To all of these reading this blog, surely you were looking for some advice on how to plan your wedding in Tuscany day since months. But now…well, let’ s say that we are all postponing our plans….. only for a few months! Here in Italy we’ve been hitten in a hard way by this virus so what I really want to do now that I have some time to spend at home is reading and thinking about how to organize ( if possible) nicer events than these I’ve planned last year and how to continue doing it in the future.
As I got plenty of time to browse all my favorite websites like SMP, Rock my wedding, my own Pinterest board to get some inspiration I already know it will be not so difficult. Give me one more month and I’ll be as busy as always planning visits to new venues for my couples and new magical weddings! I was just looking for some pictures to show on IG and I found these of a lovely day about last July.
When I got the first contact from K&L was exactly the opposite of today : they wrote me 2 years before their wedding date as they got my contact from a venue owner that was not able to help their big group. I was in the middle of a hot wedding season and I felt so bad and I couldn’t go with them to visit venues….. I started thinking on how to help this young couple when my assistant Rebecca called me to offer support and drive them around Tuscany. After 2 days visiting venue they found the one who touched their hearts and decided to sign a contract with both, the venue and me. It was a long distance planning even if they came back twice to Tuscany to select suppliers and do food tastings. There were many different moments during the three days they stayed at Le Filigare.
Everything started the first day with a Tea Ceremony: having the groom asian origins their parents wanted to follow the tradition with a typical tea ceremony. During this rite the couple offers some presents to the parents that in this way allow them to get married and wish good luck for their new life as a married couple.
On the wedding day, after breakfast it all started with hotel preparation of bride and groom party in two different apartments. The sun was really hot so, as the ceremony was held on the top of a hill, they decided to postpone it. They had the blessing at 5pm. Just after the ceremony drinks and some canapés where served by the pool. In the meanwhile Britpops were singing some songs for us. As the sun was no more scorching we decided it was time to move to the upper part of the farmhouse. A nicely decorated green and white table was waiting for welcoming us.
The newlyweds carefully selected each dish of their wedding dinner. To be honest when I sat down and had the first bite of tagliolini with black truffle I couldn’t think to anything else than this delicious pasta!
A great beef fillet was following and when the wedding cake arrived it was spectacular. A show cooking for traditional Italian millefoglie decorated with figs and olive leaves , to die for! I’m sure all guests loved it as there were just a few pieces left that were brought upstairs were the party started.
Britpops began the show as well as Alberto and his mate were serving nonstop drinks. Look at the nice cutie 500 Fiat they received as present from the open bar company ! It was a magical night and I didn’t want to leave but another hard day of planning was waiting so I had to stay goodbye to this magical place wishing to get back very soon!
To all of you still thinking about a nice wedding in Tuscany: have a look at these pictures: they really share the feeling of relax and amusement they had in these days and hop they convince all of you there reading to drop me a few lines despite the hard moment we’re in!
Venue: Le Filigare
Pictures:Ar J Photo
Flowers: Agriflor
Celebrant: Sofia from Tuscan Pledges
Catering service: Le Cirque
I was having a coffee in a bar with a friend. A&A called me to help planning their amazing wedding in Siena. They announce to me: Hey, we’re in Siena, will you be available to meet us tomorrow and discuss about our plans? Why not… I thought. December is quite a relaxing month for us wedding planners so let’s meet this young couple. They already found a great villa to host all their closer guests and the caterer. It was well organized as they had a specific idea of the dishes they wanted for their wedding dinner.
The bridal party and closer family stayed in the suites of the villa. In the meanwhile all the friends were getting ready in the other apartments. Close to the wedding hour, when we had already half of the table prepared for dinner something unexpected happened! It started raining and we had to run taking off all brass chandeliers from the table not to break them!!
The villa had a big ballroom that we could have used for the dinner but we waited a bit. At the end we decided to delay the ceremony for an hour, to give time to waiters to rearrange for the dinner. The villa has two lovely gardens and lots of green woods and areas all around. In fact we decided to move the ceremony to the garden on the back part of the villa. It was a touching ceremony where the mom of the bride made a reading who touched the hearth of all the guests.
