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Real Weddings:

Lucia and Vincenzo’s Italian Villa Wedding

photography by Margherita Calati

Lucia and Vincenzo wed at Villa Parravicino Sossnovsky located within the ancient medieval village of Parravicino, Italy. The couple let the grounds of the 16th century villa guide their design choices and enlisted vendors to assist them in creating the “delicate, elegant, slightly retro and decadent atmosphere” they desired. The romantic secret garden vibes are strong and we love the pop of fuchsia garden roses in the florals by Figli dei Fiori. English roses, brass and ground crystals decorated our imperial tables and all the rooms of the villa and Margherita Calati was behind the lens capturing it all.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I think it was the relaxed atmosphere, but elegant and refined in every little details, without ever being pretentious and flashy.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

The dress was born from the precious collaboration with Silvia Valli, a seamstress who designs and makes dresses in silk and other precious fabrics, different and customized for each bride. Starting from my idea and some ideas taken from the world of haute couture, with her elegance and expert hands, Silvia designed my dress and we have seen it come to life a little at a time. Between an infusion of ginger and a drink, rolls of precious silk duchess, and meters of organza, chatting until late in the evening about books, music and travel, every detail has found its right definition and dress perfect materialized on my body.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We deliberately avoided themes of inspiration for our wedding, choosing instead a delicate, elegant, slightly retro and decadent atmosphere, that all the professionals have grasped, choosing objects, flowers and decorations that made it perfect. English roses, brass and ground crystals decorated our imperial tables and all the rooms of the sixteenth century villa.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The exchange of our vows! In front of the people that we really care about, we have laid bare our hearts, telling the best possible emotions and feelings guarded by so many years in our depths, and promising each other’s love for the future.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met 15 years ago, little more than kids, among the shelves of a bookshop where we worked as clerks. From there we grew up together, reaching and passing through the stages of life hand in hand, until on a very hot August afternoon in the beautiful garden hidden behind the Taj Mahal in India, he knelt in front of me and asked trembling to marry him, giving me the most particular and beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. A raw diamond to crown our story and especially our future together. I only remember the amazement and infinite joy that made my heart literally burst, and a “yes” whispered between tears of joy.

 Photographer: Margherita Calati // Second photographer: Carlo Vittorio // Flower design: Figli dei Fiori // Venue: Villa Parravicino Sossnovsky // Bridal gown: Silvia Valli // Bridal shoes: Armani // Groom attire and shoes: Raymondo // Rings and engagement ring: Benzoni Gioielli // Hair style: Yan Cataldo // Makeup: Paola Bianchera // Catering: La Casa dei Sapori // Cocktail: Fresco Cocktail Shopphotographer @margheritacalati_ph // second photographer @carlovittorio_ph // flower design @figlideifioricomo // venue @villa_parravicino_sossnovsky // bridal gown @silviavalli

 

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Real Weddings:

Bridgett and Dylan’s wedding at The Bradford

featuring Ally and Bobby Fine Art Photography

Amanda Blair by Design filled Bridgett and Dylan’s wedding at The Bradford with all the prevailing wedding trends we love so dearly. A soft, romantic and voluminous bridal bouquet by Plume Events is so dreamy. Cafe lights hang over an outdoor reception filled to the brim with casual elegance while gold calligraphy signage and a custom invitation suite add timeless appeal. Dusty blue accents like simple velvet napkin ties, raw silk floral ribbons and tiered cake add color and textural interest. It’s all gorgeous and lucky for us Ally and Bobby Fine Art Photography were on hand capturing it all in these lovely images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I knew our wedding day would be the most special moment in my life whether we were married under an apple tree beside my parent’s home or if it was in a dreamy venue. Either way I was marrying my best friend of 6 years. Leading up to our wedding day when we were planning each and every detail, we knew we wanted to do what we felt was best for us instead of doing things just because they were traditional so a lot of our wedding consisted of personal and non-traditional touches that best represented us as a couple.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

When I first imagined my wedding dress, I imagined it having intricate lace detail, a long train, and an off white or champagne color with either an open or illusion back and long sleeves. I scheduled appointments at four different wedding dress boutiques and never made it past the second one. When we entered into Maggi’s Bridal, I fell in love with so many dresses and had over 10 in my dressing room. I did realize that I was no longer set on the long sleeves but really wanted a dress with all of the other details. About halfway through, I put on a sheath gown with beautiful, delicate lace, an illusion back, and a train that I instantly fell in love with. I walked out of the dressing room and my bridesmaids all let out a gasp at how much they loved it, I stepped up onto the pedestal and looked in the mirror and fell head over heels in love with my wedding dress. It was everything I had dreamed of.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We added personal touches to every part of our wedding day. From the guests being greeted with champagne, to our first dance, to our dinner, we wanted it to be personal and feel like us. To go into further detail on some of the touches we added: It started by our vows being written in a little leather book that we gave one another to read while we were getting ready on our wedding day. I laughed, cried, and imagined our future while I read those sweet words written by my soon to be husband. We had guests greeted with mini muffins, pastries and champagne. Our families aren’t very big into dancing or drinking so we knew we wanted to add other details to make sure they enjoyed their time with us and ways to thank them for being a part of the most special day of our lives.

