Real Wedding: Deana & Vince

Stylish wedding with an Italian aesthetic

We never tire of emphasizing that the most unforgettable weddings are those that reflect the couple's unique essence, rather than conforming to all the latest trends. However, when this happens simultaneously, it becomes an absolute delight. Deana and Vince's wedding concept beautifully intertwines their love for Italy, cherished childhood memories and artistic inspiration. In our interview with the bride, we delved into the intricacies of their wedding preparations and discovered the enchanting tale of their love.

How did you meet?

Vince and I met quite some time ago through mutual friends at a birthday party. I remember it was a cold, rainy night, and we started chatting about music, food, and travel. We had quite a lot in common.

What do you do for a living and for fun?

My love for design and art led me to a career in Interior Design, and Vince, from a young age, has always been surrounded by classic cars. He now has a role in the automotive industry. In terms of our hobbies, Vince loves being outdoors, visiting car shows, and playing soccer. As someone in the creative industry, I like to spend time winding down with Yoga and meditation, being out in nature, or going for a drive to small little country towns and visiting local markets.

What was the concept behind your wedding, and how did you find your inspiration?

Art, art history, design, and architecture have always been a passion of mine and are a significant part of my Italian heritage. The regions and towns from which both my parents are from are iconic for their elaborate and layered Baroque architecture, local sculpture artists, and white stone surroundings. From past visits to Italy, I was so inspired by everything I had seen and learned that I knew somehow I needed to incorporate such elements into the day.

Alongside this, there were also two other forms of inspiration for the day that solidified the above idea. One was a still life antique painting that my Nonna (Grandmother) used to have in her dining room, which I absolutely adored. It depicted a white clothed table setting completely filled with grapes, wine, various fruits, jars, crockery, and flowers — a feast in waiting. The image of this painting kept popping into my mind, and I felt I needed to somehow bring that painting to life for the Wedding Day. The other was a white stone sculpture of a female figure that my mom has had for many years. She sits in the middle of the garden, and every time I see it, it takes me back to all the beautiful sculptures I had seen in the local galleries. I worked together with the stylist and florist and featured this sculpture at the entry of The Barn at Stones. I started merging all these ideas and inspirations together and landed on an Italian Art/Sculpture Gallery-esque, luscious Renaissance feast concept.

Where was your wedding? Why did you choose this venue?

Our Wedding was at Stones of the Yarra Valley in Coldstream, Victoria. Vince and I had always dreamed of getting married in Italy. However, there were too many unknown factors at the time that made this a little tricky. So we decided to play it safe and stay in Victoria. We wanted a daytime/luncheon wedding and began searching for a venue that had a beautiful landscape with an Italian aesthetic to work back with the concept. Being a daytime celebration, we wanted the views to be enjoyed throughout the day. We also wanted the overall feel of the wedding and venue to transport us and our guests to another place and another time, which we felt Stones did exactly that. When we went for a drive to the Yarra Valley to visit, we immediately fell in love. Driving down the tree-lined road that led up to the stunning Chapel and the Barn function space, beautifully framed by the vineyard and mountains, was quite breathtaking. Stones had that little nod to Italy that we were looking for.

How many guests did you have?

Our final guest attendance was around 135 people. At first, we didn't think that was a lot, but on the day, it sure was. The vibe was just incredible and so emotionally overwhelming to have everyone there, celebrating for us! It was a nice number where we felt that we could connect with most of our guests on the day.

Tell us about your outfits.

Comfortable, classic, and true to our own individual styles were the most important factors for both Vince and me on the day.

Vince was set on a three-piece custom suit and wanted to be able to wear it again. We searched for a bespoke tailor and connected with Domenic and Kellie from Carbone Master Tailors. What an incredible duo. The suit they made for Vince was exactly what he was after. The quality was perfection down to every detail.

The wedding dress was so much fun to see it all come together, especially having my mom join me at the fittings. I was super nervous at the beginning because the thought of dressing up in a gown was overwhelming, as I am usually always in black, blazers, jeans, and sneakers! I spent a lot of time researching and narrowing down ideas and wanted something different from what I had seen. There were a few elements that I knew were a must-have, which helped bring the design together. I wanted the dress to feel effortless and organic with soft layered detailing, nothing too rigid. When I met with Sonia from Cappellazzo Couture, it was an instant connection. She understood my personality, my style, and exactly what I had pictured in my mind. It was a collaboration I absolutely adored. The result truly shows just how amazing she and her team are. The dress was everything I could have wanted, and I felt so incredibly myself on the day.

What was your aisle song and first dance song?

