Ian, the Minister for Transport and Capital Projects, proposed to his beautiful then girlfriend Rachelle on August 28, in 2015. He surprised Rachelle in Mdina at a private residence. "It was planned out very well to the minutest detail; music, photographer and a private dinner. It was a total surprise to me. Till this day I still cannot believe how I did not realise what he was up too because he had been planning it for weeks", Rachelle remembered, fondly.

They tied the knot on July 8, 2017, and the wedding was held in Mdina, both the ceremony and reception. It is a place they both really like and are very fond of, so there was no doubt that they would get married there. The ceremony was held in the traditional Mdina Cathedral. It was chosen after they decided that the wedding reception would be held at the nearby gem, Howard Gardens, in the area called it-Tomba. The couple explained that only a few receptions were held at the Howard Gardens, so it was an honour for them and their guests. They walked from the ceremony to the reception venue; it was a lovely idea to enjoy the magical surroundings of the silent city. Even their guests decided to walk, it was very convenient and they all loved the idea.

The couple did not have a particular theme for their wedding but they wanted everything to look as white as possible, with a lot of sparkle from fairy lights. "The aim was to look simple yet very elegant", Rachelle explained. The venue was rather bare so it needed quite a lot of decorations. They covered the trees with fairy lights, lit up the bastions opposite the gardens and had a two-tier stage for the band, covered in a white. The flowers for both the ceremony and reception were all white, adding to the look, created by the talented team at Flower Arts. Even the cake, which was made exclusively for them from Xara Palace, was all white, decorated with white flowers. The venue looked amazing. The guests were stunned by it, they kept telling the couple how beautiful the place was, especially since it was the first time at the venue for many.

Rachelle walked down the aisle wearing a gorgeous ball gown style, off the shoulder dress, by Rosa Clara from Ivory & Co. It was the first dress she tried on, it was the kind of dress she always dreamt about.  »

The bride chose a beautiful, long veil and matching gloves to give a more traditional look, which was completed by a head band made from small crystal flowers.

Ian wore a classic suit from Bortex. For him it was important to feel comfortable to be able to enjoy the day and make it an unforgettable one.

Ira Losco sang for their first dance to the traditional song of Tema '79. After that Ian surprised Rachelle with a special guest singer the famous Ivan Grech who sang Xemx as a duet with Ira Losco. "It was amazing", Rachelle remembered.

The couple agreed that the highlight of their wedding day was watching everyone having fun; they said that everyone was dancing and enjoying the night. They were also very happy that everything went according to plan with the help of their wedding organiser, Jurgen Briffa. 

After such an amazing night Rachelle and Ian wanted their guests to keep remembering their special day with a souvenir that they could keep. "We came up with the idea of commissioning a painting of the Mdina Cathedral. The artist, Rupert Cefai, suggested a painting of the church interior, which made it more original and we both loved the idea. We then made limited edition prints for all our guests. Many of our friends have sent us photos of the framed print whilst we have the original painting in our living room at home", Ian and Rachelle explained.

Just 10 days before their wedding day they booked their unforgettable honeymoon with Rocs Travel, they went to the magical Maldives, Sri Lanka and Dubai for a total of three relaxing weeks.