It's a good thing Amber listened to her heart and not her head, or this small NSW wedding may never taken place. 

Amber first noticed Emily at her favourite Italian restaurant, and immediately decided she was out of her league. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and after many months of admiring Emily from afar, Amber finally worked up the courage to ask her out. 

Emily said yes (obviously) and before long they were planning their wedding - a small, intimate gathering held rather fittingly at Amber's very own pizza bar.

How did you and Emily meet? Emily worked at an Italian pizza restaurant that I frequented. One particular night when I was there with friends, Emily came to take our order and I was really excited when I saw her coming over. 

I had noticed her before, she has a beautiful and magnetic aura but this night I was overwhelmed. When she asked what I wanted I could hardly speak. I was overcome with a powerful attraction and a strong desire to know who this person was. 

So, I unashamedly tracked down her name and added her on Facebook, stalked her for months online trying to start some kind of conversation that didn’t seem too unnatural until after months of not being able to get her out of my head I couldn’t bare it anymore and sent her a slightly drunk message. I fully expected her to reject me or ignore me but she didn’t. 

The proposal: Emily was born and raised in Florence, Italy and in 2019 she got the opportunity to work for an amazing yacht design company there. So we did a year long distance as I have two children from my previous marriage and therefore could not go with her. 

When her contract was almost up I decided to jump on a plane and fly over to celebrate with her. I decided while I was there and both her parents were there I’d pop the question! 

I arrived and we spent 10 days on her family property enjoying each other’s company and one cool afternoon we strolled down to her family’s villa for some vino and I found the perfect spot, said a nervous and emotional little speech then asked her to marry me. It was romantic and perfect.

The venue: We got married in our own cafe/bar. I opened a beautiful cafe early 2022 and decided to move the wedding from our original venue to the bar when we got hit with the last covid outbreak. We wanted a romantic and intimate space and that is the very feeling of the bar so it was beyond perfect.

The vibe: Romance, elegance and passion. Our love is passionate and we are passionate, romantic people. We wanted to reflect that in the day. We had a lush flower arrangement in front of our red velvet curtains, candles everywhere and it was stunning. 

Traditions (adopted, adapted or ditched): We really didn’t do anything very traditional. We got ready together at my parents house - us, our boys, our families and bridal party were all together all day and it was one of the highlights of the day! It was so relaxed and so fun. 

We did our first look in my parents backyard. We rode to the ceremony in the back of my late brothers Kombi. The ceremony was conducted by one of our dearest friends and mentors who cried throughout the ceremony with tears of joy - we wrote our own vows. 

We didn’t cut a cake or throw a bouquet, we didn’t have a reception we just had a ceremony and stayed with our guests at the bar for a couple of hours mingling, drinking and getting photos. We then took our family and bridal party out to an intimate sit down dinner. 

Any hit or (near) misses: When Emily and I were announced and kissed and everyone clapped my eldest son Frank came running into me and began to bawl his eyes out. He was very overwhelmed by emotions and said he was so happy... so while we were having this beautiful moment all of a sudden everyone began whacking the back of my dress and train because I’d caught on fire!! The candles on the ground had set me on fire because my big bow and train had rested on top of it while I was hugging my son. It was hilarious - my sister ended up cutting the burnt ends of the train off and I’ve kept them as a momento.

We'll always remember... So many. Getting ready all together. Our first look. The ceremony and how emotional it was. My boys and how amazing they were all day. How beautiful I felt in my dress. Feeling so happy every time I looked at Emily, my glorious wife. Being dragged to karaoke by Emily after we’d finished at the reception dinner.

The outfit/s: I saw Marilyn Monroes “diamonds are a girls best friend” dress in a magazine one day and thought “I want a white version for my wedding!” But instead of gloves I had puffed sleeves. And I wanted a big bow. So I had exactly that. My dress maker (Rose from Elizabeth Rose Couture) was an angel and helped me get it just right for me. 

Emily’s grandma recommended a beautiful local dressmaker (Fringe Dweller) for her and together they designed an elegant, European inspired two-piece flowing pant and blazer situation with the most beautiful material I’ve ever felt. She wore a beautiful vintage lace top and it’s one of the most gorgeous wedding outfits I’ve ever seen. 

Standout vendors: Our photographer Joel Alston (Barefoot and Bearded). Hands down the most enthusiastic, passionate and talented photographer. He’s a good friend of ours but is so easy to love and made us feel so amazing all day.

Dylan from The Lucky Ones - we met him on the day and became instant friends! Such a gorgeous guy, fun and easy going. Him and Joel together were a powerhouse team.

Ash Wheelhouse from Film & Foliage - one of the most talented florists in the Hunter region without a doubt. She created our dream bouquets and the most stunning backdrop for our ceremony. Ash is a phenomenal talent, incredibly professional and a gorgeous human being.

Leah from Sea Salt & Sage - a family friend but the sweetest person and our grazing table for the ceremony/mingling was SO yum, SO gorgeous. Reliable and easy to deal with she made everything so easy.

Jennifer Wendtman - our celebrant. The best person we know. Intimate, excited, personal. She personalised our ceremony in such a way that we cried throughout the whole thing. It was so moving and beautiful. She’s amazing. 

Soundtrack: Aisle song: “Unchained Melody” (Norah Jones version) sung by one of our best friends. Recessional: “Feeling Good”, by Nina Simone. First dance: “Cielo in una stanza”, by Mina. Exit: “Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend” (Moulin Rouge edition).

Words of wisdom: Everything happens fast and happens regardless of how organised/disorganised you are. Don’t let the stress of planning take away from the joy of planning and the day - it’s just one day, it goes by fast and it’s better to relax and enjoy it then try to control every little thing. 

Steal moments together throughout the day to be alone, have a drink, have a chat/sit/cuddle/reminisce on the moments. The day is about you so bring the focus back to the centre.

Budget: We didn’t want to spend more than $15,000 and we spent about $25,000.

The future: Continuing on doing what we are already doing - life is all consuming with work as I’ve started my own cafe and bar and Emily’s career is really moving. Growing our little family. Enjoying life together and planning to get back to Italy as soon as we can to have our Italian reception with Emily’s family and friends that couldn’t be with us on the day.

CREDITS: Photos Barefoot and Bearded // Video The Lucky Ones // Celebrant Jennifer Wendtman 360 Connections // Florist Film and Foliage // Catering Sea, Salt & Sage // Bridal gown and veil Elizabeth Rose Couture // Bride's shoes Joe Mercer // Bridesmaid dresses Tularosa and Shona Joy // Bridal suit Fringe Dweller // Rings Simon Curwood Jewellers // Hair Muse by Hardy // Makeup Makeup by Eillish and Fred & Ginger // Music Emily Smith and Kristina Scott //