Europe Weddings

When it comes to Italian wedding destinations, I think we can all agree it’s pretty tough to compete with Villa Cimbrone. The venue’s timeless, old world romance enchants us every. single. time. That being said, we couldn’t be more excited to share today’s destination wedding at Villa Cimbrone from Events by Paulina. To see all the dreamy details, including an epic hanging floral installation from Malafronte Fiori, head on over to the full gallery – all taken by Bottega53!

 

How and when did you meet?

From the Bride… We met at a mutual friend’s house in Taipei, where Jimmy was invited to cook for a group of friends. Luckily, Jimmy brought his best and prepared his signature bourbon bbq ribs and sea urchin risotto, because it caught Rachel’s attention. After a few weeks of dating, Rachel told Jimmy that she was moving to Los Angeles to continue her education for the next two years. Jimmy said he was all for it and they started their two year long distance relationship from Los Angeles to Shanghai defying the cliche that long distance doesn’t last. (12/2013)

 

How and when did you get engaged?

During one of Jimmy and Rachel’s summer vacations to Europe, Jimmy had planned a little surprise along the way. Jimmy cunningly planned his proposal and rented a yacht for the day to take them from Capri to Positano where he would propose during sunset with Positano’s mystic cliffside architecture as a backdrop. However, what he didn’t plan for was a luggage that never arrived at Naples and a high tide on the way from Naples to Capri. The dramamine was in that luggage, and Rachel was so seasick that she told Jimmy she never wanted to get on a boat again. Luckily, the luggage arrived to our resort in Capri, albeit missing a wheel, but with the seasick meds, she was ready to give it another shot. We cruised around Capri, dined at one Michelin-starred Il Riccio and even had Michael Jordon dine behind us. Finally, we boarded our private yacht, headed towards Positano, and paused about 500 yards from the beach for a photo session at the bow. With John Mayer’s “Gravity” playing in the background, Jimmy dropped to one knee and proposed. (07/2018)

 

Why did you pick this venue? What did you most love about it?

We had considered a number of cities in Italy and researched a number of venues, but we wanted to bring all of our family and friends to the place that we felt was most special, the Amalfi Coast. During our search, we saw surreal, beautiful pictures of Villa Cimbrone online, and Paulina had just so suggested the same venue as one of her top choices. We knew Villa Cimbrone would be the place. Ravello was relatively close to Positano, while being a bit more quaint and dreamy. The number of rooms was perfect for our big family so we booked the entire villa for our family to stay in during our wedding. Villa Cimbrone also had such a wide selection of picturesque spaces across its property that could be used for the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception and after-party. It only made sense, even if we never had the chance to visit the venue or taste the food before our wedding. Our choice was perfect, as the venue was more beautiful than we thought, and all of the hotel staff were top-notch, including the spectacular Villa Cimbrone events coordinator, Donnatella.  Looking back, we would make the same decision, hands down.

 

What was your vision for your wedding?

Our vision of our wedding was to create a journey shared with family and friends, which included traveling from Rome to Positano and hosting a Capri boat excursion with a welcome lunch party in Capri followed by evening drinks in Positano and in Ravello. Literally, we would explore, wine and dine together all the way till the big event. For the wedding itself, we wanted different experiences from the welcome drinks to the ceremony, cocktails, reception and finally the after-party, and Villa Cimbrone offered it all with such an expansive, diverse and beautiful property. We started our welcome drinks with a rooftop lemonade stand at Villa Cimbrone’s terrace where the guests had amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea. The guests were then ushered through the famous Cimbrone gardens passing by a pomegranate tree to eventually reach a cliff-side ceremony filled with white rustic florals where a quintet was playing classical love songs. Once the ceremony was finished, our guests would be ushered into one of many gardens filled with gelato stands, an escort card table with limoncello shots for each guest, and a gift table where we had custom bags and cashmere scarves with hand-ironed logos. The gelato, finger foods, Prosecco and an Italian guitar duo made for a fun way to kick off the evening.  

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Photographer: Bottega 53 | Videographer: Giordano | Wedding Planner: Events by Paulina | Florist: Armando Malafronte | Stationary: Letters by Ann | Hair: Alessandro Mancino & Marco Carpentieri | Lighting: RMS | Hotel: Villa Cimbronne | Chairs: Wedding Chairs & Co | Guestbook: Be Golden | Music: Wedding Music | Rentals: FG Eventi

If you’re ever lucky enough to visit the beautiful grounds of Villa Cimbrone tucked away high in the hills of Ravello, you will be consumed by mesmerizing views, enchanting gardens and awe-inspiring sculptures. If you ask us – it’s one of the most romantic places in the world to exchange vows. Allow this gorgeous shoot planned by Lily of the Valley with floral design from Armando Malafronte to inspire and charm its way into your heart. Oh, and don’t miss out on the full gallery captured by Anna Roussos and Thanos Asfis – every image is AMAZING.

From Anna Roussos… Tying the knot in the spectacular crypt of Villa Cimbrone, an 11th century residence in the medieval town of Ravello? Having an intimate dinner at the Terraza Dell’Infinito or Terrace of Infinity overlooking the breathtaking views of the Amalfi Coast? Stealing kisses from the love of your life while getting lost in ancient lush gardens? We say YES! Inspired by the beauty and rich history of southern Italy, our creative team dreamt up this romantic editorial shoot as an homage to Italian splendor and old world charm.

Villa Cimbrone provided the perfect backdrop, a dream wedding location for the ones who seek to be surrounded by high aesthetics blended with tranquility and romance. Perched high atop a cliff with a dramatic sight of the Mediterranean and the coastline, the beautiful estate is the crown laurel of Ravello. The intimate ceremony took place under the vaulted arches of the crypt overflowing with lush foliage and floral blooms that evoked the feeling of a magical garden. Styled with a hanging crystal chandelier and scattered vintage gold candelabras, the ceremony was an incredible sight to see. The dinner table set on the Terrace on Infinity was draped in green velvet and adorned with candelabras creating an opulent setting for the couple.

Lavish tableware with gold cutlery and forged glasses highlighted by blush Florentine charger plates were reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance prosperity era. Hues of dusty rose, blush and cream punctuated the floral centerpiece completing the ethereal feel and timeless elegance of the intimate reception. Velvet accents were abundant throughout the editorial complementing the vintage-inspired styling. This sumptuous material was featured in the groom’s costume, ribbons, tablecloths, vow booklets, ring boxes and served as a backdrop for the flat lays. Antique styling goods: a mirror, brush, frames, vintage stamps and other heirloom accessories were used to showcase the stationery and bridal details. The invitation suite was created from handmade cotton paper with deckled edges infused with dried flowers.

The flowing calligraphy on the envelope and the wax seal further added to the romantic and classic touch of the paper goods. The heavenly floating cake appeared as if it was suspended in time and space with intricate golden leaves swirling around the different tiers. It was displayed on deep pink velvet embellished by a loose organic floral arrangement. A whimsical vision crafted in layers of pastel green and pink tulle, the bride’s gown captured the fairytale essence with floral appliqués details and exquisite beading across its delicate silhouette which was accented by a velvet rose ribbon belt. 

