Europe Weddings

What happens when two Swedish lovebirds (stylish as ever, I might add) make the trek to Florence to say their romantic I-do’s? Pretty, pretty things my dears. And with Tuscania Events behind the planning, I’m not the least bit surprised at the gorgeous outcome. Innocenti Studio made sure to snap up every little bit and it’s all waiting for you right here!

From Tuscania Events…Anna & Christian a beautiful couple from Sweden, chose Italy to celebrate their wedding. Their love for Italian food, the Tuscan countryside and the warm climate made Florence the right choice to celebrate their dream wedding. They rented a recently restored 5 star Villa for all their guests. Villa Tolomei is immersed in the Tuscan countryside but only 5 minutes from the historical center of Florence. Guests could enjoy both the tranquility of the countryside and the beauty of the Renaissance city. The Bride’s elegant gown was a reflection of Nordic minimalism and the tuxedo clad guests followed the typical tradition of a Swedish wedding celebration.

Photography: Innocenti Studio | Wedding Planner: Tuscania Events | Flowers: Sebastian Flowers | Location: Villa Tolomei

If you haven’t already considered a gorgeous vaca in Italy, this beautiful wedding captured by Amy Rizzuto is here to tell you one thing: you need to.  Because this is the kind of wedding that is as rich in breathtaking scenery as it is in fabulous details.  Think classic stylings from Exclusive Italy Weddings meets awe-inspiring moments a plenty.  See it all right here in the full gallery.

From Amy Rizzuto Photography… The sun seemed to glisten across the cobblestone streets in Florence, Italy on June 20th. The day was finally here and Brittany and Aaron seemed to carry a child-like anticipation as they prepared to see each other for the first time. In the lovely gardens that could be seen from their private balcony, Aaron slowly turned around to see his beautiful bride walking towards him. Breath taken away, he wrapped Brittany in his arms, so excited to make this girl he met back in the first grade his wife.

After their emotional first look, we explored the most beautiful parts of Florence together. We captured pretty portraits of Brittany and Aaron strolling in the Piazza della Signoria, among the statues of Loggia dei Lanzi, and of course, in front of the Ponte Vecchio. At noon, they were married in the famous Red Room in the Palazzo Vecchio with their closest family and friends around them. They celebrated afterwards at Alle Murate, laughing as they enjoyed a true five-course Italian meal.

From the Bride… Aaron and I spent the first month of our engagement sifting through ideas for our wedding. The more progress we made in the pre-planning process, the more we realized a lavish affair with hundreds of guests was not what our hearts desired. We wanted our celebration to be intimate and centered around what mattered most, our marriage, and making sure we had the time and energy to enjoy our special day, and spend time with one another and those who love us. A colleague of mine mentioned a destination wedding, and after we discussed it there was no doubt that we were going to have our wedding somewhere far from home.

We had already decided Italy would be our honeymoon destination, and what a romantic place for a destination wedding. We wanted our ceremony to be in a place we both had never visited, and we chose Florence. The city was perfect because it is known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and we would be embarking upon a new beginning of our lives in the city of rebirth. I envisioned a wedding with a vintage, old Hollywood feel. The red hall in Palazzo Vecchio was the absolute perfect location… It felt incredibly regal and reminded me so much of my wedding day inspiration, Grace Kelly.

I contacted Exclusive Italy Weddings, and our wedding planner, Martina, was fantastic. She assisted us with booking the location, flowers, transportation, and the absolutely gorgeous reception location, Alle Murate. Because neither of us are Italian we had to arrive in Florence a few days early to complete several rounds of paperwork. Martina arranged for our wonderful new friend, Mrs. Jo, to serve as our translator and assistant through the paperwork and the ceremony. Our photographer, Amy Rizzuto, was amazing and such a pleasure to have around. She met with us prior to the ceremony to share her thoughts on the best time for photos, etc. and she couldn’t have been more perfect. The pictures from our special day depict the love and emotions flowing from everyone involved. When I look at the photos I feel as if our wedding was a true fairytale.

I have several memories from our wedding day I’ll never forget… my dad walking me down the aisle, my mother helping me into my dress… and exchanging our rings while the Italian official recited an Apache Creed in English (the only part of the ceremony that didn’t have to be translated for us). Aaron’s favorite memory is the early morning (7 a.m.) photo session with Amy in which we pranced all around the city finding the best photo ops. It was a truly magical day that will forever be etched in our memories.

Photography: Amy Rizzuto Photography | Event Planning: Exclusive Italy Weddings | Wedding Dress: Justin Alexander | Ceremony Venue: The Red Room | Reception Venue: Alle Murate | Jewelry: Etsy

To say I was obsessed with this stunning Florence fête at Villa Montefiano Garden would be the understatement of the year. It’s literally dripping in pretty, making each and every image captured by Studio A+Q like a dream. So do yourself a favor today and set aside to get lost in all the lovely here. 

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From the Bride…From the moment we started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted to have it in Italy. I am in American who met her future Italian husband in a pub in Florence. We fell in love over quick trips for gelato, cheesy American films dubbed in Italian, and walks around our favorite Florentine neighborhoods. When we got engaged, it seemed only natural that we would celebrate our marriage in the place where we met, fell in love, and now call home together.

When we started looking at venues, our main objective was to find something where we could hold both our ceremony and reception, with plenty of outdoor space to enjoy the beautiful, late-summer climate of Tuscany. Villa Montefiano, a 16th century residence nestled on a hillside overlooking Florence, was the perfect fit. Not only was the villa itself gorgeous, but it offered a number of lush gardens and terraces that we could utilize for our celebration.

While neither of us had a particular theme for the wedding, I wanted it to be soft and romantic with just a touch of Great Gatsby elegance. My husband just wanted good food and an American-style wedding cake. Our brilliant wedding planner, Rossana took all of our ideas and created an evening that flawlessly melded together the best of our American and Italian traditions. Every detail from the floral arrangements and candles to the confetti table and intimate seating groups perfectly reflected our vision for the wedding.

