I could tell that this couple was down to earth even before I read that they had met down under. The look on this smitten Aussie groom’s face says it all –that this day was filled with nothing more than pure love and laughter. The lens of Silvana Di Franco transports you to a world of rickety barn doors, simply cut flowers and twinkle lights. Who knows? Perhaps everyone’s true soul-mate is waiting on the other side of the world… until then, check out the rest of the gallery.
From the Bride… I met Tom while I was on my Australian year abroad. I had left my cushy sorority life at UC Davis to live on my own in Australia, and the last thing I was looking for was my lifelong partner! I thought Tom was the coolest guy ive ever met – he played guitar, had long dark hair, was a complete pool shark, and was always the life of the party. When my abroad year was over we separated and I moved back to SF. We quickly discovered that we did not want to be without each other and decided to have a long distance relationship for 6 months, until I graduated and could move back to Melbourne. Tom still had 4 more years of medical school to complete so we had a great time getting to know Melbourne and establishing a wonderful community there. We moved back to San Francisco in 2010 and moved into an old Victorian where we hosted frequent pot luck dinner parties with friends and completed our family with a fluffy new cat named Harry.
In December 2011 we took off to the big Island of Hawaii for my family’s annual holiday trip. I didn’t think too much about how no other boyfriends have ever been invited, or that my family has a strict “no ring no bring” policy until it was too late! Tom took me on a hike to a secluded beach and proposed with my favorite Alex Sepkus ring. When we returned back to the hotel my entire extended family was there, waiting for us with open bottles of champagne to celebrate.
From the start Tom and I wanted to have a destination wedding feel – because we have so many people from Australia and from San Francisco we wanted a weekend escape atmosphere. We chose the Napa Valley because it is an ideal location for friends to relax and unwind and enjoy California. We found a barn on a private estate where we could have our wedding – it looked like the countryside where Tom grew up – and we could really use the space in our own creative way. The wedding was everything I hoped it would be. We had 30 friends and family fly from Australia, and those Australians know how to party! It was the wedding of our dreams, a blend of everything Tom and I are – casual and rustic yet chic and modern. And most importantly, very full of love.
Wedding Photography: Silvana Di Franco Photography / Venue: Private Vineyard in Napa, California / Wedding Planning: Joannie Liss Events / Floral Design: Sylvia Burgess of Montbretia Floral Design / Wedding Catering: Elaine Bell Catering / Wedding Cake: Matt Massera / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Watters / Linens: La Tavola Linen