SMPers, meet Michele and Ryan. They’re a Florida-based couple who decided to take their wedding plans abroad, landing in beautiful Tuscany for a celebration their guests will always remember. They brought on the amazing Italians vendors like Linda Nari and Gattotigre to document their special day and we’ve got every last moment waiting for you below.
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From the Bride, Michele… We first laid eyes on each other when my sister and I went out with her then fiancé and his friends. Ryan made quite an impression when he bought me a whiskey served neat because, “it was delicious.” It smelled and I imagine tasted like something I would clean my floors with. Being a shy guy, he didn’t ask me out that night but kept coming back to chat while keeping it cool and hanging out with the guys. A couple weeks later at my sister’s wedding, we saw each other again. He was shy at first and took a few drinks for him to come out to the dance floor. After a few more drinks, he finally asked me out on a date. He may have had a little too much liquid courage because when we saw each other again the next day at brunch, he proceeded to ask me out again! After only a few dates, he professed he was going to marry me, and he was right!
After I graduated from my Master’s program, Ryan took me on an Alaskan adventure to celebrate. We cruised through many amazing cities, but I was most excited about hiking the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. We started with a helicopter ride overlooking the glacier. It was breathtaking and we landed to mountains of ice surrounding us completely. Even the guides stated it was the clearest and most beautiful day they had seen. There were bright blue ponds of meltwater so clean we were able to drink directly from it. While enjoying the stunning views on our hike I turned around to Ryan down on one knee. I was completely shocked! Truly one of the best moments of my life (now second to my wedding). He must have been sweating carrying the ring everywhere with him that whole trip!
I started the planning process and as we both live in Boca Raton, I was set to do the wedding in Florida. We visited venues, did food tastings and obtained quotes from multiple vendors. But I just couldn’t shake the idea of spending a crazy amount of money on one night, and it wasn’t sitting well with me. I wanted more time and more memories with my loved ones. In the end, we decided a destination wedding in Tuscany was everything we envisioned. Amazing food, delicious wine, and gorgeous scenery. Yes, please. I spent weeks looking for the perfect spot until finally, Ryan stumbled upon Gabrielle’s beautiful Casale De Pasquinelli near Lucca. It was perfect. It had everything I was looking for and enough room to have our guests stay together. The theme that I always imagined was “Rustic Tuscan”, and I wanted to be surrounded by nature and trees. I had my heart set on saying our vows between surrounding cypress trees and having greenery with simple romantic touches like candlelight. Luckily, Gabriele (the owner of the property) was such an amazing wedding planner for me that everything just came together perfectly and beyond what I expected.
We spent our honeymoon wining and dining around Italy. We started our tour in Florence, then went to Anacapri where we swam in the blue grotto. Afterward, we traveled to Ischia and relaxed at the Regina Isabella Spa and Resort, then we were off to Rome to delve into history. It was a nice balance of relaxation and exploration with endless yummy food and wine.
Photography: Linda Nari Photography | Videography: Gattotigre - Destination Wedding Videography | Floral Design: wedding & co | Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas | Bride's Shoes: Schutz | Catering : wedding & co | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Wedding Venue: Casale De Pasquinelli | Bride's Dress: Wedding Atelier | Bride's Jewelry: Mariolka's Bridal Boutique
