and for this we thank every one of those table set-ups, hairstyles and make-up “looks” by satisfied readers and clients who have supour creative photo shoot team. ported us from the beginning.

WD’s editor Josanne Cassar

Many of you reading this have shared our journey from the beginning, and have constantly let us know through Facebook messages, by email and in person just how much you love our magazine. In fact, many of the couples who were featured in the past tell us that they still continue to pick up a copy every time a new issue comes out, because they just love to read about weddings.

Looking back over these last three years, we can say we are proud of our achievements as the youngest wedding publication on the market. Here are some fun statistics we thought you would enjoy.

We are already looking forward to planning our issues for 2015, and to coming up with even more creative, romantic wedding themes to sweep you off your feet. Most of all, we will promise to continue bringing you some of Malta’s most elegant, innovative and original weddings, photographed by the leading photographers on the island.

Meanwhile, we hope you will get lots of ideas and inspirations from this issue, and that WD will help you to have the wedding you have always dreamt of.

See you next year!

on the cover

Rebecca Cassar Cocks • design by Jessica C. Moritz • printed at Bestprint, Qrendi • published by Mojo Publishing Limited

Disclaimer: MOJO Publishing Limited cannot be held liable for any artwork which is provided by the client. The client will bear full responsibility for the accuracy of the text and for any possible breach of copyright in the photos, text, or fonts being used.

Mojo Publishing Limited • Flat 3, Il-Gardina, Constitution Street, Mosta, MST 9051 • M: 99 425985 • info@weddingdaymalta.com

contents - Autumn Issue 2014 -

10 Cool Retro Chic 26 Marilú & Sean

10

26

36

48

56

66

64

80

36 Fay & JeanBert 48 Elaine & James

56 Karlie & Peter 66 Sarah & Neville

72 Christine & Jeremy 80 Melania & Jermain

WIN 1 of 8!

Engagement Parties worth â‚Ź1,200 each!

Sign up now at icaterer.com.mt

The fresh approach to wedding catering from Island Caterers Every wedding is unique. Every bride and groom wants to plan their day their way and this is why we developed iCaterer. We want to give you full control and flexibility, allowing you to choose your venue and menu and all the other important details according to your budget and requirements. Create multiple plans anytime and anywhere, compare and share them with your friends and family, and only when happy, send them to us!

Sign up now and be in with a chance to win your engagement party.

icaterer.com.mt

+356 2375 1930 / info@islandcaterers.com.mt

Vi CC sit us We at t (Sta ddin he g’ nd 82) s Fair

MF

SPARKLETINI-WEDDING-210x140mm.indd 1

10/7/2014 10:57:44 AM

U p close and personal meeting people from the wedding industry

Getting to know Daniela Cassar – WD’s official make-up artist

artists, learnt how to work under pressure, how to deal with different characters and how to apply different

“When I was young, make-up schools and make-up artists were unheard of. Brides booked their beautician to do their makeup on the day. After working as an interior designer for 10 years I wanted to do something new so I enrolled in a make-up course and in 2005 I got my international diploma for bridal, TV, photography and runway makeup. To gain experience and confidence I worked every job I was offered for free.

These were mainly fashion shows, makeup looks using different brands. talent shows and photo shoots. That A few years later I studied for the time was crucial for me as I worked Theatre and Special effects diploma. together with renowned makeup

WELCOME TO MR COCKTAIL MAN Mr Cocktail specializes in providing a full mobile solution for any occasion. From birthday parties, local events and weddings to various corporate launch events. We offer innovative, contemporary portable bars with professional, friendly bar staff. This means that we ensure that all our cocktails are made just right, using the best method, the right ingredients and the right quantities for your memorable wedding day. Our cocktail bar is designed to be set up in pavilions, gardens, public space and halls - in fact, it can be set up practically anywhere.

Our aim is to provide our clients with a tailor-made service to fit in with their exact wedding event requirements. Our goal is to supply the best possible bar service at the most cost effective price in our field. With over a decade of experience in mobile cocktail bars we continue to lead the way in hospitality services and pride ourselves on our long lasting client relationship based on three principles, Trust, Reliability and Service. Every client has a specific idea of how they want their wedding to look; we will work closely with you to create the perfect package to suit your wedding ideas and budget.

For a free consultancy service kindly send an e-mail on mrcocktailmanvan@hotmail.com.

Here I had found my niche. It’s different from every day make-up because theatre and fantasy make-up can be applied without limits using different media and allows you to create something different. However along the years I have realized that bridal make-up is more satisfying.

Being part of the big day is very exciting. During the trial I try to build a rapport so that I get to know the bride better and can suggest a look that is in line with her character. It is of great satisfaction to see the look on the bride’s face when she checks the final look in the mirror. I take pride in what I do and it is important for me to make the bride feel like a princess on her special day.”

Kudos – the shop which makes your wedding preparations stress-free Denise Grech tells WD about the origins of her shop Kudos in Mosta

Kudos became very popular, so in January 2013 we opened our shop in Mosta.

“Kudos’s mission is to help make the purchase of these items a little less stressful, even enjoyable, by offering the most exceptional customer service and an abundant selection of quality favours at competitive prices.

Here at Kudos, we offer a wide range of wedding accessories from guest books and cake toppers, to party canons to a selection of items for “Kudos first started in 2009 as an online shop. Having gone through it rental such as souvenir baskets and card holders. We specialise in offerourselves, we knew there was a real need for a one-stop wedding favours ing personalised favours; the couple can select from glassware to acrylic shop online that offers unique and high quality items. And we also knew favours and design their own labels to how stressful and emotional planning make their favour unique. Whatever the celebration may be, we hope to a wedding can be having gone make a difference!” through the process ourselves a few

years before.

As for new trends…

“Vintage wedding themes are a firm favourite of our brides-to-be, with the allure of days gone by; antique chic from a bygone era plus a touch of contemporary accessories, and it’s clear to see why our brides love it!

Favours in rustic textures of burlap and wood, with the combination of vintage lace and luxurious pearls are favourites to create the antique styled wedding of your dreams.”

“Celebrating life, one event at a time”

Weddings Favours, Accessories, Giftware & More At Kudos we always offer the widest selection of unique and quality party favours and gifts for all of life’s special occasions.

Kudos, Vjal il-Qalbiena Mostin, Mosta MST 2352 Call: (356) 2141 6139 or 7930 0023 | Email: info@kudos.com.mt | Website: www.kudos.com.mt Find Us on Facebook: facebook/kudosgifts Opening Hours: Mon-Fri: 16:00 - 19:30 | Sat: 09:30 - 13:00

Coliseum Arcades, Zachary Street, Valletta Tel: 2122 4234 • Email: weddingbells@sis.net.mt Website: WeddingBells.bridemalta.com • www.theweddingsite.com/weddingbells LIKE US ON www.facebook.com/weddingbells.valletta

COOL RETRO CHIC

paying homage to a glamorous bygone era

For this issue we chose the winner of our “cover girl competition”, Rebecca Cassar Cocks to be our model.

As many of you may remember, on our Facebook page we had asked you to send us a photo of yourselves posing with WD magazine, and from the many young women who submitted their photo, we thought that Rebecca, with her fresh, natural looks and charming smile, had just the right old world glamour look that we had in mind.

The stylist for this issue was Joseph Baldacchino from Flower Arts. Not only is Joseph an excellent florist with a well-deserved reputation, but over the years he has gained experience in styling a wedding according to the couple’s preferred theme. Together with the rest of our creative team, he came up with this concept of having a black and white retro feel, with dashes of colour provided by hundreds of fresh, deep red roses.

For our venue we chose The Diamond, at the Landmark in Qormi. This is a reception hall which is ideal for the couple wanting a space which can be transformed according to their tastes. With its sharp, interesting angles, and very bright, natural lighting, a good stylist can dress it up to create any atmosphere desired, as Joseph has done here. There is also ample parking space for wedding guests which is always an advantage.

The general manager Keith Gatt and his staff at The Diamond, were extremely accommodating in setting up a beautifully laid out dinner table for our shoot as well as a sea food dish provided by the in-house caterers Catermax.

