Tuesday night’s episode of the popular Channel 7 soap Home and Away included one of Summer Bay’s greatest love tales as the main focus.
Leah (Ada Nicodemou) and Justin (James Stewart), a star-crossed pair and huge fan favourites, sealed their love with a classy ceremony that had everyone in the audience in stitches.
After a drama-filled five-year courtship that tested their love multiple times, Leah, dressed in a traditional white gown, walked down the aisle towards the man she loved.
Their future together is severely clouded by the recent kidnapping, the near-death encounter, and the mental health breakdown.
Fans of Home and Away were ecstatic that these two soulmates overcame all challenges to say “I do.”
In particular, many adored Leah’s wedding dress.
“Ohh, Leah looked so beautiful,” an Instagram follower commented.
“You’re crying, not me!”
“Whoa, this is really great,” commented another.
“A really lovely wedding… I cherished every moment.”
A third person said, “Stop, I’m crying, this was so beautiful and heartfelt to watch.”
Fans’ responses on X, formerly known as Twitter, were a little spicier.
“Oh Justin, I find you funny. One observer punctured the romance bubble, saying, “You won’t grow old together when you marry a black widow… her husbands all die.”
It’s a wedding, but surprisingly, no one has perished in a fiery auto accident. Are Australian soap operas going out of style? Someone else made a joke.
Fans were generally content to witness a heartfelt TV wedding, though.
“Short and lovely wedding for a stunning pair. Happy for them that it finally worked out,” a fan commented.
“It’s unfortunate that they now have to handle the drama between Valerie and Theo!”
Before the wedding episode aired, Nicodemou and Stewart shared behind-the-scenes photos from the Hunter Valley wedding shoot in New South Wales.
The final product may have been miraculous, but the truth was a little different.
As Nicodemou told 7NEWS.com.au, “The thing about a Home and Away wedding is that it looks lovely on screen but it goes for days and it was so hot and there were so many flies.”
In reference to the 45°C heat, her co-star Stewart said, “It was pretty full-on.”
The performers laughed that most flies were eventually edited out and did not make the final cut, despite the difficulties.
Nicodemou adds that there were “peacocks running around everywhere” in addition to the insects.
The birds would frequently squawk loudly and high-pitched in between lines; at one point, they even interrupted Justin’s vows.
“Were we not having a great time?” Said Nicodemou.
“Because we had the best time dancing on the dance floor at the end of our two days of filming.”