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Photographer : Thanos Asfis Photography | Photographer : Anna Roussos | Videography : dimH | Cake: Pavlov's Lab | Stationery: Love Me Do | Jewelry : Mindy Lam | Art de la table: White Lilac | Bridal dress : Madebride by Antonea | Bridal shoes: Bella Belle | Cuff links: Giannetos | Female model : Korlan Madi | Flower design : Armando Malafronte | Groom’s costume: Kourlas Fashion House | Groom’s watch: Alex. G. Andreadis & Co. | Hair and MUA: Alessandro Mancino & Marco Carpentieri | Lingerie: The Lace Atelier | Male model : Paul Ferrari | Planning and Styling : Lily of the Valley | Rentals: Andrea Riccio Weddings Solutions | Villa Cimbrone : Villa Cimbronne

“The people are passionate; the love is wild; and the scenery leaves you breathless.” Lisa Fantino’s words about the Amalfi Coast couldn’t be more true – and this gorgeous affair at Belmond Hotel Caruso planned by Amorology proves just that. Although the ceremony views are incredible, it’s hard not to stare at the innovative design by Siloh Floral… blooming lily pad-like seating and an arbor covered in vibrant blooms. We are forever indebted to Rebecca Yale Photography for capturing these gorgeous photos of the day that allow us to live vicariously!

From Rebecca Yale Photography… Jessica and Baptiste opted for an intimate wedding on the Amalfi Coast, celebrating just with their parents. Since the wedding celebration was so intimate with just their families, Amorology was able to create a very unique invitation and Save the Date with the help of Lovely Paper Things. The Save the Date was a bottle of Olive Oil wrapped in a linen cloth patterned with oranges and lemons which are known to being prominent to the region and the Belmond’s property. The groom’s father is a rancher so she incorporated a special nod to him in the invitations and menus having them printed and debossed, like a cattle brand, on suede. A wicker like liner was created to match the wicker used at the dining table chairs for the wedding dinner. The bride and groom had custom matching passport holders made up for the trip with their new married initials and decided to have a pre-honeymoon and travel for a week through Italy before the wedding.

They found their wedding bands in a little town on the Amalfi Coast, which made them even more special to the trip. Siloh Floral built a large lush arch on the lawn of the Belmond, with the gorgeous cliffs and bright blue Amalfi Ocean behind them. Instead of traditional chair seating, Amorology designed 3 pods for each couple to sit on, which were covered in an abundance of florals to make them appear as if they were growing out of the ground. The bride added a gold veil as a special touch for the ceremony.

Traditional Italian musicians serenaded the couple during the family portraits before the ceremony and then sung Valore as she came down the aisle. Both Jessica’s mother and step-mother played the maid of honor role straightening her veil and dress and her father played the best man role, handing off the rings to Baptiste during the ceremony.

After the bride and groom recessed all of the parents took turns hugging each other as the bride and groom made their way to a lemon orchard and then up to the famous Belmond infinity pool for a few portraits. Amorology created a beautiful lounge space for cocktail hour with accents of pink, orange, yellow and teal. Everyone’s favorite detail by far was the vintage gelato cart, which they all enjoyed as a pre-dinner snack served either in a cone or vintage espresso cup. The bride and groom shared their first dance during cocktail hour before making their way to their seats in the a stunning table for 8 Amorology created under the olive grove with hanging lanterns and oranges and lemons foraged from the property on the table mixed in with the lush floral arrangements. Little glass cloches personalized with their names served as their place cards and were filled with lemons. Leather menus again debossed sat upon each place setting.

They dined on a gourmet meal with wine pairings in the grove while a black cat kept making appearances, which made the bride very happy as she wasn’t able to bring her cat or dog with her to the wedding. There are hundreds of stray cats in Ravello and she made sure to say hi to every one of them and loved having one under her chair for most of dinner. The bride and groom were excited by the large cake for just the 8 of them, but then couldn’t stop laughing when they tried to cut into it and realized the hotel had made a cake that was primarily for show made of styrofoam and they could only cut into the top tier. The bride and groom ended the evening by making their way to the hotel bar for a glass of whisky and a dance by the piano singer in the hotel bar.

Photography: Rebecca Yale Photography | Planner: Amorology | Florist: Siloh Floral | Wedding Dress: Reem Acra | Venue: Belmond Hotel Caruso | Bride's Hair and Makeup: Ashley Fierro | Event Planning Assistant: Nomad Republic International | Paper Goods: Lovely Paper Things | Rentals: BBJ La Tavola | Tabletop : Tableset

Say “ciao” to the most magical, intimate Amalfi Coast wedding at one of our favorite venues, Villa Cimbrone, captured beautifully by Facibeni Fotografia. The beautiful bride took inspiration from her bold bridesmaids’ dresses designed by Johanna Ortiz for her bright pink color scheme. The week-long festivities went off without a hitch all thanks to Sarah Fay Egan! The bride donned a Monique Lhuillier gown that we’ll be seeing in our dreams for many days to come – a true princess dress! Oh, and the flowers, ohhh the flowers… let’s just say if you’re a pink peonies girl, then this one’s for you.

From The Bride… I envisioned an intimate wedding in Italy, which is my favorite country in the world. I wanted the whole week of festivities to be very personal so that my husband and I’s friends and family could connect and become friends at the end of it. I wanted lots of candles and flowers – I think these two elements are key in a beautiful wedding. But at the end of the day I just wanted everyone to have fun and enjoy this magical place! My color palette was pink, green and white. I am usually not a colorful person but I found a bright pink Johanna Ortiz bridesmaid dress that had the most beautiful colors on it and took inspiration from there.

I am a chef so I love finding pottery for my kitchen when I travel. While in Positano prepping for the wedding, I found some handmade coffee mugs that had lemons painted on them. I thought they would be perfect for our gift baskets so I had 120 of them made with our names and wedding date on them. They were such a great take away and I love that our guests still use them to this day and it reminds them of our wedding weekend.

My favorite moment was probably saying my vows to my husband. I am from Texas so we are very used to a couple hundred person wedding, even some that have over 1,000 guests. I stood there saying my vows to my husband and looked into the crowd of 98 people and it was every single person I love in my life sitting in my most favorite town in the whole world. It was a pinch-me moment that I never wanted to end.

My flowers were an assortment of different kinds – everything from peonies to roses in all different hues of pink with some leafy greens in the mix. My gown was a large Monique Lhuillier gown that I had found while traveling in LA. I had originally wanted something tight/ almost a mermaid fit but my mom made me try on this large, strapless lace gown and I fell in love. I did want to be completely covered durning the ceremony so I had them make a long sleeve lace top that fit perfectly over my dress. I removed it after our dinner.

Our cake was a large white cake with real pink flowers all down it. It was a lemon cake of course because lemons were a big theme with our wedding! Our gift bags were a fun straw beach bag that I found on Etsy. I wanted everything from the bag to be used again so I created things that I had received from past weddings and still loved. I had the mugs made, baseball caps made with our monogram and lemons on them, a bag of lemon candies that I had found in Ravello and loved along with waters and some treats! My best advise for all the brides-to-be? Don’t stress and find a good wedding planner! Our wedding planners really helped make this week so perfect and took anyway any worries I had so I was able to enjoy every moment. I trusted them and put the weekend in their hands and everything turned out magical.

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Photography: Facibeni Fotografia | Videography: Matteo Castelluccia Videomaker | Event Planning: Sara Fay Egan Events | Floral Design: Sebastian Flowers | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Villa Cimbronne | Invitations: Paradise Design Co | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Johanna Ortiz | Makeup: Danni Miniz Lovelydanni Artistry | Makeup : Mason Griffin Masondelaneymakeup | Calligraphy: Tara Jones Calligraphy | Entertainment: Nuart Nuart Events | Wedding Venue: Villa Cimbronne | Accomodations: Palazzo Avino

I’m betting that the Amalfi Coast sits atop many a honeymoon wish list out there—maybe even yours. But why not create a once in a lifetime wedding experience that rolls straight into your honeymoon? An Italy adventure full of love and old-world charm (and maybe some gelato!). Today Blush Wedding Photography, Tanja Kibogo, NKT Events and the entire vendor team below are painting that exact picture for you. It may just be the convincing you need.