Our ceremony took place just before sunset; the golden light, gentle breeze, and Tuscan backdrop created an almost ethereal effect. My husband said his vows in Italian and I said mine in English. It not only made the ceremony understandable for both Italian and English-speaking guests, but also gave us the opportunity to express something so meaningful to one another in our first languages. I remember feeling so happy to have married such a wonderful man, surrounded by our loved ones above the city where it all began.

Photography: Studio A+Q | Wedding Planner: The Knot In Italy | Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham | ceremony: Villa Montefiano | Reception Venue: Villa Montefiano | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Make up: Azzura | Caterer & Cake: GALATEO RICEVIMENTI FIRENZE - MILANO | Confetti & Candies: Rossana Sapori | Flowers decor: La Rosa Canina | Groom\'s Attire: Bemporad | Hairs: Mej Staff | Music & Lighting: Alma Project

First of all, the groom designed the brides dress. Amazing, right? Now that we’ve covered that romantic detail, I’m at a loss. Everything about this wedding from Franci’s Flowers Wedding Design is jaw-dropping gorgeous. Rosapaola Lucibelli captured the day and I for one am obsessed with every single emotion packed image!

From the floral designer… This lovely wedding affair is the quintessence of joy of life! We loved working on it because Dina and Hadi are a great couple; they know exactly what they want. Both are designer and live currently in Lebanon but we can easily say that they are a globe trotters because they are always traveling.

Since we met we found together mood of wedding theme. Romanticism and gorgeous tuscan landscape, relaxed atmosphere and pink these are essentials elements of this wedding party.

Romantic detail that Hadi ( the groom ) who is a talented fashion designer has designed the this stunning dress for her Dina!! How many brides can say the same? And, Dina designed the rings

A special thanks goes to Micheline who worked hard to coordinate with me all from so far and to Monica manager of Villa il Poggiale who despite forecast was able to set up all changing table set plan 3- 4 times in 1 hour.

Photography: Rosapaola Lucibelli | Videographer: Dam Studio | Coordination: Giritaly Wedding Planner | Design: Franci's Flowers Wedding Design | Floral Design: Franci's Flowers Wedding Design | Floral Design: Franci's Flowers Wedding Design | Celebrant: TUSCANPLEDGES | String Quartet: Firenze Classica | Bridal dress: Hadi Katra Couture | Villa: Villa Il Poggiale

If there were one style I’d choose time and time again, it’d be rustic elegance hands down. And this lovely shoot snapped up by Modern Vintage Weddings is exactly why. Aside from the fact that this tucked-away Italian villa is beyond gorg, I can’t get enough of  Francis Flowers luscious blooms and L’Arte Della Torta di Melanie Secciani‘s intricate cakes and desserts. Event designer and stylist, Carter Nendick Weddings & Events is walking us through every single pretty detail! See the rest right here in the gallery.

From Carter Nendick Weddings & Events… We are delighted to share this beautiful elegant rustic inspiration shoot, which took place earlier this summer at the stunning Villa La Vedetta in Florence, Italy. Renowned for the best view of the city, the backdrop was simply breathtaking and we hope you love the images as much as we do!

SMP: What was your inspiration behind this gorgeous shoot?
CN: The idea behind the shoot was to create a beautiful and elegant design, but that wasn’t overly formal and complemented the gorgeous hotel gardens and delicate afternoon sunlight. Hopefully we have shown how brides can achieve the perfect balance between natural earthy rustic and sophisticated glamour!

SMP: How did you choose the color palette?
CN: We opted for a natural colour palette combining ivory, green and peach, punctuated with subtle hints of fig purple. The ceremony on the terrace was set against a beautiful panoramic view of Florence, and the design was kept deliberately understated in order that the backdrop would remain the real focal piece and provide the “wow factor” for guests.

SMP: How did you incorporate the local Italian culture?
CN: Throughout the design we wanted to recognise and complement the beauty and tradition of our Italian location, and so included mini bottles of olive oil with wax-sealed tags as table favours, as well as welcome baskets containing classic Italian sweet treats, biscotti and local wines. Traditional Italian favours, or bonbonierre, were updated to include miniature versions of the wedding cake alongside the well-known sugared almonds, and were decorated with a Murano glass bead charm.

SMP: Can you describe the lovely details for brides who would like to recreate this look?
CN: The reception display was designed with an informal, yet stylish, feel. Blowsy floral arrangements, a lace runner and wicker place settings helped create a natural, rustic atmosphere, whilst beautiful hand-calligraphied stationery, luxurious linen and a stunning 6-tier wedding cake covered with intricate lace detail added a dimension of distinctive elegance.

SMP: How did you tie the bride’s style into the whole look?
CN: We felt it was important that the bridal looks were feminine, elegant and refined, but also practical in being able to withstand the intense Italian heat. A beautiful array of truly gorgeous gowns with flattering feminine shapes and delicate lace detailing from top designers Claire Pettibone, Otaduy, Rose & Delilah and Amanda Garrett, were accessorised with floral crowns, vintage headpieces and long flowing veils, whilst loose hairstyles and natural make-up added a slightly boho edge. We just love the shots of the veil blowing in the breeze against the soft Italian sunlight!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/75220221 600 338]

Photography: Modern Vintage Weddings | Videography: Innocenti Studio | Flowers: Franci's Flowers Wedding Design | Stationery: Laura Lavender Calligraphy & Illustration | Shoes: Rachel Simpson | Venue: Villa La Vedetta | Bridal Gowns: Blackburn Bridal | Bridal Gowns: Luella's Boudoir | Cake, Desserts, Mini Cakes, Bomboniares + Gift Baskets: TUSCAN WEDDING CAKES | Furniture and Tableware: Preludio Noleggi | Headpieces, Hair and Make-Up: Gemma Sutton | Jewellery: Chez Bec | Style & Design: Carter Nendick Weddings & Events | Tassels: Paperpoms UK

