Strictly Come Dancing star Aliona Vilani has exclusively shared her wedding album with HELLO! magazine.
The professional dancer married sales director Vincent Kavanagh in a super-private ceremony on St Thomas – joined only by Aliona's parents and Vincent's mother.
Picking the perfect wedding gown was fairly tricky, she admits in an exclusive interview with the magazine – as she wanted something far removed from the sequined gowns she wears on Strictly.
"It was important to choose a dress that would be right for a whole day at the beach," she told HELLO!. "I didn’t want a big fluffy skirt, I wanted something slinky. So many of the dresses I looked at reminded me of ones I’ve already danced in."
Aliona says the big day went just as she had always dreamed of. "It was perfect, just the way we imagined it," she revealed. "We were both so emotional. When you get there and it's real, it overwhelms you. It was very special. We were both a bit shaky."
Aliona also tells the magazine that she and Dublin-born Vincent would never have met if not for the intervention of former Strictly star Anita Dobson, who introduced them.
"She said, 'I really want you to meet this guy. Give him a chance, he's so lovely.' So I did and here we are.
"Vincent is a lot of fun and adores me. He is the sweetest man I have ever met. He is my soulmate. You never know when you're going to meet someone who is so right for you. My parents keep saying they couldn't have imagined I would meet someone who is so similar to me."
And as for the couple’s future plans? "I look forward to having a family," Aliona says. "To me, that is the most important thing."
SEE THE FULL EXCLUSIVE ARTICLE IN HELLO! MAGAZINE, OUT NOW.
