Location: Australia
Date: 1962
By 10 pm, at the wedding reception of Genny Moschilla and Martino Casella, dinner had been eaten, the three-tiered cake had been cut and the young couple danced a solo waltz together for the first time as husband and wife.
While the band continued to play, everyone was invited to join the newlyweds on the dance floor. Very soon, the Maylands Hall was bursting with the mixed sounds of happy guests dancing to live music, women chatting loudly in small groups, shoeless children squealing as they slid across the jarrah floorboards in their socks and men laughing as they poured themselves another glass of beer from a jug. The evening peaked when the band played the tarantella* and guests of all ages gathered on the dance floor - spinning, stomping, skipping in time to the music with so much energy they could feel the building vibrate beneath their feet. This was about the time Genny and Martino left the wedding reception to change into their ‘going away outfits’ - their 'secundu vestitu’. Genny changed out of her bridal gown into an elegant ('aqua di mare') blue dress with matching overcoat and Martino replaced his bow tie with a less formal regular tie.
They returned to their reception holding hands. Circulating from one guest to another, they expressed their thanks while giving out ‘bomboniere’ gifts of white sugar-coated almonds wrapped in white tulle. Five, was the traditional number of ‘confetti’ packaged together, each representing one of the five factors considered important for a good marriage: health, happiness, wealth, fertility, and longevity.
Next, Genny’s bridal bouquet was given to her sister Maria, but her garter removal was left more to chance. An announcement was made by the MC asking all single men to gather in a circle. In the middle of the circle, a bottle was set into motion, spinning round and round until it finally stopped, pointing to a young man named John. Similar to the bridal bouquet for single women, the belief was that the garter would bring good luck to an eligible bachelor and he would be next to get married. The garter was so prized by some young men, they would proudly dangle it from the rear view mirror within their car and undoubtedly enjoy the attention this gave them, especially from female passengers. But first, with help from the groom and a hall full of watching guests, John had to remove the garter from Genny’s leg before it was his to keep!
With all traditional tasks now completed, it was soon midnight, marking the official end to the wedding day and the celebrations. Martino and Genny Casella drove away. The musicians packed up their instruments. Weary guests returned to their homes. With everyone gone, the Maylands Hall stood abandoned in the darkness, empty and silent after hosting another boisterous Italian wedding.
* 'Luna Mezzo Mare' is a famous tarantella from 1927 that originated in Sicily. During the 1960's, in Australia, it was a widely popular song often played at Italian weddings. (This was another of Martino's favourite songs.)
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