'You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough' (Mae West, actress)
From early on in their relationship, Julie and Michael found that they shared a crazy passion for Italy. They both could not shake off those beautiful meaty landscapes, the air filled with music and family chatter. Italy reminded them of a comfortable bird's nest where people choose to go to recharge, find their lust for life.
Quite naturally after the proposal, Julie suggested the idea of a destination wedding, with Tuscany's slopes being her forever dreamy background. She knew that she wanted something tasteful and not too over-the-top where their families and friends could feel at ease and have a good time.
Michael agreed, the focus was on the quality time with their guests.
Turning dreams into reality
With a preference for quiet and nature, we immediately felt that a villa out of town, avoiding the hordes of summer tourists, would have been a breeze. This said, the choice in Tuscany is quite overwhelming for new couples so screening for the right location can take some meetings and thinking. Villa Le Fontanelle came out winning for its understated elegance, and tasteful design of both location and accommodation - which the guests loved!
The sit-down dinner after dark, staged in the gravel courtyard fronting the villa could not have been sweeter. When the guests arrived after the ceremony in Florence, love was in the air. The Baroque setting of the church decorated by Botticelli's delicate touch matched Julie's elegance and her chosen palette for the day, grading between soft pink and cream. And the boys looked so cool in their kilts!
The tip of the day
A beautiful idea to keep the group tight together and not disperse the energy after the ride back from the ceremony was the Welcome Cocktail at the villa. The atmosphere of the group can sometimes get scattered when jumping to the next planned moment, especially if there are breaks and transfers in between ceremony and reception.
Luckily, the romance was quickly picked up again with the melodies of a string trio playing in the background as guests collected their wedding gifts in the villa hall - cute packages of fresh olive oil and local farm produce which turned out to be a bit hit amongst everyone.
