Boat Tour
The next day on September 8th, we invited our guests to experience the Amalfi Coast by sea and rented a 24m Turkish Gulet. We spent most of the day on the boat, enjoying a swim in the warm waters of the mediterranean sea, antipasti and homemade pasta prepared by the fabulous team of Plaghia Charter and breathtaking views of Positano and the Amalfi Coast.

Wedding Design Concept
When we decided to get married in Ravello, we had a vision for a magical, fairytale-like experience that would reflect our shared taste for elegance and the beautiful things in life (La Dolce Vita). Our starting point was a 50-page inspiration book that I put together with mood boards, color palettes, musical soundtracks, and design inspirations for each of the events during our wedding week. From the beginning, we set out to design a cohesive narrative across events that would transport guests into a real-life fairytale amidst Ravello’s naturally romantic scenery, medieval architecture, and iconic cliffside gardens.

Lighting played an important role to create a romantic setting. From the white fairy lights in the Gardens of Palazzo Confalone, to lanterns that bathed the gardens of Trattoria Lorenzo in a soft light during Aperitivo. Complemented by big white lanterns that illuminated the path, during our reception at Villa Cimbrone’s Garden of Two Fountains and fairy lights draped around trees.

Similarly, we wanted to mirror the natural beauty of Villa Cimbrone with its lush green gardens and vines climbing up the historic walls of the villa. Villa Cimbrone is such a naturally stunning location, that we did not want to overdo it, just add a personal touch to it. We chose florals and vines to be draped organically around pillars, lining the ceremony aisle, winding around the cocktail tables and even the wedding cake to evoke a lush, overgrown, enchanted garden feel without seeming overdone. Throughout, our main color scheme consisted of shades of blush, white, light blue and green with fresh pops of color such a pink and fuchsia that seamlessly tied into the natural environment. The bouquet was kept simple in white and blush colors.

Color pops were added as a red thread throughout the events such as Amalfi lemons and blue and majolica ceramic tiles. I incorporated a 'something blue' throughout various parts of the wedding day - from the blue tiles of the Bridal Suite, the light blue delphinium flowers at the ceremony, the blue and white Amalfi ceramic vases, the blue ribbons on the dinner table to the blue pleated Randall Loeffler sandals I wore with my 2nd dress for dinner and dancing.

Even our guests' attire was matching the theme. My mother and mother-in-law wore a fully beaded tulle gown designed by Adrianna Papell in a light blue and champagne color. The leaf embroidery matched my dress and followed the wedding’s fairytale garden theme. The flower girls wore hand selected dresses in blush and light blue colors with 'La vie en rose' embroidery, while the ring bearer wore a little black tux. All of the bridesmaids wore simply elegant formal dresses in blush and champagne colors in various styles while the groomsmen wore black tuxedos and suits with matching bow ties.

In keeping with the concept of timeless elegance, we chose décor that felt timeless. For instance, elegant white Chiavari chairs at the ceremony and reception tables matched with pure white table linen and napkins. Glamorous silver vases, elegant silver under-plates, lots and lots of candles and dinner menus made of hand-made Amalfi paper with simple but classic glassware. We set up multiple standing tables in the reception area so guests could walk around and mingle. One table was placed at the beginning of the dinner area which offered a shot of limoncello to guests before taking a seat, on another one we had placed a polaroid camera for guests to take fun instant pictures.

Live music also played an important role in setting the tone of our special day. A string quartet during the ceremony evoked emotional feelings and created a romantic setting during the aperitif: our DJ played the best Motown and Jazz music during dinner and dance music after.

Overall, we added some fun touches and designed our own cocktails such as the 'La Dolce Vita' and the 'Godfather' that were on the custom bar menu.

Finally, in addition to the aesthetic and atmospheric elements, we wanted to thank our guests for traveling to Italy and welcoming them in Ravello. To that end, we invested in a variety of custom gifts for each guest: a bag with goods from Ravello and our wedding itinerary and sun hats, fedoras at the Welcome Cocktail, gift bags with robes and fragrances for bridesmaids and Ravello’s famous limoncello for each guest on the dinner table as wedding favor.

Our favorite part of the wedding
Bringing everyone together after such a tough time and being able to enjoy 'La Dolce Vita' together. Seeing how our family and friends become one big family, no matter their cultural backgrounds or some language barriers. And finally seeing everything come together so beautifully - after such a long time and postponing the wedding four times - was such a dream come true!

Advice to 'Brides to Be'
Enjoy the process! The wedding planning process is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with your partner to create a beautiful and personal experience. I put a lot of effort in upfront planning and was very hands-on in the creative process and the design of our wedding events which resulted in a well planned series of events that Glaudson and I could fully enjoy and be present with our guests.