There’s nothing like a Jewish wedding in Italy – and Deborah and Stephan’s destination celebration in the beautiful (and, dare we say, just about undiscovered in the Jewish wedding world) is really something special. The couple, who live in Zurich, fell in love with the northern Italian region’s rolling vineyards, tiny villages, extraordinary food and wine, and understated elegance – and their venue, La Torricella, was the perfect spot from which to share their enthusiasm for the region to all their guests.
Deborah and Stephan opted for a soft, natural color palette of ivory, white, warm blush, and neutral tones, designed to complement rather than compete with the greens and golden hues of the surrounding landscape. Their ketubah, designed by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Emma Bloom Art, featured a contemporary design that reminded the duo of the rolling hills of Piemonte. And the menu featured vegetarian Piemontese cuisine, made with local ingredients – including a traditional Italian wedding cake! Don’t miss all the gorgeous details in the joyful photos by Monocromo Studio.
We also love that, after much searching, Deborah and Stephan found the perfect hazzan for their chuppah in Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Uri Gold. The pair immediately fell in love with his musical style and talent, and it’s easy to see why. In addition to singing and playing guitar during the chuppah, Uri also performed during the cake cutting and brought his incredible energy to the hora!
Now over to the bride, who looked so chic in her timelessly elegant Trish Peng gown…
How We Met
Deborah, the bride: Sometimes the biggest changes in life begin in the most unexpected ways. I had just started a completely new chapter of my own, having moved from the United States to Switzerland to pursue my Executive MBA at the University of Zurich, when I met Stephan. He was in the same cohort, and we first met in Toggenburg, at the Alpenrose, on the very first day of the programme.
At first, we were simply getting to know one another as friends, although Stephan somehow always seemed to find his way into my orbit. But during one of our programme modules in Israel, something shifted. Perhaps it was the intensity of travelling together, a night out at Kuli Alma in Tel Aviv, or simply something about sharing such a meaningful and blessed place. Whatever it was, after February 4th, we began to see each other differently.
It was there that we started to realise that the very qualities that made us so different were also the ones that made us complement one another so naturally. What had begun as a friendship quickly grew into a partnership. Through our studies, long days in class, work, travel, and all the little moments in between, we found ourselves becoming a team and, without either of us quite expecting it, beginning to build a life together.
Venue
Before discovering Piemonte, we had explored several other parts of Italy, but many of them did not have the right feel for the intimate and authentic celebration we had in mind.
Our journey to Piemonte began almost by chance, through a few handwritten recommendations from a sommelier at a restaurant my parents loved in Peru.
With that list in hand, we set off to explore the area and almost immediately fell in love. There was something about the rolling vineyards, the tiny villages, the extraordinary food and wine, and the understated elegance of the Langhe that felt completely different from everywhere else we had considered.
One of the wineries on the list was Costa di Bussia, and during our visit, we were encouraged to visit La Torricella in Monforte d’Alba. We arrived simply intending to have a look, but the moment we walked in, something clicked for both of us. We fell in love with the place almost instantly.From that moment, the vision for the wedding became very clear. We wanted our guests not simply to attend a wedding in Italy, but to experience this little corner of Piemonte with us.
Theme
We love having projects, so we approached the wedding as something we wanted to build together. Every element, from the overall concept and design to the smallest details, was imagined, selected, and tailored by the two of us, and we found so much joy in creating something so personal for the people we love most.
To keep everything aligned, we used Miro as our visual planning board and created a detailed master sheet that brought all the moving parts together. It allowed us to work closely with every vendor and supplier, share references and ideas, and benefit from their expertise as well.
We didn’t want a wedding that felt overly themed. What we envisioned was timeless Italian elegance, an intimate Jewish celebration, and a destination wedding that felt authentic to Piemonte.
Our palette was soft and natural: ivory, white, warm blush, and neutral tones, so that nothing competed with the greens and golden hues of the Langhe landscape.
We welcomed everyone the evening before with an aperitivo at Bar Fontana by Ugo Alciati at Fontanafredda, celebrated the wedding at La Torricella, and gathered again the following morning for a farewell brunch.
Invitation/Stationery
I designed all of our wedding stationery in Canva, which was then printed by Casando com Mimos.
Hair + Makeup
My hair was by Ganna Hairstyle and my make-up was by Ecaterina Ivanova Team.
I chose soft Hollywood waves and a refined, luminous make-up look inspired by timeless 1950s glamour.
Dress
My dress was by Trish Peng, a New Zealand bridal designer whose work I love for its blend of modern femininity and timeless elegance. I found the gown at Boutique Zoro in Zurich.