I have such a soft spot in my heart for inspiration shoots. They fill our screens with picture after picture of pretty, and allow us all to dream a little bigger. So this beauty from Emm and Clau is right up my alley. It’s filled with gorgeous florals from Stiatti Fiori, designed by Varese Wedding and all takes place at the stunning Villa Dianella – making this gallery one inspiring place to be today. See it all here.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From Emm and Clau…In April we had the pleasure to shot an American destination wedding in Tuscany and because we wanted to do some traveling also and had some spare time for shootings, we decided we wanted to photograph an Italian styled shoot. So we got in touch with Varese Wedding and started planning everything.

We wanted this project to be something very chic yet simple, in pastel colors. We loved the venue, the stylish wedding table, the delicious candy bar and our lovely Italian bride for the day. But to finish it all with something unexpected, we incorporated a crazy sweet maid of honor to spice the story. We are so thankful for the whole team that did such an amazing job, and were so nice and supportive. We hope you enjoy the photos and get inspired!

Photography: Emm And Clau | Floral Design: Stiatti Fiori | Hair + Makeup: Accademia I Santini | Venue: Villa Dianella | Catering + Rental: Delizia Ricevimenti | Chandeliers: Stiatti Fiori | Design + Planning: Varese Wedding | Model: Diletta Cozzi | Wedding Gowns: Laura Ciobanu

There are so many things to love about Tuscany… the food, the scenery and the romance! Oh, the romance. Making it the loveliest choice for a wedding backdrop as clearly seen in these photos from Innocenti Studio. It’s a shoot sprinkled with rustic touches, nature-inpspired decor and the loveliest florals from Franci’s Flowers. Keep reading for Franci’s 5 tips on how to throw a great tuscan affair and head on over to gallery for the rest of the romance!

1. Choose a rustic venue in Tuscany that preferably includes accommodations. That doesn’t mean you need to travel far from a main city or airport, there are lovely Agriturismo half an hour away from Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Siena.

2. June, July and September are preferable to enjoy an outdoor space as much it’s possible. May and October weather is unpredictable and August is far too hot.

3. Most venues have swimming pools—a great area to set up an aperitif welcome station or a candlelit dancing area. How romantic!

4. Always choose foods that are in season. Having fresh ingredients is so important and will help to keep your budget under control.

5. Last but not least, enjoy the beauty of nature and use that as your inspiration for your colors and florals. We love to incorporate items from nature, ears of corn, herbs, berries, fruits and vegetables can be a great way to decorate your wedding flowers!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/69686089 600 338]

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

Main theme is simplicity and beauty, green, white and red as colors of our italian flag. The air is fresh and clean due to the surrounding nature and you can bask in the golden tuscan sun whilst sitting by the pool with a nice red or white wine, looking down on the magnificent busy town of Firenze. The lush greens and vibrant reds mix with the scent of italian aromatics herbs and spices providing a sensory delight. Enjoy the many inspiring details, from the red peppers on napkins to the piles of pecorino cheese, a good bottle of chianti, and a wooden table set up, their rustic mood is absolutely irresistible.

I wanted to keep things simple and rustic, just vibrant colors as red and green from bridal bouquet to centerpiece with red pachini tomatoes mixed with white of daisy flowers. Thanks to all our great team of talented contributors, most of all Emma Innocenti who captured stunningly the beauty of Michelle, Alex and this dreamful landscape!

Floral Design: Franci's Flowers Wedding Design | Dress: Ella | Stationery: Francesca Pulitano | Bride's Shoes: Debenhams | Jewelry: Prada | Hair & Makeup: Ilaria Borgioli | Tuxedo: Fórmula Jóven El Corte Inglés | Venue: Fattoria Di Maiano | Coordination Suppliers: Bianco Bouquet Weddings | Hair Accessories: Ruby & Frost | Photography & Video: Innocenti Studio

Florence is bar none my favorite place on earth. It’s a city rich in history, architecture, scenery and romance — but that’s only the beginning. Dive in a little deeper and you’ll find a city just begging to play backdrop to a gorgeous wedding like this, which is why the full gallery from Emm&Clau is a complete and total must. Have a look here!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/68237372 600 338]

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From the Bride… When one of our friends started telling us about her recent, small wedding in Italy, we thought, why couldn’t we have an intimate Italian wedding? After all, we DID get engaged in Florence, Italy back in November of 2011- it just seemed idyllic.

My fiance, Jone, and I first searched for a wedding planner who could find us our perfect venue. We knew we wanted to get married in a castle, late night dancing and unlimited open bar was a must, andit had to be easily accessible for our guests.We scoured through locations such as Venice, Rome, Verona, Lake Como, Almalfi Coast, and Florence. Every Italian city oozed romance and deciding on one location proved to be a daunting task. Our hearts were set on Castello Di’Vincigliata-a 13th century old castle perched up in the rolling Tuscan Hills surrounded by olive trees and vineyards served as a perfect backdrop to our Italian wedding!

I wanted our wedding to exude elegance, glam, classical romance, and soft tones. We chose champagne, ivory, gold accents, and white flowers to compliment our castle venue.

The week started out with 50 of our closest friends & family arriving in to Italia. We toured through Tuscany where did some wine tasting , had some of the world’s best gelato, and ate the most succulent, local organic food made on-site at a vineyard. Jone and I hosted a welcome/rehearsal dinner at a Florence favorite, Mamma Gina’s, the night before our wedding where everyone got to stuff their belly’s.

