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Tell us a little about yourselves- how did you and your partner meet?
My husband and I grew up in Johannesburg and almost 3 years ago, moved toa London with our little corgi Archie. Marco and I met on a night out in Greenside in Johannesburg. We were introduced by a mutual friend (who still takes credit for our relationship to this day) and didn't go on our first date until a year and a half later. After chasing for a number of months, Marco realized all he had to do to get my attention was take me to dinner, and we have been together ever since.
Spill the details on your proposal story...
We had a friends wedding in Hoedspruit in November 2021. We booked our flights, sorted out our accommodation and were ready to head to Hoedspruit to celebrate our friends special day. A few weeks before we left, Marco came home and told me he wanted us to go to Dulini, an estate in Sabie Sands, after the wedding for a few days. He had sorted everything out, booked accommodation for an extra few days and changed our flights. Long story short, we spent a beautiful few days together at Dulini and one evening after our game drive, Marco popped the question with a romantic candlelight private dinner set up in our bungalow.
Tell us about the vision you had for your special day, was there a specific theme/style and aspects that were important to you?
Marco and I had always dreamed of getting married in Italy, as we are both Italian. Having moved to London, it made sense for us to make our wedding a destination wedding, for ourselves and our guests. Since most of our guests had to travel (either from South Africa, England or within Europe), the most important thing to us was that our guests had a holiday to remember. We planned a bunch of pre-wedding events so that the build up to the big day was just as special as the wedding day itself.
Tell us a little about the location, the food, the styling and some of your favourite details.
Our venue was a stunning villa on a hilltop in Briaglia, in the Piedmont region in Italy. It overlooked beautiful vineyards and a town called Mondovì, where my husband's family is from. Our venue was breathtaking and definitely the highlight of our day, in our eyes and our guests'.
The catering was traditionally Italian, with Aperol Spritz flowing and harvest tables of various antipasti served after the ceremony. A traditional primo (pasta course) and secondo (meat course) accompanied by wine were served throughout the speeches. Our delicious wedding cake was made by my incredibly talented sister-in-law.
The entire style/theme of our special day was classic rustic Italian, with green and white accents throughout the decor, including the flowers, the tables and stationery and the bomboniere (a traditional Italian gift given to the guests who shared our special day with us).
How did you spend the morning of your wedding? How did you cope with the pre-wedding nerves?
I arrived at the venue quite early, as I had to meet the wedding planner, the caterer and the florist. I did a lot of the decor myself, so arrived early to make sure everything was sorted before they arrived. I was very stressed when I got there, but as the morning went on I started to relax and leave the day in the hands of the suppliers that I hired and trusted. My bridesmaids were amazing at getting my mind off the stress of it all, and we listened to music, drank mimosas and just laughed all morning. I was fortunate enough to have family do my hair and make up so was comfortable and still laughing my way through getting ready with them by my side.
What drew you to Top Drawer Collection for your getting ready outfits?
My beautiful friend and the incredible founder - Carla.
What advice would you give future brides?
Trust the people you have hired. It is not worth stressing over the small details (although this is easier said than done) as they are there to take that stress away from you. Be as present as you can on the day, because it really does fly by. Try to stick with your new partner as much as possible throughout the festivities, and have fun!
Bride & Groom: Daniela Pascolo (@dm_devalle) & Marco Devalle (@marcobello9) | Gown: The Wedding Dress Shop, London (@theweddingdressshop) | Shoes: Zara (@zara) | Accessories: LILY & ROO (@lilyandrooldn) | Bridesmaids dresses: Show Me Your Mumu (@showmeyourmumu) | Venue: Relais Colle Messino (@relaiscollemessino) | Photography: Flavia Elisa Photography (@flavia_elisa_photography) | Planner: Paola Casetta (@paolacasettaweddingplanner) | Floral: Petit Jardin Simona Martini (@petitjardin_simonamartini) | Hair: Franca Adriano | Makeup: Emiliana Adriano | Wedding Cake: Chiara Reasinger (@cakesbychiara)