The theme was Testa di Moro: Obsessive Sicilian Love, a nod to Sicilian folklore and the bold, passionate spirit of the place.
NIC & RAPH —— We live in Fitzroy North, Melbourne. Nic owns and runs a well-known genderless barbershop, and Raph is a ceramic artist whose work is deeply influenced by the ancient poetry practices of his Sicilian-Greek heritage. We love dreaming up our next creative endeavours and planning our next adventure. In mid-2022, we travelled to Sicily with Raph’s family to scatter his mother’s ashes. It was an emotional trip, but one that deepened our connection in a way we hadn’t expected. We left feeling more intertwined than ever, knowing we wanted to return not just as visitors, but to get married in this place that now held so much meaning for us.
We wanted to avoid as many wedding clichés as possible. No elaborate floral installations. No stiff sit-down dinner. Just a party that felt vibrant, immersive, and unmistakably us. The theme was Testa di Moro: Obsessive Sicilian Love, a nod to Sicilian folklore and the bold, passionate spirit of the place. We asked our guests to dress in deep, dramatic colours inspired by Testa di Moro ceramics — rich reds, golds, inky blues —while we kept things simple in neutral tones to stand out against the sea of colour. Nic wore a relaxed linen suit, with a silk neckerchief gifted by his grandmother in place of a tie, while Raph paired matching linen trousers with an open shirt that suited his personality far better than anything buttoned-up ever could.
Our venue, Villa Carcara, was the perfect backdrop for the celebration. We sourced market tablecloths from Catania, styled the tables with fresh produce, and foraged florals from the countryside in the days leading up to the wedding. We wanted it to feel like an extension of the land rather than something overly curated. Our food service took inspiration from the bustling markets of Catania and Palermo, with staff weaving through the party like street vendors, offering an abundance of fresh produce to guests.
One of our favourite styling moments was the entrance to the reception: Raph sculpted tiny ceramic busts of both our faces in the traditional Testa di Moro style as gifts for each guest. Using those scans, we created Roman emperor-style portraits of ourselves and had them printed onto massive banners, sewing them into the colour scheme of the wedding. Seeing those grand banners waving in the Sicilian breeze as we entered was a surreal and hilarious moment — like we were the kings of the castle.
A traditional Sicilian folk band kicked off the reception with a lively tarantella, before the DJs took over, bringing the underground house and techno energy of Catania’s club scene to the villa.
Of course, no Sicilian wedding would be complete without a bit of drama. Just before the ceremony, the villa’s entire water supply shut off. Then, just for good measure, it happened again in the middle of the reception. At the time, it was completely chaotic, but in hindsight, the theatrics of the whole thing added to the dramatic storyline and fun of our event.
PHOTOGRAPHER Nunzio Bruno, @nunziobruno_wedding LOCATION Villa Carcara NIC’S OUTFIT Commas suit, @commas NIC’S SHOES Kleman sandals, @kleman_france RAPH’S OUTFIT The Glade shirt, @theglade.au; Venroy pants, @venroy RAPH’S SHOES Kleman sandals, @kleman_france GROOMS Nicolas, @nic.le.gugu Raphael, @raphyraphyraphy STYLIST & FLORIST Ourselves PLANNER Ourselves and Carmel Ruggeri, @sicilianfoodtours CELEBRANT Rita Ziino, @rita_celebrante_laica WEDDING & ENGAGEMENT RINGS Bonus Prize, @bonus_prize EARRINGS Bleach jewellery, @bleachjewellery BRIDAL PARTY’S OUTFITS Alamour the Label (red floral dress), @alamourthelabel; Rachel Gilbert, @rachelgilbertau (silver embellished dress) ENTERTAINMENT Burlesque performer—Roberta Pennisi, @lady_roberta_kent DJ Andrea Guglielmino, @awg_deejay; Lorenzo Gambra, @lorenzo_giambra_ HIRE Geni Maison, @genimaisonevents CATERING & CAKE Carmel Ruggeri, @sicilianfoodtours
