Cover The newlyweds
The newlyweds
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Have a look at the fairytale-esque wedding of the Gastls in Austria
Jessica Wilson stood next to Moritz Gastl at St Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg, Austria, in her dream dress, a tiered gown with florals designed by Monique Lhuillier. Three years ago, the bride saw the gown while browsing on Instagram before boarding a flight to Denmark, weeks before her groom proposed. After telling her sister Georgina Wilson about the gown, the bride flew to Los Angeles to try on the dress.
See also: After Several Postponements, Jess Wilson And Moritz Gastl Finally Tie the Knot
The couple exchanged vows at St Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg
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“The dress is from the [spring-summer 2018] collection, and it was the last time they were going to make it. I was so relieved that we went in because if we didn’t, they wouldn’t be able to offer me that dress anymore,” recalls Wilson. “I think it’s important for brides to look like themselves and look the most comfortable. It shouldn’t be a time where you look completely different or not yourself.”
Unlike the European weddings held in Spain and Italy that the bride had been invited to, the couple decided to hold the second wedding in Austria a year after their civil wedding in the Philippines. “When we looked in Maastricht, we couldn’t find a venue that could hold the number of guests we wanted. We started looking around the Austria region. Moritz is German, so I wanted it to be within that part of Europe,” she says.
Gastl and Wilson families
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The couple then found themselves smitten with the gorgeous city of Salzburg, home to classical music and the Sound of Music, two of which Wilson grew up loving. “We wanted it to just be with close friends, people we have been in touch with for the last four to five years, people who played a big role in our relationship,” says the bride. “It was surprising how many people said yes.” More than 100 guests flew to celebrate the Gatls’ big day, including the groom’s best friends Erwann Heussaff and Nico Bolzico, who initially said they couldn’t make it yet made quite an entrance complete with a band.
See also: Why Does Everyone Love Italian Coffee? Jess Wilson, Amina Aranaz Alunan, and More Answer
Sam and Georgina in an embrace
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After the ceremony, the newlyweds and the bride’s nephew Archie rode a horse carriage to Schloss Leopoldskron. “Everyone around the whole city was clapping and cheering us on,” Wilson laughingly recalls. They had the opportunity to savour the beauty of Salzburg, from cathedrals to the river.
There was no dry eye at the reception when the speeches came in. “My brother had one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard in my life,” she says. Sam Wilson read a letter written by her late father, Robert Wilson, who passed away in February this year.
Guests singing along to Mambo No 5
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Wilson discovered the letter hidden in her father’s apartment after he had passed. She found a quote about love written on a piece of paper. She tried to make sense of the quote and even had it printed on the church booklet. Underneath it was another paper with their father’s speech which Wilson’s brother memorised and delivered.
“At that moment, he became my dad. They have very similar mannerisms and very similar features. Everyone had goosebumps because it was as if my dad was in the room and he was talking through Sam,” says the bride. After the speech, her brother played the Liverpool anthem, the same song used by Gastl’s team, as her brother and father were avid football fans.
“I was just in tears, clapping and hugging him...Only two teams in the world have the same song. He played that song, and the whole room just started chanting and singing,” she shares.
See also: Skincare Secrets: Jess Wilson Shares Her Evening Skincare Routine
Above Happy ever after
Happy ever after
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The guests were in high spirits, especially when Lou Bega’s Mambo No 5 came on. What started as a joke among friends became a memorable moment in time. “My friends had joked that I should walk down the aisle to that... Everyone standing on their chairs and whipping napkins was really fun. Everyone was just ready to party!” says the bride.
Even after dealing with a whirlwind of emotions on their big day, the newlyweds are grateful for finally closing the chapter on getting married. With the image of her fairytale wedding in mind, Wilson adds, “Every second of it was just surreal to me.”
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Christine Andas is a features writer and the style lead of Tatler Philippines. She mostly covers style-related content but enjoys writing about space, sneakers, and her favourite stars. She acquired a master's degree in Creative Writing at the University of Santo Tomas and has written young adult short stories which can be read online.
