There’s nothing like a Tuscan wedding – between the gorgeous scenery, the brilliant sunshine, and, of course, the food, there’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular destination spots for STG couples. And Katie, who works in PR for interior and lifestyle brands, and Jamie, who works in sales, had a truly unforgettable Tuscan Jewish wedding.
We were so thrilled to hear that they found their wonderful venue, Villa Oliva, right here on Smashing The Glass – and it’s easy to see why they fell in love with the verdant grounds at first sight.
Katie and Jamie’s photographer, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Alessandro Colle, and videographer, Alte Vedute, “went above and beyond, and they captured every single moment possible! We trusted them and were happy to follow their lead, and we’re thrilled with the results!”
Read on for all the details of this magical day in the bride’s own words…
Professions / notes for Emily –
Jamie works in sales, whereas i work in PR for interior and lifestyle brands.
How We Met
Katie, the bride: We first met when we were 16 on an Israel tour! We became best friends, and over time, we ended up becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. 10 years later, Jamie proposed!
A Wedding in Tuscany
I always knew I wanted to get married abroad, and I wanted to make the event more of an occasion for guests. Italy has always been one of our favourite places to go on holiday – sun, views, food and wine – what more could you want! Tuscany was always our first choice as it was easy for guests.
I had booked lots of venue viewings in Florence, Lucca and the Tuscan Hills, but once we visited Lucca, I knew this was where we were going to get married, and I cancelled the rest of the viewings. We saw Villa Oliva from a previous wedding on Smashing the Glass and fell in love with its grounds. Although a grand building, its surroundings were exactly what we envisioned, and there were a number of options where you could have the ceremony, dinner, reception, etc, which were all so beautiful.
I know you can never guarantee the weather, but for us, getting married in Italy meant getting married outside, and the grounds of Villa Oliva were breathtaking.
Timeless Vibes
I always knew I wanted to plan the wedding myself. Working in PR, I’ve planned many events, and I also love hosting family and friends at home; however, I knew planning a wedding abroad was a different ball game, and finding the right vendors was so important!
When it came to the scheme of our wedding, we knew we wanted to go classic and timeless, and with the beautiful surroundings, we didn’t need to go over the top with large arrangements! I found lots of inspiration online and on Instagram, and this massively helped when liaising with our florist.
A few months prior to our wedding, I knew we needed a coordinator for the day as I didn’t want to be worrying about anything, especially as we were flying a few of our vendors from the UK. We found the lovely Roberta from The Different Twins, who had worked with some of our vendors before, and having someone who spoke Italian was a real help!
Invitation
In the new modern age, we knew we wanted to do everything online, as it was also much easier for us to track! We used Paperless Post, and I designed the invitations myself with the help of a friend who is a graphic designer. We did, however, get a few of our invites printed so we could share them with our family.
When it came to stationery, there were a few people in Italy who created the most beautiful table cards, but having planned a lot of this myself, logistically, I felt it better to work with my florist, who had a graphic designer. I always wanted my table plan to be printed on a mirror, and we came up with a few designs which we were very happy with. This made the process so much easier having both the flowers and stationery with the same vendor!
Hair + Makeup
It is hard to go to another country and trust someone with your hair and makeup; however, when I found Alena Bezrodna on Instagram, I knew I had to secure her. I actually booked her the second after we booked our venue…. She made me feel at ease, and Sova Marina, who did my hair, also made me feel so beautiful. If anyone is getting married in Italy, I highly recommend working with Alena!
A Suzanne Neville Dress
I always knew the style of dress I wanted, and Suzanne Neville was the designer I fell in love with. I had tried on around 50 dresses from 3 different stores, but once I found the dress, I knew it was the one.
It was when the shop assistant put the veil on me with the dress, and I saw my mum cry, did I got so overly excited! It was a classic dress with some detailing on the top and the train, and the buttoned back made the dress so unique and special – I felt like a bride the second I put it on!
Accessories
For my veil, we had to go with the one we tried in-store at Suzanne Neville, as it just worked perfectly with the dress.
Shoes
As there was a lot of grass at our wedding venue, I had to make sure I had a platform heel, so I went with Loeffler Randall, and I’m so happy with my choice!
Bridesmaids
I had 4 bridesmaids with me on the day, as 2 of them were at home having just given birth or were about to! I always knew I wanted a champagne dress, which flowed beautifully, and I found the dresses from Fame & Partners.
However, a few weeks before the wedding, some of my friends were pregnant, so we decided to do a mix and match of the Free People slip dresses with some wrap-up ones I found on ASOS! All in all, it worked out perfectly, and everyone felt comfortable!
