A Stationer Bride's Blue And White Garden Destination Wedding in Tuscany, Italy

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November 13, 2023

The Planning

Design / Vibe / Vision

Ed and Darcy's vision was to host an event that celebrated the natural beauty and rustic elegance of the Tuscan countryside while weaving in touches of both of their personal tastes. They wanted it to look and feel like a refined yet comfortable al fresco garden party, taking as much inspiration from nature and the region as possible. The colors were inspired by their own home and wardrobe palettes, and many touches were inspired by their mutual appreciation of antique furniture and art. With the bride being a lover of all things floral and botanical, they also brought in floral elements throughout the stationery, decor, tablescape, her gown, and the bridesmaids' dresses.

Proposal Story

When Darcy and Ed began loosely discussing where they might want to tie the knot one day, Italy immediately came up as an option they both absolutely loved the look, feel, and atmosphere of. This was, however, despite not having a chance to visit together yet as their relationship began just as the pandemic did. When it was safe to do so, they planned a romantic trip to the Amalfi coast in the spring of 2022, which is where Ed proposed on a boat with the view of Positano in the background. They spent the rest of the holiday drinking prosecco and starting to dream up their Italian wedding.

Getting Ready

Bridal Portraits

Flat Lays

First Look

The Fashion

Wedding Gown

The bride knew that Reem Acra's Open Your Heart gown was going to be hers as soon as she saw it. After trying on what felt like every floral-inspired gown there was, this one immediately felt unequivocally "her" with its stunning floral applique, unique illusion neckline, and ethereal, slightly translucent skirt. The open back and surprisingly light and comfortable wearability solidified its status as her dream dress.

Bridesmaid Dresses

The bridesmaids wore mismatched blue dresses of their choice, ranging in tone from light sky to deep navy and varying in pattern and texture, and some with touches of white or green.

Groomsman Attire

The groomsmen each wore their own blue suits, paired with mismatched vintage Ferragamo silk ties that Ed sourced himself and gifted to them.

Wedding Party

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

The Details

Food & Drink

During cocktail hour, their 75 guests from the U.S. and U.K. toasted the newlyweds with ice-cold Aperol Spritzes, negronis, processo, and Italian beers paired with an array of local cheeses, meats, and antipasti. The four-course, plated dinner took place over nearly 3 hours while Terre Di Nano's own Montepulciano wines flowed and the remaining speeches punctuated each course. The primi piatti, or first courses, were two handmade pasta dishes. First, a truffle and ricotta ravioli, followed by a pici pasta with red Tuscan ragù. Pici is a hand-rolled shape of pasta unique to the region, and absolutely delicious. For the main course, guests savored a cinta cense pork fillet topped with red onion and balsamic vinegar sauce and a selection of sides. This is the prized pork meat of the region, which is lean yet savory. Lastly, the couple served traditional Italian millefoglie cake with fresh strawberries and of course, espresso. After midnight, slices of pizza from the venue's century-old wood-burning pizza oven were passed to help fuel the late-night dancing.

Florals & Decor

ToscOana Flowers brought their white and green floral dreams to life with a beautiful spread of white blooms, including a classic ceremony arch and a romantic trail of flowers climbing up an olive tree between their two long dinner tables. They also provided the antique-style brass vases and candlestick holders used throughout the tablescape. The couple opted for simple string lighting throughout the olive grove, in addition to the cream taper candles along each table, to set a cozy and natural ambiance for the al fresco evening reception. The bride, a wedding stationer, hand-made their navy blue silk ribbon place cards which tied a small olive branch to each napkin atop the custom gold-foil printed menus, also designed and produced by the bride. For the tablescape, the couple opted for pieces that celebrated antique styles, including pearl-handled silverware, blue and white floral plates, and a mix of vintage brass vases and candlestick holders. All of the thoughtfully selected items were placed atop dusty blue linen tablecloths, which brought in a subtle but energizing pop of color.

Wedding Cake

Before their first dance, the couple cut into a traditional Italian Millefoglie cake with fresh strawberries, which was prepared by Terre di Nano's talented in-house culinary team.

Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs

In true Swiftie fashion, the bride walked down the aisle with her father to a cover of Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" performed by a string duo. Following their first kiss, the couple recessed to cocktail hour to a string performance of the classic and joyful "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". After cutting the cake, the couple kicked off the live music and evening of dancing with their first dance to a live cover of "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers.

Special Detail #1

After producing her own invitations, the bride has since become a full-time wedding stationery designer. Coming from a creative marketing background, Darcy was excited to design their invitation suite and other paper goods and wedding branding. Throughout the process of working with printers, sourcing vintage stamps, and assembling each suite, she fell in love with the creative and tactile art that is wedding stationery and decided to pursue it full-time. She designed and produced the couple's letterpress save the dates, letterpress and gold-foil invitations, their custom envelope liners and silk ribbon place cards, and sourced the collage of vintage stamps and silk ribbon used for their suites.

Special Detail #2

In England, where the groom is from, it is tradition for the groom to give a full wedding speech during the reception. The couple was excited to honor this tradition with a modern addition during their cocktail hour. The bride, an American, gave the first speech of her own, which was then immediately followed by the groom's speech.

Couple Portraits

Reception

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