100 Dresses and 150 Barry’s Bootcamp Classes Later, This Elie Saab Bride Was Ready to Say “I Do”
Fashion publicist Véronique de Vallière met her now-husband Rob McHugh on Hinge in 2021. The couple married five years later in a 17th-century villa on the outskirts of Florence
A word of advice for anyone still swiping: “Keep at it,” says Véronique de Vallière. “It’s a numbers game.” Sounds arduous, but it’s true. The 34-year-old Swiss-Australian publicist had sat through her fair share of “doozies” dredged up from the London dating pool before finally matching with Rob McHugh, a private equity director from Melbourne, on Hinge in 2021. “Our first date was a liquid dinner on the rooftop of the Culpepper in Shoreditch,” she says, with a laugh. “All wine, no food. Then he walked me home, and we shared our first kiss outside my door in Dalston. He had this warmth to him, and a humour that just felt so right. In fact, the first thing I said to my flatmate was: ‘He felt like home.’” The couple made it official three weeks later, and moved into a canal-side apartment in leafy De Beauvoir within seven months. “It was a whirlwind,” Véronique adds. “But when you know, you know right?!”
The engagement took place during a surprise birthday trip destination revealed only at the airport to Lake Garda in July 2023. “I had a feeling it might happen,” Véronique says. “Rob was acting sheepish one afternoon, and then, when we were pulling up on a Riva boat for sunset drinks at Locanda San Vigilio, I spotted a photographer out of the corner of my eye. I was like, ‘... But I’ve been swimming all day!?’ So I ran to the bathroom for, like, 20 minutes, and thank God I had a change of clothes, while he waited to lead me to an ancient tree in the courtyard.” There, Rob dropped to one knee and presented Véronique with a radiant-cut and trapezoid diamond three-stone engagement ring, designed to the exact specifications she’d passed along to a friend. “We both cried. It was perfect. And we didn’t tell anyone for 12 hours, which was so beautiful, our little engagement bubble.”
The de Vallière-McHughs had always envisioned a wedding abroad sunshine, for them, was non-negotiable and it was the 17th-century Villa Gamberaia, on the outskirts of Florence, that ultimately won them over after a round of reconnaissance across the Mediterranean. The venue ticked every box: it could host guests flying in from London, Switzerland, and Australia, was just 20 minutes from the city centre, and promised the alfresco dinner of their dreams. Wedding planners Laura Bravi and Viviana Tarantino were enlisted to bring the vision to life, while Véronique embarked on an intense period of self-preparation. “I work for Lululemon, so I lead quite an active lifestyle,” she says. “I completed 150 Barry’s Bootcamp sessions to make sure I was in great shape before the wedding, complemented by Lagree Reformer pilates and barre classes at MAD. I’ve a ballet background, and barre is great for toned bridal arms.” Her goal, she adds, was to feel strong, not slim.
Selena Gomez shared images of her three wedding dresses (yes, three)
All this, alongside 100 dress fittings with one design in mind the strapless Givenchy number Audrey Hepburn wore in Billy Wilder’s 1954 film, Sabrina. “It was ridiculous,” Véronique says. “I went from brand to brand, store to store, and yet I kept coming back to a mikado silk Elie Saab column. The craftsmanship was just unparalleled.” But it wasn’t an immediate ‘Yes’. “I had to justify the decision by shopping around.” In the end, the bride visited Elie Saab’s boutique once in London, twice in Paris, with her mother and sister-in-law, and a final time in Singapore so that her grandparents, who were unable to travel to the wedding, could see the vision. “As soon as Mum said, ‘No, it has to be this one,’ I was like, ‘Who am I to argue?’ When Véronique walked into Villa Gamberaia’s linen-draped grotto on 30 May, clasping a bouquet of sweet peas, as a string quartet played Henri Mancini’s Moon River, the train on the ball gown fluttered. “I felt regal,” she says. “Like I had accomplished life.”
