I think we all sighed with relief when we heard that weddings will reopen this Summer without restrictions.
2020, was certainly the year that really pushed engaged couples and wedding vendors to the limits. Gone were the straight forward days of organising an event for 100+ of your nearest and dearest, and instead there was uncertaincy, localised restrictions and lockdowns. Through all the tears, postponements, and decision making, one notable positive thing that came out of the pandemic was the micro wedding.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a massive shindig… however, there has been something really magical about the 2020 micro wedding. With limited guests and sometimes no reception, it really came down to the ceremony, the commitment, the love, and the joy of two people getting wed during a time we will never forget.
Today Gabriele shares with us why their 2020 wedding was so special, and why they wouldn’t change a thing…
Gabriele…
How did you meet and get engaged?
We met at work, Arnas, who is my husband now was my supervisor at the time. He saw me working in his department and wanted to meet me. As he is a very smart guy, he came to help for the team I was working with. We started talking, and that day after work he was my ride back home.
He proposed to me 10 months after we met, on mount Teide in Tenerife. Arnas loves hiking and did 8 hours hiking trip on Teide before we met. And on the 2nd of February 2019 as we were walking on mount Teide, Arnas offered to take some stylish pictures of me, he asked me to turn around and look into the Teide’s craters. While I was posing there, he said: Last year here I started one of the biggest journeys of my life, now I would like to start another journey with you. I turned around, he was on one knee, holding a lovely box with a pearl ring in it and asked me if I will marry him. I screamed Taip, Yes, Si!
After he proposed to me, I learned that he asked my dad’s permission to marry me in October 2018! – What an old-fashioned man!
Was there an overall theme to your day?
No colour scheme or theme for the celebration as it was more like the elopement type of wedding.
How would you describe your day?
Relaxing, I was always imagining how stressed I will be on my wedding day, but on the day, we were at ease. We were surrounded by our best friends and everyone was so supportive and understanding.
How long were you planning it for?
We tried not to plan anything till we could give our notice of marriage, and once it happened, we had a month to get everything sorted! As lockdown eased slightly, we were looking for updates every single day if we can finally book the ceremony. At some point we did it, but then we needed to give the wedding notice which was a big challenge as well. But we manage to do everything on time – after giving the wedding notice it was only a month to go till the wedding day!
How was your day unique to you?
Most of the things were not as planned or not how we imagined it would. Guest were wearing masks during the ceremony, we got married without our family members, but I believe that is what makes it special. I finally got to marry the love of my life on the most relaxing day of our lives, which was created by these circumstances. We woke up together and had a lovely breakfast, we were getting ready together helping each other. We will always feel very sentimental about this day and I think it was so relaxing and special because it was so small and simple!
Where was your wedding / reception venue and why did you pick it?
The only criteria we had for the celebration place were that it would fit all our guests comfortably and it would be not too far away from the ceremony place, but the No.1 The Mansions by Mansley gave us so much more! The apartment we rented was huge and felt very festive, it had so much space for playing wedding games and all the day’s activities. The location was exactly what we wanted, apparently walking though the London city on your wedding day is one of the most magical experiences – everyone was cheering for us and I never got that many compliments in my life!
Who was your wedding photographer and why did you choose them?
We chose Elena Popa for her photos, but we would choose her again. not only for her work but for her personality as well. As it was our first photo shoot ever, we had no idea how things works. Elena gave us a ring a couple of days before the shoot, explained us the process – she went to have a look around the ceremony place and planned where we could take photos. This very first chat provided me such a peace of mind, so I was very confident and relaxed on the wedding day. Elena is such a sweetheart, the whole photoshoot was so much fun, we laughed and enjoyed ourselves. The process was extremely pleasant! Elena was so supportive and understanding – we planned to buy confetti from the ceremony place and apparently, they did not sell it because of Coronavirus, but guess what, Elena brought dried flowers from her own garden just in cases!!! Within a few hours, I had blisters on my feet because of new shoes – again Elena was so considering and had plasters. We really enjoyed our photoshoot, but when I saw the photos the next day I almost cried… they are so beautiful, natural and genuine. She captured our love and true emotions. I don’t have the words to explain how happy I am with my photographer choice, Elena and the photos!
Your outfits! Tell us more about them! Was there any special details, accessories or reasons behind your choices?
My bridal look was inspired by my personality – I am very positive and playful. And as I wanted to feel like myself on my special day I decided to go for this short playful dress, as my husband said – you are my cute fluffy marshmallow cloud. I believe that my flower selection – blush pink rose bouquet, made me look even cuter. As I was wearing white tulle wedding dress the small pink bouquet went well with it. My lovely dress is a Lithuanian brand – A.P. Line, Silver heels is from Ted Baker.
For my husband’s look, we chose a classy mismatched suit and he decided on the light blue bow tie and statement blue socks right before getting ready on the big day.
Tell us about your wedding flowers? Was there a particular theme or colour palette?
As my overall look was statement, I decided to go for a very simple wedding bouquet – small and elegant roses, which I think fully completed my overall look. My flowers are from Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart.
Which decorations / props did you use on your wedding day?
As our wedding was so simple and small, we were celebrating without decorations and props.
Let’s talk food! What style of food did you go for and why?
We were very simple with our food – we asked what the guest wants to eat and we ordered that! We had all sorts of snacks and drinks and everyone was happy 😊
Cake! Who created your wedding cake and what theme did you go for?
No wedding cake, only cupcakes, which I made myself before the wedding.
Tell us about your wedding stationery – who designed them for you and what style did you go for?
No wedding stationery 😊 Not even an invitations!
Tell us more about your hair and make-up for your wedding. What kind of look did you want to achieve and was there any particular products and accessories you wanted to use?
As we got married in a middle of a pandemic, between the lockdowns and I was afraid to plan and arrange someone else to do my makeup and hair, so instead I done it by myself. As I was wearing a statement dress, heels and earrings I decided to go for quite simple and elegant hair and makeup combination. With the help of makeup, I tried to highlight my facial features instead of changing them and as I knew what I want and what looks good on me on the big day I was very comfortable and self-confident with myself. For the hair I just brushed my hair and my hairdo was ready! Overall, my look made me look and feel like myself!
How did you entertain your guests throughout the day?
Photoshoot and some wedding games! As well, we asked all guests to write and advice for newly marrieds, and after all this time we read the cards and have such a good fun, some of the advises are hilarious, but I think they are all true and should be followed in happy marriage.
Looking back, what was the standout moments of your day?
Rain! London rain was so beautiful and for such a positive people like us it was a blessing. We felt like in a romantic movie. The taxi should have come to pick us up, but after 1 hour of wait we decided to walk back to the place where we stayed and celebrated. We ran holding each other’s hand, laughed and kissed in the rain. At that moment it felt like that is what life is all about – not waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in a rain… such a symbolic, precious moment for us as a newly wedded couple.
Do you have any advice for couples currently planning their wedding, for either the planning or the lead-up?
Listen to your heart, if the big wedding celebration is what you dreamed about – wait for it, but if you just want to marry the love of your life – go for it. I think we make things special for ourselves by ourselves – you might spend thousands and have a big celebration and feel unhappy, the same you might have the small elopement type of wedding, dance in a rain with your new husband and make it the best day of your life!
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