Predicted to rain on our wedding day, and being that we were both from the Northwest, it wasn’t something we weren’t used to acclimating to. A couple hours before our wedding, we had thunder showers, but the skies cleared, and we had perfect sunny weather for our special day. No treacherous plan B needed. As a nod to my Vietnamese heritage, I wore a traditional Vietnamese dress (ao dai), and we paid tribute to our parents and family with a customary tea ceremony in the morning where plenty of tissues were used to wipe the emotional tears.

My fianc had a vision of a very particular dress he wanted me to walk down the aisle to, and when I fell in love with this Lazaro number online, I had to immediately try it on as soon as it came off the run way. I loved the exquisite French alencon lace with the delicate sweetheart neckline, and the dramatic layered ball gown skirt made of silk organza…nothing else I tried on could even compare, it was perfect. It was the one. Needless to say, Jone was very pleased when he saw me walk down the aisle.

Some personal touches included: our Save the Date cards were local post cards specially delivered to us from our wedding planner in Florence. In lieu of the guest book, we had everyone sign a handmade map we purchased from Etsy, which indicated where we first met,, where we got engaged, where we would marry, where we’d be living as husband and wife, and where we would honeymoon.We released two doves to symbolize our eternal love and had our guests write well wishes on wish tags that would hang on the reception chandeliers.Our guests enjoyed local Italian aperitifs and belinis in the castle’s courtyard while overlooking the garden and Tuscan sunset. Dinner proved to be a culinary experience as our palates were met with wine from the castle’s cellar, delicious Tuscan cuisine, and an Italian wedding cake delicately made in front of our guests, which they all still rave about. To thank our guests, the wedding favors were Italian limencellos.

To have a fun-filled week with our nearest and dearest friends and family meant the world to us. We loved that our guests got to experience Italy and see why we both fell in love with it’s old world charm. We even got to stay in the same room at the same bed and breakfast where Jone proposed to me!

It all went by in a blink of an eye and we are so blessed with the team of vendors who made a stressful destination wedding, an enjoyable one. Our wedding exceeded our every desire- it truly was an unforgettable day, in which I wish we could relive all over again, in slow motion!

Photography: Emm And Clau | Cinematography: MICKAFilms | Wedding Planner: Il Cerimoniere Italian Weddings | Flowers: Marie Lou | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Andy Bridal | Catering: Delizia Ricevimenti | Makeup: Azzura | Hair: Mej Staff | Groomsmen Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Celebrant: TUSCANPLEDGES | Venue: Castello Di Vincigliata | Bride' Shoes: Louboutin | Bride's Jewelry: Nadri | Chandelier Rental: Il Cerimoniere Italian Weddings | Groom's Ring: Cartier | Groom's Tuxedo: Calvin Klein | Grooms Shoes: Hugo Boss | Programs, Menu, Place Card, Reserved Seating: By Invitation Only | Rentals: Delizia Ricevimenti

Florence is a magical place in itself. Florence combined with an intimate destination wedding dripping in romance brings that magic to an entirely new level. It’s a combination that will certainly make your heart flutter a time or two, particularly because the images from John Zillioux and Lisa Poggi Photography are overflowing with pretty. It was all perfectly planned by Original Tuscan Wedding, and you can see it all right here.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

With a small guest list of 20 people, you have more leeway to get creative with your details and the ability to produce many of them yourself because there are so few to make. My fiance and I designed and assembled the olive oil bottle Save the Dates, which our friends and family loved. I designed and created the menus, welcome bags, bird-seed toss bags, and the welcome booklets filled with information about the week’s events. To represent our love for books, we had antiqued copper bookmarks with each guest’s name on them to serve as placecards. Our copper hand-calligraphed chair signs read “Sposa” and “Sposo” to mark the Bride and Groom’s seats. In lieu of a traditional guest book, we asked our guests to sign bottles of wine, which we would open on our 1st, 5th and 10th wedding anniversaries. The real challenge was hauling all the wedding details in our bags from Charleston to Florence!

The most memorable characteristics of our wedding were those we did not plan. We won gorgeous custom wedding invitations from Paperfinger after I entered an online contest on a whim. In Florence, Italian workers went on strike so the Uffizi closed on the day we were scheduled to visit–our guests shopped and ate gelato instead! Two days after arriving in Florence, I fell very ill with bronchitis and had to spend the day before our wedding in bed while our relatives toured the city. I was terrified that even after all the planning and thousands of miles of travel, I would be too sick to enjoy our special day. With the help of strong Italian antibiotics, though, I felt amazing on our wedding day and even had a sexy, jazz-singer’s voice in which to speak my vows!

My husband and I agree that though the ceremony was beautiful, the most moving moment of our lives was one that was unplanned and happened when we exited the Palazzo Vecchio after the wedding. A choir from Finland was performing in a nearby town that evening, and came into Florence for the day to see the sights. When we walked through the piazza after the ceremony, we encountered the choir and they serenaded us! The serendipitous moments are the ones you never forget.

We could not have been more pleased with our Italian vendors, including the phenomenal duo Ann and Elizabeth of Original Tuscan Wedding. The day ran beautifully and all we had to do was sit back and enjoy! To any brides who worry about planning a wedding in another country, we advise you to take the leap as long as you have an amazing planner who will do the groundwork for you. Finally, we would like to thank our photographers Lisa Poggi, from Florence, and John Zillioux, from Charleston, both of whom created images we’ll cherish forever!

