It’s official. I am getting married in Italy. Sure, I may not be engaged just yet, but all of you potential suitors out there… take note. Because this breathtaking day captured beautifully by Daniele Del Castillo? It’s happening. Right down to the cozy intimate atmosphere, beautiful lavender accents and beyond stunning Rocca di Benano setting. See every last glorious moment (and I mean glorious) right here in the full gallery.
From the Bride… Ever since I was a little girl, I always imagined having a wedding in Italy. When I suggested Italy as our wedding destination, Ben was immediately on board. We both love to travel and an adventure in Italy seemed like the perfect way to celebrate our marriage. Better yet, it would be the trip of a lifetime that we could share with our immediate families and our very dear friends, totaling 16 guests. We picked June for the weather and chose the 27th, which was towards the end of our week-long stay to allow enough time for the last-minute details.
Our goal was to keep the wedding simple and intimate. We chose a villa located in the small Umbrian town of Benano. The villa, Rocca di Benano, is a beautifully restored 1,000-year-old hamlet. The rich history of the villa appealed to us, but perhaps it was the Etruscan cave converted into a wine cellar that was the favorite of our guests. Our immediate families stayed with us for the entire week, and the villa accommodated us perfectly.
The villa sits on the town’s piazza, across from which is the small church where our ceremony was held. Ben’s childhood best friend, Caleb, was our officiant. With his thoughtful memories and beautiful words he made the ceremony a truly heartwarming and personal experience. We asked Ben’s Step Father, Don, and my Godmother, Mikki to read a poem at separate points during the service. As two very important people in our lives, it was so touching to have them participate.
Since neither of us have traveled to Italy before, nor did we have the resources to scout out the area with a preliminary trip for planning, we relied heavily on the help and guidance from Karen Smith, one of the owners of Rocca di Benano. Karen recommended our caterer, Doriana Ottaviani from Cooking for You. Doriana and her team took care of the table, chair, and linen rental, along with delivery, set up, and clean up. Communicating via email, Doriana came up with a brilliant menu. Out of all the eating we did in Italy, our reception dinner was, by far, the best. Every course was better than the next and each was paired perfectly with an Italian wine. Instead of a wedding cake, Ben and I opted for tiramisu.
We planned on having lavender for our wedding arrangements, however, it was a bit difficult to find any at the local florist. We really lucked out when we visited Palazzone for a wine tour. They had tons of lavender and were happy let us pick some. The fragrant purple flowers were arranged into simple bouquets and boutonnieres by our mothers.
The burlap decorations, including the bunting, were inspired by projects posted on Pinterest. We kept things simple as to not take away from the charm and ambiance that surrounded us. The reception was held in the piazza and our small group of guests, including our fabulous photographer, Daniele, sat around one large table. It had been quite some time since Benano had seen a wedding and there was lots of excitement from the loving residents of Benano. They were all so warm and inviting, welcoming us to celebrate our wedding in the middle of their town.
So, in a small, Italian village surrounded by over a thousand years of history, amidst the excitement and love of the local neighbors, our dearest friends and our loving family; we got married. It was our dream wedding and, despite the difficulty of planning so far away, everything worked out perfectly.
Photography: Del Castillo Photography | Reception: Rocca di Benano | Hair Stylist: Amy Marlow of Subculture Hair Design