Inside MAFS star Chris Jensen and influencer Tayla Made’s intimate Italian wedding
MAFS contestant Chris Jensen and influencer Tayla Made eloped to the Amalfi Coast for an intimate wedding
QWeekend
Don't miss out on the headlines from QWeekend. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Australia first met Chris Jensen on Married At First Sight two years ago when he was searching for a wife.
That didn’t end the way he’d hoped but the reality contestant has since found true love, eloping to Italy to marry Sunshine Coast influencer Tayla Made in an intimate ceremony on a yacht.
Chris and Tayla, who got her nickname from her grandfather with her real name being Tayla Jade, sailed out on an Italian boat at sunset on the Amalfi Coast on May 23 and said their vows.
The Sunshine Coast pair, who live in Marcoola, first met on a photo shoot in Sydney and have been together since 2021.
With no guests, the couple celebrated their intimate nuptials at a rooftop restaurant, Adamo ed Eva, in Positano.
“It was just a beautiful elopement with the two of us and wow it was nice to just relax and enjoy the moment together,” Tayla says.
The proposal? Chris took me out on Wings yacht/catamaran around the Whitsundays and took me to a private beach cave and proposed there. It was beautiful.
Why did you decide to elope? Tayla: We decided to elope because we loved the idea of travelling and seeing beautiful parts of the world, instead of spending money on one day that would quickly be over. Eloping allowed us to have a wedding and honeymoon in one. It also meant that we could have an intimate ceremony the way we wanted.
We chose Italy because it is such a romantic and beautiful place. The history, the vintage cars, the scooters and, of course, the food! Life slows down, and people there really just enjoy the little things in life. Like a long social lunch, or an espresso coffee at a cafe watching the world go by. We wanted to stop and appreciate all those smaller moments together.
How did the day unfold? The day started with a beautiful buffet breakfast at our hotel The Marincanto, which had an outdoor alfresco overlooking the heart of Positano.
From there, Chris took himself to the pool for a swim in the sunshine while I got ready in our hotel room. We met at the top of the hotel, outside, where we had mint green vintage Fiat convertible waiting for us. We drove along the Amalfi Coast stopping at all the most scenic lookouts and views. We had locals wave, toot clap etc as we were driving past. The Italians just love weddings. From there we went to a cafe/restaurant I had on my bucket list called Chet Black.
The Nonna owner came out and greeted us and brought us an array of tasty treats, and we had a couple of cocktails. When we went to pay, the bill had been settled by a couple sitting across to congratulate us! They had left before we were told, so we had no idea! It was one of those acts of kindness from strangers which really took us by surprise. It was so nice we couldn’t stop talking about it.
Then we went on a sunset private boat cruise where we looked at the Amalfi coastline from the sea. We drank Champagne, slow danced and said the vows we had written to each other. After that we headed to the sunset rooftop restaurant for dinner. We had a candlelit dinner overlooking Positano, mind you, they served us seafood, even though we told them Chris is allergic and I don’t really eat seafood. The downside of communicating in a foreign country! But we laughed about it.
Honeymoon? We headed to the Croatian and Greek islands.
How did you choose your wedding dress? I had always wanted a Grace Loves Lace dress and I tried on five but knew before I even walked in which one I wanted.
Christopher, what thoughts did you have seeing your bride for the first time? Speechless. I just said to myself I am the luckiest man to be marrying this woman.
Who knew about your elopement prior? Everyone close to us knew about it. We had considered inviting immediate family and friends but knew a lot of people may not be in a position that they could come. So we didn’t want some to be able to come and not others. Family and friends knew it was happening and what time. Afterwards we sent videos and photos to our nearest and dearest, followed by phone calls and FaceTimes.
What was the most stressful part of wedding planning? We were hoping Google reviews were enough to go by when booking stuff, ha!
What was the standout moment of the day? Smiling together when we went home at the end of the night and eating ice cream in bed and watching Italian movies in our PJs with the subtitles in English.
Best wedding gift? Tayla’s best friend, Tara, got her an incredible clutch, and had gathered items all the way from Melbourne from her grandmother and mother to help with “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”.
Top wedding hack? Think about what you will truly remember most in years to come. Just focus on what brings you joy.
The Bride
Tayla Made, 32
Profession Cosmetic tattoo artist/influencer
Parents Kelly and Simon
Dress Grace Loves Lace
Hair and make-up She did her own
Engagement ring Novita Diamonds
The Groom
Christopher
Jensen, 35
Profession FIFO driller
Parents Carol and Brett
Children Arla and Isha
Suit Casamastro Positano
Entertainment Blue Star Positano
Transport Vintage Positano
Photographer and videographer Amalfi Coast Photographer
Celebrant Positano celebrant
New ways to learn
State schools recognised in the Queensland Government’s Showcase awards are delivering excellence through.
‘I have no doubt we will win’: Dutton’s bold declaration on election eve
With a federal election expected to be called any day now, the man who wants to be Australia’s next prime minister tells Frances Whiting in an exclusive interview the ‘underdog’ LNP will win.