From Blush Wedding Photography… Let’s take you on a visual and sensory journey along the coast of one of our favorite areas in southern Italy. Imagine driving along the Mediterranean, the wind flowing through your hair carrying with it the scents of the Amalfi Coast. The sweet yet salty aroma of the turquoise expanse coupled with the lingering hint of citrus from the local lemon tree farms.

You decide to make a stop at the top of the hill to admire and explore the quaint village of Ravello. As you stroll through the town, local musicians serenade a crowd as you take in the lush greenery alongside the local delicacies to be tasted and tried from lemon gelato and lattes to limoncello.

You continue on and take in the local scenery when you come upon a hidden entrance at the end of your walk to a hilltop villa overlooking the Mediterranean. The moment you enter, you feel as if you have been transported into a secret garden. As you walk through the ancient pathways and archways of Villa Cimbrone, you admire a sensuous Arcadia and appreciate the uniqueness of each flowering foliage. The delicate details immured in the architecture remind you of a time that once was. In the distance you see a statue of a man, welcoming you in some manner as you make your way over to find yourself on the edge of heaven. As far as the eye can see, you are taken aback by the beauty of the vast expanse before you as the colors of sunset dance along the horizon.

Inspired by the magical moments experienced at Villa Cimbrone, we wanted to create a visual inspiration for our future brides of their destination wedding event on the Amalfi Coast. Instead of having just your honeymoon on the southern coast of Italy, why not create a once in a lifetime experience for your closest friends and family. With so many hidden treasures along its shores, the Amalfi Coast always makes you feel like you are experiencing it for the first time.

When looking to create the perfect wedding inspiration on the Amalfi Coast, we knew we had to shoot in the hilltop village of Ravello, where Villa Cimbrone offers far-reaching views from its infamous Belvedere Terrace, surrounded by it’s century aged gardens. Together with Blush Wedding Photography and Tanja Kibogo Photography, we came together to bring to life a vision of vintage elegance and modern femininity that weaves the story of our international couple. With a soft color palette of white, peach and blush, we collaborated with Liz from Siloh Florals to bring to life the modern romantic femininity our clients emanate. The ceremony took place in the Villa’s “Tea Garden,” a perfect complement to our muted palette. All focus was on the beautiful detailing of our bride’s cape from Gibson Bespoke, which complimented the subtle elegance of our groom’s velvet suit.

We deepened the palette to vibrant peaches and amber tones for the reception, where Myrtle and Olive created a beautiful table setting & arrangements that embraced the romantic vibe to the setting. Paired perfectly with natural and organic feeling of Tara Spencer’s reception stationary. Keeping in line with the modern femininity theme of the shoot, The Cake and the Giraffe, designed the perfect one tier cake, topped with gorgeous floral from Myrtle and Olive.

A month before the wedding, guests are sent out welcome gifts of hand-made Italian leather password wallet and luggage tags by Hello London Designs, stamped with the couple’s initials. Plus Lark & Ives travel set of pins to adorn their bags. Setting the tone and getting the guests excited for the truly wonderful wedding and holiday they are about to experience.

Photography: Blush Wedding Photography | Photography: Tanja Kibogo | Wedding Dress: Katie May | Cake: Cake And Giraffe | Ceremony Venue: Villa Cimbrone | Shoes: Bella Belle | Bridal Cape: Gibson Bespoke | Ceremony Floral : Siloh Floral | Hair & Make-up: Ava Belle | Models: 4 Upper Models | Planning: NKT Events | Reception Floral & Styling: Myrtle et Olive | Reception Stationery: Tara Spencer | Ribbon: Seidenband | Save the date invite: Atelier Preszburger | Travel Pins Welcome gift: Lark & Ives | Vow Books: elmo Paperstories ltd. | passport wallet & luggage tags: Hello London Designs

All at once, this wedding feels like it took place 100 years ago and 100 years from now. It truly is the loveliest blueprint for what a timeless celebration looks like. Oliver Fly‘s imagery seems to float off the screen with beauty, and contained in each moment are charming details planned by The Wedding Boutique Italy. I don’t doubt that you’ll get lost while perusing the full gallery.

What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?

From the beginning, we wanted a romantic and timeless wedding, and we used dusty blue as our main wedding colour, which was inspired by the colour of the view from Terrazza dell’Infinito at Villa Cimbrone.

Why did you choose to do a Destination Wedding and why did you decide to choose Italy and Villa Cimbrone as your final choice?

Usually weddings in Jakarta are very grand, around 1000-3000 guests. Aston and I were always fond of a small intimate wedding, where we can spend more time with our closest family and friends. We could only have had a small wedding by doing a destination wedding. We visited Villa Cimbrone last year for a summer vacation and it was indeed the most beautiful place we had ever seen on our travels. Villa Cimbrone came right into our minds when we were thinking about the place to hold our small and intimate wedding. 

The Villa was grand and beautiful, it has so many different sections of garden, so many areas to be explored, as well as being based in the a wonderful Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. Because our family and friends were going to travel so far for us, we wanted to make sure our guests had an amazing and unforgettable experience. We therefore planned the best events we could offer for them, starting by welcoming our guests with sunset cocktails at Belmond Hotel Caruso, then choosing to hold our holy matrimony at The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Amalfi because it is magnificent. The church is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew whose relics are kept there. Then we had our wedding reception in Villa Cimbrone, and the next day we held a farewell boat party with the guests to show the beautiful Amalfi Coast from the sea, with stopover in Positano.

What was your color palette and your style vision?

Dusty blue, blush pink, vintage gold, white ivory, with modern classic style.

What unique elements or DIY details did you include?

The things that we decided to DIY were paper cones for petal confetti, ribbons for menu decoration, seating plan poster, table runner and holy matrimony book. We were very hands on planning the wedding, so that our guests could also feel that the whole wedding was unique in Aston & Stella’s way.

What was your favorite moment?

Our favourite moment of the wedding was the first time we looked at each other for the in the Cathedral for our Holy Matrimony. Aston had never seen me in my wedding gown until then, because he wanted to experience that feeling and ‘first look moment’ when he first saw me in the Cathedral.

What were your favorite details of the day?

1. For our wedding cake, the wedding designer Made In Cake was from Provence. But we specifically asked her to use Amalfi Lemons for the flavour, to express the essence of our wedding venue.
2. At last minute, the colour of handmade dyed ribbons for bouquets came out to be very different than what we ordered, so together with my Bridesmaids, we found a solution by making our own silk ribbon for the bouquet.
3. My husband gave a personalized pin to each groomsman that says the character of that groomsman, the meaning of that was each of the groomsman represents that character of the groom.
4. For my wedding gown, my bridal store was Truly Enamoured in Singapore. They curate international designer gowns for rent and purchase. When I was looking for the perfect gown, I didn’t seem to find the one that I was looking for. And then I saw this new gown from Berta’s newest collection online, and fell in love with it. A gown that I have never seen in real life, just from some pictures, but I suddenly felt that it was the one. My mom and dad also thought the same. So I, without doubt, ordered it, waited for almost 4 months to get it made and shipped from the U.S to Singapore. And my gut feeling didn’t lie, when I first tried it on, it was magical.
5. The earrings that I was wearing on my wedding day were really special because they were an engagement present from my parents.
6. We did luggage tags as wedding favors, because it’s a destination wedding, so we wanted a personalized luggage tags as wedding favours for our family and friends who had to travel across the globe to our celebration. We got ours made with Saffiano Faux leather in our wedding’s colour palette for each guest, very detailed laser-cut with our wedding hashtag’s calligraphy on- it was a perfect choice.