Photography: John Zillioux | Photography: Lisa Poggi | Event Planning: Original Tuscan Wedding | Wedding Dress: Carol Hannah | Invitations: Paperfinger | Ceremony Venue: The Red Room | Reception Venue: Il Salviatino | Shoes: Tory Burch | Calligraphy: Calligraphy by Paige Tanenbaum | Groom's Suit: Z by Zegna | Bridal Boutique: Maddison Row | Clutch: Calvin Klein | Groom's Shoes: Cole Haan | Hair Comb: BHLDN | Place Cards: Snappin Engraving Snappin Studio

I’m not exaggerating when I saw my jaw literally dropped at these photos. Do you know, half of them are at the art historian bride’s home? You’ve simply got to read all about the wedding below and then block out your entire afternoon. You’re going to need at least that much time to devour every Tuscan inch of the full gallery from Innocenti Studio Photography & Video.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From Innocenti Studio Photograhy & Video… When Kira contacted us for the first time, she was looking for a photographer that would capture two particular moments of her wedding day: her own house in Florence where she would get ready for the wedding, and the Ceremony in one of the most beautiful churches in Florence, Santa Maria dei Pazzi. Before moving back to her home city of Paris, Kira (an art historian) and her fiancé Damien decided to celebrate their marriage in the homeland of Renaissance culture, in real Tuscan style.

Although we were expecting to meet Kira in a beautiful location, our jaws literally dropped when we saw the house she was sharing with her artist friends… huge rooms decorated with old frescos and pianos, contemporary paintings, dried flowers, whimsical objects and the air was still smelling of fresh paint… we were totally speechless!

The house was the perfect frame for the total simplicity of Kira’s dress, in perfect French chic style, and for the pink palette chosen for the bridesmaid dresses.

The ceremony took place in a secluded religious complex in the centre of Florence dated back from 1257, that includes the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi and a former convent, in Borgo Pinti. The reception was then held in the fourteenth Century residence of Il Trebbiolo, nested between the hills of Fiesole and surrounded by olive trees, with a breathtaking view of the valley at sunset.

The wedding was a triumph of understated elegance and simplicity, and the main design was the perfect choice of venues and location made by Kira, that we think couldn’t represent better the real essence of Florence, bringing together its two essences: the city of the Arts per excellence through the artists’ house and the Renaissance Church, and the beauty of the landscape and its cousin at Il Trebbiolo.

From the Bride… The main idea for me and Damien was to have a beautiful Tuscan wedding in Italy. As I am an art Historian, I was living in Florence at the time, and I wanted to have my wedding in a beautiful Renaissance/Baroque church and a decoration inspired by Italian Renaissance sculpture (Della Robbia’s).

Even the food we chose was not just Italian, but typically Tuscan, and the menu was prepared according to the season. For the catering we chose Guidi Lenci, the best ever really in Florence, and food and service were perfect indeed!

The designer of my dress is Berengère Saint Pierre and the invites were made in Florence as well from the Il Parione, the owner Stefano is quite amazing and I would say he’s the best in Florence – as my photographers Emma & Esther from Innocenti Studio – the pictures are absolutely beautiful and we LOVE them!  

[dotted]

Wedding Photography: Innocenti Studio Photograhy & Video | Ceremony Venue: Chiesa Santa Maria dei Pazzi in Florence, Italy | Reception Venue: Il Trebbiolo in Fiesole, Italy | Catering: Guidi Lenci | Ice Cream: Gelateria Carabè | Wedding Invitations: Il Parione | Wedding Dress: Berengère Saint Pierre: | Bride’s Shoes: vintage Charles Kammer Paris | Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Wilvorst

If there is a thing on this gorgeous planet I love as much as I love weddings, it would be travel. So a destination wedding like this one captured by Mukhina Photography is a dream come true for me. It’s as though my two worlds collided with one seriously stunning result, and it was all made possible by the workings of Franci’s Flowers Wedding Design. So you can trust me when I say my weekend will be spent right here.

And be sure you watch the beautiful vows in the film from Maxim Molchanov + Alexander Bochkarev. Love is a universal language!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/59468312 600 337]

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From Franci’s Flowers Wedding Design… I’m glad to share with you these stunning photos of Mikhail and Yulia’s wedding held on 20th of October 2012! They wanted to get married in somewhere far away from the hustle and bustle of city life of London and the choose beauty of Florence in Tuscany and I’m pleased to share with you these and elegant wedding’s shots of talented destination photographer Ekaterina Mukhina.

A lot of inspiring details from feathers on bride’s wedding dress from Italian fashion designer Alberta Ferretti to stunning arch of roses and ivy, to gorgeous David English roses of hand-tied bouquet, elegant centerpieces of ivory and peach color palette of english roses and ivory freesias onto fish ball.

Mikhail Zelman and Yulia Guseva are originally from Moscow but they live in London, they wanted an intimate ceremony at Renaissance’s garden of Gherardesca inside Four Seasons Hotel in Florence and reception for 120 guest at Ball Room of St. Regis Hotel.

From the Bride… Best moment of the day was the exchange of vows and rings with my now husband, Mikhail. A profoundly touching moment. I couldn’t hold back the tears of joy as we were saying words of love to each other, with our families by our side. My father walked me down the aisle to Paul McCartney’s ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’, and of Mikhail best moment when we danced our first dance to Cat Powers ‘Sea of Love’ .

Wedding Photography: Mukhina Ekaterina of Mukhina Photography +  Roman Kazban / Ceremony Venue: Gherardesca Garden in Florence, Italy / Reception Venue: St. Regis Hotel Florence in Florence, Italy / Floral + Event Design: Franci’s Flowers Wedding Design / Wedding Coordination: Ekaterina Sorokina /  Officiant: Tuscan Pledges / Wedding Cinematography: Maxim Molchanov + Alexander Bochkarev / Wedding Cake: Melanie Secciani / Wedding Dress: Alberta Ferretti / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Hair + Makeup: Kopnina Natalia

We are currently buried under a foot or so of snow here at SMP HQ, so dreams of jet-setting off to a gorgeous destination is at the top of my mind. The tippy top. So today we’ll take a virtual trip courtesy of two of our newest family members at SMP Destination – Cook Islands and Tuscany Flowers. And they both just happen to be located in some of the prettiest places we ever did see, so forgive us if we get a little swept up in all they have to offer – because what they have to offer is pretty darn beautiful.

