Architect Angela Galea had been going out with project coordinator Daniel Galea for two years when he popped the question, in December 2016.
“It was a Saturday, and all of his siblings were there too. We were getting ready to go out for a Christmas party. Since I always bug him and try to find out what he’s getting me for Christmas, his sister was teasing me, saying that she knew, and asking him whether he will be giving it to me anytime soon,” Angela recalls, explaining that Daniel soon ‘gave in’ and decided to give her the Christmas present there and then.
“It was obviously all a game and I hadn’t yet realised what was going on,” she laughs. “He gave me a bracelet charm – it was a ring box saying ‘I do’ on the top, which you can open to find a miniature ring on the inside. That’s when it started making sense! As I stared at it, he brought out a second box… the one which had the actual ring in it, accompanied with a simple ‘Tizzewwigni?’”
Of course, she said yes, and set about the wedding prep. And while the pair decided on the church, venue, caterer, photographer, videographer and the band together, Angela took care of most of the planning herself. She admits that she didn’t have a theme in mind at the start but wanted a “simple rustic feel with a touch of floral”, so everything was left quite simple, following a ‘less is more’ approach.
This also reflected in her wedding dress – an open-back, lace gown with elbow-length sleeves and a long train. “I knew I wanted a simple dress in a mermaid/trumpet style” says Angela, who took her Maid of Honour along but didn’t think she’d find her dress on the day. “I recall it was the fourth dress I tried on at Eva Mariee and we liked it straight away,” she recalls, though had a decision to make when a similar dress threatened to outshine it. “I had a moment of dilemma between the two but the long trail on the one I chose was not one to be left behind – it was the winning gem of the dress!”
On the day of their wedding – 25th May 2019 – the pair said their ‘I dos’ at the church of Madonna tal-Herba in Birkirkara before heading over to their chosen venue, Torre Paulina in Madliena, to celebrate, along with 290 guests.
And while everything went off without a hitch, the bride admits that the weather left a little to be desired. “We chose our venue for its outdoor area, but unfortunately most of the guests opted to stay inside since it was a bit windy and quite cool for May,” she says, though that didn’t stop them from enjoying their big day.
Looking back, Daniel’s favourite part of the day was the getting ready at home for the last time – “he felt quite relaxed and at ease”, though things were a little different for Angela. “I felt more at ease as soon as we said the vows and onwards at the venue. Probably my favourite part was our first dance – we never really danced like that before the big day, so it was a lovely experience. We also had a fun time during a short game of ‘Him or Her’ we had before cutting the cake!”
Photos by Therese Debono