Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship:
Matt is a pilot and Kate is a flight attendant and we first met in the hotel in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles.
We both love our jobs and the lifestyle we have been able to create. We spend a lot of our time travelling internationally and around New Zealand. We love spontaneous trips away on our staff travel and love making it up as we go.
Matt proposed when we were in Capri in Italy and it was then we decided we wanted to have a small wedding in Italy and celebrate, eat, drink and explore with our favourite people. It didn’t end up being as small as we expected and had approximately 80 people attend!
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme? Tell us about the styling and your favourite details:
We hired a beautiful villa which used to be a monastery and could sleep most of the guests. We had it for four nights and had different things planned for each day.
The first day we had drinks, nibbles and porchetta rolls by the pool and we ate, drank and swam as the sunset.
The second day we had a bus that picked us up and took us all to the stunning town of Assisi where we explored for the day, that night we had chefs come and cook pizza and a man in a traditional gelato cart served us all gelato.
The third day was the wedding and we had our ceremony start at 5 pm to try and escape the heat of the day! The following day we had a BBQ brunch, swam, lay by the pool and recovered! It was the best four days of our lives.
We were so grateful for the four nights to spend with our family and friends and even that didn’t feel like enough time.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Matt wore a sandy coloured suit from Country Road which was perfect for the setting and I wore a Chosen By One Day gown which I loved as I just wanted something simple but if we did it again I think I would have chosen a dress without a train as it annoyed me so much! I also ditched the veil and bouquet as soon as I could!
What were some of the most memorable moments from the day:
One of my bridesmaids played the guitar and sung a beautiful song at the end of the ceremony which was so special. We had also written personalised notes to every guest and had them at their table setting which everyone loved.
Instead of a cake, we opted to have a cannoli tower which was a great decision and everyone loved indulging in the cannoli. Matt surprised me by booking the cutest little blue Fiat to take my father and me to the ceremony!
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together:
We loved having extra days to spend with everyone and I cannot imagine only having the one afternoon to mingle. If you can, I would definitely try and make it a few days. I would recommend to all the brides to stop at the top of the aisle before you walk down and take a moment. Try to also take a moment during the night with your partner and just step back and watch and enjoy.
Ceremony, Reception, Celebrant + Entertainment, Catering + Beverages: Borgo Colognola, Italy | Videographer: Rosie & Aleks | Photographer: Bayleigh Vedelago | Styling + Planner: Italy Villa | Flora: Olga Gisbert | Kate’s Dress: Chosen by One Day | Matt’s and Groomsmen’s Suits: Country Road | Rings: Diamonds on Richmond | Shoes: Mi Piaci | Makeup: Kate Solley | Hair: Vanessa Skilton
