A late summer night’s dream… yep, Leah and Tyler’s stunner of a Jewish wedding combined the magic of Tuscany with one of the most beautiful times of year, that perfect patch of late summer where fall’s just beginning to creep in.
The setting – a medieval Tuscan village converted into a hotel – could not have been more magical, and the couple’s wedding planner, Sara Mazzei, fromSmashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Infinity Weddings went full-on for that fairytale sparkle with a soft muted florals, a dreamy chuppah, twinkly lights, and even a fireworks display! Everything was captured to perfection by photographer Massimiliano Morlott and videographer Luigi De Gregorio Films.
And then there’s that dress. Leah was a total and complete knockout in Lihi Hod, and we’re kind of obsessed with her dramatic yet classic styling. We’ll let her take it from here…
Venue
Leah, the bride: We got married under a grape pergola at Borgo San Felice in Tuscany. My husband and I had a short list of must-haves for a wedding venue: we wanted everything to take place outside and a venue where all of our family and friends could stay on-site. We researched venues quite a bit in different countries (mostly wine-regions because we are lovers of wine) when the thought of getting married in Italy occurred to us. Between the two of us we had visited wine regions in California, New Zealand, Hungary, Switzerland, South Africa, and Israel, but neither of us knew much about Italian wines.
We booked a trip to visit a few venues in Tuscany and while they were all beautiful, Borgo San Felice blew us away. It is a medieval Tuscan village converted into a hotel. On the outside old spindly vines cover stone buildings. On the inside fresh chic interior design integrates with classic Tuscan architecture. My husband and I live in an old abode in New Orleans’ French quarter, so this character-filled aesthetic was right up our alley.
Theme
The wedding date was august 23rd – a date that screams Summer’s end and whispers fall. we wanted that transition to be represented in our color scheme and to give homage to traditional Tuscan tones. Rather than go with summery brights or rich, deep tones of fall, our palette consisted of muted sage, peach, and pink. Sara Mazzei, our wedding planner, and her team from Infinity Weddings brought together our vision.
Hair + Makeup
Our dear family friends gifted me my hair and makeup artists, Nick and Marie of ND Make-Up from Newcastle, UK and it remains one of my most appreciated wedding gifts. I am typically critical of having my hair and makeup done because I’m not used to seeing myself with makeup, but these ladies are pure magic. It’s like, I know I had makeup on because I sat there while it was all applied, but I couldn’t begin to guess how it was made to look so natural and glamorous at the same time.
Invitation
I can’t imagine this is common, but our invitation design was something that was more important to my husband than to me. I am so glad he was a part of the process because they really turned out perfect. We chose a local printing company in New Orleans, Scriptura, and calligrapher, Maria Helena Hoksch, to create our suite. Our monogram was encircled by olive branches to speak to Tuscany, joined at the bottom by an acorn, the cute little nut containing the seed of an oak tree to speak to Louisiana, where we met and share a home. The acorn idea I have to credit to my mother-in-law.
Dress
I will forever be obsessed with my wedding dress by Israeli designer, Lihi Hod. It accomplished modern-dramatic and classic simultaneously.
Accessories
I wore a diamond bracelet that belongs to my mother, and antique drop earrings found at a local jewelry store, Friend and Co. I chose not to wear a necklace because the neckline on my dress was so dramatic that I couldn’t take away from it.
Shoes
The grounds of the venue were made of gravel which was a perfect excuse to go chunky heel, but I have to be honest – I am not my best self in super high skinny heels so that was never going to happen on my wedding night. I went with a rose/champagne-colored shoe that I could wear all night long.
The handsome groom
My husband wore a suit our friend helped custom design with a company she works for, Harper & Jones. It was a gorgeous blue wool silk mohair paired with a vintage Salvatore Ferragamo tie in sage green.
Ketubah
Our ketubah was so special to me. We have family members in Jerusalem, Hannah and Abraham Yakin, who are both talented artists. Abraham happened to create the ketubah for my both parents and eldest brother. The ketubah we had contained design elements from both Hannah and Abraham.
Our music choice
Our first dance was to Van Morrison’s ‘Into The Mystic’, performed by the Gypsy Queens. We took dance lessons once or twice a week for about 6 weeks before the big day. Initially something my husband was so apprehentious about, the lessons became such a fun ritual for us! I always knew my dad and I would dance to ‘My Girl’ by The Temptations at my wedding. We took a dance lesson and I’ll never forget the memory of us practicing in an alley at the borgo.
Flowers
We used Ratti Flora. They were spectacular!
Cake!
I’m not a fan of traditional American wedding cake so we decided to try the traditional Italian wedding cake, millefoglie. It really was the best cake I’ve ever had. The culinary team at Borgo San Felice catered overall. We wanted a seated dinner served family style.
Photographer and videographer
Our photographer was Massimiliano Morlotti and videographer was Luigi De Gregorio. We are so happy with the way the photographs turned out and can’t wait to see our video in a couple months.
Entertainment
My husband fell in love with the Gypsy Queens 8 years ago and when sara recommended them as an option we couldn’t refuse. The energy they brought during dinner was so special. Afterwards we had a DJ and a saxophonist — a killer combination.
Fireworks
We surprised our guests with fireworks over the vineyards as we started to cut the cake. ‘Kiss Me’ by Sixpence None The Richer played in the background as a little old school flair. It was pure magic.
Leah & Tyler’s little white book
Photography – Massimiliano Morlotti
Videography – Luigi De Gregorio Films
Wedding planner – Infinity Weddings {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – Borgo San Felice
Bride’s dress – Lihi Hod
Bride’s earrings – Friend and Co
Bride’s shoes – Pedro Garcia
Groom’s attire – Harper & Jones and Salvatore Ferragamo
Hair + Makeup – ND Make-Up
Flowers – Ratti Flora
Entertainment – Gypsy Queens
Invitation – Scriptura
Calligrapher – Maria Helena Hoksch
Ketubah – Hannah and Abraham Yakin
