There’s something about Italian weddings that just makes us want to hop on the next flight to Milan. That sunlight! Those lakes! And the olive groves! Manchester-based couple Lauren and Avi took full advantage of all of the above (and more!) after opting to marry abroad.
In search of a location with guaranteed good weather and no more than a few hours’ flight from the UK, they found their dream spot overlooking Lake Iseo in Lombardia, in northern Italy.
Their venue, La Catilina, has the most breathtaking views, and, ever the considerate hosts, the couple were also drawn to its shaded areas and air-conditioned reception rooms to keep their guests cool in that bright Italian sunlight.
Lauren and Avi’s wedding aesthetic was minimal and romantic; the pair wanted to complement the fantastic views rather than distract from them. They went for a soft color scheme focused on whites and pinks, reflected in the white and pink O’Hara roses adorning the tabletops and their lovely, simple chuppah (made from locally sourced timber!).
Bride Lauren looked positively radiant in her lace Martina Liana gown with a statement train, and Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Hebrewear supplied kippot and benchers for the guests.
Since Lauren and Avi both work for photography and videography studio Flix’n’Pix–in fact, Avi co-founded it with his brother!–so there was never any question as to who was going to capture their day. Take a look at the photos, and I think you’ll agree they did a fantastic job. Now over to Lauren, who’s shared a delightful writeup of her day.
A Stunning Lakeside Venue
Lauren, the bride: We knew we wanted to get married abroad with guaranteed weather and no more than a few hours on a plane for our guests to travel. We chose to look at venues in Italy and found our perfect venue overlooking Lake Iseo. Apart from the breathtaking views at La Catilina, it also had multiple shaded areas and air-conditioned reception rooms for our guests to gather to enjoy drinks and nibbles while we had our wedding photographs.
Minimal and Romantic
Our color scheme was pink and white. We wanted it to be minimal and romantic, nothing too fussy that would take away from the view.
Invitations by Email
With our guests living all over the world, we decided to send our invites via greenVelope. We made the invitation unique by including a picture of our wedding venue to give our guests a taste of what was to come.
Soft, Beachy Waves
With the wedding overlooking the lake I wanted my hair to be soft, romantic, beachy waves, which my hairdresser Keith from KuDoS, Whitefield, Manchester, created perfectly on the day. I went for a half up half down look to keep enough hair off my face while keeping the beachy look. I don’t wear a lot of makeup usually and it was important that I looked like me on the big day, so I went for natural makeup done by a MAC makeup artist in Iseo. She was great!
A Martina Liana Gown with a Statement Train
My dress was from Fairytale Brides in Whitefield, Manchester. It was the first dress I tried on and I knew it was “the one” straight away. The gown was designed by Martina Liana and was extremely comfortable to wear, lightweight, and elegant, with a statement train. The lace material was easy to pack in a suitcase without needing to be steamed, which was helpful as the wedding was abroad. Stress-free!
Sparkling Diamonds
I wore diamond earrings which were a gift from Avi, a veil which was my something borrowed from my sister who got married last year and of course my engagement ring and wedding band added the perfect amount of sparkle.
Pink and Grey Wedges
My shoes were lightweight, pale pink and grey padded wedges from Moda in Pelle, which my mother-in-law bought me as my something new. I wanted a pair of shoes that were comfortable to wear all the day, lightweight to pack, and could be worn again… they checked all of the boxes for me!
The handsome groom
Avi wore a blue three-piece Italian suit by Ted Baker. He was also wearing a Shinola watch, which I bought him for his 30th birthday. He looked very handsome indeed!
Bridesmaids in Blush
I had three bridesmaids, my two sisters and Avi’s sister. The bridesmaids wore blush pink TFNC high neck maxi dresses with embellishment detail around the shoulders and low backs.
Roses and Greenery for the Chuppah
As the view was so spectacular we went for something that would complement the surroundings. The chuppah was made from locally sourced timber, we had off-white Italian cotton covering and a mixture of white and pink O’Hara roses all tied together with greenery to blend in with the surrounding olive grove. It was really beautiful.
A Rabbi and A Friend
We flew our rabbi and friend Zvi Gefen of Aish out for the wedding along with his colleague Moshe Mayerfield from London. Having a close friend conduct our ceremony was very special.
Traditional Music for the Ceremony
Avi walked down the aisle to Boi Veshalom, my bridesmaids walked down to K’shoshana, I walked down to Eshet Chayil, and our first dance was to Perfect by Ed Sheeran.
O’Hara Roses
I chose O’Hara roses; we had them at our engagement party and I absolutely loved them. They have the most incredible perfume! Our table centers where a mixture of three different levels of round vases containing pink and white O’Hara roses with tea light candles scattered around them. Our florist was the incredibly talented award winning Alberto of Bohem & Bohem Bonbon in Sarnico.
Our fabulous Photographer and videographer
We had both photography and cinematography to capture the ambience and emotion of our big day by Flix’n’Pix, which Avi co-founded with his brother Adam.
A Spread of Desserts
We decided not to have a cake; we had plenty of dessert though, including raspberry mille-feuille, chocolate souffle, caramelised peach tartlets, ice cream, and fresh fruit… they were all yummy!
Acoustic Music
We brought our band The Groove Fellas over from Milan; they played laid-back acoustic covers throughout the day including favorites of ours by John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Jason Mraz, and more.
Favors for the Chuppah
We provided fans and tissues during the chuppah: fans for the heat and tissues for the tears, presumptuous on both counts we know!
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Firstly be decisive. If you like something choose it; don’t get overwhelmed with the plethora of options available… go with your gut! Secondly, the day goes so incredibly fast, try to enjoy and savor every moment as it happens. Finally, if something goes wrong, don’t stress over it; chances are your guests won’t know how it ‘should have been’ and will assume it was meant to be that way!
Lauren & Avi’s little white book
Photography and videography – Flix’n’Pix
Kippot and benchers – Hebrewear
Wedding planners – I do! Italia
Venue – La Catilina
Bride’s dress – Martina Liana purchased at Fairytale Brides
Bride’s shoes – Moda in Pelle
Groom’s attire – Ted Baker and Shinola
Bridesmaids – TFNC
Flowers – Bohem & Bohem Bonbon
Band – The Groove Fellas
Invitation – greenVelope
Stationery – VM Bespoke
Rabbis – Zvi Gefen and Moshe Mayerfield
Getting ready – Relais Mirabella
What an amazing wedding to shoot the weather looks fantastic and really makes the shots standout