What is one piece of advice that you could give to brides-to-be?

Choose your wedding organiser wisely and take care of your health, as you will need extra stamina because planning a wedding can be tiring, yet it’ll be worth it.

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From the Wedding Planner Catherine Bradfield, Founder of The Wedding Boutique Italy… Stella and Aston’s wedding was, without doubt, a combination of some of the most beautiful locations that the Amalfi Coast has to offer, so that guests had a truly wonderful experience over the three day celebration.

A Welcome Party in the stunning gardens of Belmond Hotel Caruso lined with olive trees, and the infamous Ravello vista, the cocktails flowed complemented by Caruso’s sumptuous canapés. On a previous trip to Ravello, Aston and Stella had loved the amazing gelato by Baffone, so they both wanted this to feature at the Welcome party, complete with Stella’s favourite flavour- Baffoncello! You will just have to come to Ravello to try it…

So we organised a really cute gelato cart with six different, delicious flavours and everyone loved it! Decor wise we opted for a more casual styling, just a few pretty touches to evoke a vibe of Amalfi Coast chic.

For the wedding day itself, although Ravello has really pretty Churches, the Amalfi Cathedral is in a league of it’s own- beautifully ornate within, set high up above the Amalfi Square with many steps to reach it. Stella was very brave in her heels and dress, as climbing the stairs was the only way to reach the doors ready for her grand entrance.

After the Catholic ceremony, we arranged for the guests to line the stairs with pretty petal cones for a fantastic exit as newlyweds- a fascinated crowd had gathered in the square and there was lots of cheers. It was a lovely moment!

Stella and Aston were swept away in their gorgeous classic wedding car, leaving guests to enjoy a spot of lunch in Amalfi, before heading back to Ravello for the evening celebrations.

Anyone who has visited the Amalfi Coast will have heard of Villa Cimbrone, arguably the most beautiful place on the whole of the Amalfi Coast (or maybe even in Italy) and by far one of our most popular venues. We are so lucky that our Senior Planner, Roberta, is local to Ravello and knows the venue inside out.

What better place to hold the wedding reception itself, in a historic castle with the most incredible fairytale gardens and infamous Belvedere Terrace (also know as the Terrace of Infinity)- somewhere that Gore Vidal himself said was the most beautiful place he had seen in all his travels, where the sky and the sea were each so vividly blue it was impossible to tell one from the other.

Oliver Fly (Photographer) and Giorgio Guerrieri (Videographer) were so happy with the location and there are so many amazing photo opportunities within the venue that they didn’t know where to start!

Guests were welcomed with a wonderful Aperitif in the gardens, and were able to wander round the rest of the property to explore and take photos on the Belvedere Terrace.

As the light fell, we put the finishing touches to the dinner tables in the crypt with the wonderful vaulted stone ceiling that Villa Cimbrone is so well know for. The colour palette was delicate and romantic, with gorgeous open blooms complemented by taper candles and wonderful calligraphy and stationary design by Veronica Halim.

As soon as the candles were lit, we invited guests to be seated- it’s always the most magical moment to watch the guests come down the stairs and see the dinner setting for the first time, the look on their faces means we know our work has been worthwhile.

Then we prepared the Bride & Groom’s grand entrance into dinner and a magical evening ensued, surrounded by flickering candlelight, and the incredible voice of Enrico singing and playing the grand piano, the room filled with laughter and delicious dining.

Catherine from Made in Cake designed a gorgeous and delicate cake for Stella and Aston, which was followed by their lovely first dance. After the reception, we had organised a fantastic after party at a great bar down in the square of Ravello so that guests could dance the night away until the early hours of the morning.

The next day, as a farewell, we organised a relaxing cruise along the Coast to Positano for Aston, Stella and their guests and the weather was just lovely. The Amalfi Coast is stunning whilst you are on land, but even more impressive seen from the water so we always highly recommend a boat trip during your stay.

Overall it was a wonderful few days, showcasing the very best that the Amalfi Coast has to offer. There is no doubt that it is the most magical place for a destination wedding of any size, and we love bringing our clients’ visions to life to create memorable and stylish celebrations.

Photography: Oliver Fly Photography | Videographer: Giorgio Guerrieri | Wedding Planning: The Wedding Boutique Italy | Floral Design: Nina e i Fiori | Wedding Dress: Berta | Ceremony Venue: Amalfi Cathedral | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Vezzo Studio | Make up: Catarina Pelosi | Hair: Orazio Spisto | Wedding Venue: Villa Cimbrone | Bridesmaids' Bracelet: Aeroculata | Stationery Production: The Distillery Asia | Brid's Veil: CINOBI BY TRULY ENAMOURED | Bridal Hair Accessories: ayyara | Bride's Bathrobe: Trulace Artistry | Bridesmaids' Bathrobes: Ginger Olive | Cake Designer: Made In Cake | Engagement Bouquet: Rosalinda Flowers | Flowergirls' Dresses: Sanny Halim Atelier | Flowergirls' Shoes: Sachlirene | Groom's Shoes: Lanvin | Groom's Tuxedo: Brillington Brothers | Groomsmen’s Pin: Aeroculata | Luggage Tags: Artluz | Ring Box: Bark and Berry | Stationery Design & Calligraphy: Veronica Halim Calligraphy | Wedding Rings & Band: Cartier | Welcome Bags: le ciel design by yuling | Welcome Event Venue: Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond

I’m officially convinced. The Amalfi Coast is the dreamiest place ever to say I do—and Belmond Hotel Caruso is hands down one of the most charming backdrops to do it. No, this isn’t #sponsored my friends… this is just me having a straight up major venue crush moment. To make it all the more romantic, today’s gorgeous couple decided to elope here before their traditional Indian wedding at home. Lace & Luce joined to capture every step of the way and I have a feeling you’ll be spending a little extra time with this one.

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From Lace & Luce… Being based on the Amalfi Coast I absolutely love photographing elopements, there is something so romantic to me about having something special, that is just for the two of you. It is even more exciting when the couple doesn’t tell anyone they are eloping and wait to surprise everyone with photos from their Italian elopement at their traditional Indian wedding when they return home. My favourite location for elopements is definitely Ravello, being there, up in the clouds feels surreal, a literal dream. This couple had their entire day at the Belmond Caruso, from getting ready in their upgraded suite (Thanks to the hotel), to their private dinner on the terrace. They were the first couple to have the “Chef’s table” for their elopement, it is a tiny little terrace with the most beautiful view. The perfect end to their fairytale day.

When Ishra contacted me about eloping we managed to organize her dream elopement quickly in about a month. They wanted something special, for just the two of them before have their big traditional Indian wedding back at home in Vancouver.

Photography: Lace & Luce | Videographer: Valerio Magliano | Florist : Armando Malafronte | Wedding Dress: Rosa Clara | Rings: Orologio Jewelry | Hair: Alessandro Mancino & Marco Carpentieri | Groom's Attire: Harry Rosen | Hotel: The Charleston Place | Bridal Salon: Rituals of Love | Bridal Shoes: Stuart Weitzmen | Music: Wedding Music | Veil: Jane Rhyan

After getting engaged in Ireland, this Bride and Groom set their sights on Italy for a true alfresco wedding experience. And if dining under a sea of olive branches doesn’t fit the bill, then we don’t know what does. Elegant white florals by Malafronte are paired with the prettiest Italian details choreagraphed by Tanya Matthews Event Design + The Amalfi Experience and all captured by true artists – Sylvie Gil and Weddings on Film. Get lost in the magic of the Amalfi Coast right here.

