Tuscan Themed Wedding at Castello di Vincigliata in Fiesole, Italy
Comments from the Bride: “When David and I started our wedding planning adventure, the one thing we knew was that we wanted to get married in Italy.
“David and I met in Barcelona in 2008 and stayed in touch via Facebook for 4 years. We had to go through the process of David’s immigration and since made the sacrifice to leave his country, we knew we wanted to have the wedding in Italy. We dated long distance for year and met each other in different cities such as the South of France, Monaco, Italy, and Washington, DC.
“It seemed only fitting to have a wedding that included an adventure. We wanted a location where we could turn our celebration into a week long celebration where we could blend our cultures, families, and friends. After many hours of online research, we chose Federica Casagrande from Wedding Italy to plan our big day and David planned the rest since he is from Florence.
“We chose the Castello di Vincigliata, a beautiful castle set on the hills of Fiesole with spectacular views of Florence, for our wedding location. Our ceremony was bilingual in Italian and English.
“Being that David is from Italy and his culture values the experience of celebrating around enjoying the cuisine, he explained that food must be good! David spent hours planning the menu. Our wedding included three main courses: pasta, fish, and chianina beef filet. Galateo met our expectations even according to our Italian guests! A pastry chef made the simple, traditional Italian wedding cake, Millefoglie, in front of our guests.
“Our vision was to create a Tuscan themed wedding, as that is David’s home. David and I were initially worried about language barriers and if our guests could enjoy each others’ company; however; dancing is the universal language. I would recommend that brides use their setting to play off of, you don’t need a lot of décor with a beautiful setting. Honestly, it’s not about that, it’s about creating an environment where guests can have the time of their life and share in a day that you all will never forget. That is a successful wedding.
“Overall, we couldn’t be happier with our decision to honor and celebrate our love in Italy. The most rewarding part was seeing my friends create and enjoy their own European adventure and seeing our lives and cultures blend. We had 65 of our closest family and friends joining us for four nights of wedding events, including a welcome apertivo at Grand Hotel Minerva, wine tasting through the hills of Chianti, and our wedding set in a castle.”
Vendors
Photographer: Alixann Loosle Photography
Wedding planner Wedding Italy Punto di Fuga, Federica Casagrande
Ceremony and Reception center: Castello di Vincigliata, Fiesole, Italy
Announcement design: Allison Barnhill Designs
Bilingual Celebrant: Sergio Fabbri
Flowers: Gianluca Florum
Cake & Catering: Galateo
DJ: Virginio-The Alma Project
Bride’s dress: Victor Harper Couture (Charlotte, NC)
Bride’s shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bride’s jewelry: Nordstrom
Hair and makeup: Maritza
Groom’s suit: Hugo Boss
String Quartet: The Alma Project
Meredith
Despite her dreamy wedding blogger lifestyle, Meredith's day job is running ClassicVeils.com and a full-time mom to an active toddler. If she could, Meredith would spend her days taking cruises, helping animals in need, and watching Big Brother!
