We’ve seen some remarkably stunning brides as of late, and today’s beauty captured so gracefully by Rebecca Arthurs, has me blushing ten shades of pink with her lace-edged veil and sleek Charlie Brear dress. She steals the show at this Il Borro weekend affair planned by Italia Celebrations. Complete with a wine tour and chandelier-adorned branches, we’re marveling at every inch.
From Brenda of Italia Celebrations… Michal and Anthony were looking for the perfect location in Tuscany where they could host 150 of their family and friends for a three day wedding weekend. I suggested a few villas which we toured on their scouting trip to Tuscany but I knew that Il Borro was truly ideal and it turned out to be everything they wanted and more. The first day began with a welcome pizza party in the Medieval borgo where there is an outdoor wood burning oven. The mood was to be casual and inviting and to evoke Italy in an earlier, undefined era.
For the second day afternoon the guests were given the choice of having a wine tour with the bride in the antique wine cellar of Il Borro followed by a tasting of the four wines that the villa produces. Or to follow the groom for an afternoon of petanque and pastis. Since the groom is from Marseille, France and petanque and pastis are practically a national passtime this seemed to be a natural way to pass a warm and sunny afternoon. In popularity the wine tour and tasting jumped out to an early lead in the head count in the months before the wedding but the petanque and pastis closed in fast. In the end the totals for each activity were about even. The wine tour and tasting was a decidedly relaxing way to spend the afternoon while the petanque and pastis was delightful but the competition was fierce. They are serious about their petanque in Marseille.
In the evening the couple hosted a rehearsal barbecue for all the guests in the pool garden which featured a vintage Supper Club band. “The Talented Mr. Ripley” is a favorite movie of the couple and so we used that as inspiration to recreate the décor, music and mood of that movie which was set in the late 1950’s Italy.
The third day was dedicated to the wedding day. The bride wanted to make a welcoming party room of her large master suite where she was being prepared and getting dressed. She wanted her friends and family to feel that they could drop in throughout the day and feel welcome. The room had loud music and so the wedding day fun and festivities began early. The mood for the wedding day was Tuscan rustic, natural wood, linen, whites and green and twine.
They had a Jewish ceremony at the villa which was presided over by Rabbi Guy Hall who came from England to marry them. The ceremony was very heartfelt and the bride and groom were overcome with emotion. The cocktail hour took place in the Italian garden of their private villa. The dinner was to be on the top terrace and would begin with a Jewish hora, one of two different versions to be played that evening. I have never seen such an enthusiastic, joyous hora that went on for 20 minutes. I was concerned that the groom would be injured as his many friends were well versed in the hora dance and very energetic. The dinner was served in the upper terrace of the villa where ten vintage chandeliers and eight strands of fairy lights were hung in the surrounding trees to define the dinner area and to make it sparkle. It had such a spectacular yet intimate feel.
After the dinner and dancing and speeches were finished the party was moved to another part of the villa that was set up for the after dinner party. Each event was more fun than the last and the whole weekend was a dream come true all the way down to the perfect weather.
Photography: Rebecca Arthurs | Event Planning: Brenda Babcock Celebrations | Floral Design: Noosheen | Stationery: Kraft & White | Bride's Shoes: Castaner | Hair And Makeup: Brenda Babcock Celebrations | Groom's Suit: Versace Collection | Wedding Venue: Il Borro | Bride's Dress: Charlie Brear | Bride's Veil: Browns Bride | Groom's Shoes: Santoni | Groom's Tie: Bergdorf Goodman