We wanted the wedding to be colourful (but not too bright).
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We both are big skiers and love winter so much. We also love a European summer just as much, hence getting married in Rome. We prefer to ‘stay in’ than go out and cook a heart meal at home instead of going to a restaurant and deep, soulful conversations over a big party where you just have shallow conversations.
We are both big lovers of travel, and work together as well. Monica started her business back in 2018, and Hal jumped on board in the first year of their relationship in 2022.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
On January 21, 2021, Hal and Monica got on the same ski chairlift and started talking. It was the most perfect snow day – fresh powder from a snowstorm the night before, blue skies and the sun beaming down to keep us warm.
It only took that one chairlift ride at Beaver Creek, Colorado, to have Hal hooked on Monica’s Australian accent and cute ski outfit. Little did he know that she was also an amazing skier. He asked if he and his friend could follow her as she knew the mountain better than he did. In her sassy Australian accent, she said, “Only if you can keep up.”
Just a few days later they were spending hours on FaceTime together before planning the next weekend together in Colorado again for a snowstorm coming in. Their first official date was a whole weekend together back where they met, the Ritz Carlton at Beaver Creek. Hal ensured to get a room where Monica had a kitchen to cook her Aussie breakfast every morning and hearty healthy dinners for the two of them. As their ‘first date’ was a whole weekend, they decided to make their actual ‘first date’ the ski run to “get water”, where they took a shortcut and ended up on a 4-hour expedition without service, in wait-deep snow and halfway to Vail. Hal kept his cool whilst Monica started panicking about 2 hours in because the two couldn’t find their way out.
Eventually, they found ski tracks and followed them, only to end up on a golf course that was WAY outside of Beaver Creek ski resort.
To say the two are soulmates would be an understatement. Within 2 weeks of meeting, they were official, and about 10 days later, Hal said to Monica in Jackson Hole one night, I love you. Of course, Monica said it back right away as tears rolled down her face. She knew a love like this was possible, and it felt so good to finally have it as hers.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
For Monica, she doesn’t remember a key moment, but it was rather an overall feeling of not wondering if he was her person. Everything just felt like forever with him. She didn’t wonder if he was the one or if they’d get married.
For Hal, it was when he was happily spending time on his phone, calling her and texting her. He’s not someone who spends time on his phone or is good at replying to texts, so when he was spending hours Factiming Monica and texting her, he knew that this was someone special. In fact, before they even had their first official date (which was, of course, a whole weekend skiing), he told one of his friends, “I think I’ve found the one.”
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
We wanted out wedding to fully reflect us and not fit into some particular style. We knew that we wanted the wedding to be a reflection of our love and to move people in ways that other weddings hadn’t. And to say we accomplished that would be an understatement. People called our wedding “healing”, and everyone, including our wedding planner Christina and her assistant, were bawling their eyes out. We wanted the wedding to be colourful (but not too bright) so that people couldn’t help but feel happy when looking at the flowers, and we love baby blue, so we incorporated a lot of that.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
Our flowers definitely added to the wow factor, but that wasn’t hard to do with such a beautiful venue with a stunning view of Rome. What added an incredible atmosphere was our interactive band. We knew we wanted this so that guests didn’t get bored, and we kept the energy high.
Additionally, the crazing table, gelato stand and more meant that the guests felt like there was so much to do after dinner, not just dancing with our incredible band that put on a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
What I enjoyed most about the planning process was making it completely our own. I never wanted our wedding to feel like a cookie-cutter event or something that we were doing just to tick a box. Every single detail was intentional, from the location to the music, the flow of events, and even the smallest touches that made the weekend feel like us. It was such a joy to curate an experience that reflected our love, our energy, and the kind of celebration we truly wanted.
My biggest tip for couples starting their wedding planning journey? Stay rooted in your vision. It’s so easy to get caught up in other people’s opinions, Pinterest trends, or what you think you “should” do—but at the end of the day, this is your day. Ask yourself: What kind of experience do we actually want? What feels aligned for us? When you focus on that, everything comes together so much more seamlessly, and you create a wedding that actually feels special rather than just another event on the calendar. Also, trust your gut when choosing vendors—it makes all the difference!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Every single outfit was so intentional and truly a dream come to life. I didn’t just want “bridal looks” for the sake of it—I wanted every outfit to feel like me while also embodying the different energies of the day.