The mirrored cubes and frosted white glass vases (provided by Joseph) added to the cool chicness of the set-up. Showing how one can mix ultra modern objects d’art in a setting which is a throwback to another era, he used a modern candelabra decorated with bunches of roses as a centre piece on the crisp white linen of the dinner table. Small red candle holders were used both for tea candles and yet more roses while a rose nestled in each of the individually folded napkins.

Joseph worked hand in hand with our talented and very patient photographer for this issue, Katerina VellaRyabkova, experimenting with different ideas until they achieved the desired effect. Using the sheer curtains for an ethereal feel, it brought to mind those old glamorous film sets of the 1930s. Katerina used both shadow and light to maximum effect by using the natural sunlight as well as reflections coming through the large glass doors.

WD | 13

Futuristic

Give your wedding a different feel by mixing classic with avant garde

Red

light up your passion with deep red roses and crimson candle holders

The model Rebecca, who is English, tells us she took part in our competition for the sheer fun of it, and since she had just got married to her Maltese boyfriend four months ago, “who wouldn’t want to wear a wedding dress more than once?”

Although she has never modelled, Rebecca proved to be a natural as she enjoys having fun with photos and was able to pose to her heart’s content. She loved the experience and everything about the look we created for her: “I would never have thought of this make up for a wedding, and the hair is just wonderful!”

A primer was used to give a healthy, glowing look, and green and orange concealer to give an even tone to the face. A shade lighter of foundation was used to contrast with the eyes, and she contoured the cheeks with bronzer and blusher. Eyebrows were enhanced with pencil for a fuller, sexier look.

Then, last but not least, three shades of red lipstick were used for the lips.

The make-up

Jo Briffa from Hairoscope created this amazing, intricate hairstyle by first adding extensions to Rebecca’s short, blonde hair.

Daniela Cassar, our make-up artist, created a Marilyn Monroe look with a modern twist.

She used a light shade of beige on the eyelids, and then greyish shading in the socket line to give depth to the eyes . White shadow is used under the brow, then precise black eyeliner with a flick in the corner, plus lots of mascara on the outer lashes, for a full cat eye look.

WD | 20

The hair

He then used rollers for big curls and brushed it all out, and patiently pinned it into separate sections. The front was styled for a classic vintage look. To her delight, Rebecca was completely transformed into a glamour model from another era!

The dress Marquita from Wedding Bells used her expertise to choose just the right dress for Rebecca’s fuller figure. This mermaid dress is made of lace and is perfect for this kind of body shape because it is fitted at the waist and then opens up at the knees.

The sweetheart neckline also gives a very flattering silhouette while the chiffon tulle wrap is fastened at the back, and can be removed. There is a ruche effect and crystal details at the side, which once again, is ideal for women who are more curvy.

The corset laces up at the back and the long train completes the classic, romantic look.

Jewellery and headpiece are by Zsa Zsa jewellery.

WD | 23

WeddingDay CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE Creative Director Jessica C. Moritz www.jessmor.com Photographer Katerina Vella-Ryabkova photobykaterina@gmail.com • M: +356 99536694 https://www.facebook.com/katerinavellaryabkova SET Stylist & Floral Design Joseph Baldacchino of Flower Arts www.flowerarts.net • M: +356 9926 0645 Bridal fashion styling Marquita Kemper of WeddingBells T: +356 21224234 • E: weddingbells@sis.net.mt MAKE-UP Daniela Cassar E: dan1305@go.net.mt • M: +356 99130575 hair Jo Briffa of Hairoscope E: jobriffa@gmail.com T: +356 21659442 • M: +356 99224750

DANIELA CASSAR

the official makeup artist for Wedding Day Magazine Tel: +356 99130575

-

dan1305@go.net.mt

-

facebook.com/dcassarmakeup

Coliseum Arcades, Zachary Street, Valletta Tel: 2122 4234 • Email: weddingbells@sis.net.mt Website: WeddingBells.bridemalta.com • www.theweddingsite.com/weddingbells LIKE US ON www.facebook.com/weddingbells.valletta

7th September 2014

Marilù Vella & Sean Buhagiar photos by CC Rossler

THE COUPLE They say the best place to meet your potential “someone” is at a wedding, and this was certainly the case with this couple.

Marie Louise (known as Marilù) and Sean met at work but only got together at a colleague’s wedding.

“Apparently we were the only ones left at the wedding and even the barmen were dismantling everything, while we were still sitting in the middle of the venue, chatting. The first time Sean told me he loved me was underwater; he took me scuba diving in February when it was freezing cold and I found an “I love you” in a treasure chest under the sea.

We have a habit of giving such gifts to each other.

I once took him sky diving and then on a hot air balloon for his birthday, even though he doesn’t like heights. We definitely keep each other on our toes.”

Recalling the proposal, Marilú admits that they “kind of knew” the relationship was there to stay and could have moved in together. “But then when Sean haphazardly proposed, I obviously accepted (after a few minutes of disbelief and asking him if he was serious).”

WD | 28

It turns out that the proposal was different to what Sean had originally planned. “He had planned to propose on New Year’s Eve on a small boat in the Grand Harbour (dghajsa tal-pass), however the weather did not allow us to go. It was rainy, windy

and very cold. So Sean postponed it to a week later, when we were in a hotel for a weekend.

He took me out to dinner at a very nice restaurant, and once we got to our room he asked me the big question in the same way he had officially asked me to be his girlfriend, on a chalk board with several options and I had to tick my choice.�

In case our readers have not already figured it out, this couple both come from an artistic background (she is MarilĂš of Pastizzi Gourmet fame, as well as an actress) and he is a theatre director (probably most well-known for directing the controversial play, Jiena nhobb, inti thobb).

Their creative personalities are amply reflected in the dynamics of their relationship. Noth-

ing is done in a boring, conventional way, so when it came to their wedding, their choices were anything but predictable or cut out from the “what everyone else does” mould.

THE WEDDING With the looks of someone who should have been born in another era, it is no surprise that for her wedding dress, Marilù opted to go for vintage. Her custom-made dress and headdress were made by Maria Muscat of Babettopolis.

“I was looking for something vintage-looking and romantic, unique and comfortable to spend a whole day in and dance the night

photo & invites by Bestprint

away. As soon as the designer showed me the design I knew she understood exactly what I wanted.”

The bride’s lovely and very original blue shoes were purchased from Darmanin Footwear, who specialise in bridal shoes which are available in any of their five outlets.

Marilù knew who she wanted for her maid of honour by the time she was 13. “Luckily our relationship only changed for the better so that was a very easy decision. Two of my bridesmaids were two very good friends whom I had met while I was studying abroad five years ago. We kept in touch throughout the years and visit each other often, so that was also an easy decision. The other bridesmaid is a very old and special friend from school. I knew I wanted her to be part of my bridal team, however I had asked for my school friends’ blessing; we’re all very close and I didn’t want anyone to be offended, so I made sure I had their approval. Obviously, nobody objected. The junior bridesmaid is Sean’s 14-year-old sister; she’s a very special girl so, of course, I wanted her to be by my side. My flower girl and page boy were my adorable niece and nephew, they were the first people who sprung to mind when Sean proposed, and I thought how cute they were going to be at the wedding!”

After making sure her bridal party were comfortable with the design of the dresses Marilù went for white gowns with a very light powder blue, while they all wore different coloured pastel shoes. They were free to choose how to have their hair and make up.

Sean chose all his close friends and another couple of favourite people to be his groomsmen, and his closest friend as the best man. Their bowties were hand-embroidered with their names by Sarah, from The Secret Rose who offers this specialized service.

Understandably, Sean was completely involved in the wedding preparations and participated in all the decisions and also contacted many people himself.

The unique, intricate invitations were made by Bestprint (who also happen to be WD’s excellent printers) with illustrations by Nadine Noko, and design by Ed Dingli.

CEREMONY & CELEBRATIONS The Mass was held at the Chapel of Our Lady of Providence, Siggiewi and here again the couple opted to do things differently. “We did not invite everyone to Mass since it was a very small chapel. Therefore once we got to the venue we had a small ceremony where the maid of honour and best man read speeches, friends read poems and readings and Sean and I read our own vows to each other.”

