From Vanessa, the Bride… Our wedding was in a town in Florence called Barberino Val D’elsa, the perfect setting for our intimate Tuscan wedding. We married on September 5th 2017, and celebrated our reception at Borgo Petrognano. What made our wedding special was not only the setting and the love we received from our friends and family; but also that our vision was brought to life. From the catering, music, flowers and lighting; everything was perfect and exactly how we pictured it when we began our planning 2 years prior. Our thanks to our wedding planner, Germana at Super Tuscan Wedding Planners for all their help!
More from the couple… We wanted a small romantic wedding with amazing food, wine, scenery and we got exactly that! As it was a September wedding we chose to be more on the neutral side of colorways using a lot of blush pinks, ivory and also complementing it with navy, marsala for a hint of bold color. My engagement ring is on a rose gold band, so we wanted small hints of rose gold throughout the decor as well. We wanted the style to express minimalist meets romantic.
Our photographer, Ann-Kathrin Koch, was a dream! She was the very first photographer we contacted (of the many we reached out to) and I knew she would be the one we hire after reading her views on wedding photography. On her website she mentions “You are planning a destination wedding…… You are out in the countryside with the sun setting over the green rolling hills and all you can think of is how amazing it would be to have all your friends there with you to celebrate.” This was something we remained true to during the entire wedding process and it was greatly appreciated that our photographer understood how important enjoying our wedding with our loved ones is. Her photos were flawless, we wouldn’t have chosen anyone else!
Inspiration behind the day: We searched for other Tuscan weddings or al fresco weddings to come up with our inspiration. We found that a lot of weddings made special use of lighting so we wanted to make sure our dinner setting was picturesque.
Floral Design: Our floral designer, Flowers Living, was recommended to us. She was able to guide us on the types of flowers to use. Marta completely understood our vision!
The Venue: We wanted a place where most of our family and friends would be able to stay that had a pool and breath-taking views of the town. We had a guest list of 50.
My Wedding Dress: I aimed to find a dress that fit in with the location of the wedding. Something romantic, with delicate detailing and that wasn’t overwhelming in size. Accessories were chosen on what complimented the dress.
The Wedding Party Fashion: Our bridesmaids wore a blush pink due to the color scheme, the dresses aimed to be more airy and lightweight. Since Florence is still warm in early September, it was important that the dresses weren’t too heavy.
DIY projects for the day: The welcome bags given to each guest who stayed at Borgo Petrognano included essential toiletries, slippers, mints and even water bottles!
Favorite memories of the day: Two memories that stand out are leaving the chapel as newlyweds and driving through the town and soaking in the hills, all of the grape vines along the route and feeling the tuscan breeze. The other memory is our first look of the set-up for dinner as a moment we will never forget, it completely blew us away!
Music choices: During dinner we played slower r&b songs from the 90’s and early 2000’s (artists like Monica, Alicia Keys, Maxwell) as well as some trendy hits from 2017 (artists like Ed Sherran, SZA, and Rihanna). We also played some Spanish ballads from artists like Chayanne and Luis Miguel. After dinner it was more upbeat salsa, and reggaeton as well as some party music from 2017.
Videographer: The team at EmotionalMovie were a joy to work with. The team was very professional throughout the entire day of the wedding but also made us feel very relaxed and even entertained us! Daniele was very accommodating and helped us customize a package that worked within our budget and must have features.
Advice for brides planning now: Be patient, organized and understand you can’t control the uncontrollable. If I learned anything during this wedding planning is to enjoy the process but also start planning with more than enough time that you are not consumed by it. It is important to remember what your main goal is: to marry the love of your life. All of the decor, lighting, music, food and stationery come second to this point. Try not to stress about the small stuff (easier said than done) and remember once the day comes it ends in a blink of an eye so take moments during the wedding to soak it all in!
Photography: Ann-Kathrin Koch Photography | Videography: Emotionalmovie | Wedding Planner: Super Tuscan Wedding Planners | Flowers: Flowers Living | Ceremony Venue: Church of Sant'Appiano | Reception Venue: Borgo Petrognano | Bride's Shoes: Steve Madden | Groom's Attire: SRG Fashion | Bride's Dress: Christos | Hair + Make-Up: Adrienne Aereboe