No doubt the previous evening’s welcome drinks on the rooftop of Hotel Plaza Lucchesi where she greeted loved ones in a sheer cape from The New Arrivals layered over a Fleur du Mal bralette and a non-compulsory yoga session on the morning of the wedding helped Véronique reach a sense of zen. Wearing a white Lululemon set with her bridal party also decked out in the brand’s gear Véronique led 25 guests through a gentle flow beneath the Tuscan sun. “It was the perfect way to start the day,” she adds. “It completely eradicated the nerves, and even Rob got involved.” Those moments of calm were built into the running order. After exchanging vows and capturing family photos, for example, the newlyweds were ushered into a private room with a glass of champagne and a ten-minute sandglass just long enough to take it all in before Véronique changed into her second look: a corseted Floure Studio drop-waist ball gown for a courtyard waltz. “Rob is not a dancer,” she says. “But he took ballroom classes with me and learned the choreo like a superstar.”
So it was time to feast and speech. Think: langoustine and candied lemon zest pasta, followed by an enormous heart-shaped tiramisu all prepared by the same caterers behind Kim Kardashian’s 2014 wedding to Kanye West served on a single banquet table dressed with sculptural arrangements of radish, cauliflower and artichoke. “The dinner is the longest part of the day, so it had to be the most beautiful,” Véronique says. “We wanted our guests to rave about it afterwards.” And rave they did: espresso martinis, spicy margaritas, and negronis flowed as Véronique changed into a high-neck/low-back Danielle Frankel dress – the same one she wore to her civil ceremony in Melbourne – for her second “first” dance to “I Hear A Symphony” by Cody Fry. “It wasn’t a complete disaster,” she says. “But I did lose a shoe during the second lift and hit our videographer Tim Chung’s camera.” In the heat of it all, someone stood on – and tore the bustle from the dress. “We don’t go clubbing anymore, so weddings are when we let loose,” she adds. “I ended up on the shoulders of the groomsmen.” (Photos from that moment are the only evidence of the 16Arlington dress that served as a handy back-up.)
The newlyweds retired at around 2.30am, with nothing but poolside goodbyes on the next day’s schedule, as their Antipodean friends continued on their travels around Europe. “It was literally my dream that came to life in the end,” Véronique says, looking back on what amounted to three years of planning across three continents. “It was everything I wanted and more. I organise a lot of events for a living, and I’m a control freak at the best of times, so it was hard for me to take a backseat on… well, anything. But it was absolutely perfect and my husband’s now very happy his wife doesn’t need to arrange another wedding.” Her hot tip, beyond sticking it out on the apps? “Hire wedding planners. There are a lot of emails, a lot of calls, but no detail was too small for them to execute. Oh, and book a mini-moon. We went to the Mezzatorre Hotel in Ischia. Because you will feel depressed afterwards.”
Article originally published on British Vogue.
Photo: Monica Leggio1/57“I love how our photographer, Monica Leggio, captured the Tuscan light in this photo.”
Photo: Monica Leggio2/57“For our welcome party, I wore an ensemble from The New Arrivals by Ilkyaz Ozel with a bralette from Fleur du Mal. Rob wore a linen suit from Canali, styled with a simple T-shirt and Crockett and Jones loafers.”
Photo: Monica Leggio3/57“We wandered through Florence, past the Ponte Vecchio, before heading to our welcome party at Hotel Plaza Lucchesi.”
Photo: Monica Leggio4/57“This is one of my favourite photos – because of the light and how Monica captured us in a moment in between.”
Photo: Monica Leggio5/57“Monica also shot with 35mm film, and I just love the candid snaps that came from it.”
Photo: Monica Leggio6/57“For accessories, I wore a bag from Cult Gaia, heels from Alaïa, and vintage bangles.”
Photo: Monica Leggio7/57“The wind was the main character.”
Photo: Monica Leggio8/57“There’s something about the way the light falls here that feels exactly like Florence did for us – timeless, cinematic and impossibly romantic.”