The church was decorated with flower arrangements by Colours of the Rainbow (whom many refer to as Maria tal-fjuri, a florist located in Siggiewi).

True to form, they rented a Maltese vintage bus, and put all their relatives and bridal party, together with the photographer and videographer, as well as five members from the Guggen Band on board. “There was quite a party on the bus.”

The couple chose to hold their reception at Popeye Village. “We loved having the cliffs around us and the sea, and also the fact that it is a quirky film set. It had all the elements we wished to have. The fireworks on the water were also beautiful, we were secluded and it was perfect for us.”

Since Marilù is a celiac, most of the food at the wedding was gluten free and they designed most of the menu themselves. The cake had no icing on the outside, so it looked very “raw” and rustic. The three tiers were made up of different flavours: chocolate, banana and toffee and strawberry and lemon.

The reception itself was one grand, old typical Maltese festa.

“We are the type of people who like to do things differently from others; we like to entertain, and we love summer feasts. So it was obvious right from the beginning that we had to have a brass band (a fun one), fireworks, festoons and bunting. We had flags like those you see in the feast marches. We also love food so it was important that food was good, luckily the caterers did not object to us having Pastizzi Gourmet at the wedding. We chose Fakawi and Electro Swing for entertainment because we wanted a lively wedding, we did not want people to wait for us to start dancing but we wanted everyone to literally dance all the time. Instead of a guest book we had two huge blackboards which people used to write messages and

draw on.”

Thinking back on how she felt on the day, Marilù says it was somewhere between excited and laid back. “I was more relaxed than I thought I would be, probably because I was so sure of what I was doing. I was joking up until I got to the aisle, and was relaxed the whole day.”

Minor hitches are bound to happen, of course. “We had planned a beautiful send off for our going away, with hundreds of sparklers, but unfortunately they were misplaced and our best man couldn’t find them.

We later found them at the hotel in our suitcase, and we still don’t know how they got there.”

Instead of souvenirs, the couple gave a donation to Dr Klown and gave out clown noses to their guests.

COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW Florists Siggiewi Have you ever dreamt of unique original designs for your wedding flowers at reasonable prices?

Special offers to Wedding Day Magazine readers.

Contact us for further information.

From beginning to end, every detail of this wedding was definitely “them”, filled with fun and laughter, and a great celebration with family and friends to mark the start of Marilù and Sean’s new life together.

63 Triq Santa Margerita, Siggiewi Mobile 79709436.

Find us on Facebook

R

Coliseum Arcades, Zachary Street, Valletta Tel: 2122 4234 • Email: weddingbells@sis.net.mt Website: WeddingBells.bridemalta.com • www.theweddingsite.com/weddingbells LIKE US ON www.facebook.com/weddingbells.valletta

7th June 2014

JeanBert Gatt & Fay Camenzuli photos by Jessica C. Moritz

THE COUPLE JeanBert and Fay met by pure coincidence and in the least expected place…online.

“We both had friends in common and used to chat using MSN. Somehow my e-mail address ended in JeanBert’s list of friends and one fine day he decided to start chatting with me. We had never met and I was a bit worried I could be talking to a potential psycho! However my brother-in-law Justin gave the seal of approval when he told me what a nice person JeanBert is. It was a very strange feeling as we ended up chatting daily for over a month till 2 am even though we had never met in person. Speaking to him would be the highlight of my day and I would rush home after a day at junior college hoping to find him online. One fine day JeanBert asked me to join him to an engagement party of friends of ours, and although I was very nervous I accepted. Nine years later here we are!”

WD | 38

The couple always spoke about their future together and marriage was naturally the next step. Fay explains that “although we had been together for 7 years, I had just emerged from student life and had just graduated, so I was very relaxed about it.”

To pop the question JeanBert took Fay to Rome, a city she had been wanting to visit for a very long time. “He kept saying that on the 8th May we must wake up very early at 6 am. I am totally not a morning person so I thought he was joking, however when he really did wake me up and dragged me out of the room at 5:45am I was extremely grumpy and didn’t stop complaining. Little did I

know. He blindfolded me and took me to the top of the Spanish steps, put on our song “I only want to be with you” by Vonda Shepard, and had balloons with “will you marry me?” written while he went down on one knee. It was very romantic as we were facing sunrise. I didn’t even say anything I was just shocked and couldn’t stop hugging him and crying! I was meant to blow up the “yes” balloon but my emotions got the better of me, in fact I didn’t even take notice of the ring. It was such a special moment and exactly at 6.20am our families called us giving their congratulations. The first was my Dad who knew all along as JeanBert had asked

for his blessing before proceeding, something that was very important to me. He involved all our family members and even took my sister with him to design my engagement ring.”

THE WEDDING Preparations begin with finding just the right dress.

“I decided to go to London to visit the same designer who had designed my sister’s wedding dress. Together with my Mum, sister and Marika, a very close family friend, we met up with the designer and together we slowly and patiently designed my dream dress.

The designer created a beautiful heavily embellished fabric for the bodice and the very talented seamstress, Doris Abela, attached the fabric of the bodice and created the rest of the dress just as I had wished! I rely very much on my sister and Mum’s opinion, however they couldn’t make it to the first fitting so funnily enough my very first bridal fitting was all alone with JeanBert waiting outside in the car for me.”

Looking back she can laugh, but at the time Fay remembers that she was extremely stressed out when the fabric of her wedding dress arrived in the wrong colour. Instead of white it came in gold, but every-

thing was sorted out in the end.

Fay chose her close friends from her University days, Sarah and Ann Marie to be her bridesmaids. “We have experienced many special occasions together. I took them out for brunch one day pretending I had big news to give them and that’s where I gave them a personalized handmade card which asked “will you be my bridesmaid?’ together with a gift bag with things related to the wedding. My sister Raquel was present too and she was also asked to be my witness. My sister is my best friend and it was a must that she witnesses the most important day of my life.”

Fay wanted the bridesmaids to wear something that they felt comfortable in while still looking stylish. She put together images of what she thought was suitable and asked for their opinion on the matter. “It was very important that they liked what they were wearing and they were very happy with it. Doris created the dresses for the bridal party including my Mum‘s and my sister’s, however the flower girl’s dress was purchased from abroad.”

WD | 42

JeanBert had known Tony Sant, his best man, for over 15 years and always said that when he got married he would be his best man. The ushers and witness were all family members and close friends.

Their suits were hired from Cefai Formal Wear, one of Malta’s leading names in the wedding industry for men’s formal clothing.

And of course, what is a wedding without children in the bridal party? “The wedding party would have not been complete without Kyra our flower girl, JeanBert’s niece and Kai my nephew,” says Fay. Nerves are natural on such a special day but Fay’s mother and sister did their best to make sure she was at ease on the day. “Once the bridesmaids arrived we were all giggling and in fits of laughter as we usually do when we meet up. I was also very lucky because our hairdresser Carmelina Cachia is a very good friend of ours and Schevon our make up artist is such a nice person that a nice relaxed atmosphere was automatically created.”

JeanBert was very involved in the whole decision making process for the wedding. “He pays a lot of

WD | 43

attention to detail and is quite a perfectionist so he was very hands on and organized. Many times when we were meeting with suppliers I would leave everything in his and my sister’s hands because they had everything under control,” Fay says.

CEREMONY & CELEBRATIONS The wedding Mass was held at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha with the Voca choir providing the music. The ceremony was very intimate and Fay admits that when they exchanged their vows among family and friends, making their commitment to one another in front of God, it was the most special part of the day.

The reception was held at a unique venue by the sea, which also happened to be the same place where Fay’s parents got married. The combination of lovely gardens together with a view of St. George’s Bay had just the right ingredients which the couple was looking for.

The place was made even more spectacular with the way it was lit by professional lighting specialists Nexos.

There were different hues of blue and fuschia pink in each area, as well as fairy lights throughout.

Their outside caterers produced an innovative menu and gave great attention to detail.

The cake was designed by the very clever pastry chef who managed to incorporate the theme of the wedding. It was a three tier cake with a crystal starfish

embellishment all around and shades of blue in between. The toppers were two large joined starfish covered in silver.

