A Greek-Italian Wedding

Our story began during the Melbourne lockdown of 2021. With so much spare time, our connection grew quickly. From casual chats to meaningful conversations filled with laughter, comfort, and a rare sense of familiarity. We built our relationship through simple moments: shared meals, long walks, weekend coffees, and the blend of our Greek and Italian family traditions. What began softly soon felt like home.

In July 2023, our story reached a beautiful milestone when Sam proposed on Kythera, my ancestral island in Greece. Surrounded by the sea and family history, he asked me to marry him.

Before we met, our lives were full, busy, and shaped by the things we loved most — family, travel and our careers! I am a Brisbane girl at heart, now living in Melbourne and working as a pharmacist. My career has always meant a lot to me, and I’m known for being constantly on the go. I’m always at conferences, planning holidays, and squeezing as much life as possible into every week. My friends lovingly call me the “party girl,” the one with the full calendar, the one always jetting off to Europe (especially Mykonos), and the one who seems to attend a wedding every second weekend. I love to travel, I love to celebrate, and my Hens Party even turned into a five-day extravaganza in Sydney, which is very on brand for me! Despite the whirlwind of my social life, being close to my family has always been the most important part of who I am, especially after losing my brother Stanley to leukaemia in 2003. That experience shaped the way I value connection, tradition, and making memories with the people I love most.

Sam is an engineer and the heart of his friendship group. He’s the funny one, the easygoing one, and the person who will always pick up the phone when you call. He’s incredibly close to his family and equally loves his European summers. He loves cheering for Collingwood in the AFL, exploring new places, and saying yes to any adventure, from spontaneous drives, and in true Sam fashion — a Bucks Party spent exploring Kakadu in the Northern Territory.

Choosing our suppliers was one of the most meaningful parts of planning our wedding. We wanted everyone involved to shape the atmosphere, the experience, and the memories of our day, so we chose people whose work we admired and whose energy aligned with our vision. More than anything, we wanted our guests to feel immersed in an atmosphere of warmth, beauty, and celebration from the moment they arrived in Brisbane. With so many of our loved ones travelling from interstate and overseas, it was incredibly important to us that they felt welcomed, looked after, and part of something truly special. 

Our planners, The Nuptial Collective, brought calm, detail, and elegance to every moment, perfectly translating our heritage-and-grandeur vision into reality. 

Photography and videography were essential. We chose Lost in Love Photogarphy for their timeless, emotive work. They captured not just moments, but moods — turning even unexpected events, like being stuck in the clock tower elevator, into lasting memories.

Florals by Fontana Florall, stationery from Xela Studio, and Marina Machado Cakes’ six-tier masterpiece combined elegance with fun. Music brought our cultures to life: strings from Honey and Stone Events, band Electro Disco Music, vocals by Jessica Stokes, and bouzouki by Mikhali George.

From the custom dance floor by Staging Creations, candles by Candles by Jessica, linen from Table Art, furniture from Simply Seated, to the champagne tower by Bubble Over, every detail was intentional. Hair by Carole Haddad and makeup by Janise Chan made the morning calm and empowering, and our wedding bands by my friend Eliza at Real Fine Studio were a personal, meaningful touch.

My custom gown by Jacob from Jaton Couture was a true masterpiece. Elegant, timeless, and uniquely mine, every detail reflected Jacob’s incomparable artistry. Wearing it made me feel confident, radiant, and completely myself. Paired with Dior shoes and Raffinee The Label earrings, it created a bridal look I will never forget. Sam’s custom P Johnson suit completed the look. 

We were drawn to Moon & Back because their films feel cinematic yet deeply personal. Their work has a softness and authenticity that immediately resonated with us. We wanted a videographer who could capture not just the events of the day, but the feeling of it, and Moon & Back had that rare ability.

Seeing our wedding film for the first time was overwhelming in the best way. We received it on the last night of our honeymoon in Europe which was the perfect way to close out our trip and reflect on the magic of our wedding day. Watching it felt like reliving the day with fresh eyes!! The emotion, the atmosphere, the tiny in-between moments we were too busy or too swept up to notice. They captured the nerves, the joy, the proud faces of our parents, the way our cultures blended seamlessly, and the energy of having 350 loved ones celebrating around us.

One of the moments that moved us most was seeing my Yiayia Chrissy featured so beautifully in the footage. She made it to our wedding day, a blessing we are endlessly grateful for, and she sadly passed away just a few months later in August. Having her presence so lovingly captured and it’s something we will treasure for the rest of our lives. That alone made the film priceless.

What we loved most was how true the film felt to us. It didn’t feel staged or formal — it felt real, warm, and heartfelt. Moon & Back told our story with such intention, preserving the emotion, heritage, and humanity of the day while maintaining their signature cinematic style. It’s something we’ll cherish forever, and every time we watch it, we’re instantly transported back into the magic of that day.

Our biggest piece of advice for couples preparing to celebrate their love is to remember that the most important part of your wedding day is you and your partner. The day will fly by, so spend as much time as you can by each other’s side, soaking in the moments, the laughter, and the love surrounding you! We had so much feedback from our guests that they loved the fact that Sam and I didn’t leave each other’s side throughout the day and it made the celebration feel even more special and connected.

We made it a priority to spend the canape hour with our guests, which is something we rarely see at other weddings we’ve attended. Try to enjoy the planning process, I know it can feel overwhelming at times, but these months leading up to your wedding are full of small, special moments that you’ll treasure long after the day itself has passed. Soon, all the details will become a distant memory, but the feelings, the joy, and the connection you share will stay!