Jaimie & John got engaged in Ireland, and chose Europe again for their wedding. After some deliberation they settled on the gorgeous (and warm!) Amalfi Coast in Italy for nuptials.

For a pre-wedding brunch, the couple boated their guests out to Positano, and the wedding itself was held on the cliffs of Ravello, overlooking the coast.

  Simple flowers – white and cream hydrangeas and cabbage roses – allowed the beautiful and rugged landscape to speak for itself.

Traditional Italian accents, like an Italian wedding cake and other confections, helped the ceremony feel at home in the setting. The reception was held under a canopy of olive branches.

Photography: Sylvie Gil Photography | Videography: Weddings on Film | Floral Design: Armando Malafronte | Shoes: Stuart Weitzman | Catering: Belmond Hotel Caruso Amalfi Coast | Makeup: Ashley Brook Perryman | Hair: Antonino Santoro | Calligraphy: Penned By Palmer | Lighting: Antares | Men's Attire: George Cleverley | Transportation: Amalfi Coast Private Car | Bride's Attire: Anne Barge | Bridesmaids' Attire: Lula Kate | Cakes & Desserts: Belmond Hotel Caruso Amalfi Coast | Ceremony & Reception: Belmond Hotel Caruso | Music & Entertainment: RMS Srl | Paper Suite: The Lettered Olive | Planning & Design: The Amalfi Experience | Planning & Design: Tanya Matthews Event Design | Rentals: Pressed Fine Linens | Veil: Anne Barge

This dress. These views. This STUNNING reception. How can you pick a favorite piece of this pretty puzzle?! Answer: you can’t. It’s all too beautiful to narrow down in any way, shape or form so don’t even try. Just give in to your wedding wishes and dive headfirst into this gorgeous gallery by Sandra Aberg and enjoy every second of it. So good, right?

From the Bride… The saying goes, if you love someone, travel with them, and if you still love them after, marry them. Experiencing new cultures is something that has bonded the two of us together. Shervin is of Persian decent and I am half Chinese and Caucasian. Experiencing different cultures is at the core of our romance. I’ve never had a better travel partner and our relationship really blossoms with the smell of adventure.

Having a destination wedding was a no brainer for us. The writer Gore Vidal wrote “Twenty five years ago I was asked by an American magazine what was the most beautiful place that I had ever seen in all my travels and I said the view from the belvedere of the Villa Cimbrone on a bright winter’s day when the sky and the sea were each so vividly blue that it was not possible to tell one from the other.” Villa Cimbrone is pure magic and when standing on the Belvedere, you are instantly pulled into a dream like state where the sky meets the sea.

Every part of the planning seemed to fall into place. When I inquired with Sandra Åberg Photography, I was attracted to her use of light. We connected instantly and we were lucky to have her lead us through a meditation during our first look. This really helped to ground and bring us both into the present moment. I felt my bridal nerves subside after, and I was able to enjoy the rest of the wedding.

Photography: Sandra Aberg Photography | Floral Design: Armando Malafronte | Wedding Dress: Berta | Stationery: EG lettering | Bride's Shoes: Shoes Of Prey | Jewelry: Mikimoto | Headpiece: Kelly Spence | Veil: As You Like It Wedding Veils | Wedding Favours: Abuelita Boutique

When Allie emailed Brenda Babcock of Italia Celebrations in hopes of planning her destination wedding on the Amalfi Coast in four short months, she never could have dreamed it would come together this perfectly. From the opulent florals by Orazio for Italia Celebrations to the insanely beautiful Marchesa gown (I’m just a little obsessed with it!) to the stunning pops of blue, every single detail was sheer perfection. Trust me, loves, there’s no better way to start a Monday than with this gallery by Emm and Clau.

From the Bride… When we started planning the wedding in April, the most important thing was to have close friends and family at our side. My husband, Andrew, was just about to begin NHL hockey playoffs, and so he wanted me to deal with all things wedding related since he couldn’t dedicate himself to anything else at that moment. Having the responsibility of planning for the both of us made me stop to consider what he would want more than if he had been at my side planning along with me.

Location was key for us, and the prior year, we had the most amazing afternoon and dinner in the town of Ravello. We strolled through the tiny, ancient streets and gardens taking it all in. The night ended with a delicious meal at the Belmond Caruso. It was a perfect night in a perfect town. Discussing this with Brenda and mentioning our desire to have the wedding on the sea, she suggested having the wedding there, which is also one of her preferred locations. The memories, sights, and sounds came rushing back to me, and I knew immediately that it was the perfect place for us. We couldn’t wait to share it with our friends and families, who we knew would love it as much as we had! It was easy for us to have a destination wedding because, there was never one location that made sense. We knew we would have guests traveling from Canada, USA, Finland, Sweden, Israel, Australia, and the UK for our wedding.

It was really important to make each and every guest feel welcome, and so it was important to us to have three days of events where we included all guests. They had all travelled so far to be with us. We had a casual welcome dinner the first day, the wedding on the second day, and the third day we spent by the sea relaxing with all of our guests at The Clubhouse, which is a private club carved into the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast that goes straight down to the sea where we could go for a swim or take out one of their small boats. The day was amazing and may be the most talked about part of the wedding to this day, months later.

When planning the wedding, I wanted to use local vendors as much as possible. I found my wedding dress 15 minutes down the road from where I live; I designed the invitations together with a local California woman who designs greeting cards whose contact I got from my neighbor. I knew I didn’t want to fly photographers and videographers over to Italy, and we couldn’t have been more pleased with the local ones that Brenda suggested and hired on our behalf. All the vendors that she suggested and hired and all those on her team were exceptional and a pleasure to be around. The photographers, hair and makeup team, musicians, florists, caterers…everyone did a wonderful job. We LOVED Monsignor John who celebrated our wedding in the Catholic church and hope to have him baptize our children in the future. We can’t thank everyone enough.

It was important that the wedding reflected the particular tastes and style of Andrew and myself, which the intimate setting, eclectic decor, and amazing food did, 100%. The wedding planning was a dream because of Brenda Babcock of Italia Celebrations. She made our vision come alive and on such short notice. Aside from being visually everything I had hoped for, she and her team organized everything impeccably. This allowed us and our parents to spend all of our time with our guests, and so we were all able to relax and enjoy the thrilling three days without any stress!

I now suggest to people that they plan their weddings in just four months! The only down side to having the destination wedding was not having our chocolate Labrador, Charlie, at our side. Since we had included him on our invitations, he was always there with us in spirit, too.

Photography: Emm And Clau | Cinematography: Marco Caputo Films | Event Planning: Brenda Babcock Celebrations | Floral Design: Armando Malafronte | Wedding Dress: Marchesa | Invitations: Darla Marie Designs | Ceremony Venue: Belmond Hotel Caruso Amalfi Coast | Shoes: Alexandre Birman | Rings: Crowley's Jewellers + Goldsmiths | Rings: Noam Carver | Hair + Makeup: Brenda Babcock Celebrations | Bride's Earrings: great Aunt Margaret’s turquoise earrings (something old) | Veil: The White Dress

Today is a good day, friends. Why? Because we’re starting it off with this ridiculously stunning engagement session by Simply Sarah Photography. And the couple’s love and proposal story? Just as good as the pictures, so be sure to read the bride’s words below! We guarantee this gallery will leave you wanting more…and you’re in luck. We’ve got their wedding day at at Villa Cimbrone, planned by Exclusive Italy Weddings, coming up later this afternoon. Stay tuned!

