Love Ever After

ELIZABETH MELLINO AND NATHAN VARAPODIO

By Kelly Lucas-Carmody

May 29, 2026

STORY: KELLY LUCAS-CARMODY // PHOTOGRAPHY: APL PHOTOGRAPHY

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2024 // MELBOURNE

On a night out in 2014 at the iconic Yahoo Bar in Shepparton, Elizabeth Mellino and Nathan Varapodio crossed paths.

After only a few encounters, Elizabeth said it was clear Nathan was quite smitten.

“He tried very hard to win me over until I finally gave in, and we went on our first date on Valentine’s Day in 2014, with Nathan taking me to Cold Rock,” she said.

Later that same year, on September 21, Nathan asked Elizabeth to be his “official girlfriend” — and, as fate would have it, the couple married exactly 10 years later on the very same date.

Both believing a strong relationship is built on friendship, the pair quickly formed a deep bond, with their romance blossoming from there.

On July 30, 2022, Nathan proposed.

With the ring tucked tightly in his jacket pocket, he made the walk to the top of Mt Major in Dookie, with Elizabeth completely unaware of what was to come.

“I had been asking him to go for a walk up Mt Major for months, and he finally gave in and said we would go one Saturday,” Elizabeth said.

“Little did I know, he had my ring and was planning to propose.

“When we got to the top lookout, I told him to stand with his back to me so I could take a photo. Then he told me to do the same, and when I turned around, he was on one knee with the ring.

“We were the only two people at the top — we didn’t even pass anyone on the walk up. It was just the two of us, and it was absolutely perfect.”

The couple spent around 18 months planning their wedding, carefully deciding on the venue and the size of their celebration.

Once they settled on a venue with a dance floor big enough for their Italian and Macedonian families, everything else fell into place.

On the morning of their wedding, both Nathan and Elizabeth were surrounded by family and their bridal party, with Elizabeth saying those moments helped set the tone for the perfect day.

The ceremony was held at the Dormition of Our Lady Greek Orthodox Church in Altona, but just before it began, a moment of panic unfolded.

In keeping with Orthodox tradition, crowns and candles are required for the ceremony — and they had been accidentally left behind in Nathan’s hotel room, 40 minutes away.

“Myself and the bridesmaids had already made the 40-minute trip to the church and were waiting nearby,” Elizabeth said.

“After my sister-in-law received a panicked phone call to say the crowns were still at the hotel, panic came over all of us.

“Thankfully, a wedding guest stepped in, arranging for the hotel to send the crowns and candles in an Uber to the church. An hour later, we were able to continue with the ceremony.”

Having all their loved ones together in one place — with family and friends mingling effortlessly — was one of the most memorable parts of the day.

Elizabeth said seeing Nathan waiting at the end of the aisle, beaming as she walked towards him, was a moment she will never forget.

Other highlights included a quiet 20-minute car ride alone as newlyweds, the father-daughter dance, Macedonian drummers at the reception, and honouring loved ones who had passed with candles and photographs — all topped off by a packed dance floor.

Their day unfolded exactly as they had hoped.

“When Nathan and I go to weddings, we always leave talking about the food and the music, so we knew those had to be standouts for us,” Elizabeth said.

“We wanted everyone on the dance floor all night — and Siesta Cartel made sure that happened.”

Now, the couple are settling into their new home, building a life together and creating their own traditions.

“The day goes so quickly, and everyone tells you that,” Elizabeth said.

“We would give anything to relive it — it was everything we could have hoped for and more.”