To simply call this Italian celebration chic would be putting it lightly. For starters, any day that has the mastermind that is Matthew Oliver The Wedding Planner behind the planning is sure to be a winner in our wedding book. Add in the ever so talented Ben Yew Photography + Film behind the lens and you’ve got yourself one Pinterest worthy gallery. See it all in THE VAULT!
From Ben Yew Photography + Film…Ravello, Italy..What can I say. The view is simple stunning. I got to pinch myself when I saw the location. Justin & Cara even hired musicians for their ceremony and reception. Limoncello, the stunning Palazzo Avino hotel, Matthew Oliver as the amazing wedding planner from UK, and just about everything was perfect.
From Matthew Oliver The Wedding Planner…This wedding was one of my highlights of the year, not only did I get to plan a wedding in Italy (every wedding planners dream), I found my favorite spot in the world – Ravello. As an international wedding planner I’ve been to a few destinations in the last 8 years all incredibly beautiful and special to me, but Ravello did something to me I think it changed my perception on how lucky I am in doing what I do – also it’s the most romantic place I’ve ever been, shame my partner did not have a passport to join me though!
It was always going to be a small wedding as they just wanted to celebrate with their immediate families, so their were 10 guests in total. Small intimate weddings are beautiful as their personal and more emotional.
They found Ben Yew ages ago because they looked at his work whilst starting the plan. Ben Yew is from Australia, so they didn’t think he would be able to come all the way over to Italy. However they gave it ago as what do you have to loose and luckily he accepted the job. Ben Yew is a genius, everything he does with a camera is pure perfection and each photo tells a wonderful love story. Not only did the couple fall in love with the photos, I fell in love with him and would work with him time and time again.
How funny that everyone was from a different location? But I think that is why it all worked and the result was magical – yet slightly different from your general Italian wedding. The design was a simple yet natural style – we wanted to work with the style of the Palazzo, but also to the natural beauty of Italy and go for a classic/rustic theme. As the Palazzo is so clean we brought in natural elements to create a rustic design, so natural wooden chairs was a must, and creating the right floral arrangements had to be perfect. We worked with the famous Armando from Malafronte who did actually what we wished – we wanted to incorporate lemons as lemons are famous in the Ravello region, actually the biggest and most juiciest lemons I’ve ever had. So we had a floral runner run down the centre of the table mixed with lemons and candle sticks. It was simple yet extremely effective.
Each place setting had a beautiful hand written name card, local limoncello with a personalized label, and a fresh herb/flower which we attached to each menu. It all worked and with the view of the Amalfi Coast you couldn’t ask for a better setting.
As Cara works in re-branding and website design, she had a great eye for detail and personalized most of the finer things. She created all the stationery, labels for the limoncello, blackboard signs and other items.
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Photography: Ben Yew Photography + Film | Event Planning: Merren Events | Wedding Planning: Matthew Oliver Weddings | Wedding Dress: Claire Pettibone | Bride's Shoes: Tory Burch | Rings: Tiffany & Co. | Band: Neapolitan Duo | Groom's Attire: Suitsupply | Venue: Palazzo Avino | Floral Design & Decor: Armando Malafronte | Groom's Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo | Interpreter: Angela Imperato