Although the couple did not manage to make it a beach wedding, as they had hoped, they still managed have starfish as part of the theme.

“We imported finger starfish and embellished starfish for the invitations, created handmade glass starfish for the souvenirs and also added starfish on the bridesmaids’ dresses. This was also reflected in the venue with starfish details placed carefully and strategically throughout.

My favourite colour is blue so we chose different shades of blue and this blended in well with the starfish theme. We opted for a mixture of white orchids and roses around the venue which were designed by the very capable hands of Bjorn Borg from Floreal.”

It was lively reception with music provided by the Versatile Brass Fusion Band and ending with spectacular fireworks by the talented Bernard Cauchi of BG Fireworks.

“It was our dream come true because we became one and we felt very excited to start a new

Nexos Lighting & Video T: 21 800 144 info@nexoslighting.com www.nexoslighting.com

lighting

power

production services

Illuminating your Special Day

life together. The wedding reflected who we are and looking back we really enjoyed ourselves and would love to relive the moment all over again.

Finally we would like to thank our parents and siblings who did their outmost to make this day a memorable one. Also we would like to thank our friends especially those who came from abroad to share this special day with us.”

WD | 48

Floreal

BB

by Bjorn Borg

Weddings and Events

Flowers for any Occasion.

Being Weddings, Anniversaries, Birthdays or any other occasion Floreal 75/77, Labour Avenue Naxxar, Malta NXR 9023 Contact us on: (+356) 2747 0744/5 E-mail us on : bjorn_floreal@melita.com & florealhome@melita.com

www.florealmalta.com Follow us on Facebook Floreal & Floreal Home

designing something unique and making it unforgettable

20th June 2014

Elaine Pavia & James Grima photos by Jessica C. Moritz

THE COUPLE When you are from Gozo and have to a catch a minibus every week to go to University in Malta, chances are that you will make friends with your fellow passengers. In Elaine and James’ case, friendship turned to love after they met eight years ago as they commuted between Cirkewwa and Msida.

“We became best friends and after spending a great summer hanging out with our friends, we became an item during one of our BBQs at Ramla Bay. While lying on the sand admiring the stars, James secretly kissed me and we stole each other’s heart forever”, Elaine recalls.

Once they settled down to their jobs in Gozo (James is a mechanical engineer at the Gozo General Hospital and Elaine is a lecturer at the MCAST Gozo centre) they started working hard on their future home and preparations for tying the knot followed naturally after that.

THE WEDDING Elaine took her mother, grandmother, one of her best friends and her sister-in-law when it came to go shopping for her wedding dress. After trying on a few dresses, the shop assistant picked up a different dress for her to try on. “I never imagined that this style would suit me but when they saw me in it, their jaw dropped, however I still needed to sleep on it before taking my decision. The next day I bought the dress.”

WD | 50

WD | 51

Dress designer Beatrice made the dresses for both mothers and the bridal party. “Beatrice did such a wonderful job. It is amazing how she mixed the layers of materials and lace to bring out their rich beauty. We immediately fell in love with the duckegg colour which enhanced the eyes of both Stephanie and Renee who were in the bridal party.”

The bridal party was made up of members of their respective families. The ushers and groom were suited up by Cefai Formal Wear who is the name in Gozo for men’s wedding attire.

The wedding ceremony at St Augustine Church in Victoria was very personal and intimate. Their friends did the readings and their parents went up to offer the gifts. Coming from a musical family, the musical arrangements were done by Elaine’s uncle Mario Galea while the angelic soprano voice was that of her cousin Marisa Galea. Stephanie,

Elaine’s sister was not only the maid of honour but also played the viola. Last but not least, the “Harpeggios” a trio of wedding musicians of which Elaine forms part as the cellist, were the musicians at her own wedding.

It was only natural for the bride and groom to get married in this convent, as apart from the fact that weddings are rarely done in this beautiful small church, Elaine has been their organist from a very young age and the couple’s new home is just next door.

On the morning of the wedding Elaine felt a bit anxious about everything going to plan.

“I was very organized and had a list of written detailed duties for all those involved. In the morning I also contacted everyone again so as to double check that all would go as planned. But as soon as Jessica, our photographer and Jonathan Grech our videographer arrived at my home and I got into the dress, I relaxed. I was looking forward to meeting James at the altar. I felt so happy and calm. I have been looking forward to James and I becoming husband and wife for years, and our day had finally arrived.”

THE CEREMONY & CELEBRATIONS James recalls that he felt at ease before the wedding, “and even more relaxed than I had expected. For me the highlight of the wedding was when Elaine was walking down the aisle, it was a very emotional moment for me. As for the rest of the wedding, I enjoyed every moment.”

They admit they were very nervous during the vows.

“James gave me his right hand to put the ring on him, and I did not realize so I placed the ring on the wrong finger. After the vows we heard my Mum saying “left … left … not right!” With our back facing the guests, James placed his ring on the left hand abruptly. We couldn’t stop laughing secretly about it. By that time, any previous nervousness was gone.”

Elaine says that James was very involved in the wedding; he ordered the lanterns and fixed the lighting the day before the wedding himself. He was involved in the design of the wedding cake since they wanted it to represent their love and the memorable days we spent kayaking together. ”We love camping and kayaking around Comino, so we chose this venue because of the breathtaking views of the islands. We wanted finger food to start flowing and have the cocktail, wine and spirit bars open for our guests before we arrived at the reception so that the guests could start to enjoy themselves while we went for a quick photo shoot in the convent, in our new home and in the country side.”

As many people know, the majority of Gozitan weddings are “sit down buffet meals”. However this couple wanted to do things a bit differently. “We wanted the guests to be free to move around while providing the place with many seating areas. There were cushions, bistro tables, stools, round tables and seating areas for everyone to be able to move around, stand up or sit and change places anytime they wanted without getting too tired due to high heels or from sitting for hours. The outcome was very positive and most of the guests were partying and dancing until the morning hours.”

Elaine says that, “According to the guests, the food was simply delicious and in abundance. There was a varied antipasto buffet, pasta buffet, meat and fish buffet, and a dessert table which included a variety of cakes, finger dessert items, ice-cream and an 8-tier chocolate fountain for the strawberries, marshmallows and doughnuts.”

For the wedding cake, James came up with the idea of having the bride and groom kayaking on top of four square shaped tiers diagonally placed on top of each other. “They represent the love we have for nature, and all the adventurous things we love to do to unwind from our busy and hard working days. The wedding colour themes were also included in the cake.”

Elaine also came up with an original idea for the invites and created a draft design of a spinning circle which one needs to turn to find out relevant wedding

information. For the front and back of the invite, their pre-wedding photos in sepia were incorporated to make it even more personal. Although they were concerned how the unconventional invitations would be received, it turned out that the guests loved them.

Elaine and James have been excited and looking forward to start living together under the same roof in their own home for years. “There was lots of hard work in planning, designing, building and constructing our future home prior the wedding.

We aimed to start living together as a new family in our own house as soon as we got married. Soon after we left the Church we went straight inside our new home for the first time as a husband and wife as a symbol of our new bond. And as the tradition goes, James lifted me and carried me inside our new home. Having a photo shoot at our new home was something original, intimate and very dear to us.”

A special moment for Elaine was when they were dancing to “I wanna spend my lifetime loving you” for their first dance. “It felt so natural and meaningful that we ended up singing it out to each other while dancing and I truly felt lost in his arms.”

“The love, support and excitement of the people around us was very special and evident. It could not have been more perfect…a great emotional day with all our families and friends.”

30th of August 2014

Karlie Christoforidis & Peter Gatt photos by Kristian

THE COUPLE “We met on Valentines Day back in 2009. Both single at the time, we had both just managed to chose the same place to try and forget what the day was and what it meant. Our relationship started out as just friends. So for years we were friends, and thought that would be it,” Australian couple Karlie and Peter tell WD. But they admit there was always something a little special between them, so after not being able to mask it any longer, they tried dating and friendship turned to love. “After knowing you care about someone for years (even as purely as friends) it’s an easy assumption that you will care and love that person so much more once you add that intimate capacity. We just loved each other and knew it was the real deal, so getting married was just one more exciting thing we get to do together.”

