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A Carolina Herrera bride for a destination Jewish Wedding in a castle at Castello di Vincigliata, Florence, Italy.

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Today’s gorgeous bride first made contact with me back in 2014, when she was looking for supplier recommendations for her destination wedding in Florence. I immediately noticed that her email signature read ‘Head Scientist at playdohlab.tumblr.com‘ and I thought, WOW, I really do have the coolest readers in the universe!

And her wedding does not disappoint. Whilst it isn’t play doh-themed (which I was secretly hoping for!) it’s a delicious destination set in an astonishing castle in Florence, and the crazy thing is, I attended a wedding in the very same venue last summer!

Anna and Chaim enlisted the help of SposiamoVi (one of my much-loved Smashing Suppliers) to plan their big day, and what a great choice they made. Their fabulous wedding included two bridal gowns (a Carolina Herrera and a MaxMara Bridal), lace-adorned Jimmy Choo’s, exquisite Louis Purple tailoring (with some wonderful embroidered personalisation), Chaim’s father officiating the wedding, a brilliant band that included the bride’s uncle, as well as some glorious Tuscan candle favours (Anna says she wanted to create a memory of the wedding through smell), and an unplugged chuppah ceremony — something that I’m a really big fan of. Anna said:

We requested no cameras, smartphones, or iPad use by any of the guest during the chuppah — we wanted everyone to be in the moment. The only people taking pictures and videos were our photographer and videographer.

And what a fabulous pair they were: Edoardo Agresti captured all the stills, and Marco Caputo‘s film is simply a must-see at the end of the post.

A gorgeous couple in fabulous attire having their day their way. Perfect.

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An orthodox Jewish wedding in Florence

Anna, the Bride: My parents actually met in Florence and live there part of the year. I also have a large extended family that lives in Europe, so Florence was convenient destination for many guests. For those that would have to travel, I knew that a long weekend in Florence would be the most irresistible magical getaway.

Originally, I wanted to get married in the Great Synagogue of Florence, as it just takes your breath away, but then we saw Castello di Vincigliata, a castle in the Tuscan hills- how could we not pick it? We contemplated having the chuppah in the synagogue and then transporting guests to the castle, but ultimately we thought the schlep to and from would disrupt the atmosphere. Chaim had his Shabbat Chatan at the synagogue so guests that attended were able to experience the beautiful Sephardi service and architecture.

Jewish Wedding Florence

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Considering getting married in Italy? Then I’ve found your perfect wedding planner…

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I’ve made no secret of the fact that if I were to marry Mr STG again, it would be in the gorgeous ‘boot’ of Southern Europe.  There is simply something magical about Italy. It feeds the soul. It conjures up a world in our imagination and touches so many thanks to it’s art, fashion, culture, food, climate and collection of insanely contrasting but always stunning vistas.

A destination wedding in Italy is one thing but trying to choose where to have it is another.  How to pick from the sun-drenched Tuscan olive groves, Venice and all its romantic splendour, Florence and its history and elegance, Rome and its Dolce Vita cityscape, the sophisticated glamour of the Amalfi coast or snowy, classy Cortina D’Ampezzo?

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But, like reading a book, everyone comes away with their own interpretation of Italy’s best bits.

And that’s why if you’re thinking of having your Jewish wedding there, I think it’s a pretty good idea to turn to a group of experts who can take on the challenge of understanding your vision, building on it and ultimately realising your dream  wedding.

Well today’s your lucky day because I’ve found exactly who you’re looking for:  SposiamoVi  are superior Italian wedding planners who I first discovered through Olivia and Jacob’s breathtaking Jewish wedding  that took place in Florence. I blogged it last year  but  this is a  wedding that will stay with me for a very long time and you must check it out if you haven’t already. The, style,  planning and delivery of it are  simply astonishing. Once  I had seen what SposiamoVi were capable of  with this wedding,  I snapped up them right away  as Smashing Suppliers.

SposiamoVi was set up ten years ago by Alice, an interior designer and Cinzia, an event organiser and they currently boast offices in Florence, Portofino and Amalfi.

They’re an awesome team of high-achieving and inspired wedding planners. Armed with a golden rolodex of trusted suppliers right across Italy, they provide local knowledge and know-how and with a team of creative directors, stylists and designers to hand, they can turn your wedding into an art form.

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

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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.Jewish wedding Florence
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