Real Weddings

A Wedding in Six Weeks: Claudia & Sandro

“We hadn’t planned anything for Valentine’s Day as we were busy finishing our home, so we just thought we’d stay in. After work, Sandro told me to go to the house because he wanted ‘to show me something’,” she recalls.

Arriving a few minutes after she did, Sandro brought their dog with him, and let it go to Claudia. “He asked me to remove his collar which I thought was a bit weird, but when I did I saw my engagement ring attached to it. I saw him smiling from the end of the corridor and I started screaming! I thought it was so sweet and romantic. He had also prepared a very romantic sushi meal,” she says.

After getting engaged however, the pair intended to quietly elope – an idea that changed later that year. “At first I wanted to elope, and Sandro wasn’t against the idea.” Claudia maintains, but her best friend (who was both her Maid of Honour and witness) had other ideas. “She was telling me that I was going to regret it and that I should do something, even if it was small. I wanted an intimate wedding with our closest friends and family, and in the end we both decided it’s what we were going to do,” she explains, adding that everything was planned in six weeks, with most things being handled by the bride and her mother.

The wedding was to take place exactly a year after they got engaged: Valentine ’s Day 2015. Their chosen church was the Ibragg Parish, and the ceremony was followed by a small reception for about 50 guests under a tent on the church’s parvis.

“Since we chose Valentine's Day and most people go out on that day, we thought of doing a bit more than just drinks and cake, so we also had some finger food. I found our awesome photographer Fran Stivala, who agreed to take our wedding on on very short notice – and she did an amazing job,” Claudia explains.

Meanwhile, the flowers and decorations were taken care of by her mother and aunt, while the couple’s niece was enlisted as a singer for the church. As for her dress, Claudia chose a simple A-line dress from Pronovias, which she paired with a custom veil made by her aunt. The bride herself made the wedding cake and souvenirs, which were heart-shaped vanilla biscuits with red icing and the couple’s initials in white icing, to keep within the Valentine's Day theme.  
Looking back at their big day, Claudia describes it as amazing, adding, “getting to spend time with my mother and my best friend, and then marrying the man I love and sharing it with the important people in my life was truly perfect.”

As for the groom, Sandro admits to getting a little nervous when the big day arrived. “Once I started getting ready and making sure everything was fine, the clock stopped and it seemed like time wasn't passing. The nervousness was piling up and I was panicking. Upon entering the church I was even told that I was looking pale – which didn't help much!”

Still, the nerves disappeared when he laid his eyes on his bride. “It all vanished once I saw her coming down the aisle. Her smile calmed me down and I felt better again. The rest of the night went by as if just a few minutes had passed.”

Image Credits

Fran Stivala Photography