Style Me Pretty in Italy? I’d definitely volunteer to head that up! This Washington D.C. bride went all the way to Umbria to have her very SMP-worthy wedding. Soft and romantic blues and sages, sweet and natural elements everywhere… Yep! All the makings of a perfectly chic, perfectly US wedding. Our sweet LBBer Italia Celebrations worked with the couple to create the gorgeous vibe that has us searching for our passports, and Ruggero Farina helped us by placing one foot through the door to the fabulous Italian countryside. No passport? No worries, the gallery is filled with so much lovely you’ll feel like you’re already there.
Click here to see the full wedding in the gallery!
Will and I met in the spring of 2007, and we’ve been together ever since. After nearly four wonderful years of dating, we took a trip to Italy to visit my father’s new home in Umbria. On a day trip to Florence, on a stairwell in the Giotto bell tower overlooking the city, Will asked me to marry him! He tells everyone that I snatched the ring out of his hand and said yes before he’d even finished asking!
We knew right away that Italy was where we wanted to have our wedding. Over the years, my family had taken several trips to Italy, and those are some of my greatest memories. And once Will proposed there, it sealed the deal, so to speak. But planning a destination wedding is daunting at best, and that’s why we were so fortunate to find Brenda with Italia Celebrations. She is truly gifted at what she does, and made our dream wedding a reality.
We knew we wanted to be married in Umbria, and Brenda led us to La Badia in Orvieto, and it couldn’t have been a more ideal setting. We were slightly nervous booking it sight unseen, but the moment we set foot there during our planning session several months prior, we were delighted.
The ceremony took place in the ruins of an old chapel looking out over the town of Orvieto. Brenda and I agreed that the setting itself was so uniquely stunning that very little in the way of décor was needed. We brought in a few small trees and plants to frame the area, and to complement the green of the surrounding land.
While Will and I took pictures, the guests enjoyed a cocktail reception with antipasti and prosecco in the courtyard adjoining the ceremony space. But the dinner was really the focus of our wedding (aside from the ceremony of course). We wanted it to feel like an intimate family get together, and so we had just one long wooden table with a simple linen runner. During our planning session I had shown Brenda a number of photographs of what we were looking at for the table top (many of them from SMP!); we wanted many small glass vases with ferns or a single delphinium or other blue or purple flower, and lots of candles. It turned out so beautifully that our guests all stopped and took pictures of the table for several minutes before they even sat down.
Because of the smaller size of the wedding we were able to have a wonderful multi-course dinner of traditional Umbrian foods. It was all deliciously prepared by the Restaurant La Badia.
After dinner we returned to the area under the arch where the ceremony had been held, which had been transformed into a lounge and dance area. Hundreds of pillar candles illuminated the space, while a variety of quilts and pillows made the area more comfortable. Will and I opted for the traditional Italian millefoglie wedding cake and it too was wonderful!
After that we danced and talked the night away to a setlist carefully crafted by my husband. I couldn’t be more grateful to Brenda and all the staff at La Badia who were, simply put, amazing. And of course I am eternally grateful to our family and friends who made the weekend what it was! And I married the man of my dreams. While it could have been anywhere and I would have been happy, this wedding, the whole weekend, was beyond anything I could have ever hoped for.
Wedding Planning + Coordination: Italia Celebrations / Photography: Ruggero Farina / Reception Location: La Badia, Orvieto, Italy / Floral Decoration: Noosheen