Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met whilst Sam was doing his postdoc at Oxford University. Our relationship has always been very international as we’re a transatlantic couple and we both share a passion for travel. We’ve visited many countries together and look forward to spending the rest of our lives exploring together.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We have a strong connection to Italy as that's where we went on our first holiday together, Sam proposed to me on the beach in Positano and we have now made it a tradition to visit every year. It felt right to get married in Italy as we have shared so many happy memories there.
How many guests did you have?
We had 95 guests attend. Couplet Photography captured our day at Villa Rossi.
Tell us about your outfits.
I wanted to have something flowy, yet delicate, I wanted to reflect my style in a dress. I also wanted it to match the vibe of the venue. For the pink outfit I wanted fun, bright, over the top, basically a wedding dress in bright pink. I actually bought it on our second trip to view the wedding venue, whilst wandering through the lanes in Lucca from Pinko.
Sam wanted to look to look sharp and traditional so we went for a classic tuxedo from Hugo Boss.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We wanted it to be fun as possible, with everyone coming away feeling like they had experienced something incredible. We had our wedding spread out over 3 days which helped our guests from all over the world bond, it created a cosy, loving atmosphere. We loved the idea of everyone looking back fondly when they remembered our wedding. Our good friend Alexandra was our celebrant, as we wanted to be married by someone we knew and loved.
I’m also a sucker for beautiful things, I wanted each and every aspect to be pretty and I did the styling myself. I spent many hours poring over wedding magazines, Instagram and Pinterest. My vibe was opulence and a meadow bursting through the villa. I also made and designed all of the stationary myself. I wanted a bespoke crest which was used on all wedding signage, photo booth pictures, place cards and invites. Being a perfectionist made the planning very difficult but my wedding planner Giulia Bernini was incredibly patient and helpful.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
We really love florals, which were done by Luca Cozza. We wanted to play with the idea of a meadow bursting into the villa and the juxtaposition of it.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Have a strong idea of what you want for your wedding and work from there, it’s very easy to get swayed by social media and you fall into the trap of having too much choice.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
All of our venders were very attentive and ready to customise things to our liking, sometimes at a steeper price but generally fair.
Photographer: Couplet Photography @couplet.photo | Ceremony + Reception Location: Villa Rossi, Lucca, Italy @villa_rossi_lucca | Celebrant: friend of the couple | Entertainment: Note a Nozze @noteanozze | Planner: Giulia Bernini @giuliabernini_wp | Flora: Luca Cozza @lucacozza_flowerspecialevents | Hair: friend of the Bride | Catering + Beverages: Full Moon Eventi @fullmooneventi | Stationery: by the Bride | Getting Ready Location: Villa Michaela @villa.michaela.tuscany | Ceremony Dress: Stephanie Allin @stephanieallin | Reception Dress: Pinko @pinkoofficial | Tuxedo + Shoes: Hugo Boss @boss | Engagement Ring: Local Jeweller in London | Shoes: Loeffler Randall (Aysha) @loefflerrandall | Other Jewellery: Gifts from Aysha's Family | Bridesmaids Dresses: ASOS @asos | Groomsmen Suits: Sogno di Sposa Firenze @sognodisposafirenze