Naomi and Dario’s love started long before swiping did when they met at just 14 years old. Their connection was undeniable and have been best friends ever since! Now after 10 years, and a very unexpected proposal later – they tie the knot in the city they fell in love, Melbourne. #RCRealBride Naomi wore the Emily gown from Pronovias. A spectacular mermaid design capable of emphasizing feminine lines with crepe, hugging them with a suggestive skirt, fitted at the natural waist, that ends in a beautiful train. A dress that plays with the provocation of the thread-embroidered transparences with flower motifs and sparkling beading that reach the hips, defining a bodice with V-necklines. Photographer – All My Wednesdays THE FIRST SIGHT Dario first saw Naomi when he played Junior soccer for a club her dad was President for. “I always knew of him, but we had never exchanged words”. says Naomi. She was 14, he was 15 and they met at a very unlikely place… a funeral wake. “We exchanged words and I found him very funny. After that night, he added me on MSN and Myspace. We didn’t stop talking after that. Because we were so young, I was never allowed to go out without my cousins, so our first dates were often with other people. We soon became official and have been best friends ever since”. Dario attended high school in the same suburb as Naomi, and spent most days after school riding his skate board to see her too. THE PROPOSAL “We were in Hawaii for a holiday in 2018. I had no idea he was even thinking about marriage because he always told me he didn’t see it to be a big deal. On our second last night of our holiday, we went out to dinner at a restaurant by the beach. After dinner, we took a walk just outside and came across a little white gazebo on the beach. He told a passing woman to take some photos of us inside of the gazebo. Next thing I know, Dario was on one knee. Dario told me that he had been planning the proposal for a couple of months now and had known for years that he wanted to marry me. It was the most romantic surprise he had pulled off”. THE VENUE “We originally wanted to have our wedding outdoors however we had to consider the amount of people we were going to cater for and decided to have it indoors”, says Naomi. The Park Melbourne was the first indoor reception they had visited, and they fell in love instantly. “The venue was exactly our style, modern/industrial with a touch of glam. The large floor to ceiling window had me hooked straight away”. FAVORITE MOMENT “Other than finally becoming husband and wife at our ceremony, it would definitely have to be the end of the night when the DJ played “Crazy love” by Oyaba. This song reminded both Dario and I of when we were first falling in love as teenagers. All of our guests were up on their feet and sang the song with us and we definitely felt so much love around us”. THE DRESS Naomi sae the Emily by Pronovias gown on our website before her appointment. She wasn’t 100% sure on it but when we got to the appointment, the sales lady encouraged her to just try it on anyway. “It was the first dress I tried on and I knew it was the one. It was incredibly comfortable. Simple but was still a statement. My mum, and my bridesmaids who I had with me looked at it and knew it was the one straight away”. FINDING THE ONE “The ladies that I had dealt with at the Armadale store and the Brunswick alterations shop were incredible. They took the overwhelming feelings away when choosing dresses to try on. They were passionate and well experienced. They knew exactly what they were doing and were fantastic to deal with. Couldn’t thank them enough!” ADVICE FOR OTHER BRIDES Just take everything as it comes when planning a wedding. Just remember the reason why you’re getting married in the first place and prioritize what is most important. I think to keep a happy relationship is to keep doing things that you enjoy together. Work on things together and find solutions together. Don’t lose sight of how to be each other’s best friend. VENDORS Photographer: All my Wednesdays by Mardy Bridges Venue: The Park Melbourne Church/Celebrant: St Thomas Aquinas, South Yarra Flowers: Desflora Cake: The sweet event cupcakes Hair: Hairko Studio Makeup: Makeup for by Firadause Shoes: Jo Mercer Invites: Kara Invitations Suits: Mj Bale Band/DJ: Dj Henrique Santos Bridesmaid Dresses: Born to be chic Bonbonerie: We got our Bonboneires specially made in East Timor Table Centrepieces: Abracadabra and Desflora Rings: Artelia