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Valentyna Poltavchenko and Michael Britvan took to social media to reveal their wedding took place yesterday in a “semi-secret” ceremony at Admiralty House, located along the picturesque Sydney Harbour.
“We planned an intimate, somewhat secretive gathering at Admiralty House, inviting only a select few family members and close friends. It was meant to be simple, quiet, and understated… an event that ideally would fly under the radar,” Britvan shared on Instagram.
He humorously added, “And to be honest, it went flawlessly… right up until my sister (whom I adore) discovered the Facebook livestream feature.”
Britvan continued, noting that “people probably thought we had been married for about a decade already, so this was really just us finally making it official.”
The announcement was met with a flurry of congratulatory messages.
“Matilda is smiling from above,” one Instagram message said.
“Congratulations to a beautiful family,” another said.
Matilda, 10, was among 15 people killed on December 14 when two gunmen, alleged to be father and son Said and Naveed Akram, opened fire on the gathered crowd at the Chanukah by the Sea celebration.
Her parents emigrated to Australia from Ukraine but met in Sydney, and named her Matilda as she was their first child born down under.
In the wake of the Bondi shooting, they declared they did not want their daughter’s death to become a political symbol and appealed for community unity.
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