There’s nothing like a Tuscan wedding – and Aviva and Alan’s is one for the books! These two went all out in embracing the local color and charm of their oh-so-scenic environs, from the majestic Grand Synagogue of Florence where the chuppah took place to the dreamy reception at Villa di Maiano, nestled in the rolling hills of Tuscany.
Planning a destination wedding abroad is no easy feat, and Aviva and Alan wisely chose to work with planner extraordinaire Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J to make their dream Jewish wedding weekend a reality.
Michelle brought in a team of nine coordinators who all worked to ensure that the couple and their guests were incredibly well looked after, not only on the wedding day but throughout the wonderful pre- and post-wedding events Aviva and Alan hosted for everyone.
Michelle also worked with the couple’s florist, Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design, to style every space in a unique and beautiful way – don’t miss it all in the wonderful images by David Bastianoni!
Now over to the bride…
Venue
Aviva, the bride: We married at the beautiful Florence Synagogue where we hosted a pre-ceremony reception in the gardens, tisch in the synagogue entrance hall and a stunning ceremony with a small orchestra in the synagogue itself.
Following the ceremony, our planner had arranged transportation to drive all of our guests to Villa di Maiano, which is in a small town called Fiesole, about 15 minutes’ drive away and in the hills just above Florence. The venue is in a beautiful setting with spectacular views of the city and the surrounding countryside.
Our planner had advised us that it was likely to be very hot in August, so we decided to arrange for a crystal marquee to be built at Villa di Maiano so that we could have air conditioning.
The evening prior to the wedding we hosted a welcome party at Palazzo Ximenes. This is a privately owned villa which our planner found for us, just across the street from Four Seasons Firenze where we stayed together with our families and many of our guests. Palazzo Ximenes has a beautiful walled garden which was just perfect for our welcome event.
Wedding Planner and Theme
Our planner, Michelle of Elegante by Michelle J, worked with our florist, Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design, to style every space in a unique and beautiful way. This started with the welcome party which was based on traditional Tuscan styling using lemons (lots of them) and blue chinoiserie. We tied in the florals with stationery by Ceci New York and with blue and lemon attire.
At the synagogue, we used only whites and green foliage for the florals, for both the chuppah, and the badeken. Attire for the bridal and groom’s parties was gold and the only pop of colour at this stage of the day was the bridal red bouquet.
We introduced a vibrant colour palette at Villa di Maiano where guests were greeted by abundant florals in gorgeous shades of pink and red, teamed with gold accessories. This started with floral installations at the entrance to the Italian Garden, in the fountain, on the walls and then inside the beautiful clearspan marquee where we hosted the wedding dinner and dancing.
Invitation and Stationery
We decided to work with a New York based designer for all of our stationery, and Michelle, our planner, recommended Ceci New York. This started with a monogram, and digital invitation and then included welcome booklets to accompany the welcome gift bags, order of service booklets for the ceremony, menu cards, escort cards and signage across both days.
Other details included monogrammed napkins for the wedding, which were supplied in the UK by Laurel House Designs.
Hair + Makeup
Michelle, our planner, introduced us to Consuelo of Your Beauty Team, who are based in Florence. She was fabulous. I didn’t get a chance to have a trial prior to arriving in Florence of the wedding , so on the day of the welcome party she arrived early and we did a wedding day hair and make up trial first, before getting me ready for the welcome party.
Dresses
I wore two beautiful dresses by Elie Saab. The first with sleeves and a long train for the chuppah; I changed following the ceremony into a sleeveless sparkly dress by the same designer.
Shoes
My Jimmy Choo shoes coordinated with my chuppah dress and then I changed into a pair of sparkly heels (and then later on into more comfortable and casual footwear)
Ceremony & Chuppah
Music was very important to us; and in particular for the chuppah. Our planner introduced us to Muzika in the UK who brought together musicians from the UK and Israel including Udi Ullman and a strings section for the chuppah.
Our music choice
Muzika handled all the musical entertainment, including an Italian singer for the welcome party, and full live band at Villa di Maiano. The dance floor was full all night long.
Photographer and videographer
We worked with David Bastianoni for photography and Waterfall Visuals for videography. With so much going on across multiple venues and a myriad of exceptional details, we had large teams to ensure that everything was captured across the two days.
Food and cake
Catering for all events was by top Italian caterer Galateo Ricevimenti who worked under the supervision of the rabbi and kashrut team at Florence Synagogue. No Italian wedding would be complete without the traditional Italian wedding cake show followed by fireworks.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
When planning a kosher wedding overseas for large guest numbers across multiple days and locations, never underestimate the complexity of the logistics involved in pulling it all together and make sure that you hire an experienced planner.
Our planner had a team of nine coordinators at our wedding and they all worked exceptionally hard to deliver everything we had planned and to ensure that we and our guests were incredibly well looked after. In addition to the wedding events, they arranged sightseeing tours for our guests and breakfasts in one of Florence’s kosher restaurants.
AVIVA & ALAN’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – David Bastianoni
Planner – Elegante by Michelle J {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Videography – Waterfall Visuals
Venue – Villa di Maiano
Dresses – Elie Saab
Bride’s shoes – Jimmy Choo
Hair + Makeup – Your Beauty Team
Flowers – Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design
Band – Muzika
Catering and Cake – Galateo Ricevimenti
Stationery/Invitation – Ceci New York
Embroidered napkins – Laurel House Designs
Marquee – Pellicci & Meschi
Production – Alma Project
Travel Services – Come Wander Travels
Singer – Udi Ullman
Welcome Party Venue – Palazzo Ximenes
Synagogue – Florence Synagogue
Smash The Glass Pouch – Smashing The Glass Etsy Shop {or join Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club and get one for free!}
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.
