The setting

Having been unwinding in Rome and Florence for the week before the wedding, the bride and groom were already tanned and relaxed when their guests flew in from all over the UK to gather for a small intimate wedding in the beautiful hills of Tuscany.  The venue, an old historic villa set in its own vineyards, the birthplace of the real Mona Lisa and where, more recently, Much Ado about Nothing starring Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson was filmed.  It truly exemplified Italy at its best - a gorgeous undiscovered oasis in Chianti.

The prelude

Having not had to worry about their transport arrangements or transfers, guests began to arrive at the majestic villa relaxed.  On entering their rooms, they were greeted with a welcome note from the bride and groom, flowers on the pillowcase and a comprehensive information pack to answer any questions ranging from useful contact details for fellow guests and services through to the activities on offer and the timetable for the extended celebration weekend – all they needed to do was enjoy themselves.

The Thursday afternoon was spent unwinding around the pools, soaking up the Italian sunshine whilst sipping the villa’s own Chianti and gazing out over the unspoilt picture-postcard views – an ideal antidote to hectic working life.  The relaxation continued into the evening with an informal dinner in the nearby village offering the opportunity to try regional delicacies and wine and, for those brave enough, the local grappa.

On Friday, some guests opted for the more cultural choice of visiting the nearby towns: awe-inspiring Florence, beautiful Siena and the epitome of Tuscan hillside towns, San Gimignano.  Whereas for others, it was an opportunity to top up their tans and utilise the onsite beauty treatments at the villa.  All the guests gathered again in the early evening and, so as not to have to worry about driving, were taken by luxury coach for local wine, olive oil and salami tasting before dinner the Italian way – relaxed with the focus on top quality ingredients, good wine and hospitality at its best.

The big day

The morning of the wedding found the bride and her chief bridesmaid relaxing by the pool before retiring to the private honeymoon wing to dress.  In keeping with tradition, the groom had chosen to stay away the night before at a nearby converted farmhouse enjoying the company of his best man and closest male relatives.

Shortly after lunch, the guests along with the groom were collected by air conditioned coach to be taken to the ceremony.  They boarded to find on their seats either a small miniature bottle of Chianti complete with wicker casket or, for those already identified as non-drinkers, a non-alcoholic alternative – attached was a straw with a note inviting them to begin the festivities by enjoying a glass of wine with the groom as they were whisked smoothly through the breathtaking Chianti countryside.

The wedding party arrived in the small town of Certaldo where they continued their tour, travelling up to the old medieval walled town by funicular (cable car) and then a gentle stroll through the charming cobbled streets to the stunning twelfth century palace where the local mayor would conduct the ceremony. The brief interlude before the bride arrived allowed an opportunity for them to explore – a chance to admire the divine hand painted frescoes and outstanding hilltop views of the townscape below.

The Bride, wearing a bespoke fishtail dress with delicate beading and fluid chiffon overskirt, arrived in style with her father – the vintage Citroen having been granted special permission to drive up into the old town.  After a few photographs and a chance to collect herself, the old heavy wooden doors were swung open and she proceeded inside to the inner open-air courtyard where friends and family had gathered for the ceremony.  The groom greeted her, himself wearing an elegant dark Italian suit and specially commissioned waistcoat and cravat to perfectly match the bridesmaids in mid lilac and deep purple.

Following a relaxed ceremony - seamlessly translated into English whilst preserving the romance of the Italian - rose petals were thrown from handmade co-ordinating cones on the steps of the palace with the enchanting sound of a harp echoing around them.  The bride and groom then led the whole wedding party through the cobblestone streets down to a pretty private terrace for strawberry sparkling cocktails with informal photographs taken on the way.  After mingling a little, the couple slipped away allowing them to enjoy some time together and have photographs taken in the Tuscan countryside en route back to the villa and still be ready to greet the rest when they disembarked from the coach.

Back at the villa, guests were given the opportunity to either freshen up or join the couple for sparkling prosecco in the elegant formal gardens whilst the family group shots were taken.  Whilst watching, a memories book began to be circulated amongst the guests asking each to complete a page with drawings, doodles and messages about both the weekend and the wedding day itself.

Everyone then reconvened on the lower terrace for canapés and more prosecco, watching the sun set on the distant hills – a romantic setting with rose petals scattered over the nearby pool and candles lighting the evening.  As darkness fell, the celebrations began in earnest.

