Now that I have a bit more time to relax I started writing some posts about all the events I did last year. Samantha and Gia’s was surely one that I will never forget! It all began with a phone call. I was driving when Stephanie called me to ask if I wanted to help her for her sister’s wedding in Tuscany. She had already chosen a nice villa in the Chianti region. She was lucky because I know this area very well as I’ve been living there for many years. When I first visited the villa I discovered this luxury hamlet with a gorgeous Spa in some of the main Suites.
The panorama from the house is incredible as it leans all over the landscape of Panzano. The wedding day, as soon as I arrived I went to the suite of the girls where Suely was taking care of their hair and make up. The bridal party started and the photographer was there to take some pictures during the “getting ready”.
Being a wedding planner in Florida herself she carefully thought about all small details of the brides and tables. Gia and Samantha wore two white leather jackets with her name and wedding date on. This look matched with the same pair of white trainers made with lace in harmony with their dresses. It was a very emotional moment when Samantha read the letter that Gia wrote her the day before!!
The table was set up without tablecloth in the most typical country chic style. It was decorated with white ceramic dishes and ivory napkins, cristal glasses with gold rim and golden silverware. All the guests had a name tag made of transparent plexiglas that was paired with a small shot of liquor especially made for the wedding. Every women had a pashmina scarf on their chair to cover her shoulders in case they get cold. The cocktail after the ceremony was served in the terrace area while the dinner was outside in the garden of the Villa Delle Donne.
Chianti Cooking experience took care of both moments, the pizza party on the day before and the wedding dinner. All the dishes they prepared were sooo good and they had a a yummy 3 tiers wedding cake served with a nice transparent topper with the name of the brides. The sun shined during the whole day and all the guests ended up dancing under the starts with the music of Lorenzo Borneo’s dj. I am really thankful to Stephanie who invited me to this wedding and gave me the opportunity to know these two incredible families. I’m sure that Gia and Samantha will have a great future together and even more with the love of all their relatives and friends!
Brides: @samanthalmarion + @giacastellino
Planner + Stylist: @bystephaniemarion
Day of Coordination: @marrymeintuscany
Venue: Villa Delle Donne + Villa Le Scuderie @luxuryretreats
Floral Design: @lillaflorals
Catering: @chianti_cooking
Photographer: @kyaranatale
Videographer: @matteofotografia
Entertainment: #lorenzoborneo
Dresses: @inesdisanto via @chicparisien + @wtoowaters via @baciobaciobridal
HMUA: @suely_hair_makeup
Stationary + Details: @brandspired
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 you decide to plan a destination wedding, there’s a lot that goes into it. From the venue to airfare, and everything in between, it can be easy to exceed from the wedding budget when it comes to the planning process. To avoid overspending and draining your bank accounts before you even say “I do”, follow these tips when planning your destination wedding!
The most important part of planning any wedding, especially a destination wedding, is setting a realistic wedding budget that works with your personal finances. You’ll want to go over your savings accounts, debt, and bills before committing to anything. Figure out how much you have to spend so that you can stick to that dollar limit throughout the planning process. In order to avoid going over what you can afford, you can consider utilizing a low-interest loan to keep you in check and give you some wiggle room if needed.
With all of the moving parts of a destination wedding, try to cut costs by booking an all-inclusive plan. If you can find a bundle for you and your partner that covers your flights, hotel stay, and excursions around the resort, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of money. Encourage your family and friends who are attending to do the same so they can more easily afford your trip and increase their chances of coming.
Both a blessing and a curse of a destination wedding is that everyone won’t be able to make the trip. While it will be a bit of a bummer to not have everyone you’ve ever met at your wedding, you’ll be able to save a lot of money by only inviting your closest friends and family. Keep your guest list as small as you can. You might still get “RSVP no”s from a couple of your guests, which will only shorten the list further. Check out this article for more tips on how to cut down your invite list.
There will likely be popular dates at the venue you choose for your destination wedding where the price is a lot higher than usual. Pick a less acquired date to save a big chunk of money. Instead of getting married on the usual Saturday, get married on a weekday to get a discount on your venue. If your schedule allows it, plan a wedding for a Monday or Tuesday.
A huge plus of destination weddings is that the beautiful location pays for itself! With a destination like Hawaii or Tuscany, your ceremony and reception will be decorated by nature. You won’t need to spend your money on decor or clever signs. All you need for a gorgeous wedding is the backdrop before you, so you won’t need all of those extra details most weddings do. For a fall wedding in tuscany, you could use leaves as your backdrop and decor to create a beautiful scene.
Take advantage of the beautiful location you get married in, and continue your trip right into your honeymoon. You’ll cut down on costs by not having to fly elsewhere after your wedding, and you could inquire with your resort location to see if they give discounts on hotel stay or excursions when you book your wedding with them. Take the time to research unique activities or events in the area. Since you won’t have to travel to another location for your honeymoon, be spontaneous and leave the venue your wedding took place at to explore the location even more!
Photo credits Livio Lacurre
I’m really proud to start the new year showing pictures of this wedding shooting. We did it last summer with the lovely Yulia from YULIYA M. PHOTOGRAPHY
What a fabulous photographer and friend ! Yulia is so passionate about what she does, and it shows. She is based in the USA and began the year with photoshoots through Europe. She is widely travelled and a very successful business woman. She favors the journalistic approach in her photography. She uses natural light and her love for her craft shines through in her photos.
