Is there anything more romantic than running away with the love of your life and all your favorite people to an exotic destination to celebrate your marriage? If you ask us, absolutely not! We genuinely believe experiences make life most fulfilling, and true love is worthy of big celebration. So why not celebrate your love through big experience? We can’t think of a reason not to, either! Through extensive research and collaboration with wonderful wedding professionals in Arkansas and Italy, we planned, designed and photographed The Italy Wedding Weekend Experience: An Editorial.
The Engagements: Florence
The first stop on our itinerary of events brought us to the capital of the Tuscany region, Florence. This old world city is absolutely dripping in romantic charm as it’s home to Renaissance masterpieces like Michelangelo’s David. Whether one decides to spend time at one of the many quaint coffee shops, stroll through the world class museums, or awe at the Duomo in the heart of the city, Florence couldn’t have been a more perfect location to set the mood of the weekend.
The Wedding Events: Villa Montecastello, Monteriggioni
Private Cooking Class
We adventured further into the countryside to Villa Montecastello, a 1,000 year old property perfectly nestled in the rolling vineyards of Tuscany. We were warmly welcomed by the wonderful owners and soon immersed in a private pasta cooking class using ingredients sourced from the property itself, as well as an olive oil tasting experience made from olives grown on the surrounding land. The cooking instructor eventually took over and finished preparing the meal, which would be eaten by us all that evening under the string lights and clear night sky.
Poolside
After an exciting evening of strolling through the vegetable garden and rolling homemade pasta, we retired to the Villa’s pool, overlooking the surrounding olive groves; the very olive groves where the olive oil was sourced. The Tuscan summer heat caused the cool water of the pool to be all the more relaxing and rejuvenating!
The Wedding
Villa Montecastello provided an incredible getting ready experience in their spacious, luxurious guest suites, completed with a bedroom, bathroom, living space and full kitchen. Local hair and makeup artisit, Giulia Petreni, gave our model, Kelsey, the full treatment as Barbara Becarelli, owner of Villa Montecastello, designed beautiful wedding florals using locally sourced flowers. We strolled from one end of the property to the other, taking advantage of the lush, green lawn for the ceremony, the beautiful architecture for portraits, and the spanning vineyard views for an intimate tablescape. A wedding dream? Definitely.
The Honeymoon: The Amalfi Coast
After feeling like we had happily gotten lost in a Tuscan dream, we packed our bags, boarded the train and made our way to the southern shore of Italy for the honeymoon of a lifetime: the sparkling Amalfi Coast. None of Italy had been overrated in the slightest, and this certainly applied to the Amalfi Coast as well. The towering rock cliffs and climbing, lush mountains surrounded by the deep blue ocean transported us all to another world entirely. The fresh fragrance of Amalfi lemons filled the air, brightly colored umbrellas littered the rock beaches and the sound of gulls added to the oceanic ambience of the area. The honeymoon was celebrated with a thrilling boat tour of the coast and an exhilarating Vespa adventure along the twisting highways of the hills.
Vendors
Photography + Videography + Planning – Cameron and Elizabeth Photography
Wedding Venue – Villa Montecastello
Floral Design – Barbara Becarelli of Villa Montecastello
Models – Caleb and Kelsey Lisenbey
Hair + Makeup – Giulia Petreni
Bridal Gown + Vespa Dress – Unveiled Bridal Collection
Tux + Engagement Clothing – Q. Clothier
Luxury Accessories – The Luxury Lady
Stationary + Watercolor – Chez la Mariee
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