For the ceremony, we had the beautiful and unique voice of Vanessa from Just Me Plus One. I was so lucky to have her play for us during the ceremony. Her voice gives you goosebumps. My entrance song into the Stones Chapel was an acoustic version of "Dreams" by The Cranberries.

Our first dance song was "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS. I'm all about the words in a song having meaning, and when I mentioned this to Vince, he immediately agreed! The first dance was a little daunting for us, so towards the end, we invited all our guests onto the dance floor to join us, which was great and really helped start the celebration. Everyone was dancing and singing along—it was pure bliss!

The music on the day meant a lot to both of us, and we wanted the songs to reflect our personalities while connecting with all our guests. We personally curated a list of songs that we wanted to be played throughout the day and worked with our DJ, the incredible Jaz from The Melbourne Entertainment Co, to bring it all together. Jaz is also a saxophone player, which was a great surprise and addition on the day. Jaz had everyone up and dancing in an instant.

What flowers did you choose for the bride's bouquet, and why?

For my bouquet, I wanted flowers that were structural yet softly sculptural in shape and form. I was interested in having only one type of flower and wanted something bold yet feminine. I decided on white Anthuriums. My wonderful and talented florist added a soft, flowing ribbon to the bouquet, which added the perfect level of romance to the flowers.

As for the bridesmaids' flowers, my florist suggested having a different flower in a blush pink color for each, which I loved! I put some thought into it and selected flowers that I felt connected to each of the bridesmaids. It was a small personal touch, and I was so happy with the outcome.

What was your wedding cake like? And where did you order it?

As Stones was serving many great desserts, we decided on a three-level cheese wheel wedding cake decorated and covered in flowers and dried fruits that matched the concept and complemented the table settings. Stones helped with ordering the cheese wheels.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Our day could not have been possible without the most amazing vendor team, along with those that I have already mentioned above...

Lei Lei Clavey, our photographer, is incredible and captured so many beautiful moments that we can't stop looking at our photos. We love her style, and it's hard to narrow down our favorites. Lei made us feel comfortable in our pre-wedding meetings all the way through to the end of the wedding day. Her check-ins and reminders were very helpful during the planning process because there is so much to think about. Lei ensured that she was able to get the best out of the time that we had together and aimed to achieve everything that we had spoken about. She's an absolute gem!

Gareth from C2 Films filmed our wedding, and as he promised, he was the sixth bridesmaid! Gareth made Vince and me feel relaxed in front of the camera and encouraged us to have fun. He captured all the perfect moments with family, friends, and those special moments throughout the day. We were so happy with the post-production as well. The team listened to our comments and delivered everything that we wished for.

Megan Thompson was our celebrant and MC. The minute we met Megan, we connected as if we had known her for ages! She delivered such a personal yet light-hearted ceremony that had everyone enjoying our story, and she ensured everything ran smoothly into the celebration. We had so many guests compliment on how brilliant she was.

Our extremely talented florist, whom I absolutely adore, was Graham Ho from Tweed Twigs. Honestly, one of the most amazing souls. Super supportive, constantly excited, and his willingness to bring different ideas to the table was truly brilliant. I am still in awe of what he created for our day. That artwork I had in mind most definitely came to life with Graham on board! I loved collaborating with him, and even today, guests tell us how in love they were with our tables! The Small Things Co styling team, Paula and Sarah, were a match made in heaven. Brainstorming with the team on what items I needed to hire from their extensive range was beyond fun! When Paula showed me the David and Venus sculpture candles and stone pieces they offered, it made my day. The concept just came together so easily. The way the team added romantic styling in the ceremony and to the tables was pure perfection.

My incredible hair styling team for the day was Bo and Yulia from Bo and Co Hair Studio. I was super grateful to have them both be a part of my day. They made me feel calm, and they knew exactly what I was after. The effort, attention to detail, and time they spent with me during the trials and the lead-up to the day were second to none. Our hair lasted the whole day, even through those windy moments!

I had only ever had my makeup done when I was a bridesmaid for friends, so when I started searching for a makeup artist, I was a little anxious. When I met Johnny Thorpe, I was so relieved. We booked a few trials to work through some makeup styles and tried airbrushing, which was great for photos. I was so happy with how everything turned out, and most importantly, I felt that the makeup was natural but gave me the coverage I needed to last throughout the day. Johnny also prepared a little care kit, which was super helpful.

Also, a shoutout to our wedding ring designer Matt Wynne, who understood everything we were after from the first go! He made the whole process so easy. Balyck Jewellery provided my wedding earrings, and Sarah was so amazing to work with. She made everything so simple and helped me find the perfect pair.

I'm so grateful to each and every one of these vendors who made our day so incredibly special. It truly wouldn't have been the same without their talent and dedication.