For the ceremony, I wore a custom Steven Khalil gown that was the perfect mix of timeless, elegant, and modern. The details were insane, and I felt like an ethereal queen walking down the aisle. I paired it with Jimmy Choo heels and held a colourful bouquet to bring in that vibrant, joyful energy that we wanted throughout the wedding.
Hal’s suit also had a sentimental touch—inside his custom Sid Mashburn tux, he had a printed picture sewn in of our four dogs. That detail melted my heart and made his look even more special.
For our first dance, I changed into my J. Andreatta rehearsal dinner dress, was the perfect mix of sexy and romantic. Since we’d been practising our dance for eight months (yes, full Dancing With The Stars energy), I wanted a dress that moved beautifully and made me feel stunning while we twirled around the dance floor.
And then, for the party, I went full sexy Cinderella vibes in my blue J. Andretta dress. It was fun, flirty, and exactly what I wanted to dance the night away in. Meanwhile, Hal switched into a white dinner jacket, which made him look even more dapper.
Each outfit had its own moment, but the common thread was that I felt completely myself in every single one. I don’t have just one ‘signature style’ so I wanted to be able to express all sides of myself in the one night through my outfits and not feel like they all had to match or ‘make sense.
What was one, or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
For us, the venue and music were the two biggest things we were happy to invest in (good food in Italy wasn’t going to be hard to find). From the very beginning, we wanted our wedding to feel like an experience, not just an event. We didn’t want it to be a standard, predictable wedding—we wanted it to feel magical, full of energy, emotion, and unforgettable moments.
The venue was a no-brainer. We fell in love with Villa Aurelia in Rome during one of our international trips together, and when we saw the ballroom at the St. Regis, I casually said, Imagine getting married here. A few years later, we made it happen. It was the perfect setting—elegant, timeless, and full of history, but also vibrant and us. The way it transformed into this romantic, ethereal space full of colour and energy was beyond what we could have imagined.
The entertainment and atmosphere were also huge priorities. We wanted people to be completely immersed in the wedding from start to finish. The live music, the mixologists, the angels playing instruments as guests walked into dinner—every detail was intentional. We didn’t want there to be any dull moments. And judging by the fact that people said our wedding was better than their own, I think we nailed it!
Looking back, I’m so glad we focused on making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not just for us but for everyone who was there. That’s what made it so much more than just a wedding.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Nope! We were very intentional about not getting stressed over little things. Sure, there were some things that didn’t go perfectly, like it pouring with rain and freezing the night of our welcome party, but it didn’t ruin the night! We chose to focus on having fun and celebrating our love.
Fixing things outside of your control just ruins the night for you and brings unnecessary stress and turmoil.
BRIDE Monica Yates, @monicayateshealth GROOM Hal Addison, @haladdison LOCATION Villa Aurelia, Rome, Italy PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER Vanessa & Ivo, @vanessaandivo PLANNER Cristina Ditta – The Wedding Care, @theweddingcare_cristinaditta FLORIST Roberta Pellegrino, @ninaeifiori CELEBRANT Bride’s Father – Oliver Yates ENTERTAINMENT Alessandra De Angelis Music, @alessandrodeangelis CATERING California Catering, @californiacateringrome CAKE Recipe – By the Bride; California Catering, @californiacateringrome STATIONERY Written By Emily, @written_byemily SIGNAGE Style Stuff Melbourne, @stylestuffmelbourne; Bar – Mercury Events, @mercuryevents RINGS Natasha Schweitzer, @natashaschweitzer BRIDE’S CEREMONY DRESS Steven Khalil, @steven_khalil BRIDE’S SHOE Ceremony & First Dance – Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo MAKEUP Natalie Kurpeski, @its_natalie15 HAIR Brooke Reffo, @brookereffohair BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Scandalwood by Heretic Parfum, @hereticparfum BRIDE’S FIRST DANCE & AFTER PARTY DRESS J. Andreatta, @j.andreatta_ BRIDE’S AFTER PARTY SHOE Louboutin, @louboutinworks BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Earrings – A.B. Ellie, @a.b.ellie TUXEDO & JACKET Custom Peak Lapel Navy Blue & Custom White Shaw Collar Dinner Jacket – Sid Mashburn, @sidmashburn GROOM’S SHOE Ferragamo, @ferragamo GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Watch & Pocket Square – Rolex, @rolex GROOM’S FRAGRANCE L’Homme – Yves Saint Laurent, @ysl
