Cruising to the future
Valentina and Carlo had been together for around 10 years and they both were thinking about getting married. Then Carlo proposed, on their first cruise together. "We love to eat and relax so it was the perfect setting for us," said Valentina.
They didn't really have a wedding theme, wanting their wedding to reflect them just as they are, with their love of trying new things and eating weird food. "So we had cupcakes with insects on them. Basically it was filled with things we like", they confirmed.
They knew how they wanted their wedding invitations so they just went with the design and got them printed. For souvenirs their guests received small bottles of champagne so they could remember the night with a pop of celebration in a bottle.
A timeless harbour setting
After looking at a couple of venues Valentina and Carlo instantly fell in love with Villa Bighi for its views and versatility. So they held their wedding ceremony and reception there.
They both really looked forward to the wedding because they had totally personalised it. The wedding ceremony decorations, including a red carpet by A & S, were kept simple. "We wanted the main focus to be on us exchanging vows", they explained.
"We chose personal songs performed by Kevin &, and Brook, we also opted for personal readings from our loved ones, and we both wrote our own wedding vows", they added.
For her dress Valentina went to Charles and Ron for a simple, classic and timeless look with beading which also complimented her custom-made headpiece. Carlo never really liked the idea of wearing a tie or a bow tie so they picked a more casual, open shirt look, from Bortex, keeping the colour of the suit a classic navy blue.
Valentina left her bouquet in the hands of The Malta Florist. "They knew our colour scheme and they knew I didn't like anything over the top and they delivered just what I had in mind", she confirmed.
The couple exchanged rings which were both very different. Carlo's was a simple, matte white gold ring, and Valentina went for an all-round sparkly ring, both chosen from Clement Jewellers. »
A reception with a difference
For the reception decor A & S helped the couple plan and achieve some of the crazy ideas they had in mind, with Confetti Crew helping too. Again The Malta Florist took care of all the floral decorations on the day.
The catering, in the hands of Mannarinu, had guests mentioning how great it was, even well after the wedding. Valentina and Carlo had a couple of meetings before the wedding to finalise the menu and appreciated Mannarinu's creativity and flexibility, especially when it came to their wedding cake. Because they both love cheese their cake was made from of different types of cheese wheels, and displayed on a cheese table. They also had a burger bar and insect station.
Reception highlights and special mentions
"Our first dance was really fun because we didn't complicate things and wanted to enjoy it and, thanks to our dance instructor, Jes, we truly enjoyed every second of it", the couple said. Extra fun was added by Rona Briffa creating a live painting on the spot.
Other entertainment included special performances by Fabrizio Faniello, Aidan and Kurt Calleja. Instead of fireworks, they opted for the next best thing, il-Kapxi and everyone enjoyed that special moment.
Valentina had several, certain people who she really wanted to be part of her special day. Natasha Polidano, who was part of her early modelling career, and Gabrielle Zammit Grungo who she has been working with for almost 10 years. For her hair she chose her current hair stylist Karl Brincau, who also handled her bridal team. Photos were taken care of Kris Micallef & Carlton Agius while the video was shot by Ders Wedding Films.
This feature was published in the latest issue of I DO magazine
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