On entering the candle lit dining room, guests were greeted with elegantly laid tables and informal flower arrangements to echo the surrounding countryside – the room perfectly reflecting the feel of the day and the venue, even using the same gauzy fabric of the bridesmaids’ dresses to carry the colours.  The delectable five course Italian banquet allowed guests another opportunity to sample more of the fine local cuisine, catering for all special requirements unobtrusively, and the speeches interspersed between the courses.

To continue their wine education of the evening before, a different wine was introduced with each course and so as not to feel excluded so too was a non-alcoholic cocktail for those not drinking.  The couple chose to swap tables between each course giving them the opportunity to chat with each and every guest at some point during the evening. Alongside the English, many of the Italian wedding traditions were introduced to give a truly continental feel to the day - the couple kissing on the tinkling of glasses through to a spectacular three tiered Torta Nuziale (wedding cake of strawberries and meringue) to finish the meal.

Disappointed that fireworks were not allowed at the villa, the couple opted for small heart shaped sparklers which the guests were invited to light during the groom’s toast to his new bride and then bigger sparklers which were placed in and lit during the cutting of the cake.

A live four piece jazz and blues band struck up after dinner playing already agreed play lists - following the traditional first dance the dance floor was never empty. With not far to stagger to bed, the party continued well into the early hours culminating with drinking liqueurs, including local limoncello, under the clear night sky.

The morning after the night before

The morning after, guests gathered for one last breakfast together before being effortlessly transferred back to the airport for their trip home – each with their own special memories of the wedding and Tuscany. The married couple themselves continued the Italian love affair honeymooning in Venice and the Italian lakes. 

The finer details

Stationery
The handmade stationery perfectly matched the colour scheme for the day.  To carry the theme, each was made of ivory mottled watercolour paper with embossed interlinked initials and hand painted lilac strip on the edge.  The table names and names places were elegantly hand written in calligraphy whereas the rest were printed on lilac pearlescent paper with a beautiful soft sparkle.  The order of service and menu cards were tied together with deep purple ribbon and beads added to the menu to add sparkle in the evening.

Flowers
The bride carried an informal hand tied bouquet dressed with trailing gauzy ribbon of the same fabric as the bridesmaids’ dresses.  The brief was for the flowers to reflect the informality of the countryside around - a colourful mix of lilacs and richer pinks, deep purples and lighter cream.  The bridesmaids’ carried similar but smaller bouquets.

The male wedding party wore singular gerberas in a mid purple to complement the bouquets whereas the ladies were given corsages to match their outfits whilst still echoing the informality of the bride’s bouquet.

As the courtyard was so beautiful in itself, the couple chose to decorate the comune with just simple long stemmed ivory roses tied with matching ribbon - the petals were later reused and scattered over the pool back at the villa.  Rich pink rose petals were thrown as confetti - handed out by the youngest bridesmaid in small lilac cones lined with sheet music and tied with deep purple ribbon.  Bubbles were used later during the formal photos back at the villa making the observers feel included.

The dining room was decorated with toning informal table arrangements with thick cream church candles set in painted terracotta pots – low enough to be able to talk over yet still give colour.  On the back of each chair hung a small posy which the guests were invited to take away as another memento.

Bridesmaids
Both unique dresses were made to order, designed to reflect one another but reflect their ages.  The chief bridesmaid wore a mid lilac fitted corset and matching full length skirt with an elegant deep purple wrap and sparkling sandals also of the deep purple.  The younger bridesmaid however wore a ballerina length dress with the deep purple organza as an overskirt to reflect the bride’s and capped sleeves instead of a wrap – her shoes were dyed the same deep purple.  Both outfits were finished with differently styled handmade hair slides but made of the same toning silk flowers to tie them together.

Table settings
Tables were named after famous Italians.  For each setting, along with the flower posy to keep, there was a wine glass charm (in keeping with the wine theme) wrapped with silver heart chocolates in the dark purple organza fabric and tied with the same purple ribbon and beads as on the menu.  This was placed along with a lottery ticket in a handmade and wax sealed envelope, a heart shaped sparkler and feather to lighten the colours.  The tables were then scattered with silver confetti which sparkled in the candle light.

Presents
Due to the logistics of flying home, garden vouchers were presented to each mother with a personal handwritten thank you card from the couple.  A custom made ring was presented to the chief bridesmaid, a simple diamond necklace for younger bridesmaid and traditional cufflinks for best man.  The fathers were each given present to thank them for their support, whisky and golf related to reflect their respective interests.

Wedding breakfast