Ceremony & Chuppah
Our rabbi made our ceremony! Yosef Solomon was funny but also explained the Jewish wedding traditions to our guests, which everyone loved! We giggled during the ceremony, which kept us calm, but he also referred to the beautiful surroundings too which made the ceremony feel so intimate and special.
Where we chose to have our ceremony, we knew we didn’t need an overly elaborate chuppah as the background was so beautiful! When designing the chuppah, I had lots of inspiration photos and worked with our florist to design the perfect chuppah. Our florist did go above and beyond with our chuppah, and I remember walking down the aisle and smiling when I saw it!
Our music choice
For us, the entertainment was the most important, and we knew we had to have Totem. Moni was our chazzan and set the scene for our wedding, and then we had a DJ live, and they were just amazing! We walked into sign sealed delivered which got the crowd going, and our first dance was to Luke Burr’s version of Is this love by Bob Marley.
Everyone continues to tell us how amazing our band was, and we can’t thank Brett and his team for making our wedding so special!!
Flowers
We wanted a classic style, so had lots of white flowers including roses, hydrangeas etc. I love peonies, but due to the time of the year, they were coming out of season; however, my florist from Le Petit Jardin managed to get some for us and put them in my bouquet, which I loved! When working with our florist on our table centre pieces, they provided so much help when it came to the final design. They even recommend adding some blush colour roses to the scheme, which I’m so happy we did! They were a dream to work with!
Photographer and videographer
When it came to our photographer and videographer, Instagram was our lifesaver! I first found Alte Vedute and loved their style and content, and from there I found our photographer Alessandro Colle, who was recommended to me! Our photographers had also worked at our venue before, so it was perfect!
When we got to the wedding, we were amazed to see that both our videographer and photographer went above and beyond, and they captured every single moment possible! We trusted them and were happy to follow their lead, and we’re thrilled with the results!
Food and cake
Food is, of course, the most important aspect of an Italian wedding, and when it came to a catering company, we knew we wanted to go with Italian Taste Lodovichi.
When picking our menu, they were so helpful as my husband and I wanted some of our favourite dishes, which they accommodated for us. The food was sublime and one aspect of an Italian wedding is the live cake making. In front of our guests, we made a millefoglie, which was so much fun and something which was very unique. Our catering company also supplied the open bar, so everything was made easy!
Wedding List/Registry
We used Prezola for our wedding list – it was very easy for guests to use.
Extra Details
As we were in Italy, we wanted to make sure we hosted our family and friends prior to the big day, and we were so happy we did, as everyone got to meet one another and mingle. We found a lovely restaurant in Lucca where we served pizza, wine and aperol spritz, and it also gave me the opportunity to say a few words ahead of the big day to thank everyone for coming, but also to speak about my husband-to-be. It was a great way to start off the wedding weekend, and I highly recommend doing this for all weddings abroad.
Honeymoon
As we were in Italy, we thought it would be ideal to have a mini-moon on the Amalfi Coast. 2 days after the wedding, we headed down to Naples, where we explored the city and jumped on boats to Positano and Capri. Capri was by far our favourite place, and if you have the opportunity to go, we highly recommend booking a table at La Fontelina for lunch – the best pasta and day!
Following on from our mini-moon, we headed to the Maldives in November, where we were able to relax in paradise!
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
It is hard to tell a bride to relax on their wedding day, especially if you have planned your own wedding, but the best advice I can give is to trust your vendors. I was amazed how they were able to set everything up as I had envisioned, and just how perfect the day went. You can’t control the weather, or flight delays….. but I promise you won’t notice anything that goes wrong (if it does) as you will be enjoying yourself so much.
Make sure you spend every second with your partner so you don’t miss any moments! It really is the best day of your life, and you will be on cloud 9 for weeks to come. Soak it all up and just enjoy!
KATIE & JAMIE’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Alessandro Colle {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Videography – Alte Vedute
Venue – Villa Oliva
Coordinator – The Different Twins
Bride’s dress & veil – Suzanne Neville
Bride’s shoes – Loeffler Randall
Bridesmaids dresses – Free People found on ASOS
Hair – Sova Marina
Makeup – Alena Bezrodna
Flowers & Stationery – Le Petit Jardin
DJ – Totem
Catering – Italian Taste Lodovichi
Invitation – Paperless Post
Rabbi – Yosef Solomon
Wedding List/Registry – Prezola
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, you’ll want to join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club. Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that removes wedstress and indecision and gives you what you need to plan with confidence during these uncertain times. Join our Brides Club here.