From the Bride… We met on a dating app called Bumble. A friend had been bugging me to try online dating, and I kept refusing until one day she showed up on my doorstep and created a profile for me. She chose the pictures, selected the features that would help me find the perfect guy I was looking for, and asked me to trust her that it would be fun. She was right! After a week of swiping left and right and two failed dates, I matched with a guy named “Thad.” We started chatting right away. I remember asking him what his full name was since I hadn’t ever met a “Thad.” To my surprise, he said “Thad” was an alias for “Theodore” and most people called him “Ted” or “Teddy,” but that I could call him whatever I preferred. I preferred neither and told him that if his name was Theodore, he could only be “Theo” or “Dore.” Ultimately, I went with “Theo.” This is why my entire family now calls him “Theo” and his entire family calls him “Ted.”

After chatting for a few days, he asked for my number. He said he was in New York visiting family but hoped to take me out on a date when he returned. Admittedly, I was skeptical. I had already been on two failed dates, and since he didn’t have social media, I couldn’t stalk this “Theo” character. But we kept talking, and talking, and talking. Nonstop. And the conversation was so good that I eventually said yes to the date. I just had to meet him! Theo and I met at a local bar called Wine Belly. We arrived at the same time, and to my immediate relief, I saw that he really was the very handsome guy in the pictures. It was a beautiful winter evening in Texas, so we sat on the back patio. He let me pick the wine because he said he only knew of two kinds, red and white, which I found amusing as an aspiring sommelier. We then moved onto the food menu. We decided to order a few items to share, but I was shocked to learn that he was lactose intolerant. At first, I thought that might be a deal breaker, since I am such a dairy lover. But when he suggested I get the cheese plate all for myself, it hit me – this might be true love if I never had to share a morsel of cheese! We had a blast laughing and telling stories for over three hours, and the evening passed in the blink of an eye. He drove me home. But when we opened the front door and stepped inside, my Siberian husky walked right in between us and stared up at him as if to say, it’s time to go. Not wanting to cross my rather intimidating dog, Theo said goodnight and left.

We went on two more dates the following week, and I was falling for him pretty quickly. But then came Valentine’s Day, my least favorite holiday. I told him not to plan anything. However, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He bought me the most beautiful flowers and card, which he tried to get in Spanish because I’m Mexican, but it turned out saying, “Hope you get better soon,” because he asked a store clerk to translate the cards. I thought it was so funny and adorable.

A few wonderful months went by, and I still had not introduced him to family. I wanted to make sure that the next guy I brought home was the real deal and hopefully my future husband. Finally, I introduced him to my mom when she came to Austin to visit. He was so nervous, but it could not have gone better. Not too long afterwards, I met his mom on her next visit from New York. I was very nervous to meet her, but we had a wonderful weekend together and even took an excursion to the wineries. After that I knew I could introduce him to my family, and when they met him, they loved him.

As the months went by, he won me over more and more with his thoughtfulness and affection. For example, he always showed up at my house at the same time on Wednesdays for our date night. Every week he would surprise me by orchestrating elaborate dates and keep me in the dark until we arrived at our destination. It was so much fun! Fast forward to five months of dating. One night I had a dream that I was going to marry this man, and I woke up in the middle of the night and wrote down the vows that I had said to him during the wedding in my dream. I read them the next morning, and they were pretty silly. Nonetheless, I realized that I had fallen deeply in love and wanted to marry him one day. That is when the waiting game began. In what felt like a few moments, our one-year dating anniversary arrived, and we had already talked about wanting to get married. However, the anniversary came and went, and no proposal was in sight!

A month later, Theo and I went on a vacation to Iceland with my family. On the third day of our vacation, March 27th, we went on a tour to look at waterfalls that culminated in snowmobiling up a glacier. It was a magical day. We migrated up the glacier to a cave which we toured with a guide. It was a very romantic place, and there was even a wedding chapel inside with benches. As we were gearing up to leave, we stood in front of a radiant wall with color changing lights. He said, “Let’s take a selfie!” Those words were music to my ears since I never turn down a good selfie. We took two pictures but the lighting was terrible so we gave up. But as I was putting my phone away, he grabbed my hand, turned me to face him, and got on one knee. He asked me to marry him, and I just nodded my head because I was so in shock I couldn’t speak. It was so unexpected, especially inside a glacier! We celebrated on the mountain. He had apparently been lugging a champagne bottle all day in a backpack with the help of my family, and he kept the ring hidden in his snow pants so I couldn’t find it. The day was such a fairytale and got even better when a surprise solar storm that night that allowed us to see the Northern Lights in all their splendor. We couldn’t have asked for a better day!

Photography: Elizabeth Lanier Photography | Dress: Milly | Hair + Makeup: Lara Navarrini | Venue: Villa Cimbrone | Film Processing: PhotoVision Prints | Planning: Exclusive Italy Weddings

I’m pretty certain Jenna and Shane had the most epic welcome dinner any guest could ever hope to attend. Set on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, the evening began with passed hors d’oeuvres and drinks under the olive groves, followed up by a cozy autumn meal enjoyed al fresco. Ebb & Flow Events planned and Honey and Cinnamon coordinated this Italian soirée while Rebecca Yale photographed one amazing moment after another. Have a closer look in the gallery and sit tight for the wedding reveal coming up this afternoon.

From Rebecca Yale… Jenna and Shane were married on a beautiful Fall day surrounded by 24 of their closest friends and family at the historic Villa Cimbrone, an 11th Century Manor on the Amalfi Coast, in Ravello, Italy. Their wedding celebration was a multi-day affair on the Amalfi Coast and kicked off with a welcome dinner at the Belmond Hotel Caruso. Guests were welcomed to their rooms with a welcome package featuring a program of the week’s activities in a wax sealed vellum envelope, fresh lemons and limoncello, which Ravello is famous for. Guests spent the day exploring the pedestrian only medieval town of Ravello and lounging by the hotel’s famous infinity pool followed by cocktail hour under a grove of olive trees and a dinner on the great lawn overlooking the cliffs of Amalfi as the sunset over the ocean turning the sky around them pink and yellow.

In typical Italian fashion, the best-laid plans went out the window and the original plan for the rehearsal dinner was to use all white marble plates and vessels, but with an Italian shipping error the shipment with the brides items ended up in Lake Como instead of the Amalfi Coast and the bride, who runs a destination weddings and events company, had to improvise along with the floral designer, Mint Design, to create a new tablescape for the welcome dinner. Thankfully the wonderful Federica of Honey and Cinnamon was able to track down the missing rentals and save the day getting them there in time for the wedding the next day!

The bride had brought over some of the essentials in her suitcases and they were able to create a stunning tablescape using autumnal florals and beautiful bottles of limoncello, which guests were able to keep at the end of the night as a favor. It was the perfect introduction to Ravello. Guests enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres, champagne, and a signature punch cocktail under the olive groves while being serenaded by a guitar player who had been flown in from Nashville to accompany singer, April Kry, the following evening at the wedding.