Their first European holiday together back in 2011 turned out to be quite eventful. “Pete proposed on top of the Eiffel tower,” Karlie says.

“The sun was going down and it was just beautiful! I remember thinking “this cannot be real” and looking down at Pete thinking YES, YES, YES! Pete remembers it a little differently, as I took forever to actually say YES! But I eventually did and then after looking around, I saw there

was a full level of people clapping and cheering.”

Karlie bought her dress from a very small boutique in Melbourne. “I wanted something very simple and sweet, which would hold up to the hot weather we knew we were in for in Malta.

The dress was a perfect fit, straight off the rack.

Everything actually came together perfectly, when moments later I went into a store which makes bespoke headpieces. The woman there created my headpiece from scratch, and added lace to the dress so that it would match.”

Karlie describes her bridesmaids as “all the women in my life whom I love to bits! My sister Stefanie was my maid of honour and my bridesmaids were my best friend Nicole, my sister-inlaw Rita and my cousin Katie. My flower girl was my stunning niece Laura who was an angel in her dress. With ladies like this, it was very easy to make the decision.”

From the get go, Karlie says that everything about the wedding was very easy. “I actually spotted the Armani silk dresses for the bridal party one day when I was out shopping and sent the girls a picture. The next thing I know, they have texted me back with their sizes and I was purchasing four dresses. They turned out beautifully.”

Karlie points out that as “Australian-born Europeans” they had what would be considered a

small number of relatives and friends coming to the wedding, so they tried to involve everyone. The ushers were Pete’s nephew Jack, and Karlie’s little cousin Paolo. The best man was Pete’s brother Dave. “He has always been there for me over the last 32 years,” says Peter. “We’ve had our fights, but he’s always the person who’s pushed me to stay in line and try to have a normal life. Dave has always hated any of my exgirlfriends, but loved Karlie. He was one of the first to give me the sign that she had to be my bride.”

Malta is actually quite a large part of Peter’s heritage, as his great great grandfather was the master builder of the Mosta Dome. The statue in the dome as well as the street named after Anglu Gatt just added to the meaningfulness of their wedding day. “We had been trying to plan the wedding in Australia and nothing really felt perfect, so we threw the idea of Malta into the hat and the next thing we knew, we had booked a date!”

Although at the beginning, the couple actually attempted to do everything themselves they quickly realized that planning a wedding from the other side of the world was quite a task. “We had a look around and when we found Martina from I Do Weddings we struck gold. She is amazing and we would recommend her to anyone.”

WD | 60

Martina’s expertise came in very useful as this couple had plenty of requests, but nothing was ever too much for the experienced wedding planner. “We even

called her from the car on the way to the venue to get her to organize all of the wedding party to have a balloon, so we could release them for the photos, and with three minutes to go, she and her amazing assistant Leiticia had it all under control. They were great!”

Around 60 family members and friends came from all over the world for the wedding. Most of them flew in from Australia, some from Germany and obviously those from Malta.

Pete says that while he would love to say he was deeply involved in the preparations, he admits that Karlie did most of the work. “I work in IT, and while I can be a passionate and excited guy, when it came to the wedding and the stress, I tried to run it like one of my projects. That eventually ended and Karlie took over, which is probably why we had such an amazing day. I suggested hiring Martina, our wedding planner from idoweddingsmalta.com, and that was probably the best suggestion which came from me,” he laughs.

They took many of the decisions regarding the ceremony and the happiness of their respective families together. However as many grooms eventually discover, the bride often knows best: “she would come up with the ideas, and then I’d give her my opinion, and then funnily enough, we always went with her idea. Crazy right!?” says Pete.

Ceremony & celebrations Obviously the wedding Mass was celebrated at the Mosta Dome followed by a reception at the unique venue, The Villa, with its breathtaking views of Balluta Bay. “We were not sure where we wanted to have the reception, but when we first stumbled across The Villa, we could not have asked for a better place or location. The view was to die for and the people were so lovely. We had a few little questions, like dietary requirements for vegetarians and people who are gluten free, we also obviously opted for a kids’ menu for the little ones, and The Villa was amazing. People are still going on about that risotto and how it was the best reception food they have ever had!”

As they didn’t want to have the usual, every day kind of cake topper, they ended up choosing a floral arrangement with some amazing laser cut words on top. “We figured less was more, and in this case it really paid off. The cake looked very sweet and fit in perfectly with our theme.”

And the theme itself was highly original for a wedding. “We chose to introduce elements of the Pixar

movie Up to our wedding. We had things like The Adventure Book as the guest book, little soda tops on the bouquets, little houses from Happy Wedding Malta as the bonboniere (souvenirs), and also added the balloon element for a little bit of fun. We just think that this movie is adorable and is very much the type of love story we think we have. One that will last the test of time.”

Karlie says she was extremely relaxed as she was getting ready. “In fact the ladies doing my hair and makeup commented on how chilled out our entire wedding party was. We were just laughing and having a great time getting ready, with the cheeky cocktail or two thrown in there for when the nerves or emotions were getting the better of us. It was just a lot of fun!” Daniela Cassar, who happens to be the official make-up artist for WD magazine’s cover photo shoot, once again did an amazing job with the bride.

The groom was also quite laid back. “There were no nerves at all. When Karlie and I first got a chance to check out The Villa where we had the reception, we actually looked at each other and the stress was gone. We said, “If we literally make it to the church

WD | 63

at some point, get a priest to marry us, and then end up getting to The Villa, it will be a magical wedding”. Luckily enough, everything went to plan.

There were some big surprises, fireworks, views of the bay and the photos that our amazing photographer Kris took speak for themselves. We have some beautiful memories, and all due to taking a relaxed and fun approach on the day.”

However, they agree that the funniest anecdote would have to be as Karlie was about to walk down the aisle, when she heard Martina and Kris scrambling around, asking all the tourists to move.

WD | 64

A venue that ticks all the boxes.

Make it a day to remember

www.thevillamalta.com 39, Main Street, Balluta Bay, St. Julians E-mail: info@thevillamalta.com Tel: 2311 2273

“I think in the end we had around 40 tourists in the church attending our wedding.”

“I know a lot of people say that their wedding was perfect, but we were truly blessed. We were surrounded by people who had flown half way around the world to attend, and the excitement in the group was palpable. We pretty much had a week long wedding, with dinners every night leading up to and then after the wedding for the entire group. The Mosta Dome was so special and our priest, Father Brendan Gatt was amazing. He actually even gave us a tour of the church a few days before the wedding which was a treat. The Villa for the reception was just stunning! The food and the people were beautiful and the day just went magically. I think the thing we will remember above all else is the overall sense of fun and happiness throughout the whole day. Everyone had an amazing time and it was finished off with some crazy sing alongs and silly dancing until the early hours of the morning. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Steps Ahead Dance Studio

TUNIN’ ENTERTAINMENT

If your wedding day is approaching and you are worried about that first dance, then do not fear.

Steps Ahead is here to lead you on to the floor, with grace, elegance and style, allowing you to wow your friends and family and make the most of your big day.

We offer you a professional, personalised and competitively priced service. Give us a call today !

We can provide all the services you need for your special day, from exceptional entertainment to supplying you with the equipment required for your set-up.

We are a one stop shop for all that you can possibly need.

Triq in –Nassab Qormi Tel: 79047667 / 27000360 e-mail: info@stepsaheadmalta.com

www.stepsaheadmalta.com

No. 46 Triq Mikiel Ang Grima Pembroke +356 21435763 www.tunin.com.mt

Happy Wedding Malta Souvenirs and Wedding Supplies Specialising in Custom Handmade. Unique Souvenirs for your occasion. We make your ideas real!

www.facebook.com/ HappyWeddingMalta +35679727885

18th July 2014

Sarah Camilleri & Neville Refalo photos by Alexandra Pace

THE COUPLE Sarah and Neville are both involved in theatre and in fact they met 10 years ago while taking part in a musical. “The musical was not exactly romantic, as it was the story of Dracula but we immediately became very good friends. However, it wasn’t until two years after, that we started our relationship. Obviously, since we knew each other very well, it was very clear from the start that this was going to be a serious relationship.”