First on the intro list are the downright stunning Cook Islands. So pretty, in fact, I couldn’t even believe they were real the first time my eyes set sight on their breathtaking blue waters. Oh, but they are. And for any of you lucky enough to pay them a visit, all I ask is that you please squeeze me into your suitcase…

About the Cook Islands… The little gem known as the Cook Islands is nestled in between Fiji and Tahiti at the heart of the Polynesian Circle. More secluded than Fiji, and more off the beaten path than Tahiti, the Cook Islands is the perfect destination for couples looking for a vacation that is out of the ordinary. The country is made up of 15 small islands – a northern group and a southern group. Rarotonga and Aitutaki are the country’s two most visited islands, both in the southern group. The Cook Islands are on the eastern side of the dateline, so the country is in the same time zone as Hawaii. It’s easy to get to the Cook Islands with the 9 ½ hour non-stop flight to Rarotonga from Los Angeles on Air New Zealand. Passengers board the flight from Los Angeles on Sunday night, and wake up the next morning ready to start their day when the flight lands in the Cook Islands around 7am. “Kia orana” means “hello” in Maori, the local language. However, everyone speaks English, and all of the locals are extremely friendly. The Cook Islands are known for their beautiful, white, sandy beaches and crystal-clear South Pacific waters. The islands run on “island time,” as the locals abide by a leisurely lifestyle. Couples seeking a relaxed vacation will surely enjoy the unhurried pace of life on the islands. A number of accommodation options are available in the Cook Islands, from family-friendly resorts, to adults-only hotels and luxurious private villas.

And then how about a stop in Italy? Florence, to be exact. To swim in a sea of the prettiest flowers from Tuscany Flowers. If that doesn’t sound like perfection to you, I just don’t know what would. Their work is like floral art I would hang on my wall if I could. It’s beyond pretty, and we couldn’t be happier to call them family now.

Tuscany Flowers was founded in 1997 by three expert florists and horticulturists: Antonio Magi, Mari Therese Nielsen and Gianni Berni. Located just outside the historic center of Florence, we primarily serve the Tuscan region but are available to travel anywhere in the world your dream wedding may be. Whether you are planning an extravagant wedding for 500 guests or a stylish dinner for 10, we can create the perfect mood and theme. Each client receives the same attention to detail and innovative approach regardless of the scale of the event. All of our weddings and events are made-to-measure, and we do not offer any kind of package. We provide everything décor-related, from the highest quality, seasonal flowers to a vast array of vases, chandeliers, candelabras, lanterns and beyond. All of our items are available in a variety of colors and materials and, given sufficient lead-time, we can shop for special accessories to complement your event. We love to meet our clients in person and discuss every detail in depth, so when in Florence, we would be happy to make an appointment to visit our showroom. However, if necessary, we can work together exclusively through email. We are proud to be a multi-cultural company with native English speakers, so language is not a problem. Tuscany Flowers collaborates with the finest wedding planners, caterers, hotels, villas, vineyards and photographers in Tuscany and around the world.

Welcome, welcome lovelies! xoxo

Get ready for all out romance and luxury with this beyond gorgeous Florence elopement. I’m in love with this couple and the way they love one another. It’s pure and simple and so inspiring. All they needed to celebrate their day were a few fabulous outfits, a pretty bunch of fuchsia flowers, some champagne, and of course, the talented eye of Sarah Kate. See their day unfold as they dance their way through Florence here in the full gallery.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… It has always been more important to me to be with the right guy and to have a dream relationship rather than “the dream wedding.” But it turns out, if you have the right guy, no matter how you marry him, it will be your dream wedding. Jay and I dated while living in South Florida, then pursued a long distance relationship for two years before I moved to Dallas. I had no idea what was in store for us, but I did know that he had become home to me and was worth the leap of faith. We were soon happily engaged and planning to get married in Florence, Italy.

October first came, and it was perfect in its entirety. We wanted our story to be our own, and it turned out to be more than we could have ever hoped for. Italy was incredible! We spent the first few days getting to know Florence and fell in love with the city. We had without a doubt made the right choice. Sarah Kate, a remarkable photographer from Dallas, came to Italy to shoot our wedding. It wouldn’t have been the same experience without her.  Not only do we have photographs we will cherish for a lifetime, we gained a life-long friend as well.

While wandering from cafe to cafe the night before the wedding sampling wine, champagne and delectable Italian fare, we spotted a small flower shop and chose a beautiful bushel of fuchsia flowers and a few pieces of driftwood to fashion into a bouquet. It was quite possibly my favorite part of that day. Our wedding day, unlike most, was the type of experience you can’t plan. The moments shared, the vows exchanged in private on the Ponte Vecchio, the outpouring of love from passers by as we crossed that famous bridge in full wedding attire, the music that filled the air from the street band as we stopped and danced, the sweet meringue we fed each other, given to us by the kindest Italian man from his bakery, will all forever be a consummate memory of the most amazing day of our lives. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Love really is worth it.

Wedding Photography: Sarah Kate, Photographer / Location: Florence, Italy / Bouquet: DIY / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Jewelry: Anthropologie

I don’t think it’s possible for me to love a wedding more than I love this stunning Tuscany affair by SugarLove Weddings.  With its eclectic mix of antique furniture, vibrant florals by La Rosa Canina, hanging lanterns and vintage books, this wedding at me at HELLO.  And don’t even get me started on the uber-stunning bride, who not only rocked one insanely gorgeous gown, but styled the entire fabulous soiree all by her brilliant, brilliant self.  How incredibly awesome is she?  (Answer: Very.)  I could get lost in this wedding for hours… And I think I just might.  Join me in the gallery for even more and then stay tuned for an amazing film from White Designs below!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

The gorgeous just keeps on coming with this fabulous film by White Designs!  Enjoy! (PS – Prepare for some very happy tears!)