I paired the gown with a traditional two-tier lace veil and diamond-and-pearl earrings that belonged to my mother, keeping the overall look classic and refined. Stephan wore an ivory tuxedo, and together our outfits reflected the understated elegance we wanted for the day.
Accessories
Our wedding bands were created by König Jewellery.
Bridesmaids
For getting ready, we created personalised embroidered, Italian-themed button-down shirts with Bordamania, which made the morning preparations feel relaxed and fun.
For the wedding day, my bridesmaids wore buttermilk yellow dresses from Reformation.
Ceremony & Chuppah
We wanted the chuppah to feel soft, romantic, and connected to the landscape. Marta B. Floral Designer created the chuppah for us with light ivory draping and seasonal flowers.
The draping was intentional. We had been told there might be a breeze, and we loved the idea of the fabric moving with it and becoming part of the ceremony itself.
Three moments felt especially meaningful to us.
For Stephan, it was turning around and seeing me with my parents, with all of our guests gathered around us.
For me, it was the hakafot, circling Stephan under the chuppah and feeling, in that moment, that we were becoming one family and beginning a shared life together.
The third special moment was an idea from our Rabbi. After we exchanged rings, we turned towards our guests and spent a few moments in silence, simply taking everything in.
Ketubah
Our ketubah was designed by Emma Bloom Art, with a contemporary design that reminded us of the rolling hills of Piemonte and delicate gold-leaf accents.
Our music choice
Finding the right hazzan for the chuppah wasn’t easy, but through Instagram we discovered Uri Gold and immediately fell in love with his musical style and talent.
Uri sang and played guitar beautifully during our chuppah, performed again during our cake cutting, which was followed by fireworks, and brought incredible energy to the Hora dance.
For the music and sound, we asked around locally and were recommended Tutta Fuffa Crew, an experienced Italian DJ duo. They brought an effortless Italian style to our wedding.
Flowers
After extensive research on Instagram, we found Marta B. Floral Designer. We wanted the flowers to feel soft, natural, and harmonious with the setting, using seasonal blooms available in Italy in August.
Her work extended well beyond the floral design. She created our chuppah from scratch and also designed the table settings and decorations throughout the celebration, all aligned with our vision.
Photographer and videographer
We chose our photographers after months of research because we wanted the perfect match. In the end, Monocromo Studio felt like the perfect choice: a couple working together to capture another couple’s story.
They were an absolute dream team: professional, intuitive, and incredibly discreet. They also went above and beyond throughout the planning process, bringing thoughtful ideas along the way.
Most importantly, they truly captured the wedding we had: joyful, authentic, and elegant.
Food and cake
We brought our challah from Ma’adan Bakery in Zurich.
La Torricella created a vegetarian Piemontese menu for the wedding using local ingredients, and Chef Alessandra made our fantastic traditional Italian wedding cake.
It was important to us that the food and drinks reflected the region and stayed in tune with the setting of the wedding.
Wedding List/Registry
Since Stephan is a software engineer, we created our wedding website ourselves. I designed the look and feel, and he built the website, including our guest registration and wedding registry.
Extra Details
One of the most special parts of the wedding was having our family, groomsmen, and bridesmaids give speeches throughout the evening.
At the end of dinner, Stephan and I shared our vows with each other, creating a very emotional and intimate moment.
The cake cutting was another highlight, with the music, fireworks, and sabrage — the ceremonial technique of opening a bottle of Champagne with a sabre — all happening together. The atmosphere was incredible, and the Hora dance was full of energy!
Honeymoon
We actually had our honeymoon in Japan before the wedding: our calm before the storm.
After the wedding itself, we spent a few days relaxing by the beach in Alassio and enjoying time together as happy newlyweds.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Have one person coordinate the day so you can relax, and let your vendors communicate directly with each other. Choosing experienced suppliers who work well together makes a huge difference, and meeting them in person helps you understand whether the fit is right.
For the wedding dinner, coordinating the speeches with the kitchen worked very well. The food could be served and enjoyed properly, and we could actually enjoy the meal too.
One practical tip: use white wine for the blessings, just in case of a spill.
DEBORAH & STEPHAN LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Monocromo Studio
Ketubah – Emma Bloom Art
Hazzan – Uri Gold
Venue – La Torricella
Aperitivo – Fontanafredda
Bride’s dress – Trish Peng found at Zoro
Wedding bands – König Jewellery
Bridesmaids – Bordamania and Reformation
Hair – Ganna Hairstyle
Makeup – Ecaterina Ivanova Team
Flowers – Marta B. Floral Designer
DJ – Tutta Fuffa Crew
Challah – Ma’adan Bakery
Stationery print – Casando com Mimos
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.
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