Photo: Monica Leggio9/57“This is Rob’s favourite picture, and it feels so quintessentially Florentine.”
Photo: Monica Leggio10/57“I’ll never get over the way he looks at me.”
Photo: Monica Leggio11/57“This light…”
Photo: Monica Leggio12/57“Our welcome party took place on the rooftop of Hotel Plaza Lucchesi, with a 360-degree view of Florence – the Duomo on one side and the Arno on the other.”
Photo: Monica Leggio13/57“I was so nervous about booking this venue sight unseen, but when I finally experienced the view in person I was floored.”
Photo: Monica Leggio14/57“So many of our friends travelled all the way from Australia, something we never took for granted and which made our wedding all the more special.”
Photo: Monica Leggio15/57“Our wonderful friends looking impossibly smart.”
Photo: Monica Leggio16/57“One of the things we loved most about Villa Gamberaia was its breathtaking gardens.”
Photo: Monica Leggio17/57“Getting ready with my bridesmaids, bridesman, my mother and my mother-in-law. I gifted my bridal party butter-yellow PJs from the Australian brand Piyama, while my bridesman wore a set from Lululemon. My getting-ready outfit was also from an Australian brand, Shona Joy.”
Photo: Monica Leggio18/57“For my wedding scent, I wore Lavallière from Yves Saint Laurent – chosen partly because of how close the name is to mine, but also because it smells of figs and roses, and I’m obsessed with fig scents. Rob wore Ex Voto by Wienerblut, which I gifted him from Monocle in London. My earrings for my second look were vintage Dior, and my parents surprised Rob with a family signet ring – quite untraditional for the groom to receive, but a testament to how much they adore him.”
Photo: Monica Leggio19/57“Rob got ready with his groomsmen in this beautiful salon. We made sure there was plenty of our favourite Louis Roederer Champagne on hand.”
Photo: Monica Leggio20/57“My husband looked so dapper in his custom Canali tuxedo, complete with Cartier Tank cufflinks, which I had gifted him for our civil wedding in Melbourne. On the wedding day, he surprised me with my dream Panthère watch from Cartier and I him with a beautiful dress watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre.”
Photo: Monica Leggio21/57“Lara Navarrini did my hair and make-up for both the welcome party and the wedding day. She had such infectious energy and kept me laughing the whole time, making me feel completely relaxed and beautiful.”
Photo: Monica Leggio22/57“Slipping into my custom Elie Saab dress felt like a dream – I felt utterly regal. My bridal stylist, Lydia Broad from Elie Saab, was a superstar from start to finish, and together we customised the skirt so it would fall perfectly.”
Photo: Monica Leggio23/57“Our first look – once I saw Rob, I was completely at ease. If you look closely, you’ll spot our content creator Amber from Modern Day Romance on the balcony (who I can’t recommend enough), as well as my maid of honour, Michèle, capturing us from her room.”
Photo: Monica Leggio24/57“Our first portraits before the ceremony, taken in the magnificent gardens of Villa Gamberaia.”
Photo: Monica Leggio25/57“The thing I love most about Rob is that he can always make me smile.”
Photo: Monica Leggio26/57“A few moments before the ceremony with my father – this is when the nerves truly kicked in.”
Photo: Monica Leggio27/57“Our ceremony setup was a dream, executed beautifully by our florist, Fluida, and our wedding designer, Bianco Antico. I wanted the grotto draped in warm, luscious fabrics, with florals that felt overgrown and organic. Our wedding planners, Laura Bravia and Viviana Tarantino, were such superstars throughout the whole process.”
Photo: Monica Leggio28/57“Rob greeting guests with his co-best men, Ally and Sujit.”
Photo: Monica Leggio29/57“Walking down the aisle with my father and seeing all of our beloved friends and family filled me with so much joy and emotion.”
Photo: Monica Leggio30/57“My bridal bouquet was made up of white sweet peas, which symbolise gratitude, tranquillity and big life changes.”
