Ekaterina and Alexander: Married Twice in Rome

How They Met

Katya and Sasha met in Minsk at the height of COVID. They worked for the same company but only ever saw each other on video calls. Still, the pandemic didn’t stop them from celebrating New Year’s together – a night that turned out to be life-changing.

Today the couple lives in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe – Vienna. They work, study German and, in their free time, stroll around the city, go out for brunch at trendy new restaurants and explore nearby Austrian towns.

The Proposal

The proposal was truly dramatic: the couple traveled to the famous Cabo da Roca in Portugal, and Sasha was just about to get down on one knee when suddenly… Katya’s mom called with terrible news: there was a fire right next to their home in Minsk! She was rushing home in a taxi, because the dog was inside. To everyone’s great relief, everything turned out fine, but Katya lived through a terrifying 20 minutes! Luckily, Sasha kept his cool and proposed anyway.

By the time the couple reached out to us, they were already legally married. But because of the circumstances, their civil ceremony hadn’t been much of a celebration, so they wanted a real ceremony in a beautiful place – with a white dress, flowers, a photographer and prosecco. They wanted a fresh starting point, a new date they would count as their anniversary and celebrate in the years ahead. And of course, Italy was no random choice – the newlyweds simply adore it and have traveled it from top to bottom!

A Wedding in Rome

The traditional weddings the couple had been to never really impressed them, which is partly why they chose a ceremony for two: this format has a much better chance of being a true celebration rather than a huge headache.

The ceremony took place in the lush green park of Villa Sciarra in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. As Katya and Sasha read their vows to each other, the park filled with schoolchildren and their parents heading home from a nearby school. Of course, they couldn’t just walk past – they started shouting “Auguri!” (Congratulations!) and applauding the newlyweds.

After the ceremony, we headed to Rome’s historic center to catch the golden hour and take the most beautiful photos at our favorite spots.

After sunset, the twice-married 😉 Katya and Sasha enjoyed an aperitivo, followed by a wedding dinner at a restaurant on the banks of the Tiber.