After the wedding ceremony people moved to the gate entrance for some group pictures and the aperitif finally started. Waiters served Spritz ( italian cocktail made with white wine and Aperol liquor) and bubbles to keep guests entertained until the dinner time.
While bride and groom were talking pictures with Carmela and Sissi I tried to rearrange the decoration with Agriflor girls that were always there to grant the best service possible even with that horrible weather!
So the choice was on Delizia Ricevimenti where I met the lovely Giulia. She helped me throughout the planning and the choice of food and drinks.
The villa has a romantic Italian garden with fountains where we decided to have a small “smoking corner”. It was made with umbrellas and white rattan sofas. All items for decoration and dancing area were rented from Toscana Noleggio.
When dinner time came Bride and Groom made their first speech as a married couple. They stayed under a pergola of wisteria perfectly decorated with fresh flowers. The delicious dishes served where a mix of caribbean and italian cuisine, with a touch of spicy in all of them. Guests tasted ravioli, chicken and a chocolate dessert to die for! The wedding cake was covered with white cream and flowers. Obviously it matched the style of all decorations.
It was only a few seconds after they cut the cake that the party starts. The Dj coming from outside already started playing music!
As soon as he called the Bride and groom everybody started dancing under the fairy lights that were set up by Central house in the swimming pool area.
It was a long night full of music and laughs. Despite the weather that hadn’t been exactly a summer one we had a lot of fun with them and Im sure A&A will remember their amazing wedding in Siena forever!
When I got Joelle’s first email it seemed like a classic destination wedding, the kind I often do. The bride and groom born in one state but live in another and have family and friends scattered all over the globe.
“Great!” I thought, “a nice multicultural Tuscan wedding, my favorite kind!”
They did not delude my expectations: the French-born bride was also a citizen in Belgium. This country is also her parents and groom’s home. On the other hand, the groom was born in East Germany and had family and ancestors in Russia. Logistically they both lived in Australia, thus making it almost impossible to gather all of the documentation needed for a civil marriage…! A symbolic ceremony was the most logical choice. It gave us the opportunity to go wild with the decorations and afternoon activities. Oh yes, after spending the Epiphany weekend here, Joelle and Toli decided to get married in a beautiful liberty-style villa. The couple’s closest family members stayed in the main part of the villa. Their friends booked the apartments on the farmland.
A few days before the wedding I accompanied Toli and Joelle to try out the hairdresser and the catering. The bride chose to have her hair up on one side. In this way she suited her wonderfully and would be perfect with her pearl-grey gown.
The catering was a success! Bride and groom walked out with the final draft of the menu, table arrangements and décor decided. A special thanks to Super Gabriella’s suggestions.
Early start on the wedding day to get hair done. The five guests were unrecognizable once the hairdresser was done with them!
Jen, the photographer, had also started early that morning, taking pictures of the villa’s outdoor locations. Even if it was the end of September, the weather was still warm. We were able to have both the ceremony and the dinner outside, in the villa’s front garden.
The ceremony was held in the shade of a secular cedar tree. Guests were arranged around the couple like a theatre, overlooking the marvellous panorama of the Val d’Elsa hillside. Afterwards, while the guests congratulated the newlyweds, the waiters started to serve the aperitifs in the garden.
Dinner was served on the ground floor of the villa, where the band had set up for the party. When the time for the cutting of the cake had come everyone was ready to start dancing! Bridesmaids had a hard time convincing everyone to leave them some space to set up for the pranks they had in store for the couple…!
Finally, the music won everyone over and all of the guests were dancing. It was a magical evening with wonderful September weather and I’m sure that the bride and groom as well as their guests will cherish that day in their memories for a very long time!
MUA thanks to Lidia Malinovskaja: http://www.malinovskaja.com/
Last wedding season has been really amazing! Lots of new venues, bigger weddings, lots of menu tastings. But above all my first experience in a real medieval castle in the Chianti. I already had the opportunity to visit many castles in the surroundings but the Chianti is definitely my favorite region. I always wanted to have a wedding there. So, Sophie and Wulfric came to Italy and made their decision for this venue. I was more than happy to start the planning project!
