This gorgeous photo shoot by the talented Sandra Fazzino Photography has us day dreaming of romantic Italian villas and the possibilities they hold for hosting unbelievably beautiful weddings. The theme was Italian Antiquity and each and every detail is totally in synch with that vision, from the flowers to the beyond beautiful tablescape. See even more right here.
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From Sandra Fazzino Photography… The inspiration for this wedding began with disappointment. I was sad to be traveling to a friend’s wedding in Umbria and not photographing it. The groom’s aunt had already gifted him the wedding photography, and I was literally moping like a teenager. Then I started wondering … what if I put together a styled shoot instead? Luckily, I belong to a group of Italian expats who reside in San Francisco, and one of them specializes in coordinating destination weddings in bell’Italia. I broached the idea with Leonora of Italy in Style, showed her a few inspirational photographs, and together we embarked on the adventure and found an amazing team of talent.
The theme was “Italian Antiquity.” I took a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and put together a vision board of each segment of the shoot including the dress, venue, flowers, stationery, etc. Since some of the team resides in the San Francisco bay area and part is in Milan, we communicated solely via email. After the vision boards had been passed to our event planner in Italy, Alessandra of My Special Guest, I found the perfect model, Ilaria. Her porcelain skin, elegant frame and unexpected, rich red hair reminded me of a character in a book I was reading about a girl living in the town of Ferrara during the mid-1800’s. Then, I solicited the talent of Bianca of Little Miss Press. Although she’s local to the bay area, we communicated solely via email as well and needed few words. We were totally in sync from the beginning. Coincidentally, she already had a vision for the invitation in mind and was excited for the excuse to bring her idea to life. While in the states, I shopped for a few DIY chalkboard items at Michael’s and Aaron Brothers and assembled them once I arrived in Italy.
Alessandra, our event planner in Milan, whipped up the rest of the details. She brought Andrea of Food Art Group on board, and he designed the most amazing florals and table setting. She also put us in contact with Sara of Atelier Aimee, who loaned us the most amazing wedding dress in the softest pale pink. It was absolutely perfect for the setting, which brings me to the villa: Villa Greppi di Bussero, located just forty minutes northeast of Milan. As we toured the location the day before the shoot, my knees went weak. Unlike many other family-occupied villas in Italy, this one is in its true state and has not been modernized or restored. Pietro, one of the residents, was very enthusiastic to have us on site because the family has recently decided to open their home to host small weddings of fifty people or less. They’re the most amazing family who even cooked our team lunch! A bride and groom would not only be fortunate enough to use such an amazing venue for their celebration, but the Greppi family are absolutely delightful to work with. I wish I could have taken more photos of the property, but it rained almost the whole day. We were lucky to grab just a few quick photos of Ilaria outside in the dress once the rain passed, and then I had to rush to catch a train to Modena! This was my first styled shoot collaborating with a team, and I could not have been more impressed with everyone’s professionalism and talent. It was a dream.
Photography: Sandra Fazzino Photography / Photo Shoot Venue: Villa Greppi di Bussero in Lombardia, Italy / Event Planning: Italy In Style (San Francisco) + My Special Guest (Milan) / Floral + Event Design: FoodArt Banqueting / Invitations: Little Miss Press / Wedding Dress: Atelier Aimee / Hair + Makeup: Anna Clara Fanesi / Model: Ilaria Iacoviello