How and where did you meet?

Being a quintessential modern love story, we first connected online in 2014. Our initial meeting took place at an Italian restaurant in our hometown of Newcastle, where our shared passion for Italian cuisine sparked an immediate bond.

Fast forward….Talk us through the proposal.

In early January 2021, Troy planned a secret getaway for me. As I packed my bag, I had no idea where we were headed or what we would be doing. Troy had carefully prepared a series of small envelopes, each containing clues that revealed the addresses of our various stops. Our final destination was Sierra Escape in Mudgee, where our tent, “Dulili”—an Australian Indigenous word meaning “together”—awaited us.

After a day exploring local wineries, we returned to our tent as a storm started to roll in. Despite the clouds and the storm brewing we enjoyed a cheese board and some wine. Eventually, once the storm had passed, Troy asked me to take a picture with him in front of the tent. To my surprise, he got down on one knee and proposed!

You were married at Redleaf, Wollombi – can you share what drew you to this particular venue?

We began researching and planning our wedding at the height of the COVID lockdowns in 2021. As we were both originally from Newcastle, we knew that we wanted our wedding to be in the region so our families and friends could attend.

When researching venues, we kept finding very similar styles—vineyards, barns, and rustic vibes. These venues, while beautiful, didn’t really resonate with the vibe we wanted to create. For this reason, when we found Redleaf, Wollombi we knew instantly that this was the venue we wanted. It gave us a sense of a destination wedding, and above all was Tuscan-inspired—the most important part as we absolutely love Italian food and culture.

What was the style of wedding you were looking to create?  

Above all, we were looking to create an Italian-inspired and classic vibe for our wedding. We really wanted the Hamptons marquee at Redleaf to be the hero of our wedding with minimal and thoughtful styling touches. Our reception was banquet-style, and we wanted a vibe that would easily create a social and welcoming moment for all our guests.

Above all else, we really wanted our wedding to be enjoyable —for us and our guests. Throwing out the rule book and tradition, we introduced a lot of fun. We wanted to laugh, dance, and cry with our guests all night long. We celebrated our ceremony with a group shot and surprised our guests with an entrance dance routine at the reception!

Talk us through the Ceremony…

Our ceremony beautifully balanced the sense of fun and the significance of the moment. It began with our parents and Grooms-Gals (our wedding party) entering, followed by ourselves. The celebrant perfectly captured the vibe we wanted by incorporating our love for Kath and Kim and taking the time to understand us both as a couple and as individuals, including our sometimes witty and inappropriate sense of humour!

It was crucial for us to include an acknowledgment of country in our ceremony and to pay our respects to those who fought for equal rights in this country. Our ceremony can fairly be described as an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved!

You chose a Katalane Hamptons marquee for your reception, can you talk us through the design and style?

The decision to go with the Hamptons marquee was one of the best choices we made for our wedding. It ensured that, regardless of the weather, our plan A was also our plan B. Since we opted for a banquet style, we wanted long tables where our guests could chat and mingle, capturing that home-cooked dinner vibe with sharing plates and socialising.

One end of the marquee featured our dance floor, complete with a disco mirror ball, while the other end housed our bar. The size of the Hamptons marquee was perfect, giving our guests extra room to move around without feeling squished.

We partnered with Honey Lane, who brought the space to life with beautiful design elements, balancing colors between whites, blacks, and blushes. We wanted our reception to be a seamless continuation of our ceremony with tasteful Italian styling, complete with lemons, olives, and blankets. It was perfect.

Who was there to celebrate with you?  How many guests did you have?

We had almost 60 guests, made up of our family and closest friends. It was intimate and perfect for us!

Did everything go to plan on the day, or were there a few ‘unexpected moments’?

Everything went perfectly for us! There wasn’t a moment where we felt out of place or rushed. The whole day went by so quickly, but we absolutely loved every moment. 

You’ve just returned from your honeymoon in Italy, any must do’s for couples planning an Italian stay?

We highly recommend everyone visit Lake Como. It was the most serene and relaxing part of our trip. After experiencing the bustling tourist sites and busy cities, Lake Como offered the perfect opportunity to unwind and explore its picturesque lakeside towns. The ferry service between towns is convenient, and you can also hire a boat tour or a private boat to view the charming towns from the water. It was an ideal addition to our itinerary.

Word of Advice – Anything you might like to share to soon to be brides and grooms?

Ensure you allocate time for yourselves to step back, reflect, and share an intimate moment together. The day passes so swiftly, and there is nothing more precious than spending 10 to 15 minutes alone, simply savouring each other’s company.

Something we’re glad we did..

We are grateful we chose to have our first look before the ceremony and as a result it alleviated most of the nerves we both felt, allowing us to share an intimate moment together. We each wrote a letter and used this time to read them aloud to each other. It was a perfect and cherished pre-ceremony moment.

A little funny moment from the wedding.

Our wedding embraced a non-traditional approach, and we sought to create a memorable impact with our reception entrance. To achieve this, we meticulously rehearsed a choreographed dance with our wedding party. Although our nerves were palpable, the experience was immensely enjoyable and played a pivotal role in setting the tone for the evening!

Thank you, Troy and Damian, for sharing your ‘Storia di grande amore’ with us!

XX Katalane