After guests had time to mingle, snack and sip on champagne, they were escorted to their seats for the ceremony. One of my songs to Dylan is “Thinking Out Loud”, the cover by Boyce Avenue. I absolutely melt at that song. We played it as I walked down the aisle and I cried every step of the way as I locked eyes with Dylan. He tried to fight the tears and looked up to the sky but quickly found that there was no way to hold back the tears of joy. I held my dad tight as I walked down the aisle to Dylan and then my mom stood up with my dad to give me away. Normally dad’s give their daughters away, but my mom has been by my side every step of my life and has been the biggest influence in my life so it only felt right that she be part of that moment. When they stepped away, I quickly grasped Dylan’s hands and we just looked into each other’s eyes the entire ceremony. We whispered to each other under our breath and talked about our life together, how much we loved one another; it was perfect. The scripture that our officiant shared were ones that we wrote. A good portion of the scripture was part of the traditional scripture but we added personal touches throughout that told our story, beginning with our first date 6 years ago from that very month. When he said “you may kiss the bride”, “Kiss Me” by Sixpence, None the Richer started playing, Dylan dipped me down and kissed me.

As we walked down the aisle as husband and wife, our family and friends tossed confetti over us. We went around to the front of the house while guests were departing and all of our guests immediately came to where we were instead of into the house for cocktail hour. Although it wasn’t planned and it isn’t generally part of tradition, it was one of my favorite parts of our wedding day. All of our family and friends celebrated us and we were able to hug every single one of them. Our amazing caterer realized what was happening and brought champagne to our guests on the front lawn while we mingled. Shortly after, everyone was escorted inside while we took our portraits. After that, we had our first dance on the balcony with just Dylan and I while our photographer and videographer got peeks through the doorway. Our guests were then escorted to their assigned seats during the reception. Instead of the traditional sweetheart table or small family table for immediate family, we did farm tables placed together that allowed us to laugh over dinner with our closest family. With our moms, dads, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews surrounding us, it felt like home. It felt like a big thanksgiving dinner where we shared stories and laughed over delicious food. There were so many personal details that it was so hard to choose which one to share with you but those were some of our favorites!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

One of our absolute favorite moments was our first dance as husband and wife. We went against tradition and decided to do a private dance on the balcony of our venue, off of the groom’s suite and it was the best decision for us! We, of course, had most people respond as “you have to do your first dance in front of everyone,” and we get that is part of tradition but we knew we wouldn’t feel 100% in the moment and wanted to make it a moment we would remember forever and so we did. We whisked away after our ceremony and pictures to the balcony and danced to “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. I still relive that moment every time I hear that song played on the radio. I felt like those 4 minutes and 56 seconds lasted a lifetime; like time froze and it was just Dylan and I dancing under that crisp, cool fall night.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Dylan and I were introduced through a mutual friend my sophomore year of college. We went on our very first date to see the movie “Footloose” in theaters and we started spending a lot of time together. He was about to head off to boot camp so we decided to stay friends but a few months later, we found our way back to one another and realized it was just meant to be. We started dating, quickly fell in love, and he’s been my best friend ever since then. Four years later, we went on a cruise and when we were anchored a few miles off the coast of Haiti, after a perfect dinner, we were walking through central park on the ship, his parents were with us and wanted to get a picture of us under this gorgeous arbor and while we were posing for the picture, Dylan whispered to me – “you know that I love you more than anything in the world”… he turned around, got down on one knee, told me how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to marry him. I was so happy that all I could do is just cry, say I love you and kiss him over and over again. I was so happy that I hadn’t even looked at the ring or let him put it on me at this point. I cried SO many happy tears. I knew long before that moment that I wanted to spend my life with him. He was my best friend. The one that I want to share every moment with, the one I want to dream with, the one I want to have holding my hand when we’re 80. He’s my everything.

Bridgett & Dylan from Point200 on Vimeo.

