Wedding | Simona & Anthony

Apr 15
4 min read

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Anton and I met in the early years after high school through our closest of friends, his friend Massimo is dating my friend Sophie. A friendship was immediately formed, we came from similar Italian upbringings and had a sense of familiarity straight away. It was a bit of a slow burn because we were so young and both very much figuring out who we were. Once we realised that we didn’t want to spend another day apart from each other, the rest is history. We grew up together, graduated university, started our big scary corporate jobs, travelled the world several times, it only made sense that after 10 years we got engaged.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We were always drawn to the idea of a destination wedding because we wanted our celebration to have that relaxed, holiday feeling for everyone attending. While travelling through Tasmania for our 10-year anniversary, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to explore what venues the state had to offer.

We were looking for somewhere that could host our big Italian families and friends, give us flexibility with the food and beverage, and offer a beautiful backdrop and scenery. Our wedding planner, Gelisa from Dear Leone, suggested Villa Howden, knowing it would beautifully honour our Italian heritage while meeting all of our needs.

How many guests did you have?

100 guests.

What was your budget?

$100,000.

Tell us about your outfits.

I had the incredible team at Coutil Studio design my wedding dress. I wanted the gown to feel romantic and dramatic while still remaining timeless. I always envisioned a corset with a full, voluminous skirt. It felt like one of the few occasions in life where you can truly go all out, so why not! I collaborated with the team at Coutil on the finer details and fabric selection, the statement lace veil ended up being the perfect complement to the satin silk gown. Anton opted for a classic black tuxedo, choosing a beautifully tailored piece from Emporio Armani.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The most important aspects of the wedding for us were the atmosphere, the food and beverage, and the venue itself. Since we were asking all of our guests to travel to Tasmania, we wanted to make sure we were throwing one unforgettable party.

We designed the day so guests were taken on a journey through the venue. Each part of the celebration from the ceremony, to cocktail hour, to dinner and finally the dancefloor was held in a different space. This kept everyone moving together throughout the day and helped maintain a great atmosphere and energy.

We were also the first wedding at Villa Howden to have the dancefloor on the lawn. It was a bit of a risk with the weather, but we were very lucky and it turned out perfectly, this was definitely one of the highlights of the night.

Food and wine are incredibly important to us, so we wanted the menu to feel predominantly Italian while still celebrating the incredible produce Tasmania has to offer. Our caterers, Sabre, truly delivered, many of our guests have told us it was the best wedding food they’ve ever had.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

For us, beyond the key elements, it was all about the details. Throughout our relationship we’ve always taken film photos while travelling, so incorporating some film into the day was really important to us. One detail I couldn’t stop thinking about was the custom lace “Just Married” signs on our chairs, we actually had these made just one week before the wedding.

The day was also filled with a couple of surprises. I had once sent Gelisa a reference image of frozen flowers for the oyster bar, but the idea never really seemed to come to life. Our florist - The Romantics, along with the caterers - Sabre and Gelisa from Dear Leone, ended up surprising us with the most beautiful frozen flower oyster bar display, it was incredible.

Another special touch came from my mum, who organised custom tambourines that were handed out to guests on the dancefloor. It completely brought the party to life and made the atmosphere even more fun and energetic.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Trust the process, wedding planning tends to come in waves. There are busy periods early on, then things often quiet down for a few months before picking up again about two months before the wedding. Keep a clear to-do list and set aside dedicated days to work through tasks. I’d also recommend taking a little time off before the wedding so you can get into the right headspace and give yourself space to organise the final details.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Gelisa from Dear Leone was an absolute pleasure to work with. From the very beginning, she was incredibly helpful and truly understood our vision. She brought our dream wedding to life and we would absolutely recommend her to anyone planning a wedding or special event.

Our photographer, Emotions and Math captured our wedding perfectly. Isla was wonderful on the day, so helpful while also blending in effortlessly. We even received all our photos within a month of the wedding, which feels almost unheard of!

Photographer: Emotions and Math @emotionsandmathweddings | Planning: Dear Leone @dearleone.

com.au | Styling: Dear Leone @dearleone.com.au | Flora: The Romantics @theromantics__ | Content Creator: Heart & Soul Content @heartandsoul_content | Ceremony Location: Villa Howden @Villa_

howden | Reception Location: Villa Howden @Villa_howden | Celebrant: Kathleen the Celebrant @kathleenryancelebrant | Hire/Rentals: Salters Hire @saltershire | Makeup/Grooming: Jacqui Bradfield @jacquibradfieldmakeup; Sophie Mcdermott @sophie.mcdermott.mua | Hair: Brooke Hayward @ohhbrooklynhair; Brooke Marklew @brookelle.hair | Catering & Beverages: Sabre Catering @sabre_