Contrary to most other couples, they both live a very hectic life because of rehearsals, filming, singing and work so each day brings with it different experiences. “When we meet, we always have lots of things to talk about and anecdotes to share. Most of all, we support each other in whatever journey we decide to undertake, year after year. Marriage was the final step to complete our relationship and so we decided to finally tie the knot.”

The proposal took place in a Chinese restaurant in St. Julian’s.

“It was my birthday so Neville had decided to propose during dinner. He phoned the Chinese owner of the restaurant but it was extremely difficult to communicate as she was not fluent in English. However, one way or another he managed to arrange everything. His idea was to meet her near the rest rooms during dinner to give her the ring to be put in a fortune cookie. Everything went well and when I opened my

fortune cookie I saw the ring. At first I thought it was some sort of toy found in the cookies but when Neville grabbed my hand to propose, I suddenly realized what it was all about and turned completely red, especially when I saw both the restaurant owner as well as the waiter staring at me, more excited than Neville himself. I was overwhelmed since I wasn’t expecting it at all and obviously said yes to the applause of those around!”

THE wedding

WD | 70

Sarah’s wedding dress was made to measure by a tailor. She was looking for a very simple and plain dress: “I have been in show business since I was very young and wanted nothing that might resemble a glamorous costume. Going against tradition, Neville accompanied me to different wedding establishments and I tried on a number of dresses but we didn’t find anything we liked. Finally we went to a tailor with the design of the kind of dress we had in mind. What stood out from the whole dress was the full lace veil which complemented the plain dress. I wore a very old diamond jewellery set belonging to my grandmother which completed what we had in mind.”

Sarah’s sister, Karen, was her maid of honour. “For her dress, we just found the best option that suited her and gave our design to the same tailor entrusted

with the wedding dress.”

Sarah’s brother Edward was the best man and since they wanted to keep everything simple, they had no ushers while as witnesses they chose Neville’s brother, Trevor, and a close friend of Sarah’s, Heinrich.

“I also have a son who is now 14 years old, Liam, who had the important role of bearing our rings in an original way. He had them inside a candle covered by a wood log, especially hand-made for us by Silvan, a friend of ours,” says Sarah.

The men’s elegant suits were hired from Cefai Formal Wear.

This couple has a lot in common, one of them being that they are both perfectionists and they planned everything down to the finest detail. “Although prior to the day we were quite relaxed with everything, the actual day was quite nerve-wracking as we were hoping that everything would go well. In the end, everything went very smoothly.”

They were lucky with the weather as well; despite it being a July wedding, the day was not too hot. “We had decided that whatever happens on the day, nothing would ruin our special day and we wanted to enjoy it to the full, no matter what.

The bespoke invitations were ordered from Foilplus in Paola who specialise in hot foil printing. This ef-

WD | 71

fect gives a touch of class to the invite with printing in either gold, silver, bronze or any other colour. The invites were made to the couple’s specifications to fit in with their theme.

The Mass was held at the Ibrag Parish Church which was beautifully decorated by the talented Lisa Parnis Coleiro from Floral Art. The unusual flowers were a very dark purple known as “hot chocolate” and contrasted strikingly with the white dress. They fit in perfectly with the colour scheme of dark purple and silver.

For their venue, Sarah and Neville chose a vineyard which has different levels, enabling them to organize different sections. With 750 guests, this was quite a big wedding, so they knew they needed a large space.

Being a wedding singer, Neville knew some tricks of the trade so he chose a venue which was not tied to a specific caterer and which also did not have any time restrictions on the music.

“In the patio leading to our reception venue, a live violinist welcomed the guests as they came in. In the main area we had the whole band as well as a very large cheese table with two bars. In the pool area we set up a chill-out area for the after party together

with another bar. In another outside area we set up both the photo booth as well as a crêpe table. We also had all the seating in this area as we didn’t want to clutter the main dance area with chairs and tables.

There was also a picturesque area where an artist was painting a live picture of our wedding reception.”

Since both Sarah and Neville love wine, they included an elegant wine bar with lots of foreign cheeses and charcuterie which made quite an impact on all the guests. “A chef prepared crêpes with different sweet tastes as requested by our guests, and this was another hit. During the after party we also included a hotdog and burger stand, cooked on request.”

As Sarah is a dancer and Neville is a singer, they decided to have a personalized cake which included a spiral piano keyboard through all the tiers and a copy of Neville’s microphone and a ballet shoes on the top. The cake was made by another friend, Mario Briffa, a professional wedding cake decorator.”

As they are both involved in the performing arts (both Sarah and Neville have also appeared in various roles on TV) they invited lots of friends with whom they usually work to make their day more meaningful and special. “We also decided to make a different kind of pre-wedding video thanks to our

close friend Mark Doneo who helped in writing and directing a short, dark movie to explain how we met.

This movie was shown on a big screen for the first time during our wedding and has now been submitted in short movie competitions both locally as well as abroad. Another unusual item in our wedding was the setting up of a caricature of both of us at the entrance of the reception area instead of the usual photo portrait.”

Afterwards all their guests told them what a great time they had and what a special wedding it was. The band at the reception was made up of fellow members of the groom’s band and supported vocally by Glen Vella and Claudia Faniello. Neville also sang a song as a dedication to Sarah exactly before the actual dancing started.

“Our wedding day was the most important day of our lives. We made sure that it would be as personal as possible by deciding everything ourselves and including all our friends and family in the process.

Also, the priest who celebrated our Mass, Fr Colin Apap, is my cousin and knew us well from beforehand. We had a very personal celebration which included jokes and anecdotes about us to which we laughed and enjoyed throughout the whole celebration. This is what made it all so special.”

28th June 2014

Christine Balzan & Jeremy Barbara photos by Tonio Lombardi

THE COUPLE “Jeremy and I are both volunteers with the Civil Protection Department, and that is where we first met”, Christine tells WD. “I joined the Spider Volunteer Corps in 2005 and Jeremy the year after. It wasn’t ‘love at first sight’ as when we first met, we both were dating other people and we didn’t take any notice of each other at first.”

“Apart from the weekly training schedule at the Department, we used to also spend lots of time at the fire station, going there straight after work, going out on calls, helping out with the cooking and having meals with the rest of the full timers and other volunteers who are just as ‘crazy’ about the work as we are. Then Jeremy’s relationship came to an end, I was single as well, and apart from meeting at the fire station, we used to go out as friends, with the rest of the group. Then at one point, Jeremy and a friend of his went to Spain for work, and I decided to pay them a visit… and that is where it all started!”

This couple are both adventurous and enjoy

similar things. “We are not the finicky type – we enjoy camping, holidays in back-packing mode, scuba diving, abseiling and so on. We love to travel especially to remote countries.

Our life is packed with so many activities, that I can’t imagine us leading a boring life.”

It was while they were on a holiday in Thailand that Jeremy thought, “well, this must be it”. His intention was to buy a ‘hand-made’ ring made of ebony, however as they were together all the time he couldn’t buy the ring without Christine knowing, especially as she admits she is quite a ‘shark’ when it comes to these things. “We were having dinner on an island, Ko Lanta, dead tired after a whole day running around, and I could see him getting red in the face and slightly hesitating. This is quite unusual for Jeremy because in general, nothing makes him blush. And so he proposed, but without the ring. The ring came after – it was our anniversary and he came up to me with a ring out of the blue. Given that Jeremy is not the romantic type, there wasn’t any actual ‘kneeling’ type of marriage proposal.”

THE WEDDING For her gown, Christine was looking for a plain tight white dress. “I definitely did not want a ball gown because it’s not my style. I wanted an elegant dress which people would immediately recognize as being ‘me.’ My mother (well-known TV presenter Matilde Balzan) and I went to almost all the bridal shops on the island. At one point I was also considering buying it online; but then I tried on two dresses which I really liked and after a lot of back and forth I finally chose this dress.

“As soon as I wore it, everybody in the room said that it was beautiful and that it suited me, and I thought so too!”

WD | 76

As for the bridesmaid dresses, Jeremy and Christine agreed on the colour, Royal blue, without hesitation.

