REAL WEDDING

An international love story: Becky and Federico Gorrieri

The first thing that strikes me when I meet newlyweds Becky and Federico Gorrieri is their incredible energy. Both former athletes, the pair met at an international athletics competition 13 years ago – in which Becky represented Malta and Federico flew the flag for San Marino, making them, technically, opponents.

Despite hitting it off, the pair went their separate ways after their initial meeting, only to reconnect at the same competition in 2011. The pair had a long distance relationship for a year, communicating via Skype and travelling to see each other every weekend, until Becky decided to move to Italy. It was there, in 2014, that Federico popped the question. “It was her birthday and we drove south for a holiday by the sea. I had been thinking about it and was waiting for the right moment,” he says.

“First, he woke me up with a picture of where we were going, and told me he had our bags packed. Once we got there I found out that we were spending the night at a spa hotel with our own private spa. At dinner he told me he had a gift for me. I opened the box, and the first thing I said when I saw the ring was, ‘Oh my God, what’s this?’” Becky laughs.

The date was set for a year later. While both Becky and Federico have now retired from athletics and are preparing to move to Malta, wedding planning came at a busy time for Becky, who was juggling training throughout the week with a part-time job and finishing a PhD. “I was abroad so my mum helped a lot on the ground. I did what I could via email and came down often for meetings because I really wanted to be there,” she says.

Asked whether there were any details of the wedding that the couple were dead set on, the pair agree that the venue was the clincher: the Saluting Battery in Valletta. “Federico’s family and a lot of our friends are from abroad, so it was a really nice location for our guests to enjoy Malta,” Becky explains.

The church the couple chose for the ceremony was Santa Caterina d'Italia in Valletta, which provided the perfect intimate backdrop. The ceremony took place in Italian and English, and all went smoothly until it was time to exchange the rings. “I still can’t figure out if it was a prank by Federico’s friend,” laughs Becky, as she explains how she just couldn’t untie the rings from the ring pillow. “I had tied them myself with a simple bow, but when it came to untying them at the church I just couldn’t get the knot out! Eventually one of the ushers grabbed a pair of scissors from the back and cut it. Everyone was laughing… it was so funny!”

Apart from their wedding, the day also turned out to have another special significance for the couple. “My best friend, who was also my witness, was pregnant at the time, but was still about seven weeks shy of her due date. Two days before the wedding however, her water broke. She went into labour on the night before the wedding. Their baby daughter was born the following morning – on my wedding day – and now I’m her godmother,” Becky recalls.

Looking back on their big day, the pair maintain that they loved every minute, from getting ready to dancing until the early hours. Ever the romantic, Federico’s favourite part however, was seeing Becky for the first time. “When I saw her walking into the church, I just thought the typical thing: ‘Oh my God she’s beautiful’,” he says. Becky agrees, adding, “walking down the aisle and exchanging our vows was the most special part of the day. The priest was amazing and it was very personal. I had a smile from ear to ear the whole time.”