Antonina and Damien ‘check in’ for airport elopement

Nine guests, five hundred dollars, and no real plan were all Antonina Sinina and Damien Williams needed to become hubby and wifey on their way out to Moscow.

The loved up pair, aged 28 and 39 respectively, were married under a departure sign in the middle of Melbourne Airport on September 9, 2016 before flying out to their “proper” wedding in Russia, where the bride is originally from.

“Just a couple of hours before their flight took off to Moscow, they got married under the departures sign in the middle of Melbourne Airport, surrounded by their closest friends and family, and the occasional curious tourist,” describes photographer Ine Ertvaag. “There’s just something special with small, intimate ceremonies, where nothing really matters except the couple and their love.”

Living in Australia, it has always been important for the couple to include Antonina’s family in as much as possible – which is why Damien took on the challenge of proposing in Russian. “Damien’s second visit to Vladivostok Russia was our second Christmas and New Year spent with my family,” explains Antonina. “As they do not speak any English, Damien asked my parents’ permission to marry me in Russian, using the Google Translate app.”

Of their unusual airport elopement, Antonina reflects, “We love that our wedding was simple, with the complexity and stress stripped back. No debt, no gifts, nothing to rehearse… just our friends, family and us. It was incredibly fun!”

Photos courtesy of Ine Ertvaag Photography.

Civil celebrant Geraldine Fleishman conducted the unorthodox nuptials for the pair.

An airport may lack privacy, but it makes for some out-of-the-box wedding photos!

The couple first met while they were living in Singapore. “It is crazy to comprehend us even meeting,” says Antonina. “What are the odds of someone who grew up in outer Sydney meeting someone who was raised up in Dalnegorsk in the far, far east of Russia?”

When asked about where they spent their first night as a married couple, Antonia replies matter-of-factly, “Singapore Airlines airplane.”