Photography: Rebecca Yale Photography | Event Design: Ebb and Flow Events | Event Planning: Federica Beni | Floral Design: Mint Design | Reception Venue: Belmond Hotel Caruso Amalfi Coast | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Hair + Makeup: Manola Spaziani Make up Artist | Bride's Attire: Tamara Mellon Twilight Sandals | Floral Sourcing: Capri Flor | Menus: The Wells Makery | Rentals: Andrea Riccio Weddings Solutions | Runner: Silk and Willow

For a couple who honeymooned on the Italian coastline, a trip back to that gorgeous corner of the world was a must. So to celebrate their first anniversary, they did just that and this time had a photographer in tow to capture all the special moments. Fall in love with the stunning beauty of the Amalfi Riviera and this adorable couple through the lens of Julia Kaptelova.

From the Mrs… Spending our honeymoon on Capry island, we made promise to each other to return to Amalfi coast one year later to celebrate our first anniversary. We planned our route between little towns of Amalfitano riviera – Sorrento, Positano, Ravello and Amalfi – where we’ve chosen a historical hotel, which was established in the 19th century at the building that used to be women’s monastery in the past. Located on a cliff with a panoramic view over the Salerno bay, surrounded by amazing gardens this place was perfect to take a chance to capture our walk between blooming flowers and lemon trees. In the evening we headed to Ravello, incredibly beautiful commune located nearby to enjoy it’s old streets and fascinating views. We desired to keep a part of this beauty and serenity not only in our memories, but on pictures, so the main present for our anniversary were photographs made by Julia, who captured picturesque landscapes and moments of our complete happiness. Now we are looking forward to greet our baby into this world and already making plans where to go with our family of three and as a tradition wondering about another photo shooting.

Photography: Julia Kaptelova Photography | Hotel: Monastero Santa Rosa | Filmlab: Homefilmlab

Dream honeymoons come in all shapes and sizes, but for Maria and Nikos it looked like an escape to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. The Mediterranean locale served as the perfect backdrop for romantic excursions with scenery like you wouldn’t believe and Tie the Knot Santorini + Peter & Veronika came along to bring every moment to life. Join these two loves as they explore the town of Ravello with even more newlywed bliss in the gallery.

From the bride, Maria… After a beautiful bohemian wedding on one of the prettiest and traditional Greek islands, Anafi, I thought it was going to be difficult to find an amazing place for our honeymoon! Well, it wasn’t :)

Amalfi Coast was the ultimate location for a romantic honeymoon!! We have always loved traveling to Italy! Amalfi Coast is a fabulous Mediterranean location we were dreaming of spending this memorable time, that would forever be in our hearts, our honeymoon! We decided to stay at the picturesque village of Ravello! An enchanting mountaintop setting on Italy’s most beautiful coastline and views that over the years have captivated and inspired artists and hearts filled with passion! There are so many stories to be uncovered along its medieval streets, garden villas and ancient stone pathways!!

With the joyful company of the uber talented Peter of Peter and Veronika Destination Photographers, we discovered and captured the irresistible allure of Ravello’s gem villas and cliff edge gardens! Wonderfully aristocratic and devastatingly beautiful Ravello and the whole Amalfi Coast truly is a present of nature and history to all us romantic souls!

Photography: Peter & Veronika | Styling: Tie The Knot In Santorini-Weddings & Events | Hair + Makeup: Beauty Livery | Groom's Outfit: Massimo Dutti | Blush Evening Dress: Nidodileda | Floral Dress: Twin Set | Hotel Accommodation: Hotel Villa Fraulo

The simple beauty and intimacy of this day reminds me a bit of my own. Of course, I didn’t say I do on the stunning Amalfi Coast… but I fully embraced candlelight, loads of blooms, like these from Myrtle et Olive, and an unforgettable fireworks finish. Jemma Keech snapped it all up so perfectly with Marco Caputo Films, and you can find the rest in The Vault!

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From Joy Proctor Design… Jem & Brodie were married at the historic Duomo di Amalfi in the sweet seaside town of Amalfi, Italy. Joined by 40 of their closes friends from Australia, they celebrated with a four course Italian meal and reception at the Hotel Caruso in Ravello. After the reception the guests made their way to the terrace to watch fireworks.

From the Bride… The dream for our wedding was a small, intimate affair, focused on family, friends and food! We met seven years before we got engaged working as a cashier girl and fruit and vegetable boy. We knew if we married in our home town it would need to be a large wedding so a destination wedding was perfect. Where else than the spectacular Amafli Coast with it’s picturesque villages, coastal mountains and turquoise sea. We spent a sun drenched week with our nearest and dearest, eating pizza, drinking lemoncello, visiting Capri and enjoying la dolce vita. For the wedding, the styling was really important to me. We knew we would need a stellar wedding planner to coordinate all the details for us. Enter Joy Proctor. I found her on Instagram, she had styled a shoot at the Belmond Hotel Ravello and it was just exactly want I had wanted. So very quickly we had the venue and the planner picked! Joy was a dream. Her impeccable taste, attention to detail and network of vendors made every detail perfect. The stationary by Written Word Calligraphy and the florals by Heather from Myrtle et Olive were better than we could have dreamed. It rained on the day but Joy didn’t miss a beat, she was calming, positive and swiftly moved our outside wedding inside. Without Joy I would have been a stressed-out mess, l trusted her so much I handed over all the decision making to her, so I could focus on my friends and family and husband to be. She turned a room in the hotel to a candle and flower filled dining room. Our jaws dropped when we walked in!! Our guests feasted on four courses featuring the best produce from the Amalfitana Costiera. Brodie is catholic and we really wanted to be legally married on the day by the priest. It is much easier to have a symbolic ceremony and a legal one in Australia but we were really glad we went to the effort. We met the local English speaking priest Father a year before and luckily he agreed to marry us in the Duomo di Amalfi, a spectacular 9th century cathedral in Amalfi. Our photographer Jemma Keech is Australian based too but I desperately wanted her to shoot the wedding over selecting a local Italian vendor. I was concerned about language barriers when it came to explaining the look we wanted to capture. Add in a husband who hates his photo being taken and it was worth every cent. We had our engagement shoot with her and Jemma somehow made him feel comfortable, even making him laugh. She did so again on the wedding day, and every image is one to be cherished. All the guests loved her! My dress was also found on Instagram, and I flew to Adelaide to met Paul from Paolo Sebastian. From the moment I stepped into his chandelier-lit studio I knew I had found the dress. He was so wonderful and caring as was his divine team. The whole process was so fun! He even included a hand written note wishing us well which I read on the day. I felt like Cinderella. The wedding was a fairy tale and we were trilled so many of our friends & family came from all over Australia and Scotland for the day. Brodie’s best man went the extra mile, flying over for only 48 hours in between commitments. We will never forget the incredible party we had, the people, the food, beautiful Ravello and (finally) becoming husband and wife.

Photography: Jemma Keech | Videography: Marco Caputo Films | Floral Design: Myrtle et Olive | Stationery: Written Word Calligraphy | Ceremony: Duomo di Amalfi | Reception: Belmond Hotel Caruso | Hair & Makeup: My Wedding Mirror | Bride's Lace Robe: GirlandaSeriousDream | Custom Gown: Paolo Sebastian | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Planning & Design: Joy Proctor Design

Like M And J Photography, we’ve been dreaming about visiting the Amalfi Coast for years. So, when they made the trip to Ravello, we were insanely jealous. Not only did they visit the picturesque region, but they also got to witness (and photograph) this gorgeous day. With an outdoor ceremony in a garden overlooking the coastline and a parade through the town square, this day proves dreams come true. See how in The Vault!

From M And J Photography… The Amalfi coast had been somewhere we dreamed of visiting for years. We can’t deny that we’d secretly been holding out to be able to use a job as an excuse to visit for the first time. So when Gabriella & Duncan asked us to shoot their wedding in Ravello, we were over the moon.

