Ann-Jee and Nick were introduced to each other by a mutual friend at a Halloween party 10 years ago. “For me, it was love at first sight,” says Nick. “She was so effortlessly charming and funny, with a captivating smile. Sadly, my ‘friend’ had already told Ann-Jee all of my most embarrassing stories, so she took a bit more convincing, especially as I was the only person in attendance who hadn’t bothered with a costume!” Nick popped the question at Lake Como in 2020. “Ann-Jee always loved the serenity of mountains surrounded by lakes, so she was blown away when I got down on one knee in a beautiful private garden by the water under the glow of the moon,” shares the groom. “I knew she’d say yes (we’d discussed marriage many times), but I was still incredibly nervous and kept slipping off at dinner to practice my speech. It didn’t help much, and before I’d even gotten down on one knee, I was a blubbering mess, which might have given my intentions away a little.” SETTING THE SCENE “Our venue, St Julians Club, was a stunning country house set against lush green trees and rolling hills,” explains Ann-Jee. “It immediately felt like home. We fell in love with the sweeping country views from every room, as well as the conservatory with its beautiful wisteria. The staff were so friendly and approachable and the atmosphere was very relaxed and unstuffy. “We wanted a meadow aisle that would perfectly encapsulate our floral theme of an English garden,” adds the bride. “Our florist, Star & The Rose, did an amazing job bringing our vision to life using seasonal blooms such as white dahlias, meadow grasses and wild foliage. We also wanted to balance our budget with our vision, which our florist enabled by creating floor meadows that could be reused as our table centrepieces. As a final touch, we added candles to the aisle and tables, lending some romance to the atmosphere, especially as the sun set and the lights dimmed.” The couple named each table after a significant place in their lives and included photographs of themselves in those places on the table plan. “Instead of wedding favours, we opted for something a bit different,” recalls Ann-Jee. “As we had an intimate wedding with only 60 guests, we hand-wrote a letter to each person explaining why they were important to us and thanking them for sharing our special day. This was an aspect that our guests really loved and it made a memorable keepsake.” DRESSED TO IMPRESS “I wore the Khalilah dress by Daria Karlozi, sourced by Dress Dreams,” says Ann-Jee. “As I have quite a petite frame, being just over five feet tall, I wanted to find a wedding dress that would complement my figure, elongate my form and not drown me in layers of fabric. As soon as I tried on the Khalilah dress, I knew I’d found the one. I loved the romantic off-shoulder draped neckline, the drama of the two-metre-long detachable skirt, and the subtle but modern knee-high slit. I accessorised with a cathedral-length veil trimmed with 3D lace flowers and pearl drop earrings gifted to me by my mother. They really helped to tie the look together while also letting the dress shine through.” Nick chose a navy suit with a grey double-breasted waistcoat and a navy polka-dotted tie with black dress shoes. “He wanted to wear something that suited both his style and the venue,” shares Ann-Jee. “My bridesmaids wore high-neck satin dresses in sage green. They looked absolutely beautiful and we loved how the shade and silhouette of the dresses suited their different figures and skin tones. It was also comfortable and allowed for lots of movement, making it perfect for a summer wedding. The groomsmen wore ties that matched their dresses, which helped the bridal party look cohesive.” 41 REAL WEDDINGS
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