‘Our fairytale wedding’: Inside Jai Arrow and wife Berina’s dream day

Under a canopy of ancient olive trees, celebrated rugby league star Jai Arrow, 31, married his great love, Canadian-born Berina Colakovic, 31, and in her own words, “It was one of those rare moments when you wish you could stop time.”

From the very beginning of their love story precious family memories have always been at the epicentre of their lives.

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Jai and Berina’s love story began in Sydney five years ago. Their first date was in a local park with their dogs, drinking coffee, with Berina admitting she struggled to understand Jai’s tricky Aussie slang.

A self-confessed hopeless romantic, Jai proposed while the pair visited Borgo del Carato, a restored 19th-century Italian farmhouse in Sicily’s Syracuse countryside, complete with its own Baroque chapel. That was 2024, and at that moment, with Berina pregnant with their daughter, they made a pact that this magical location would one day be where they would say their “I-do’s”.

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Making memories

Their perfect world took a tragic turn when, in May this year, Jai bravely announced he had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), forcing his early retirement from his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Determined to make only wonderful memories, in July they fast tracked their initial wedding plans and tied the knot in a civil ceremony at Sydney’s Martin Place.

But true to their word, on Saturday October 10, their closest family and friends, including Jai’s NRL teammates Cody Walker, Campbell Graham and Brandon Smith, gathered under thousands of fairy lights at Borgo del Carato for what will go down as one of the most memorable weddings across the sporting world. And little wonder the star of the nuptials was their precious baby girl, 18-month-old Ayla Rae, who captured the hearts of everyone as the couple exchanged their vows.

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“Having our daughter there made it even more special. To look around and see our families, who live on opposite sides of the world, all together in the place where Jai first asked me to marry him was something I’ll never forget,” Berina shares exclusively with Woman’s Day .

Like any bride, Berina worried the weather might ruin their day. “There was thunder, lightning, and what felt like torrential rain all day. But just in time for our ceremony the clouds cleared, sun was out, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.”

With a fitting theme, “timeless elegance”, Berina chose a stunning strapless gown designed by Sydney-based Corston Couture, while little Ayla, in her adorable flower-girl frock, almost upstaged her mum! “More than anything, I wanted to feel like myself,” says Berina. “I think that’s so important when choosing a wedding dress, because it’s very easy to get caught up in what a bride is supposed to look like rather than what genuinely makes you feel beautiful.”

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Facing the future

For Jai, who struggled to say his vows through tears of joy, it’s a day he’ll never forget. Gone was the hard-hitting footy player, with those close to him describing him as “a big soft bear” who now dedicates his life to raising awareness around MND with Berina by his side.

At a recent fundraiser, he paid tribute to her, saying, “You are my best mate, my biggest supporter and the person I want standing beside me through all of this” – and for Ayla, “One day, when you’re old enough to understand all of this, I hope you know how much your dad loves you.”

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“Our wedding wasn’t just about celebrating the beginning of a marriage,” say the couple. “It was about celebrating the life we’d already built, the strength of our relationship, and the promise to continue choosing one another through whatever comes next.”

(Credit: FVM Photography) The post ‘Our fairytale wedding’: Inside Jai Arrow and wife Berina’s dream day appeared first on Now To Love .