“Both the maid of honour, my sister and the bridesmaid are not the fussy type, and they both preferred a simple and elegant attire. I wanted the flower girls to be in a plain white dress with a touch of blue which was really difficult to find as ivory is in fashion at the moment. Then around 3 months before the wedding, I was in London and finally managed to find two white dresses just the way I wanted them.

The bridesmaid lives in Paris so we couldn’t really go shopping for shoes. So I decided that it would be best to let them buy their own shoes and wear them in beforehand so that they would feel comfortable on the day.”

There was no difficulty in deciding who the maid of honour would be as Christine’s sister Marika made the decision herself. “For the bridal party, we chose the people we consider very close friends or family members with whom we wanted to share our special day.”

Christine says she was the one who did most of the running around for quotations, browsing the internet and asking people for ideas. After discussing the best option with Jeremy, she made all the bookings. “I didn’t want a wedding organizer, because in general, I like to organize things myself and I thought it would take away all the fun of organizing my big day. I have to admit though, that at times things were becoming too stressful especially in the last two weeks before the wedding. After setting the date (28 June), I learned that I had chosen quite a popular date so we had issues with finding the church, band, and singer during the Mass.”

Given that neither of them is very conventional, Christine was surprised that Jeremy didn’t want to see her dress before the wedding. On the whole, though, they did not allow themselves to be restricted by what they were ‘supposed’ to do in the traditional sense.

“We were relaxed and organized it just the way we wanted. We wanted the wedding to be fun and I think we managed.”

And the fun element was certainly provided in their choice of wedding car. “A friend of ours, who is also a volunteer with the Civil Protection Department, owns an old fire engine which was used in the past for ceremonies. As soon as I saw it, I knew that we had to use the fire engine somehow when we got married!

Who better than us? After all, that’s the place which brought us together. After the Mass we rode on the fire engine to the venue; we went round the harbour in Valletta waving at people and we stopped to take pictures on the way with the view of the bastions and the sea. Everybody was waving at us, we were hooting the horn and we really enjoyed it. Our ‘grand entrance’ at the hotel was spectacular as we drove with the fire engine up to the pool deck.”

CEREMONY & CELEBRATIONS The wedding Mass took place at St. Publius church Floriana followed by a reception at the Excelsior Hotel.

“We always knew that we wanted to hold our wedding reception at a hotel. In our opinion, it is less stressful and more organized; we just wanted to enjoy the wedding and have peace of mind that everything was flawless and that after the wedding we would simply climb the stairs to our hotel room. We were told that the whole month of June was fully booked, however there was a possibility that a couple was going to cancel their wedding, and they did, luckily for us and

WD | 79

unluckily for them. It was very well organized; there were around three managers on the floor during the wedding so our mind was at rest that everything was going smoothly.”

Being the kind of laid-back, unfussy kind of woman that she is, Christine chose a plain cake. “It was white with blue polka dots and blue sash, matching the theme colour. We had two types of flavours – bacio and almond – and the bacio was to die for. The cake topper was a lovely statue of a Spanish artist, which is a collectible.”

The souvenirs were also unique. Marika, her sister, is a clinical aromatherapist and the couple decided to give out a calming blend as a souvenir. “We wanted to give a souvenir which was useful and not something which you would throw into a drawer and not make any use of at all. My sister prepared the blend, bottle by bottle, drop by drop, so it was quite time consuming. But it was worth it because everyone seemed to have enjoyed it. The positive comments were mainly from women saying that they really needed the blend to calm down because of their husbands, which actually wasn’t a very comforting

comment to make to someone about to get married!”, says Christine with a laugh.

The bride says the week leading to the wedding was a very hectic one, involving a lot of running around, finalizing tiny details, while still deciding how to decorate the bistro tables and the swimming pool, buying balloons for the church and deciding at the last minute to order a label for the souvenir bottles.

“On the eve of the wedding, my sister pampered my mother and myself by preparing an aromatherapy foot bath and a manicure, especially to calm my mother down as I was quite relaxed.” There were some slight nerves as Christine walked down the aisle but they vanished once she saw Jeremy smiling!

The couple didn’t spend too much time taking formal photos as they wanted to be free to enjoy their own wedding, which they did. “I remember running after Jeremy to have the ‘first dance’ because he didn’t want to do it, as for him it meant that the wedding was soon going to end.”

Despite the joy and happiness, for Christine and her family, the wedding was a poignant reminder of someone who was no longer with them. Christine says that the most special part of the wedding was

EL SHADDAI

LES MIMIS

MUSICIANS

WEDDING PLANNERS

Music for wedding ceremonies & other Special Occassions.

Talented singers & musicians led by Beatrice Brockdorff a letter which her sister read right after Mass. “It’s a letter which she wrote on behalf of my father, who passed away when I was only 9 years of age. She asked me whether I wanted to read it before the Mass but I wanted it to be a surprise! It was very emotional for all those present at the wedding and obviously for myself, but the tears I had were happy tears! It was beautiful and it’s something I will cherish. Unfortunately my father couldn’t be present for the wedding, but I knew he was peacefully watching over his baby girl’s big day, and my sister expressed his thoughts beautifully.”

E: elshaddaivocals@gmail.com F: El Shaddai +356 99406167

You find the

perfect partner... ...we plan the

perfect wedding! www.lesmimis.com info@lesmimis.com +356 79509950

28th June 2014

JERMAIN BRINCAT & MELANIA CUMBO photos by Pinkishline

THE COUPLE

THE WEDDING

Young love can be a wonderful thing, and there is nothing more magical than when you meet the right person and just know that it will lead to a serious commitment. Jermain and Melania have known each other for 10 years, and met when they both formed part of a group of friends; she was just 14 years old, and he was 17.

On Melania’s 19th Birthday, they travelled to London together with their families, and while dining out at a special restaurant, Jermain proposed and she said yes. “We decided to have a civil wedding, which took place on the 20th March 2010 following a small sit down dinner for our families. After four years we decided to take it a step further and got married in a Church while also having the dream wedding I have always imagined from a very young age: a morning wedding with a lot of bridesmaids and ushers walking down the aisle.”

When it came to buying her dress from Wedding Bells, Melania was looking for something simple but at the same time eye-catching which would fit in with her theme of a vintage wedding with a modern twist. “I decided to go for an elegant French lace wedding gown. As I have a small frame, I decided on a mermaid style rather than a ball gown. I also chose a three metre long veil with a thick border of lace around the edge which complemented the dress. I decided to add a touch of bling to the dress with a very thin Swarovski waist belt, a Swarovski tiara and matching earrings. My shoes I bought from Xus Malta in Naxxar, who have a wide variety of styles to choose from.”

WD | 82

Melania took advantage of Wedding Bells’ annual Open Day to go and have a look at their dresses.

“I asked one of the very helpful salesgirls for the dress on the catalogue and she handed it to me for

a fitting. As soon as I put the dress on me I had that special feeling: I looked exactly how I had always imagined I would look in a wedding gown. The lace, the long veil and a Spanish style tiara all contributed to the Princesslike effect. I remember the look on my Mum’s face as she looked at me with tears filling her eyes and she told me I looked beautiful. That was the first dress I tried and I never went back from my decision. Even though more modern styles came in after a few months, I still felt that it was ME in the dress. I have always believed that on the wedding day you have to be comfortable with what you are wearing.”

Melania’s dream of having lots of bridesmaids, flower girls and ushers for her wedding wasn’t a problem as both she and Jermain come from big families. She had five bridesmaids, five ushers, her sister as her maid of honour, a page boy and three little flower girls, “one of whom was my beloved three-year-old daughter.”

The bride’s mother was with her every step of the way in every decision taken about the wedding. Melania also had the great help of her mother-in-law since she was the one who made all the dresses for the bridal party.

The bridesmaids wore white cocktail dresses with a lace corset and pastel coloured waist sashes which matched

WD | 84

the ushers’ bowties. The colours of the sashes matched the different hues of the wedding theme - lilac, pink, light blue, yellow, mint and peach.

