Intimate Italian Destination Wedding from Lauren Michelle Photography
Jetting off with the one you love for "I dos" in the Italian Riviera sounds like a dream. But what makes this story even cuter (if you can handle) is that these sweeties met at the tender age of 15. Fast forward 11 years and you get what has to be one of the most romantic weddings EVER. Ocean views, Italian charm and all. Exclusive Italy Weddings made sure it went off without a hitch and Lauren Michelle captured it all behind the camera. Click here for sooo much more.
David and I met when we were 15 years old, and after 11 years together, we got engaged in Central Park in New York City. We knew that we wanted a small, intimate wedding with only our family and close friends. The most important thing for us was ensuring that we could offer our guests an amazing, unforgettable experience since so many people were traveling from all over the U.S. to spend the weekend celebrating with us. I knew I wanted the day to feel romantic and elegant. We both love to travel and we had visited Portofino Italy while we were in college. Even though David and I are both from Los Angeles, when David and I were looking at different venues we knew that Portofino was the perfection destination.
For the ceremony, we picked San Giorgio Church, a traditional church that is situated atop a cliff with beautiful views of the Portofino square, anchored yachts, and the Mediterranean Sea. My bridesmaids and I rode in a tiny Ape up the cobblestone road that led to the church where we were greeted by tourists visiting Portofino.
David and I chose the Imperiale Palace Hotel for the reception because of its stunning ocean views, large communal table, and beautifully painted ceilings. The day was truly magical and everything I could have ever dreamed of. I knew the moment our wedding planner showed us photos of the reception room that the setting would be luxurious, yet intimate -- everything we wanted. We chose a color palette of navy, blush pink, ivory and gold and each of my bridesmaids wore a navy lace dress of their choosing. Peonies are my favorite flower -- so there was no other choice for me. My bouquet was ivory peonies and the centerpieces were ivory peonies with hint of blush pink. It was a bit difficult to find peonies that were growing in season, so all our flowers were ordered from Holland.
We are incredibly grateful to Lauren Michelle who captured the entire event beautifully, our videographer Mat and to the Chiara at Exclusive Italy Weddings for making everything look impeccable and the day run seamlessly. David and I have the best memories from our wedding day and it is so amazing to be able to revisit them with all the beautiful photos and video taken that day.
For the ceremony, we picked San Giorgio Church, a traditional church that is situated atop a cliff with beautiful views of the Portofino square, anchored yachts, and the Mediterranean Sea. My bridesmaids and I rode in a tiny Ape up the cobblestone road that led to the church where we were greeted by tourists visiting Portofino.
David and I chose the Imperiale Palace Hotel for the reception because of its stunning ocean views, large communal table, and beautifully painted ceilings. The day was truly magical and everything I could have ever dreamed of. I knew the moment our wedding planner showed us photos of the reception room that the setting would be luxurious, yet intimate -- everything we wanted. We chose a color palette of navy, blush pink, ivory and gold and each of my bridesmaids wore a navy lace dress of their choosing. Peonies are my favorite flower -- so there was no other choice for me. My bouquet was ivory peonies and the centerpieces were ivory peonies with hint of blush pink. It was a bit difficult to find peonies that were growing in season, so all our flowers were ordered from Holland.
We are incredibly grateful to Lauren Michelle who captured the entire event beautifully, our videographer Mat and to the Chiara at Exclusive Italy Weddings for making everything look impeccable and the day run seamlessly. David and I have the best memories from our wedding day and it is so amazing to be able to revisit them with all the beautiful photos and video taken that day.