Fiona Byrne weddings: Georgia Widdop and Evan Batsis, Ashlee Portelli and Ayden Fakhri, Thomas Bonilla and Alessandra Minutoli
The Santorini wedding of Georgia Widdop and Evan Batsis may have been inspired by Instagram but with the groom Greek, it also paid homage to his family.
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A stunning whitewashed cliff top villa overlooking Aegean Sea in the Greek isles was the location for Georgia Widdop and Evan Batsis to tie the knot in stunning fashion.
The sun kissed the couple as wedding photographer La Moment Photography
captured their delight high above the sapphire coloured ocean, moments after being announced husband and wife.
“The cliffs and sunset along Santorini are famous for a very good reason; it almost looks like it isn’t real and you can get lost in looking out to the sea for hours,” Georgia said
“I think Santorini speaks for itself in terms of beauty.”
Georgia and Evan met in 2012 on a night out, with Evan proposing in April 2022 in an ornate private villa in the W resort in Bali.
Georgia described their wedding as “intimate with a focus on love, laughter and fun,” adding the occasion had a simple, whimsical theme so guests could appreciate the beautiful natural setting.
The couple wed at the luxurious Aenaon Villas in Santorini, Greece on June 27, 2023.
“We selected the location for its meaning in terms of family background and its beautiful backdrop,” Georgia said.
“I had always wanted to do a destination wedding, given my partner is Greek - both his parents were born in Greece - and we have a love for the Greek islands.”
Georgia found her wedding venue on Instagram and engaged a wedding planner to help her with the logistics on the island.
“When we arrived the photos didn’t do it justice in any way. It was an experience that needed to be seen,” she said.
Georgia wore a majestic fitted gown with a dramatic leg split, off-the-shoulders sleeves and full bead embellishment, by Marquise Bridal in South Melbourne.
She did not let the precious gown out of her sight on the flights to Santorini.
“I was hearing about lots of people having their things lost in airports, etc, but very luckily the way it was packaged allowed me to fit it within my carry on luggage, so I had it with me the whole time on the plane,” she said.
Evan was dressed by Germanicos Bespoke Tailors. Their first dance was to Keep You Safe by Lindsey Ray.
Following cocktails and dinner at the villas, the newlyweds joined their 70 guests at a nearby winery for an afterparty.
“It was special in every way,” said Georgia of her wedding.
“We both have family in Australia and in Europe and it was the first time
having everyone together celebrating our big day.
“It was lovely just watching people meet and catch up after many years apart and reconnect seamlessly.”
Ashlee Portelli and Ayden Fakhri
Melbourne couple Ashlee Portelli and Ayden Fakhri’s marvellous wedding on June 2, 2023 was a celebration of love, culture and tradition.
The couple first met at the gym in 2016, but it was not until a night out dancing in the Docklands that the pair realised their future lay together.
“I would shyly stand and smile (at the gym) until one night at Alumbra (nightspot) we started to talk and we’ve spoken everyday since,” Ashlee said.
Ayden proposed in Torquay in 2022 with a row of roses and candles.
Ashlee described her wedding as “a vintage yet modern big fat Lebanese wedding.”
The couple wed at St Mary’s Star Of the Sea, West Melbourne, the ornate church being a favourite of Ashlee’s grandparents.
Their reception was held at Half Acre in South Melbourne.
Ayden wore a custom asymmetric buttoned suit by Zacmens tailors.
Ashlee wore a breathtaking custom gown by Annette Of Melbourne and later on changed into a the piece ensemble by Khirzad Femme for the party.
A special part of the evening was a surprise performance that Ashlee arranged by singers/musicians Jerome Farah, Shade and Yaob Yaob of a small collection of Ayden’s favourite songs.
“Later on we had an impromptu ‘getaway’ moment sitting on top of Jerome’s car,” she said.
Their first dance was to Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley.
Flowers were by Chanelle Hamilton Events. Images were by Aly Marie Photography.
Ashlee said her wedding was full of joy.
“Our big fat Lebanese wedding was unforgettable,” she said.
“It really reflected who we are as a team. It was a mixture of tradition with all the drums and music of our culture, along with creating new traditions and moments for ourselves.
“We really felt love on the day and it was truly a dream come true for both of us. We were very lucky to have our loved ones there supporting us on the biggest day of our lives.”
The night finished with artist and producer Tobiahs, Ayden’s brother, doing a one hour set on the DJ decks.
Alessandra Minutoli and Thomas Bonilla
A shared passion for teaching brought Alessandra Minutoli and Thomas Bonilla together. The pair, both primary school teachers, met at a school in West London in 2019.
Thomas proposed in Singapore at the Gardens By The Bay in 2022 while the couple were in transit.
Their wedding on April 16, 2023 at Marnong Estate was a “mixture of the romantic, modern and whimsical.”
Alessandra wore a gown from Raffaele Ciuca with an enchanting lace bodice and full skirt. Thomas wore a three piece charcoal suit with matching tie and pocket square.
Their footwear was memorable. The bride and groom wore custom New Balance 1500 sneakers with their wedding date stitched onto them.
The bridal party and groomsmen all wore white New Balance 550 sneakers to complement the bride and groom.
Touchingly, Alessandra carried a photo and the ashes of her brother, Stefan, who passed away in January 2012 on her flowers during the ceremony.
Their first dance was Summertime Magic by Childish Gambino. Flowers were from Artificial Flower Co. Photography was by Timmy Smalls.
The wedding was officiated by celebrant was Tamara Issa.
A highlight of the evening was Thomas’ dad singing his favourite song, El Rey by Vicente Fernandez, with the Mariachi band.
“Our wedding was pure joy. We couldn’t stop smiling and holding each other throughout the day/night. We felt all the love from our family and friends,” Alessandra said.
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