After arriving late at night, we woke the next morning to the spectacularly beautiful views over Amalfi and the blue blue Mediterranean sea and knew it was going to be a very special wedding that day.

All the celebrations took place high up in the town of Ravello with an outdoor ceremony at Giardini Principessa di Piemonte, an Italian garden overlooking the beautiful coastline. Duncan and his groomsmen dressed all in black tie made their way through the town square up to the ceremony followed by the rest of the guests to the sound of cheers and shouts of “viva lo sposo!!” from locals and tourists alike. Gabriella, accompanied by her father and bridesmaids followed to an equally enthusiastic reception.

The ceremony was intimate with both emotional and humorous readings from close friends and family. A classical string duo provided the perfect musical accompaniment. There was further music as everyone made their way back to the town square accompanied by an acoustic band singing traditional Italian songs. Drinks and canapé’s in the square were followed by a photo session for the bride and groom. The procession then moved on up to Villa Eva, for an evening of more stunning food, drink and scenery at Villa Eva. After some of the best speeches wedding speeches we’ve heard, everyone danced the night away under fairy lights in the villa’s courtyard. The perfect ending to a relentlessly joyous day!

Photography: M & J Photography | Ceremony Venue: Giardini Principessa di Piemonte, Ravello | Reception Venue: Villa Eva | Bride's Shoes: Kurt Geiger | Catering: Villa Eva | Getting Ready Venue: Hotel Giordano

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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See even more head-turning trends here!

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

Surrounded by beautiful blooms and views that left guests speechless, these two said “I do” and celebrated in true style thanks to Exclusive Italy Weddings at the Belmond Hotel Caruso. Gianni Di Natale and Luigi De Gregorio captured the gorgeous details and all those sweet moments in between that made this country chic celebration warm our hearts at first glance – see it all in our VAULT right here!

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From Exclusive Italy Weddings… When you think of a romantic destination wedding there are many visions that can come to mind: maybe you prefer an ancient town full of history, or maybe you would like to tie the knot in an outdoor ceremony on a sun-kissed terrace with a stunning seaview, and what is more romantic than a first dance with your new husband or wife under the moonlight? And what if you could have these things ALL together without having to choose? All this and much more is possible if you choose to get married in the Amalfi Coast of Italy: the noble palaces and magical gardens of Ravello are perched high on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean, and the mild climate allows for the entire wedding celebration to be held outdoors from April to September.

Judy and Tom contacted us in July, in the middle of the high wedding season, when we were already working very hard, but as we saw how determined they were, we made every effort to help them make their dream come true. The entire planning lasted less than one month! The result was a romantic boho chic wedding with a palette of pastel pinks and muted green tones, and lots of tasteful details, from the calligraphy to the flower arrangement, from the stylish vintage car to the reception under the stars…

For the invites, designer Brenna Berger of BB Paper and Ink drew the perfect Ravello skyline with her unique style. She designed a simple and elegant stationery set that matched perfectly the mood of the wedding day. The bridal couple chose the exclusive Belmond Hotel Caruso for both ceremony and reception. The ceremony took place in the Garden under the silver branches of olive trees, with a stunning flower arch whose pale pink and pastel green tones combined perfectly with the Mediterranean background.

The reception was prepared on the terrace of the Wagner Garden overlooking the sea. The two imperial tables were left naked, without tablecloth to highlight the elegant carved legs and the sophisticated flower arrangement, a combination of eucalyptus runners and flowers in rustic wooden vases: dahlias, roses and hydrangeas in white and blush tones, decorated with small tealights. In this impressive creation by florists Genio e Sregolatezza, everything was balanced to create the most natural effect.

After dinner the party continued in the pool area with the cutting of the cake, a gorgeous diplomatic wedding cake filled with chantilly cream and strawberries, covered with white chocolate and decorated with pink roses and greenery. The night ended with some fun dancing by the pool! Gianni Di Natale portrayed very effectively this event, full of elegance and romance; he really captured the charm and incantation of the Amalfi Coast.

Peruse more gorgeous destination weddings here!

Photography: Gianni Di Natale Photographers | Cinematography: Luigi De Gregorio Filmmaker | Event Planning: Exclusive Italy Weddings | Floral Design: Genio E Sregolatezza | Invitations: BB Paper And Ink | Hair: Gerardo Total Hair Design | Venue: Belmond La Samanna

Remember how I was dreaming about an e-sesh re-do? Well, I’m about to make that wish-list a little longer because that same couple eloped in Italy with Renee Hollingshead along their side. Tucked away in the steep Amalfi Coast cliffs every moment is complete with stunning views that are guaranteed to ignite the romantic in us all.

From Renee Hollingshead…Tucked away in the steep Amalfi Coast cliffs is the beautiful and romantic city of Ravello. Filled with charm, incredible history, winding roads, and stunning views, this destination wedding swept us off our feet and kept us begging for more. Rachael and Josh, Maryland realtors, met a few years back at work. Fast forward to a few months ago and they are planning their dream wedding– an Italian Elopement! They chose the ever-so incredible Palazzo Avino as recommended by their travel agent Jim. Known for their impeccable service, amazing views of the coast, and one of the top restaurants in the city, this resort was everything they dreamed of and more.

Josh and Rachael spent the most of the day at the beach club, relaxing and soaking up some some mediterranean rays. From there they got ready together in their suite before meeting each other down the aisle. Laid-back, care free, and fun would be the best way to describe the afternoon. With stunning paper details from Poppy & Scooter, a amazing dress, and a sharp Italian tailored suit, these two were ready to tie the knot in style! The Italian Mariachi strummed away popular loves songs, their guests held hands, and the officiant spoke the most beautiful words. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was one of the most romantic ceremonies I have ever witnessed. After a champagne toast and cake cutting, we strolled around the five-star resort taking in all of Ravello’s old charm. Their love is so effortless and true. They ended the night with an intimate dinner for four at the resort’s five-star restaurant overlooking the cliffs and sea. I am forever grateful for this opportunity to capture such a beautiful love story in such magical place. Congratulations Rachael + Josh!

Photography: Renee Hollingshead Photography | Coordination: Palazzo Avino | Wedding Dress: Jovani | Jewelry: Royale Jewelers | Calligraphy: Poppy And Scooter | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Venue: Palazzo Avino | Bridal Boutique: Synchronicity Boutique | Groom's Attire Retailer: Ryan Seacrest Distinction | Painted Decor: Bailey McCoy Designs | Travel Agent: Perfect Honeymoons And Holidays

It’s a common day occurrence that I dream about an e-sesh re-do, but can you blame me? Because after scrolling through the vibrant gallery from Renee Hollingshead I’ve got gelato and dancing on the mind. And that is just the start, because we’ve got this darling duo’s elopement up NEXT!

From Renee Hollingshead… When Rachael first contacted me to photograph her Italian elopement, I just knew we had to do their engagement session there. Their luggage arrived to their hotel just an hour before we were scheduled to meet. They quickly got ready and we hit the quaint streets of Ravello, Italy for a romantic evening stroll. They laughed, shared gelato, danced in the streets, and held hands. With the hustle and bustle of passerbys, the romantic sound of music in the air, and the delicious scents of five-star cuisine, this was easily one of my favorite engagement sessions to date. From Rachael’s gorgeous curly locks to Josh’s dapper Italian-Cobalt blue loafers, their style is top-notch! Every street and alley we turned on was the perfect backdrop to their love story. Rachael and Josh are oozing with love for each other and I am so glad I got to celebrate their special wedding weekend.

Photography: Renee Hollingshead Photography | Venue: Ravello