Photography: Ally and Bobby Fine Art Photography // Florals: Plume Events // Styling and Coordination: Amanda Blair by Design // Calligraphy & Stationery: Bridgett Lynette Designs // Venue: The Bradford // Dress and Veil: Maggi Bridal // Cake: Sugar Euphoria // Hair and Makeup: Mary Davis Hair and Makeup // Catering: Rocky Top Catering // Vintage Rentals: Cottage Luxe // Vintage Lounge Sets: Greenhouse Picker Sisters // DJ: Raleigh Event DJ // Robes: The Knot // Videography: Point200

 

Real Weddings:

Izolda and Razvan’s wedding Villa Le Due Torrette

photography by Slava Mishura

Izolda and Razvan’s Italian wedding is filled with old-world romance. The intimate celebration at Villa Le Due Torrette was planned by Fairy Italy and focused on the comfort and enjoyment of the family and guests. As with most Italian Villa weddings, the decor is built in and the team of vendors including florist FioriGraphia kept the details to a minimum introducing a just a sprinkle of lilac and lavender hues. The bride’s Berta gown and  cathedral length veil are a total show-stopper and we’re loving all the portraits of the couple on the grounds captured in the images of the day by photographer Slava Mishura.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

A special atmosphere was created by the chamber format of the wedding. It was a family celebration, where everyone met and talked to each other, and we were able to devote time to each guest. Many guests afterwards noted that there was a pleasant feeling that the celebration was organized for them. Chambery has created a very pleasant and comfortable atmosphere for everyone.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I found the dress in Italy, wedding salon “Le Spose Di Milano”. This was the second dress that I tried on, after I tried a few more but I did not want anything else and I did not go to any other salons. For fitting in Milan, I came from Monaco (where I lived) with my friends. The girls were crying during the fitting. Unfortunately on this day with me there was no mom. But my mother was able to come to the last fitting and she was very excited during it. And at that moment the first time I realized that I’m getting married, this is when I wore a dress and a salon employee dressed me with a veil. It was an extraordinary moment!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Little details, which we thought through with wedding planner, were very memorable to the guests. Little gifts, mirror seating chart, colors we used, dress for my girls, bow-tie for the guys. All details are joined together.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The most memorable moment of the wedding for me was on my way out with Dad. He came to my room. We went down the stairs and I saw the two of us in the mirror. I started crying. And of course the moment with Razvan, when we stood during the ceremony. It seemed to us that we were alone together and there was no one around. The moment of our unity.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

This is very funny, because the first unofficial proposal I received by phone. At that time we lived in different countries and Razvan really wanted me to move closer. I took the offer by phone as a joke. Usually, we saw each other once a month and the next time I came to Amsterdam, I already guessed that he had prepared a ring for me. On the day of my arrival, we went for a walk. There were a lot of people in the city. But knowing that he is very shy and will not make the proposal in a public place, every time we were alone (in the garden full of bloomed sakura, on the Ferris Wheel on Dam Square), I always thought “Well, now!” Every moment turned out to be wrong and in the end, I was tired of thinking about it. We were in a public park and watched the ducks. At some point, he said “Look!” pointing to the family of ducklings. I turned away to look, and when I turned back to him, he was already holding the ring in his hands.

Despite the fact that I was waiting for this moment all day, it was unexpected!

Photographer: Slava Mishura // Wedding Planner: Fairy Italy // Floral Designer: FioriGraphia // Calligrapher: Anya Tsymbal // Wedding Venue: Villa Le Due Torrette // Makeup & Hair: Anna Konopleva // Rings: Cartier // Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Dress: Berta // Showman: Serghei Abalin // Film lab: Carmencita Film Lab

 

Real Weddings:

Carly and Dave’s wedding at La Quinta Country Club

featuring Michelle Kyle Photography

Carly and Dave’s first date was a bust—Dave got sick and his car was towed—but it was meant to be and, for better or worse, they’ve been together ever since! The couple tied the knot in a modern celebration at La Quinta Country Club in Palm Springs. HoneyFitz Events planned the day filled with tropical and luscious greens by Little Hill Floral Design that reminded the couple of their favorite vacation spots. An understated color palette highlights all the stand-out details like the graphic acrylic seating chart affixed to a topiary wall and white blooms dancing around the custom neon signage. We love the bold, happy vibes and lucky for us Michelle Kyle Photography  was on hand to capture it all!

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Having all of  their closest family and friends together to celebrate with them!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Carly’s Wedding Gown is Pronovias and was purchased at The White Dress in Newport Beach. She was immediately drawn to the unique lace and illusion panels on the side.

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What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Touches of tropical and luscious greens reminded them of their favorite vacation spots — including Palm Springs. The Chuppah Canopy was hand-sewn by the groom’s mom. Carly’s wedding gown had lace from her mom’s wedding gown sewn on the inside.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Stomping on the glass and making it official!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Carly and Dave met at a bar — Palihouse in West Hollywood, CA. After having one of the worst first dinner dates — Dave got sick and his car was towed — they have been together ever since!