From SugarLove Weddings… Sarah Berends & Allan Ghiassi were married in the town centre of San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy and enjoyed a spectacular marquee reception on the grounds of the Castello Di Tizzano, Tuscany, Italy. Sarah & Allan have travelled the world in the name of love and first met over a decade ago however chose a 16th Century Tuscan villa to celebrate their wedding day surrounded by the closest of family & friends. The couple treated their guests to several days of sightseeing & indulgence which include a Fiat tour around the Tuscan hills along with a traditional pizza making evening & wine tasting.

As as award winning Art Director, Sarah chose a “Alice in Wonderland meets Phillippe Stark” theme where antique furniture was placed amongst modern pieces for a luxurious & surreal feel. Sarah chose 3 colours for the theme – poppy, baby blue & chartreuse. One of Sarah’s dearest US based friends made confetti out of little pieces of tissue paper in the same colours which made for an extraordinary celebration moment post ceremony in San Gimignano. The couples’ 50 guests were served a 7 course dinner seated on one long imperial dining table under a marquee in the garden. With amazing attention to detail the gardens were transformed and included lanterns suspended from tree branches, sofas, urns, rocking chairs and vintage books with candelabras throughout the gardens.

Wedding Photography: SugarLove Weddings / Wedding Cinematography: White Designs / Flowers: La Rosa Canina / Event Design: The Bride, Sarah Berends / Wedding Ceremony Location: San Gimignano Town Hall / Wedding Reception Location: Private Villa, Bagno a Ripoli, Florence / Wedding Invitations: The Bride, Sarah Berends / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet via Priscilla of Boston

I think Sweet Sunday Events said it perfectly when they described this vineyard beauty as super-duper sweet – because just super really wouldn’t cut it. And don’t even get me started on the vintage furniture – me oh my it took a hold of my heart and just wouldn’t let go. That is just the tip of this detail-filled fête. Kelly Cameron Photography snapped all of the sweetness so we could spend our lovely day gawking at the full gallery of images, and I highly recommend you jump on in and join me in there!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Sweet Sunday Events…Gorgeous, fun and super-duper sweet… Oh-my how I love this wedding! I am so in love with every single element of this wedding. It brings a big, fat smile to my face every time I see it! Faith was any designer and planner’s dream bride– with a few must have requests while letting up on the reigns so we could create the dream wedding she never saw coming. This wedding was certainly a labor of love with the groom and bride writing their own vows, a close friend officiating and our creation of surprise elements– one of kind pieces, tailor-made for Faith and Peter. I mean seriously, have you ever seen a personalized sign made from recycled dyed corks {courtesy of the Vineyard at Florence}, hanged over a well to create a wishing well of words of wisdom for the happy couple?! Lucky for us, photographer, Kelly Cameron, captured all the details we share with you today.

Venue: The Vineyard at Florence / Wedding Photography: Kelly Cameron Photography / Rentals, Floral Design, Event Styling + Coordinating: Sweet Sunday Events / Wedding Videography: Lizama Videography / DJ: Altared Weddings

Close your eyes and try to envision the most romantic spot for marrying the one you love. Now open your eyes and gaze upon all the beauty that Marianne Taylor Photography captured with this Florence affair. We’re pretty sure those two are one and the same. Italy is the stuff that wedding dreams are made of and romance is swirling around each and every detail from the courtyard strung with chandeliers to the escort card tree and all of the fabulous paper goods in between courtesy of betsywhite and Ever After Press. Speaking of pretty paper, we spy with our little eyes lovely drink stirrers from Miss Pickles Press and might we add, they look mighty fine poking out of those Italian cocktails. There is lots and lots of loveliness to le swoon over in the gallery so don’t forget to take a peek!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…About a year after James proposed, I got a phone call at work to tell me that my Dad had passed away, totally unexpectedly. It was the most horrible time that I have ever experienced and James was, and still is, unbelievably supportive. I don’t know what I would have done without him. It means more than I can say that James had asked my Dad’s permission before he asked me to marry him, and also that the last time I spoke to my Dad, he told me what a good man he thought James was.

James asked me to marry him the morning after the wedding of one of my best friends, at which I had been a bridesmaid. It had been something of a late night, so I was rather surprised when James ordered breakfast in bed…with prosecco. When he pulled out a beautiful engagement ring and asked me to marry him I was so shocked that I didn’t remember to actually accept until he prompted me by saying – “you haven’t actually said yes yet”! We saw my Mum, Dad, brother and Grandmother that day, as James had planned that he would propose when we were in the UK so that we could see our families (we lived in Dubai at the time), and I also picked up my first wedding magazines that day….but it wasn’t until I discovered SMP that the planning really began!

James and I looked at venues in Dubai, Spain, and the UK….until we decided that it had to be Italy, (James has Italian ancestry on his Mum’s side). We went over to Florence and met our amazing wedding planner, Rossana, and her husband Franco and decided on Castello di Vincigliata and I fell in love with the small church nearby. I had such fun planning all the elements of the wedding, (I was in a corporate job at the time and it was great to throw myself into a creative project….I loved it so much that I have now moved into Graphic Design as a career) and SMP was my go to website for all things beautiful and wedding related. I remember packing the night before we flew to Italy and that it was unbelievably stressful, as I had filled my suitcase with wedding related decorations and left no room for clothes. James thought I was crazy but had no idea of all the bigger items that I would have loved to have taken but had no room for….vintage typewriters, beautiful old hard-backed classic romance novels, scrabble tiles, etc.

