Perfect Italy Wedding sent us just that today – a perfect Italy wedding, and I have been fighting off the travel bug since the moment it hit our inbox. Hello gorgeous sweeping views! The Cinque Terre provides the perfect backdrop for these cuties, and their wedding is one their guests will never forget. Jarrad Lister Photography captured every gorgeous memory and you can see it all right here!
From Bonnie of Perfect Italy Wedding… Lindsay and Jordan have two great loves: family and traveling. During her time in college studying industrial engineering, Lindsay studied abroad in Italy, and she always knew it would be her wedding destination. When the time came, she and Jordan picked one of the most breathtaking locations to tie the knot: the Cinque Terre coast. This was a wedding of firsts. It was the first trip abroad for most of the family members; it would be the first wedding ceremony performed by Lindsay’s newly-ordained brother-in-law; and it would also be photographers Jarrad Lister’s first time capturing photos in Italy. The excitement in the air was contagious, and the wedding week was packed with adventure!
The Cinque Terre is a challenging destination, not only for the rugged coastline terraced with vineyards and drops into the med to take your breath away, but it also has a micro-climate where sudden changes in the weather mean that planning a romantic wedding cruise where the ceremony is performed on a boat is a fingers-crossed situation. Like all destination weddings we plan, family members are involved in discovery excursions and activities according to physical shape and personal likes. A large group hiked two hours up through vineyards to reach the local wine estate for a wine tasting; others strolled down the walk of love to neighboring Rio Maggiore; still others chose to kick back and enjoy the chic retreat run flawlessly by Gabriele Baldini. We were honored to have been hired for Lindsay and Jordan’s wedding celebration and as an Air Force family ourselves, we are proud to be part of their lives. They are now stationed in Turkey, enjoying traveling around Europe.
From the Bride… Bonnie is the greatest! We stayed in Manarola and had the ceremony on a boat in Porto Venere. Bonnie truly made our special day spectacular! The arrangements she made for us and our families were impeccable and we honestly couldn’t have asked for a better wedding experience. She was so easy to work with and went above and beyond my expectations. You would think planning a wedding in a foreign country would be difficult, but she really makes it so you don’t have to lift a finger. We pretty much showed up and had the best time of our lives! Unfortunately, the airlines lost my and my husband’s luggage. Luckily, I carried my dress and all of my wedding day attire on the plane, but my husband checked his suit with the lost luggage. Bonnie and her husband, Lucca, sprung into action and drove us to LaSpezia to go shopping in order to get us some essential clothes and my husband another suit for the big day. This was just one example of many where Bonnie shined during our trip to Cinque Terre. I really can’t praise her and Lucca enough. Not only were me and my husband pleased with Bonnie and Lucca, but both of our families and friends were impressed by their effort and organization as they were prepared for anything. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have changed anything … with the exception of the lost luggage situation, but that even turned out alright!
Wedding Photography: Jarrad Lister Photography / Ceremony: At Sea near Cinque Terre, Italy / Reception: Marina Piccola Restaurant in Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy / Reception Location: Ristorante Marina Piccola / Event Design + Planning: Bonnie Marie Bates of Perfect Italy Wedding / Floral Design + Accommodations: La Torretta / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier via Nitsa’s / Hair: Studio 20