“The father of the Bride caught on fire during the reception. Yes, the back of his jacket went up in flames as he was wearing it and his sister had to put him out.”
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Steph wrote: Joe comes from a beautiful big Italian family (his grandparents migrated to Adelaide from southern Italy in the 50’s) and My family comes from the Gold Coast and Brisbane areas (for about five generations). We are both Radiographers and met at the hospital when I started work there back in 2019. We love cooking new recipes together with a glass of wine.
We started dating at the beginning of the first covid lockdown. As we both enjoy exercising, we used to hang out at the home gym set up Joe’s parents have in their shed. We like to go for walks, specifically to Joe’s Henley Beach for coffee and love travelling to new places together.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Steph wrote: I moved to Adelaide at the beginning of 2019 and started work at one of the local hospitals. My first impressions of Joe were that he was laid back and had a bit of a cool guy/ jokester vibe. I would often see him walking around the department having a laugh with anyone and everyone. I used to think his unofficial role was morale boosting and he seemingly did more of this than I actually saw him work. But it was easy to see that everyone at work loved him for it.
I quickly realised that his charm extended into genuine compassion and love. I have never felt as supported or understood and he truly makes me feel that I’m where I’m meant to be.
Joe wrote: I thought Steph was bubbly and fun. And I took it upon myself to show Steph around the department (even though no one asked me to).
After a year of friendship and working together we started dating and it was obvious to the both of us that we were each other’s future. We always talked about our future together and have worked towards it ever since. My favourite thing about our relationship is that we each lean in one hundred percent to everything either of us do. We have each other’s back and we show each other that every single day.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Steph wrote: The joy he adds to everything we do together and how easy it is to be my lame self in front of him made me fall in love with him. But it was the first time we had a disagreement that I knew we would be in each others lives forever. He showed so much maturity and understanding and I knew that he would always have my back.
Joe wrote: The first time we hung out outside of work as friends. Our sense of humour and personalities just clicked and the more I got to know her I realised our values and hopes for the future aligned completely.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
We got engaged at the Crowne Adelaide. Joe had spent the previous six months fake proposing at random moments (in the middle of cooking dinner or a gym work out). He always started the fake proposal with the same line ‘There’s been something I’ve been meaning to do for a while, and I guess there’s no better time than the present…’ He always said it in a funny voice and we joked that he was just getting practice in (as he kept grabbing the wrong hand/finger). We always laughed it off and continued on with whatever we were doing. When he proposed for real, he started it again with the same line he always did and I didn’t believe it was real until he pulled out the ring.
We then went out for dinner at the Casino and then picked up some dessert and ate it back at the hotel in our robes watching a movie.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
We wanted something classic and romantic, with bright whimsical style flowers but wanted small modern twists and to make it as personalised as possible. We were adamant on writing our own vows and made sure we started writing them with plenty of time! Each table number had photos of each of us from different ages (because how often do you get to reminisce these sorts of things). As Joe’s team, the Melbourne Demons, had won the 2021 Premiership, we had limited edition Bleasdale Premiership wine set on each table…. And the bride wore mens Melbourne Demon’s underwear under her dress. (they were playing the night of the wedding and won thankfully!). My mum baked our wedding cake using my grandmas (Dad’s mum) hand written fruitcake recipe (which is legendary in my family). Joe’s Nonnas and Aunties made incredible amounts of biscotti to be had with shots of Galliano and Frangelico. And of course we played many classic Italian songs.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Photography and flowers!! Alex (of Time with Alex) was INCREDIBLE to work with. He was so helpful at every stage and kept us on track with planning. He had so many useful tips that could easily be overlooked and his photography… well… unparalleled. As people who aren’t comfortable in front of the camera, he put us at ease by playing our favourite songs during our couple shots and remained a calming presence throughout the many different aspects of the day. We could not recommend him more highly.
Carolyn from Sweet Nothings Flowers is a ray of sunshine. She is amazing to work with. So friendly and knowledgeable. And after sharing your inspiration, if you’re willing to let her run with her own creativity, she will not disappoint you.
We saw value in every vendor we chose and were not disappointed.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
The father of the Bride caught on fire during the reception. Yes, the back of his jacket went up in flames as he was wearing it and his sister had to put him out. No body was harmed! But the hole in his jacket was not repairable. We recommend table candles be enclosed in bigger glass jars than we had in use!
Otherwise, we had a pretty stress free day.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
The Bride: I honestly didn’t love the wedding dress shopping experience. I found the range of choices to be a little overwhelming and the costs sometimes hard to justify. On entering Bridal on Paynhem, Nina, could sense my hesitation. She was so knowledgeable and helpful. She listened to what I had to say and took the stress away. Nina recommended Kasia from Dress Making Boutique (who was also the alterations person for bridal on Paynhem). Kasia was amazing to work with and more than happy to help my dress dreams come true. It was such a fun process designing the gown with her, and visiting both Nina and Kasia for all my appointments was always a delight.
The Groom: We had a few fittings at Joseph Uzumcu and were drawn in by his unique character but also quality of work. He made sure that we all looked our best, the suits fitted perfectly and he created the vision that I had hoped for.
Ceremony & Reception location: Glen Ewin Estate, @glenewinestate / Photographer + Videogrpaher: Time With Alex, @timewithalex.co / Celebrant: Rosie Sugars, @weddingswithrosie / Entertainment: Black Cherry Events, @blackcherryevents / Flora Catering + Beverages: Sweet Nothings, @sweetnothingsflowers / Cake: Mother of the Bride. It is my Grandma’s handwritten traditional fruitcake recipe that she used to make all year round and was enjoyed by the extended family / Wishing well: Bought off marketplace / Lighting: Amuse Event Lighting & Av, @amuselighting / Brides Attire: Dress Making Boutique, @dressmakingboutique / Grooms Attire: Joseph Uzumcu Menswear, @josephuzumcu / Ring/s: Solid Gold, @solidgolddiamonds / Headpiece: Ael Este, @ael.este / Makeup: Makeup By Mishka, @makeup.x.mishka / Hair: Shantel Skinner, @hairbyshantelskinner / Fragrance: Dior, @dior / Bridesmaid + Groomsmen Attire: Billy J, @billy_j_boutique + Joseph Uzumcu Menswear, @josephuzumcu
