Inspiration Nation: An Italian Garden Wedding Fit for a Princess

Thursday, April 7, 2016

An Italian Garden Wedding Fit for a Princess

If you ask me, a destination wedding in Italy is ALWAYS a good idea. Especially one as straight-from-the-storybooks as this. I mean – that dress, that venue, and that al fresco reception set beneath the stars. It doesn’t get any better. Major kuddos to Tuscany Flowers , Galateo Ricevimenti, Baton NYC, Tuscan Wedding Cakes and One Fine Day for their incredible work. And Judy Pak, you’ve done it again with a gallery we can’t stop swooning. Take cues from a this couple, and start you weekend fun a wee bit early…we won’t tell!

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Colors

Seasons

Summer

Settings

Garden

Styles

Classic Destination

From the Bride… Thinking back to those magical sun-kissed days in Tuscany, my heart overflows with the same warmth, love and gratitude that surrounded us during our 4-day wedding celebration! It was the greatest blessing to bring together our loved ones from different chapters of life (childhood, college, grad school, family, etc.) to celebrate the beginning of our adventure ahead as husband and wife.

We traveled to Tuscany for the first time nearly three years prior to the wedding and simply fell in love with the endless rolling hills, charming medieval towns, soul-warming meals and sumptuous brunellos (wine made from sangiovese grapes). Because we had guests traveling to Tuscany from all corners of the world, we really poured our hearts into every detail of the wedding – wanting it to be a memorable experience for everyone that was reflective of our tastes and love for this region. Our vision for the wedding was to transport guests to a magical fairy tale land, accentuating the beautiful natural landscape and grand gardens of La Foce with soft romantic décor. We were fortunate to work with an extremely talented team of vendors, who really helped us make tailor every aspect to the look and feel we wanted. (To help distill this, the former consultant in me felt compelled to create a 20-slide PowerPoint Wedding Inspiration Board filled with images that helped inform our decisions and ensure vendors understood our vision.)

The priority for me and Justin was to envelope our guests with one-of-a-kind experiences so the festivities would be as unique and special for them as they were for us. This included wine tasting at a medieval fortress atop the highest hill in Montalcino, a welcome dinner on the west façade of a castle facing the rolling hills at sunset, numerous thermal spa pool parties, and more. Justin even personally drove to Canalicchio di Sopra (our favorite producer of Brunello) to meet with Francesco (the owner) to secure special ‘reservas’ which we poured throughout the weekend and the wine we gave in our guest bags. To complement the wine, during our cocktail hour there was a carving station with aged prosciutto being freshly sliced off the leg. Food and wine are our passion so we personally designed the entire weekend menu based on inspiration from numerous meals at our favorite Tuscan spots in Rome, Florence, Milan and our hometown NYC. We are so thankful to Elise at Galateo (our caterer) for helping us personalize the dishes and Melanie at Tuscany Wedding cakes for creating our (delicious!) dream cake!

The best part of our wedding was being able to share so much of what we treasure with our closets family and friends. Judy and Amy’s team did such a great job of capturing gorgeous photos and videos of heart-felt moments and our loved ones from both sides bonding together as one big family….this was our favorite gift of all – to feel our worlds coming together as one. We are most grateful to our parents for helping us create this magical experience and for their patience and love throughout our journey. They are our role models and foundation; it is their warmth, support and humor that truly made it a weekend of free flowing love, laughter and vino!

From Baton NYC… There is no light more magical than in Tuscany. This Manhattan based couple choose to return to the countryside where they had shared romantic travels together. After an extensive search to find the perfect venue, they choose La Foce for their wedding ceremony and reception.
Guests arrived to the ceremony thru a secret door that opened to reveal a stunning floral arch next to a garden pool of floating lilies. Thoughtful details such as parasols for shade and having the program in both English and Chinese ensured that every guest was comfortable and included in the intimate ceremony.

The ceremony musicians began to play and the Bridal party processed down a dramatic stone staircase. The bride, in a dreamy Monique Lhullier wedding dress was accompanied by her proud father. Following the ceremony guests found their way to the upper gardens where they were treated to spectacular views of the Tuscan countryside, live music, traditional hors d’oeuvres and bubbly from a champagne tower.

The escort cards were hung from ribbons in Family Trees that were adorned with ancestral photos from the families of the Bride and Groom.
Dinner was inside a tall, clear tent styled with vintage chandeliers that gave off soft sunset tones of amber and rose. The romantic flowers and eclectic mixture of candelabras, votive holders and candlelight gave each table a unique look. The seated menu was thoughtfully chosen to give the guests a true Tuscan feast. Highlights of dinner were the heartfelt toasts by the proud parents, close family and friends.

Guests danced until the early morning under the Tuscan moonlight and a canopy of fairy lights. The dance floor was set half in, half out of the Limonia and beside the candlelit swimming pool. A photobooth, a candy buffet and both a traditional Italian and traditional American cake were served.