CEREMONY & CELEBRATIONS The ceremony was held at the majestic Mdina Cathedral, the ideal place in the bride’s eyes which fulfilled her dream of a romantic, fairy tale, morning wedding. As always happens in the Silent City, admiring tourists gathered around the entrance to watch the bride enter the Cathedral.

This was a big wedding, and so the couple knew they needed a large venue which had natural daylight for the photos as well as a classical indoor space in case of bad weather. There was a wide choice of catering including a fish table which was made of king prawns, shellfish and other fish as well as an oyster and champagne bar.

The towering five tier cake had the bottom two tiers made out of cupcakes and the top three were the traditional almond cake, decorated with sugar paste flowers in the same pastel colours. Jars of white sugared almonds and coloured macaroons completed the cake table.

As with every couple who has spent months preparing for the big day, Melania felt very excited. “I

was also very anxious because since it was a morning wedding I thought I wouldn’t have enough time to get ready, but we started early in the morning and managed to be on time. I was nervous that I couldn’t go to the venue to check if everything was going as planned with the decorations and set up. However, I had managed to visit the day before to see how things were going, and being the perfectionist that I am, I managed to do some final touch ups and arrangements to the set up.”

The intricate details which Melania and Jermain put into their wedding could be seen at every turn. They created a logo which was used throughout, for sealing the invitations, on the invite itself, on the champagne ice sculpture, the souvenir tags, the candy jars, the photo booth as well as using it as a large print on the dance floor.

There was a cocktail bar and a candy table and music by a live band so that everyone could dance the night away.

Although most of the preparations were in Melania’s hands, Jermain had a few surprises up his sleeve, the biggest of which was inviting Melania’s favourite singer Ira Losco to sing at their wedding. “This was something that I had always wanted. Jermain arranged everything without my knowledge, and I was totally taken aback as soon as I was called to the dance floor by Ira herself,” Melania says.

WD | 87

The first dance was their favourite song, “There you’ll be” from the film Pearl Harbour.

There were even more unique touches in store, however, as the couple and the bridal party had organized a special surprise dance for their guests. “We had taken dance lessons with Jes Sciberras as a group every week and this really helped to bring us closer together. Each week, we eagerly looked forward to meeting up with our parents, witnesses, brides and ushers to rehearse with Jes. The men started off by dancing “Grease Lightning”, followed by the bride and groom dancing to “The time of my life”.

Then we ended the routine with “We go together”, with everyone dancing to it including our 3-year-old daughter. Jes wanted her to be part of the ending and we can say she finished our dance in style as when the guests saw her imitating our moves, everyone was laughing.”

Following the wedding the couple opted for a small after party hosted by a DJ.

WD | 88

“Finally, we decided to do the traditional “going away” a bit differently. We both dressed in USA colours, since that was going to be our honeymoon destination. To further complement our vintage wedding we opted for a Pontiac convertible with Jermain driving it, as fireworks were let off to send us off in style.”

WeddingDay

WHERE TO GET YOUR FREE COPY Valletta The Public Registry Evans Building, Merchants Str. Wedding Bells, Coliseum Arcades, Zachary Street British Shoe Store, St John’s Square Floriana Hamilton Travel, Floriana Phoenicia Hotel St Julian’s Wedding specialist - Westin Dragonara Wedding specialist - Radisson Blu The Villa, Balluta Bay Wedding specialist - Le Meridien Wedding specialist - The Hilton Sarah Young – Y Plan Events, Diodorus Siculus Str. Icing On the Cake Wedding Planners, No. 5, Elgin Court, Sigra Lane San Gwann Village Inkspot, Triq is-Santwarju Metro Stationery, Naxxar Road Biggie Best, Vjal ir-Rijan Candylicious, Triq San Frangisk Di Mare Moda, Triq il-Battaljun Sliema Monsoon, Bisazza Street Trading Post, Gorg Borg Olivier Street Markers, Dingli Street The Strand Hairstylist, The Strand Gzira Pronovias, The Strand Ta’ Xbiex Persona, 42, Marina Court, Sir Ugo Mifsud Street Pembroke Promark, 187, Patri Indri Vella Street Tunin’ Entertainment, 46 Triq Mikiel Ang Grima Zebbug Aesthetic Xcells, Vjal il-Helsien Niu, Central Business Centre, Triq l-Imdina Siggiewi Colours of the Rainbow florist, St Margaret Street Flower Design, Brija Road Xara Lodge, Triq il-Belt, L/O Rabat Qormi The Floral Designer, Bertu Hyzler Street, Qormi Meli Car Rentals, Triq Guzeppi Spiteri Fremond

HAMRUN The Look Hair & Beauty Clinic, 44 Triq Guze Pace

Santa Lucia Drago stationery/ sub-post office, 6 Centru Civiku

Santa Venera Happy Wedding Malta, 156, St Publius, Quarries Street

Paola Antonio Piscopo Co. Ltd 117, Zabbar Road

Rabat Camilleriparismode, St Catherine Street Rabat Local Council Mdina Xara Palace Hotel, Misrah il-Kunsill B’Kara Custom Lab, Ltd. Olaf Gollcher Street, Ta’ Paris Oreana Stationery & Bazaar, L. Casolani Street Alistair Fenech, No. 1 Triq Dun Karm Landau Stationery, 84 Mannarino Road Styling by Mandy, Girasol Street Mosta Cefai Formal Wear, Independence Avenue Centre confectionary, Constitution Street Educare, Constitution Street Kudos, Vjal il-Qalbiena Mostin

Birzebbugia Jo Briffa @ Hairoscope, Prof. A. Tabone Street Love is…wedding planners, 30, Church Street Fgura Flower Arts, 46 Mystic Rose, Censu Busuttil Street Ego stationary, Triq i-Sur 202 Jewellery, Zabbar Road Qrendi Bestmark, Triq Rokku Buhagiar Luqa Malta Event Design, 19, Wesghat Dun J. Camilleri Polidano Press, Luqa Industrial Estate Zurrieq Tonna Stationery, 4, St Catherine Street Christianne stationery, Misrah Mattia Preti A – Z Stationery, Vjal l-Indipendenza

Lija Garfields, 2 Triq Mikelang Borg Percius Car Hire, 185, Triq Annabile Preca

Marsascala Vivienne Health & Beauty Salon, Triq il-Qalliet

Attard Crayons, Triq Pitkali

Iklin Royal Travel, Triq Geronimo Abos Darmanin Footwear, Dun Karm Street

ST. PAUL’S BAY Cute Look by Tiziana, St Paul’s Street

Msida Papier Plus, 29, Esperanto Street Naxxar Villa Arrigo, San Pawl Tat-Targa Bali Stuff, Naxxar Road Wedding specialist - Palazzo Parisio Floreal, Labour Avenue Xus Malta, Apple Street San pawl tat-targa Floral Art, 27, Triq Raheb Kwadru Gharghur Jonathan Grech videographer D Beauty Zone, Triq 31 ta’ Marzu

To keep updated please join our Facebook page Wedding Day Magazine (Malta). info@weddingdaymalta.com You can view our magazine online at www.issuu.com/WEDDINGDAY

Marsaxlokk Old Trafford, Triq l-Arznell

Bugibba A & D Souvenirs, Trunciera Road

Qawra Boutique Claudia, Triq il-Maskli Mgarr HBR Hairdressing, Triq il-Majjistral Mateja’s, 111, Triq San Pawl Gozo Public Registry, Europe Street, Victoria Cefai Formal Wear, St Bert Street, Xewkija Kempinski Hotel, San Lawrenz Bookworm, Republic Street, Victoria Elegant Impressions, 8th Sept.Avenue, Xaghra Ta’ Cenc Hotel, Sannat Pen & Pencil, Independence Avenue, Ghajnsielem Terence Stationery, 13th Dec. Avenue, Nadur

PRONOVIAS 2015 BRIDAL AND COCKTAIL COLLECTION EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE AT PRONOVIAS - THE STRAND - GZIRA T: 2388 9380 路 E: PRONOVIAS@BIGBON.COM.MT 路 WWW.PRONOVIAS.COM

WeddingDay

MOJO Publishing Limited www.issuu.com/WEDDINGDAY info@weddingdaymalta.com