Planner: HoneyFitz Events // Photographer: Michelle Kyle Photography // Florist: Little Hill Floral Design // Signage & Paper Goods: Simply Stated Stationery // Ceremony & Reception Venue:  La Quinta Country Club // Wedding Gown: Pronovias from The White Dress in Newport Beach // First Look/Hotel Block: La Quinta Resort and Spa // Entertainment: Dart Collective // Rentals: Signature Party Rentals // Makeup: Make-up by Hailey // Videography: Viken Photography

 

Real Weddings:

Sheela and Joe’s wedding at The Barn on Walnut Hill

featuring Emily Delamater

Sheela and Joe wanted their wedding “to feel like a giant dinner party with our closest family and friends.” Sheela also happens to be a food writer, so cooking and food experiences are a favorite pastime of the couple. Needless to say, the bar was set high and Piccolo delivered the dinner party of their dreams at Portland’s The Barn on Walnut Hill. The event is filled with garden party details and farm-inspired florals by Broadturn Farm. Emily Delamater was behind the lens and she captured it all in these stunning images.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

Sheela: I lived in Italy for awhile and quickly fell in love with the food and the relaxed style of dining there. Since I also happen to be a food writer and cooking and sharing food experiences are two of our favorite hobbies together, we really wanted our wedding to feel like a giant dinner party with our closest family and friends. It was exactly that and then some. We can’t tell you how many times people told us that wedding food is always an afterthought and it will never be as good as we actually wanted it to be, but it was that and more. We loved that people were as excited about the food and drink and company surrounding it as we were — and that we ate more at our own wedding than we have at any other wedding! Piccolo blew us always with their ability to deliver the dinner party of our dreams and we will always be so thankful for that.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Sheela: The gown is Truvelle, a boutique designer based in Vancouver, Canada. I stumbled upon them on Pinterest and immediately fell in love with their modern yet classic design that’s feminine and whimsical. There are only a handful of shops in the U.S. that carry their gowns and luckily there was one near my apartment in Brooklyn. The dress I chose felt like it could have been made for me — it was so airy and effortless, with really thoughtful touches. Plus, it was the most comfortable gown ever — I didn’t want to take it off at the end of the night!

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

Sheela: There are too many to count! Though I’d have to say the ceremony itself stands out the most. We asked my aunt and uncle to marry us — I am incredibly close to both of them and they’ve been married for almost 60 years. They’re as in love now as they were the day they got married and having them bless us and start us on our journey as husband and wife together couldn’t have been more special. We also wrote our own vows, and while there was so much trembling and tears, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Joe: We hate to say we met at a bar but, well, we met at a bar, as wing-people for our two friends who were on a sort of casual first date after meeting randomly a few nights earlier. Sheela’s friend dragged her with her because she had met the guy late at night at a bar and wanted to ensure he wasn’t completely crazy upon meeting him the second time. She came as her back up plan in case he actually was, in which case she could casually say they needed to go, ha! I came a little later. One, to let my friend spend more time with Sheela’s friend without her, and we quickly hit it off and spent the rest of the night talking and getting to know each other. We exchanged phone numbers and went on our first date a couple of weeks later.

I proposed 4 years later. Sheela had been away for the weekend and I told her I’d take care of dinner the night she got back. As we were just finishing our meal out on our balcony, I reached into my pocket and immediately she thought it was an engagement ring, which was exactly what I hoped she would do. What she didn’t know was that I had a special pair of earrings custom made for her, and this was what was in the box. I said that “I just missed you this weekend and wanted to give you something special.” What she didn’t know was that I still had a little bag in my pocket that contained the ring. In order to not seem obvious, I told her I had to use the bathroom, which would allow me the opportunity to take the ring out of the bag.

Once I got back outside to the balcony and sat down, I started telling her the story of how the earrings were made. I told her that the earrings were actually made using her mom’s engagement ring band, and then proceeded to pull out the remainder of the ring (the diamond) on a newly mounted setting and asked her to marry me.

Photographer: Emily Delamater // Event Planning & Design: A Family Affair Maine // Floral Design: Broadturn Farm // Invitation Design: Gus & Ruby Letterpress // Venue: The Barn on Walnut Hill // Wedding Dress Shop: Schone Bride // Wedding Dress Designer: Truvelle // Bridal Shoe Designer: Stuart Weitzman // Bridal Veil/Headpiece: Truvelle (Veil), Davie & Chiyo (Hair Pins) // Grooms & Groomsmens’ Suits: J.Crew  // Grooms Shoes: Cole Haan // Wedding Rings: Clay Pot and Bario-Neal // Engagement Ring: Clay Pot // Bridesmaid Dresses: Various // Event Rentals: One Stop Event Rentals // Band: FreeStyle from Wilson Stevens Agency // Hair/Makeup Stylist: Brigette Bonenfant // Caterer/Cake/Desserts: Piccolo // Wedding Favors: Donated to Cancer Research Institute in Sheela’s mom’s name in lieu of favors // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box