Color Palette/Design Aesthetic:
We were torn between a “true-to-Tuscany rustic and natural” aesthetic versus “classic-elegant-Duomo” inspired aesthetic for our wedding, and felt lucky that we could have both — the former for the Welcome Dinner in Villa Medicea di Lilliano, and the latter for the Wedding at Villa Cora. For the Welcome Dinner we wanted to lean into all-things-Tuscany, embrace the beautiful outdoor setting of VML, and pay homage to the natural vineyard, olive grove, and abundant lemon plants. We let the natural surrounding and Tuscan vibe inspire every inch of our Welcome Dinner.

Because we were doing a more traditional color palette for the Wedding, we wanted to have “a little fun” with the Welcome Dinner. We decided on a lemon yellow and blue-and-white porcelain design for the table setting, with royal blue wine glasses for a pop of color. We’d always dreamed of a dinner under twinkly lights at a long table with all of our loved ones, and brought this dream to life with a stunning never ending table in the VML garden for dinner. We had the idea early on to work lemons and wine bottles (both nods of admiration to VML) into our décor and aesthetic, and worked with Dani to create Lemon Leaf name cards and Wine Bottle Table numbers — two small touches that made all the difference! Those touches, accompanied by eucalyptus and airy linens as a runner made for the perfect never-ending table.

Unique Elements:

· Ice Cream Miss 500 Car: What’s Italy without Gelato? And of course it must be served in an Italian Fiat - no? Italy is synonymous with great food, and Ben and I fell in love with the Gelato that Florence had to offer during our first trip together. We knew we wanted to serve our guests Gelato at some point, and to be able to do it in such a charming and fun way was a plus! We were able to select 4 flavor for our guests to enjoy, and heard later that many of our guests tried all 4 (can you blame them?): coffee, pistachio, lemon (duh!), and straciatella.

· Charming Signs: In addition to the beautiful rattan lounging furniture, twinkly lights, and seemingly endless dinner table, we wanted to work in some personalized whimsical decorative signs. Dani worked with a local shop to create one that we had read the essentials of the night: Saghar & Ben, Pizza, Vino, Formaggio, & Spritz. We also had an olive oil tasting station set up with various olive oils from the Villa, and a matching signed that described each one. We wanted to provide as many little Tuscan and VML touches as possible, so our guests could fall in love with Italy as we had.

· Limoncello to Go: We knew we wanted to serve small take-away gifts for our guests, and decided small Limoncello bottles to go were the perfect touch. We worked with Dani and our Florist (Flowers Living) to create a charming sign that read “When Life Gives You Lemons Make Limoncello.” My parents still have a bottle in their kitchen!

Bride’s Dress:
I knew I wanted a long sleeves lace dress for the big day, so I wanted to go in an entirely opposite direction for the Welcome Dinner. I knew I wanted to incorporate an open back, a high neck line, and white satin — so I worked with my mom’s friend (&seamstress) to custom make my dress for the welcome dinner. Satin can be stubborn, so it took several fittings, but the end result was worth it! I wore my grandmothers pearl earrings and matching bracelet to the Welcome Dinner — it was very special to be able to include her in that special moment.

The end result was an unforgettable night filled with happy tears, full stomachs, wine-stained teeth, and belly laughs. We remembering saying to each other then that if nothing else goes right the rest of the weekend, this will already have been the best night of our lives. It was truly special to enjoy what Italy has to offer in a beautiful Villa with our closest family and loved ones. The night ended with shuttles into town while cheers-ing our Limoncello's and hitting up a Whiskey bar in the Florence with our close friends until 4 AM (this is why we did the event 2 nights before the wedding, not the night before!). It was the perfect start to the perfect week!