by Althea Mallee
If you had told me a year ago that I would be selling all my belongings, leaving my home country and moving to Italy, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Well, that’s exactly what happened. As soon as Gian stepped into my world, I knew my journey was by his side. With a strong tug on my heart strings, off I flew to Udine. I had never been so sure of anything in my life.
Shortly after our romantic encounter Gian and I were engaged and soon to be wed in Udine. We yearned for a wedding in nature but due to regulations were unable, instead we planned for a modest ceremony inside the town hall of Udine. Unbeknownst to us a whisper began to stir across town and our desires for our wedding in nature became heard. By fate, luck, divine intervention, or rather a few active members in the community, in a matter of weeks, Gian and I were able to hold our autumn wedding inside the Grotte di Villanova, a first for Friuli.
Our theme was that of nature and how could it not be? Warmly dressed for 11 degrees Celsius and adorned in a bohemian, pagan and Viking style, on October 1st, 2022, we descended into the cave to be united in love. A gushing river and a cathedral of stalactites and stalagmites greeted us 100 metres deep in the majestic Regina Margherita Hall. We reignited old traditions and interwove not only our hands but also our souls in a Celtic handfasting, a symbolic tying of the knot. As the ropes were placed around our arms we stared into each other’s eyes and listened to the sounds of the cave, as all of nature bared witness to our love.
In line with the strong values that had initially brought us together, we opted for an ethical, sustainable and vegan wedding, with our reception held at the most exquisite Osteria Casa Mia. A dash of rosemary at every table, considered to be favourable for a wedding, and a fine dining artistic display by the talented chef Walter. A delicate array was served of handcrafted nut cheeses, watermelon tuna and of course pizza! We shared these sunny celebrations with friends and family who had travelled near and far to be by our side.
The initial whispers of our wedding started to become louder, and the next day our wedding was not only on the Telefriuli but also the cover of the Messaggero! Couples were now able to be legally wedded on the first Saturday of every month at the Grotte di Villanova. Gian and I rejoiced in the news! What a dream come true that other couples may now share in our wonderful experience.
It became a fairy-tale ending to a fairy-tale wedding. From all our preparations and hard work everything had come together and finally we could step into the light after a very long journey. Like Orpheus and Eurydice, we had exited the cave, but now with our own happy and alternative ending.
