Elisa Loved Her Timeless Inbal Dror Gown
“There’s a reason why Helen and her team are the most reputable Bridal store nationally. Helen was professional, honest and welcoming. As an interstate bride and a teacher, Helen knew I was limited in my travel dates and ensured there was minimal flights for me. She worked closely with her trusted seamstress for my alterations which were managed to be completed in two days. Helen was open with her communication and gave me realistic advice for both myself and Mum. It was a pleasure working with you, thanks you so much!”
Bride & Groom: Elisa Savio & Anthony Stracci
Venue: Lot 100, Hay Valley SA - relocation to Adelaide Oval, SA
Gown: Inbal Dror from Helen Rodrigues Bridal
Photography: Evan Bailey Photography
Videography: Goldbear Wedding Films
Floral: Louise Woodhose Flowers
How did you and your husband meet?
I first met Anthony at Cibo Espresso, the coffee shop I used to work at in the city. He was a friend of a colleagues, and he’d often come past for an espresso after his shift working as a pizzaiolo. One day we were so busy, he ended up jumping behind the counter to help with dishes. Initially, the next day he was hired, and we were dating a fortnight later. We also established that we were in the same reception class and went to University together too! We ended up working together for some 7/8 years before we both left the hospitality industry.
We were together 10 years before he popped the question. What I love about Anthony is his strong family values and love for maintaining our cultural heritage. An added bonus, he always knows how to spoil me - the morning of our wedding I woke to our very own, custom pistachio-coloured La Marzocco coffee machine imported from Italy!
How did he propose?
We were travelling through Italy for our best friend’s wedding in Puglia… before we left, many of my friends were assuming Anthony would propose. I shut it down right away, as I was so against cliches, but looking back we had such an incredible day!
We set out on foot for II Sentiero Degli Dei, a trek along the Amalfi Coast which we began in the morning from Praiano, bomboloni, peaches and a small box in hand. It was the peak of the hike when Anthony asked me to be his best friend for life. It was the start of an epic day with breathtaking views, a delicious lunch at Da Adolfo’s and an Italian Aperitivo at Franco’s bar watching the sunset in Positano.
What was your vision for your wedding day?
We originally always wanted to get married in Italy, to take our immediate family back where our parents and grandparents were born. However, with ageing grandparents and newly born nieces and nephews, we knew this would be challenging and we would risk having some key people unable to attend. So it was decided - we had to turn our wedding into a big Italian festa! Spritz, locally made gin and typical digestivi to cap off the night. It really felt like our typical Christmas!
We were very strong-minded when it came to dress code. A non-negotiable black tie to match our eye for design. Our decor was understated but classy, including black lanterns and cutlery, olive linen and hints of velvet. Flowers were kept minimal and included white orchids, anthuriums and peonies with big tropical palms.
We had carefully curated music for the celebration, with a mix of jazz, big band, Italian classics and strong strictly house/ disco tunes with live saxophone, bongos and traditional tambourines. We had an awesome night on the dance floor and kept on partying till early in the morning!
Where did you look for wedding inspiration?
We actually decided on our colour palette in Italy right after we were engaged. We walked into a tiny, artisan stamp and wax store in San Gimignano and picked our initials on a brass stamp. We found this metallic emerald green wax and knew we needed to go with it.
From here, my brother digitised our stamp which was art-deco inspired. We were particularly drawn to green marble and soft pink which was used on all our stationary, our website, decor, bridal party accessories and we even had a huge green neon light customised with the design.
What drew you to your gown from Helen Rodrigues Bridal?
I came across Inbal Dror many years ago, after watching one of her films on Youtube that had a favourite Italian song of mine, Persiero Stupendo by Patty Bravo. It was her 2014 collection set in Rome and Venice and I fell in love! Each collection thereafter, I would admire closely. Our engagement coincided just in time for the 2019 Trunk Show at Helen Rodrigues Bridal. It’s uncanny how the collection was shot right where we were engaged a month earlier. I had a clear winner before entering the boutique. I loved how it had a timeless feminine shape, yet it was edgy and a statement. The three-piece gave me flexibility, allowed me to party long into the night and showed off my emerald green shoes!
What was your wedding planning journey like for you?
I am naturally quite creative, so I enjoyed being quite hands on in the design and styling process. I made digital mood boards on Keynote and Pinterest. Categorising Instagram saves was also helpful! Anthony and I worked really well as a team, we had a clear vision and made decisions together with digital to-do lists and folders on OneNote. We started planning approximately 12 months out, had a budget and set mini milestones. However, in the end making drastic changes and decisions 12 hours before the big day just goes to show anything and everything is posibble!
What was the biggest decision you had to make?
For us specially, relocating the reception was a mammoth task. In the afternoon, the day before, we got the call from our venue explaining that due to the catastrophic fires in the Adelaide Hills, we had to consider a plan B. It was heart-breaking to think our vision was perhaps not going to go as planned. We had to make the call though, and by 6pm we were out searching for a new venue where we planned to get all our food, beverage and decorations relocated into a new setting. The team at Lot 100 and Adelaide Oval were phenomenal at pulling it all together. The CFS escorted the team in on Saturday morning through road closures to pick up our things in the hills and transport EVERYTHING to the city!
However, we understand not everyone has to make such decisions… prior to this - probably the bridesmaid’s outfits were the most difficult to pick. We ended up going with something timeless and flattering for all shapes after many online returns!
What was the highlight of your wedding day for you?
At university, I studied Italian cinema and I introduced Anthony to a film I was analysing at the time, Cinema Paradiso. It quickly became one of our all-time favourite movies we would watch together. The original music score was by Ennio Morricone, so I surprised Anthony with the bridal entrance of Love Theme, played live by piano, cello and flute by colleagues within the music department at school. Walking down to him was a moment i’ll never forget. Our cousin also sang a live version of ‘Praise You’ by Fatboy Slim that blew us away. We were also grateful our priest allowed us to write our own vows within a Catholic ceremony, which made it so much more personal.
For our reception, we also had Anthony’s favourite pre-Christmas film, Die Hard on the big screen over dinner as a surprise, he was very happy! Our cake is something everyone still talks about… wedding cakes with multiple tiers don’t really exist in Italy, so we went with a traditional Italian millefoglie. Hands down - the best decision! We finished the night with traditional Italian dancing from the South and North, this was both nostalgic and fun!
Is there anything you would do differently?
It’s easy to get caught up in thinking our venue was meant to be and look like. Our experience definitely made us appreciative of our family and friends. At the end of the day, their presence is the only priority we thought about when we were in crisis mode.
Is there any advice you would give other #HRBride’s?
Having a wedding website not only saved us money, but in our case due to the relocation we were able to update the website and give detailed information to guests promptly. We also recommend having a group shot after the ceremony - it was nice to have everyone all together which we can look back on in years to come. Most importantly, don’t tailor your day to suit other people, it’s your wedding and you don’t want regrets. It needs to represent you.