Photo: Monica Leggio31/57“Our wedding day ended up being one of the first hot days of May, and our guests made good use of the parasols we’d organised.”
Photo: Monica Leggio32/57“My beautiful friend Sonia officiated the ceremony, and she couldn’t have done a better job. Having a dear friend marry us meant the world to us, and we can’t thank her enough.”
Photo: Monica Leggio33/57“We exchanged handwritten, deeply emotional vows. My parents looked especially moved by mine.”
Photo: Monica Leggio34/57“Our ceremony was interlaced with musical pieces played by a string quartet. My bridesmaid Nathalie read Union by Robert Fulghum, and Rob’s co-best man Sujit gave a touching speech.”
Photo: Monica Leggio35/57“Pure joy.”
Photo: Monica Leggio36/57“Our stunning bridal party. The boys looked so dapper in their tuxedos. I wanted my bridal party in all black, and both my sister Nathalie and maid of honour Michèle wore Solace London. Sonia looked stunning in Helsa, as did Nathalie in Maison Michel.”
Photo: Monica Leggio37/57“Portraits with our wonderful parents, and our mothers unintentionally matched in navy blue.”
Photo: Monica Leggio38/57“The incredible florals by Fluida. I had asked for fruits and vegetables to be woven in throughout, and I’m still obsessed with how it turned out.”
Photo: Monica Leggio39/57“Anthuriums are one of my favourite flowers, and hydrangeas – abundant around Rob’s family home in summer – were paired with deep burgundy tones, rich greens, and creamy neutrals.”
Photo: Monica Leggio40/57“I can’t get over this light.”
Photo: Monica Leggio41/57“How my husband looks at me.”
Photo: Monica Leggio42/57“And me at him.”
Photo: Monica Leggio43/57“Husband and wife.”
Photo: Monica Leggio44/57“We wanted a single long table set up in the garden for dinner, and Viviana from Bianco Antico, together with Fluida, couldn’t have brought our vision to life more perfectly.”
Photo: Monica Leggio45/57“All of our graphics were created by the Australian studio One Mimosa Please. Alexandra was such a joy to work with and had also designed all of our civil wedding graphics in Melbourne.”
Photo: Monica Leggio46/57“This incredible tablescape, with menus also by One Mimosa Please.”
Photo: Monica Leggio47/57“One of our biggest priorities was the food – we wanted guests to rave about it afterwards. Galateo exceeded every expectation and were an absolute dream to work with.”
Photo: Monica Leggio48/57“One more for the tablescape!”
Photo: Monica Leggio49/57“Our beautiful guests at dinner.”
Photo: Monica Leggio50/57“Candid shots of Rob and me during dinner.”
Photo: Monica Leggio51/57“Before dinner, I changed into my second look – a stunning corseted drop-waist gown by Floure, an Australian designer, as a nod to my Aussie roots.”
Photo: Monica Leggio52/57“A quiet moment to take it all in.”
Photo: Monica Leggio53/57“We wanted a giant heart-shaped tiramisu wedding cake, and our guests still talk about how amazing it was.”
Photo: Monica Leggio54/57“I grew up dancing and watching endless Disney princess movies, so I had always dreamt of a waltz for our first dance. Rob was such a trooper – he took lessons with me and then swept me across the dance floor to Cody Fry’s ‘I Hear a Symphony’.”
Photo: Monica Leggio55/57“Afterwards, we kicked off the party, and the drinks were flowing.”
Photo: Monica Leggio56/57“For my third look, I slipped into a slinky silk high-neck dress from Danielle Frankel, which I had also worn for our civil wedding.”
Photo: Monica Leggio57/57“My father surprised me with an unplanned father-daughter dance. Mid-party, he requested ‘In the Mood’ by Glenn Miller from our DJ, grabbed my hand, asked ‘You know how to jive, right?’ – and proceeded to swing me across the dance floor. We had a blast.”
