A romantic Italian wedding overlooking Florence

A romantic Florence wedding with a view over the city? Yes please! This celebration captured by ETHER & SMITH and planned by Tuscan wedding planner WEDDINGS IN TUSCANY was held at VILLA DI MAIANO in Fiesole, chosen in part due to it's impressive situation on a hillside overlooking the city. As the groom was born and raised in Italy, and attended university in Florence itself, it meant that it was convenient for many of their friends and family as well as for international travellers. Gorgeous bride Amy wore an off-the-shoulder gown by INES DI SANTO with beautifully detailed lace and carried a sweet bouquet of blush and pink roses by CHIARI SPERTI FLORAL EVENTS. "I wanted to look classic and romantic on my wedding day as we were having a Catholic ceremony in church. I knew I wanted it to be lace and not too trendy."

HOW DID YOU MEET? We met in Miami Beach. I was living in another city at the time and was visiting for the weekend. I met Aurelio while out on a Friday night with my family and friends. We stayed in touch and that chance meeting grew into a long distance relationship. Fast forward two years, I was able to move to Miami full-time.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: Aurelio surprised me with a last minute weekend trip to Turks & Caicos, which is a place we both love. We had both been very busy at work and I thought the trip was just a chance for us to disconnect from everything and rest. He caught me completely off guard with the proposal. He suggested we ride to one of our favourite secluded beaches. No one else was around when it happened, so it was intimate and perfect.

TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: We planned our wedding in six months so I had to find a dress quickly. I was able to find my dress at the very first store I visited with my mom and one of my bridesmaids. It was one of the last ones I tried on and we all just kind of knew it was the one.

DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY ELEMENTS? We used our escort table to pay tribute to our families. We included framed photographs of both of our parents on their wedding days. We also included one of my grandmother, who passed away suddenly shortly before we got engaged. It was important to us to have her included in our wedding day. I also had lockets with her photo attached to my bouquet.

DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: Classic pink and white with greenery. We wanted the flowers to look natural and highlight the beautiful green backdrop of the Tuscan countryside. Our florist CHIARI SPERTI did such a beautiful job. She combined garden roses, peonies, sweet peas, jasmine and many others to create something organic and romantic. The highlight was the gorgeous floral garland of roses and greenery she created around the entrance to the church.

FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: For wedding favours, we wanted to give our guests something that had personal meaning to us. We worked with an organisation in Aurelio’s hometown called “Laboratorio Terrarte” which works with children and adults with disabilities to design and create beautiful ceramic items. They created bowls decorated with with images and messages related to love for our wedding guests. They personalised each one with our names & wedding date underneath. Of course we also had to include something sweet, so we added personalised jars of “nocciomiele” which is a haze
lnut honey spread.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? If you’re planning a destination wedding, definitely hire a planner. Even though Aurelio is Italian, it really helped to have someone on the ground with existing relationships. Our planner Chiara Sernesi with WEDDINGS IN TUSCANY was amazing. This doesn’t mean you have to use every vendor your planner suggests, feel free to bring your own suggestions to the process. A good planner will be happy to incorporate.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Definitely the fireworks that went off as we cut our wedding cake. It was a special moment to have all of our loved ones celebrating alongside us. Somehow, it was one of the most peaceful moments of the whole day because it was the first time we got to just pause, take a breath and soak it all in… and of course…eat cake!

ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY? We decided to do our first dance outside, as well as the dances with our parents because that’s where we were having dinner. We had a dance floor with string lights set up on the lawn, and our first dance happened right as the sun was setting. For late night dancing after the cake cutting we moved inside the villa.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE OR DO DIFFERENTLY? Be a little less nervous walking down the aisle!

Tuscany wedding planner Chiara Sernesi of WEDDINGS IN TUSCANY works with couples from all over the world to design and plan their dream wedding. Inspired by her appreciation of different cultures and travelling Chiara and her team pay great attention to detail to ensure an impeccable personalised service. Their goal is to surpass all expectations while creating an extraordinary event which overflows with elegance, refinement, and sophistication. Make sure you check out this Stunningly elegant elopement ideas from Tuscany.