‘Old Hollywood’ destination Jewish wedding at The Great Synagogue of Florence and Villa Di Maiano, Florence, Italy

Olivia and Jacob  are one seriously hot couple  —  I mean just  look at  David Bastianoni‘s gorgeous  images of them both… And it gets even better. They chose a wedding theme of  50’s / Old Hollywood glamour meets The Godfather. Off the scale, right?!

Both  Londoners,  (they met 7 years ago at Nottingham University) the bride and groom opted  to marry in Florence, as that’s where Jacob proposed to Olivia. They chose the  breathtaking  Great Synagogue of Florence followed by a magnificent party at  Villa Di Maiano,  and their big day is every bit as glamorous and romantic as you’d expect. There’s an  immense  chuppah made from gypsophila, pretty blush  pink roses  and candles, beautifully ornate calligraphic decor, a classic convertible  wedding car, a mille-feuille wedding cake constructed in front of the guests, a phenomenal firework display… I could go on and on  and on!

As you’d expect, our bride and groom look impeccable stylish too — Olivia  in a beautifully cut bespoke  Suzanne Neville gown (based on a design that her and her  mother created), and Jacob  in a bespoke suit by  Cad and the Dandy. It’s a super chic  wedding, full of  panache, and lots and lots of heart.

Not only do we have the insane  images by STG fave,  David Bastianoni,  but we also have the 8mm film by  Marriage à  la Mode.

Choosing to get married in Florence, Italy

Olivia and Jacob had been together for 7 years when he  proposed to her  after a very special dinner in the gardens on the edge of Villa San Michele in Fiesole, overlooking Florence.

They chose to have their wedding reception at  Villa di Maiano, as it was nearby  and  was actually featured in the film A Room with a View.

Old Hollywood glamour meets The Godfather

Olivia and Jacob’s  theme was    50’s /old Hollywood glamour with a splash of the Godfather – genius! In terms of colours and styles they worked with vintage shades, beautiful rose gold calligraphy, pale grey candle sticks, delicate cracked antique vases and fragrant garden roses.

For their wedding dà©cor they  used a wonderful Florentine based calligrapher called Betty Soldi.

Exquisite stationery

Olivia is a self-declared  calligraphy and stationary obsessive so this was an extremely important component of the wedding. They  used one of my favourite stationers, the fabulous Ruth Kaye Design, for their  invitations, and selected a textured white linen envelope with a white wax seal, and created a bespoke stamp using a vintage photograph of the synagogue. Inside the envelope was a delicate white muslin pouch which held a collection of white invitations with pale rose gold calligraphy.

A bespoke Suzanne Neville  gown

Olivia’s pale ivory wedding dress was by  Suzanne Neville. It was a bespoke gown based on a design that Olivia and her mother conceived. The inspiration was 50’s fashion, in keeping with the theme of the wedding.

Suzanne also made a delicate French lace bolero for the ceremony to cover Olivia’s shoulders and a dramatic train which she removed later on in the evening.

Olivia’s  veil was cathedral length and trimmed in French lace, and also designed by  Suzanne Neville.

A classic wedding car

They  chose an absolutely  classic wedding car  —  a silver 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer Cabriolet with a tan interior. It was actually  the same car that was used in the new Audrey Hepburn Galaxy chocolate commercial!

A bespoke suit for the  groom

Jacob wore a  Cad and the Dandy bespoke suit, a bow tie from Turnball &  Asser, and shoes from Church’s.

The Great Synagogue of Florence

Being so historical, and beautifully ornate, the  Great  Synagogue of  Florence was the perfect place to host their  wedding ceremony. Olivia and Jacob  brought along Rabbi Shlomo Levin and Chazzan Avromi Freilich from London, both of whom made the ceremony extremely special and personal to them.

Chuppah design

Their  magnificent chuppah was made entirely of gypsophila which I can imagine emanated  the most wonderful aroma!  The chuppah and all the  wedding flowers were created by  Tuscany Flowers.

Fantastic photography and videography…

David Bastianoni  captured each natural moment impeccably and  Marriage à  la Mode  (a   husband and wife duo from London that use 8mm film)  made a wonderful film of their  special day (See the wedding film at the end of the post).

A mille-feuille wedding cake that was constructed in front of the guests!

Their  wedding cake was mille-feuille and was made in front of the guests on the terrace of Villa Di Maiano overlooking Florence. Whilst the cake was being constructed, a tenor sing Funiculi Funicular and O Sole Mio amongst other wonderful songs!

Olivia and Jacob had shared a a mille-feuille  at dinner the night he proposed to her  so it was a lovely detail  to tie it  into their  wedding.

Fireworks

After the cake was constructed there was a magnificent  Soldi  fireworks show which everyone  watched from the terrace of the villa.

First Dance

Following  the fireworks, Olivia and Jacob had their  first dance. Spotlights were positioned from the villa’s balcony, onto the terrace, whilst the band sung their  first dance tune of Marvin Gaye’s classic  You’re All I Need to Get By.

Olivia & Jacob’S  LITTLE WHITE BOOK

Photography —  David Bastianoni
8mm Film —  Marriage à  la Mode
Wedding Planners —  By Cassini  and  SposiamoVi
Reception Venue — Villa di Maiano
Ceremony venue —  Great  Synagogue of  Florence
Bride’s  Dress — Suzanne Neville bespoke
Stationery —  Ruth Kaye Design
Flowers — Tuscany Flowers
Decor —  Betty Soldi