People were coming from all around the world so it was a good opportunity to show how weddings are! The night before all the guests had a pizza party in the pic-nic area of the castle. This moment gave the opportunity to know each other better.
The following day when I arrived to the venue everybody was already preparing for the big event. Table plan, flowers and even the bride’s brother watching at the last smaller spot on the bride’s car.
Sophie and her bridesmaids got dressed in the Bridal suite on the ground floor. No plugs were provided for the hair dresser so I had to send one of my colleagues to buy 3. Fortunately the closest village was just 5 kilometers driving!!! No panic, all the girls were ready for the big moment. When Sophie wore her Caroline Castigliano gown she really looked like a princess. The dress was made with white lace and had a long veil all around.
The ceremony took place on the highest hill overlooking the Castle.
Then the guests walked downhill the pebble road “under the real Tuscan sun” !!!
The aperitif was organized in the herb garden. Everybody had the chance to taste any kind of appetizers paired with wines from all around Italy. The string quartet continued playing despite the July sun when temperatures arrived until 42°.. Tough guys!!
After several pictures and drinks all the guests moved to the main courtyard of the castle were the tables were set for dinner.
A typical tuscan menu chosen by the bride and groom with dishes suitable also for their vegetarian guests. But the best moment of the dinner was having the chef preparing the wedding cake in front of guests.A real millefoglie with cream and fruits done express for Sophie and Wulfric.
Then Andrea Dj helped us dancing the night away and after a few hours taxis and vans came to collect the last guests who were still dancing…
When I arrived at my hotel’s door I had real problems seeing the hole where to put the key.But the cat of the hotel came and started scratching to the door that was incredibly open.. I fall asleep as soon as I reached the bed. When I woke up I realized that the wedding was the day before as soon as I saw the big bunch of flowers the happy couple gave me the night before to say thanks for my help….I slept with it on my bed!!
I always leave Chianti hills with a little bit of sorrow. Remembering the period when I was living here but now I’m really happy because I know I helped another couple to realize their dream of getting married in an amazing place: Tuscany!
If you want here you can see a trailer of their Wedding video. Hope you enjoy watching it as I did and thanks to Fulvio Greco Films and James Allan for the great video and pictures!!
A renaissance Villa perfect to celebrate your renewal of vows in Italy and a stunning panorama overlooking the hills around Florence. A small family chapel for an intimate ceremony and the September sun shining around us. It took me just a few emails with Michael,as he knew what he wanted and that he loved his wife since they got married the first time, 20 years ago. So it wasn’t difficult to give him a couple of choices and find the right venue for their ceremony. After having a look to a couple of venues in the Chianti and in Florence, the groom made his mind on this Villa in Florence. This venue is just a few minutes away from the city center but has a gorgeous Italian garden and a huge swimming pool overlooking the panorama. Michael wanted to keep the secret until the ceremony day but it was impossible not to tell his wife what they were going to do that afternoon!
The couple arrived with a private transfer to the Villa where Sofia was waiting for them to celebrate the ceremony of the renewal of the vows in the old family chapel. After the ceremony we moved to the garden and the swimming pool area: the Villa offers a nice garden with statues where Michael and Kerry took some pictures.
The bride looked gorgeous in her white short dress with high heels! After a couple of pictures close to olive trees the sun began to go down and it was time for me to bring the happy couple back to their hotel.
They had a dinner booked in one of the best restaurants of Fiesole with lovely views of the city from the hills: I’m sure they’ll never forget this day as I did, and I’m really happy to have helped another couple to realized their dream of renew their vows under the Tuscan sun!! A very special thank to Sebastian David Bonacchi http://www.sebastianph.com to share with me the pictures of the ceremony!
If you were thinking about celebrating your wedding vows in Tuscany here are some pics of ceremonies we did around Tuscany :
and if you want to see more here is a post about a ceremony among the rolling hills of Valdorcia