The soft pastels, pinks and elegant tones lended themselves perfectly to our stately surroundings. The abundance of natural light added to the magic of the day and produced the most incredible images. The styling is elegant, simple and classic. The stunning gardens provide endless photographic opportunities with the landscape of Siena as backdrop.
Siena is very famous for weddings for many reasons. It is closely situated to Florence, Pisa and Rome, making it easy for travel. It is one of the most striking medieval cities in Italy. In add the cobbled streets are mostly only for pedestrians so it lends itself perfectly to exploring on foot.
The palazzo we had the first pictures in, is the perfect place to use for a cocktail or reception if you want to get married in the city town hall in Piazza del Campo. They offer an inner garden as well as a courtyard and a cover hall to use in case a plan B. They can host up to 100 people. Here are some more pictures of this wedding venue.
We also had the pleasure of using their villa close to Siena that has the most amazing view of the surrounding countryside.
We wanted to create a table decoration different from all these we normally see. We tried to use fruit as well as gold cutlery and blue tones for tablecloths and napkins. I really love the style of this table decoration: what do you think?
The villa green areas are perfect for a blessing as well as an alfresco dinner. Their Italian gardens are immense and as you can see from the photos there are many stunning spots for wedding photos.
This wedding shooting couldn’t have been possible without the effort of my favorite suppliers: Agriflor fiori for the bride’s bouquet and decoration and Atelier Andreia Cruz for the wedding gowns.
And as always I have to say thanks to the lovely Sofia for welcoming us into her home and giving us the opportunity of shooting around.
First time I read an email from Kathy it was one year and a half before her wedding day. After a couple Skype calls she introduced me to her lovely mum. That wonderful woman was the one who came first to Tuscany to select the right venue. She was really a big help and took care of every detail of the wedding in Tuscany. She did it as Katy decided to fly to the Emirates to start her new career in a big company.
After a couple of visits to different farmhouses with Kathy’s parent she came back to me with a decision. Villa Elena was the right place for their wedding in Tuscany. And so a long year and a half of planning started, with options for both a symbolic ceremony at the Villa and a civil one in the amazing townhall of Siena . Time flew by very quick and the big day approached fast so last details were decided directly at the bride arrival in Siena. Kathy had a busy working trip before getting to Tuscany. Due to I didn’t want to stress her with some many details.I needed just a short meeting in the afternoon to finalize a couple of things.The following day was the big day. The sun was shining around the Chianti hills. Everything looked perfect for the blessing in the garden. I took care of the flowers and decorations with the help of Kathy’s mum. When the bride came with her bridesmaids everything was ready for their moment.
As the Villa host a very famous restaurant the dinner was prepared by the house chef and It was served by the pool.
As the sun went down it was time to cut the cake. The bride asked for an ice cream cart and she enjoyed her favorites gelato.In the meanwhile guests take some pictures.
I love every wedding I organize but this was really special. I spent many many years of my life living just in front of Casa Elena so still keep good memories of these hills. It reminds me their colors and their perfumes… Chianti Classico, such a nice place to have your perfect wedding!!
A huge thanks goes to Federico Pannacci www.fedepan.net for the hard work and great job he did with my couple… It’s always a pleasure to work with you guy!
Everybody has in his life a certain number of places where you feel like at home. A summer house where you spent holidays when you were a child. A nice garden where you used to play. Either a shop in which you only buy a certain kind of clothes ….. Well, this wedding in villa in the Chianti area reminds me of a lovely period! I spent it in one of the most romantic and lovely places of the world, Chianti. It is also known by the english people as “chiantishire”
It wasn’t difficult for Monika and Marcel to choose their final wedding venue. Once they tried the delicious menus prepared from the house chef: from salads made with organic vegetables to pastas. Unmissable the scrumptious meat paired with wine sauce. The couple was delighted to start planning their dream day at Villa Delia. This farmhouse was built in the Xth century with a small group of houses surrounding a church. Since these days they started producing a great Chianti Classico wine. After a while the small village started grow up and today it is has been reconverted. It is a 5 start hotel with 2 swimming pools, ballroom for weddings and a restaurant that only serves organic food with a touch of modern cuisine. Views all around are breathtaking as always!
The planning task was really easy as the bride already knew how the day had to be. Something simple but elegant, in the middle of the country with the closest family and friends. They decided to get legally married in the townhall of Siena and then to have a symbolic ceremony back at the villa. We created a board on Pinterest where we could share ideas with our florist. Then the idea of creating some decorations with fruit and flowers for the dinner appeared. It could have not been possible without the creativity of the bride. She wanted something elegant but natural as well. So silver cups and tea pots, lots of season flowers and peaches were the main theme.
The ceremony was in the garden overlooking the valley under the shadow of an old oak tree.
After the rite all the people had an aperitif in the small garden where all the guests enjoyed a glass of bubbles with some Tuscan delicacies. The table for the wedding breakfast was set in the same spot of the ceremony with some country lights hanging from the trees. The dancing floor was in the main stables to allow the couple to dance the night away until very very late….!
I’ll remember this wedding as one of the best I’ve ever had in my life. If you like this wedding and want to see more pics from the talented Rossini Photography just scroll down!! Ciao ciao Hewelin XXX
