Eleanor Robb and Louis Pace first met on holiday in Cyprus, and it was the start of a long love story. “We took our time before we decided to get married,” says Eleanor, a holiday representative at Sunspot and Mercury Holidays. “We bought our place first and had two kids. Then, after 15 years, we decided to get married!”

Eleanor says that her dream wedding dress was always a mermaid-style gown with a detailed back – and she found it at Eva Mariee. “I went with four of my best friends here and tried on four different dresses. It was simple for me - when I tried the last one on, I knew straight away that it was the one. It made me feel like a real bride.” She chose her long-time hairdresser to style her hair for the big day, a soft up-style with a small, bejewelled floral headband.

The pair planned the whole wedding themselves, with the help of family members and friends. They chose the Haywharf Clubhouse in Floriana for their wedding venue. “The size of the outside area with a view of the Grand Harbour made it perfect for a hot September evening in Malta. We were also very impressed with the food. We went for a food tasting evening and the standard was excellent!” Eleanor says. The souvenirs were chosen by the couple’s sons, who picked a small love heart engraved with Eleanor and Louis’ names and the date of the wedding, inside a small organza bag filled with jelly beans. One of the boys also read a small poem during the ceremony, which Eleanor says meant a lot to her.

On the day of September 10th 2016, Eleanor says she felt ‘surprisingly calm’. “I had great support from my family and friends, which helped a lot.” Bagpipe players paid tribute to the bride’s Scottish heritage as she walked into the venue, and out again after the ceremony, while her sons wore traditional Scottish garb. There were about 100 guests, who came from near and far, including Malta, Birmingham and Scotland. The couple’s first dance was to Luther Vandross’ Never Too Much. “We have loved this song for years and it seemed the perfect choice. It’s also great to dance to!” Eleanor says.

The celebrations kicked off at 5pm and the last person left the venue after 2am. “The DJ played all the right music and had us dancing all night long. We partied until the last minute. There were lots of sore feet at the end!” Eleanor smiles. “I feel happy we did it and I only wish we had done it sooner! As for the wedding, I wouldn't do anything differently – just slow time down if I could to enjoy it more.”