It was such a perfect day and we are so grateful to everyone who travelled such a long way for us – our family and friends mean the world to us, and we hope they enjoyed the day and all the details…because really…what could be better than that? Special thanks to my ever patient, wonderful, beautiful Mum (who doesn’t need a microphone), my lovely brother and Granny, James’ parents, and my beautiful, supportive bridesmaids, for putting up with 18 months of wedding planning and to the amazing Rossana, and incredible Marianne – our wonderful planner and photographer.

Wedding Photography: Marianne Taylor Photography / Venue: Castello di Vincigliata / Programs, Menus, RSVP cards: betsywhite / Illustration for invitations Additional Paper Designs: Ever After Press / Wedding Planner: The Knot in Italy / Caterer + Wedding Cake: Preludio Catering / Make-Up: Azzura/ Hair: Toni & Guy Florence / Wedding Gown: La Sposa Detalle / Florist: Gianni, Tuscany Flowers / Band: Alberto / Ring Bearer Bowl: Palomas Nest / Drink Stirrers: Miss Pickles Press / Badges: Cox & Cox / Headdress: Jo Barnes / Paper Decorations: Etsy

Buon Giorno! We are starting off this magical Monday with a romantic beauty all the way from Florence, Italy.  Marisa Holmes’ photographs, which are like little fairytales themselves, are more whimsical than ever with Italy as their dreamy backdrop.  The rest of the details pretty much sum up exactly how I imagine an enchanted European wedding to be, in a true life castle no less.  The full gallery is bursting with more elegant and exquisite inspiration!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Just when we were feeling like this whole Italian affair was another one of our wedding fantasies, Elysium dropped in with this gorgeous film to give us a little virtual pinch. Yes, this beauty is a dream come true.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/14598074?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0 600 338]

When Mike and I started our wedding planning adventure, the one thing we knew was that we wanted to get married in a location that resembled “us”. We wanted a location where we could turn our celebration into a weekend, or even weeklong event. We visited San Francisco, across the bay to Napa Valley, east to Lake Tahoe, and all around home in San Diego, but nothing made us want to sign up. We jokingly started looking into a destination wedding, and to our pleasure, found out it was actually doable and fell in love with the idea of a wedding in Firenze, Italy (aka Florence). Given we both love to travel and his Italian heritage ( his last name is Firenze), it only seemed fitting for the Firenzes to get married in Firenze. After many hours of online research and phone interviews with wedding planners in Italy, we chose Sonia Gallina from Wedding Italy to plan our big day (and week of celebration and various wedding events)! We chose the Castello di Vincigliata, a beautiful castle set amidst the hills of Fiesole with spectacular views of Florence, for our wedding location.

Given it was so inconvenient to communicate via phone, our sole mode of communication was email. That being said, I wanted to make sure my ideas and aspirations were communicated correctly. Unfortunately, I am not blessed with a creative eye, so SMP was a huge source of inspiration for the wedding. Since I was not able to communicate my ideas to my wedding planner in person, I created an inspiration book where I cut and paste images and ideas from magazines , Elysium Production’s Blog, and many from SMP.

Our vision was to create a Tuscan themed wedding. There were also a variety of elements we wanted to include from my Peruvian heritage, so we served authentic Peruvian cocktails  (Pisco Sours)  during cocktail hour and filled the welcome bags with Peruvian beer and snacks.  Some of my other favorite details were dinner served on long rectangular tables in the courtyard, gold candelabras, doves released during the ceremony  (one laid an egg during the ceremony) , personal love letters during the ceremony, honoring our parents during the ceremony with thank you letters,  the first dance ending with a fireworks show , cigar bar, and lots of dancing to house music Also, instead of having escort cards, we set place cards at each table setting that duplicated as thank you cards; we handwrote personal messages to all 82 of our guests –  thanking them for making the long journey to Italy to be part of our special day.  It wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of those guests!

Overall, we couldn’t be happier with our decision to proceed with a destination wedding. We had 82 of our closest family and friends joining us for four nights of wedding events, including a welcome party in the famous Piazza Signoria, wine tasting through the hills of Tuscany, rehearsal dinner at a restaurant adjacent to the Ponte Vecchio, and our wedding set in a castle. Wedding Italy went above and beyond their wedding planning duties,  which included organizing the entire week of events, hotels/flights, and my husband’s bachelor party on the Italian coast. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience.

Wedding Photographer: Marisa Holmes / Wedding Cinematographer:  Elysium Productions / Wedding Coordinator: Wedding Italy / Venue:  Castelo di Vincigliata / Catering & Rentals: Galateo / Hair Stylist: Din Hair / Make-Up Artist: Azzurra / Floral Designer: Floralia / Officiant: Jim Cascino / Music: DJ Till / Dress:  Lazaro / Shoes:  Jimmy Choo / Invitations and Paper Goods: Love at First Invite

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Elysium Productions

View Portfolio

So, the last wedding that Aaron blogged about was Tuscan Inspired…in Southern California. This one is Tuscan Inspired…in Tuscany! And the photographs will make you drool. There really are no words.

Obviously, there is something blissfully romantic about the thought of getting married in Italy. The food, the wine, the rolling vineyards. It’s just a little piece of heaven.

From Aaron…The pink building above is the Villa La Masa and it is one of the most beautiful Villas in Florence. It is where the bride got ready before we all headed out to the castle in the country. These photos are just here to inspire a feeling. I shot them awhile ago but they are close to my heart!

AMAZING. Feeling butterflies just thinking about what an incredible experience it would be to tie the knot in Italy. Such a beautiful story to tell your children. Thank you so very much to Aaron Delesie for taking the time to guest blog for us today. If you are new to SMP and aren’t familiar with Aaron’s work…it’s pure perfection. Take some time to look through his portfolio. You will be absolutely blown away.

Tomorrow, we have Viola at Chewing the Cud blogging for us and Wednesday, Lisa Hoffman (who is with me here in the Cayman Islands!) is stopping by to share some tips from her own affair. It’s a good week on SMP!