On a beautiful Italian summer’s day earlier this year, nine members of Team Elegante sit at a small, rustic restaurant in the quiet town of Fiesole. They tuck into heaped plates of homemade pasta and the street echoes with their laughter and shared stories. Walking by, you could be forgiven for thinking they were a tourist group venturing out of Florence for the day, perhaps visiting the 15th century Villa di Maiano with its blooming gardens and panoramic view of the city. In reality, they were us and we had just come from the Villa where the grounds were being transformed for an unforgettable wedding celebration; it was a hive of activity on a huge scale, and we were all electrified with the anticipation of delivering the wedding the following day. This is the story of a Jewish wedding in Florence, featuring four stunning venues, two incredible bridal looks and about a thousand lemons. We’re so excited to be sharing this one with you, so without further ado…
Every great destination wedding starts with a welcome party, particularly when the guests have flown in all the way from the US and Israel to be there. It helps set the tone for the whole wedding and settle them into their surroundings, and gives them a great reason to extend their trip by a few days to see some sights. The day before their Jewish wedding in Florence, A&A threw a spectacular welcome party at Palazzo Ximenes in the city. Earlier in the day their guests had been invited on a walking tour of the incredible Renaissance history of Florence, and welcomed to Italy with bespoke welcome bags. The party in the evening was the first time they would all come together in one place and see how fabulous an Italian celebration can be!
Entering the welcome party through the magnificent arched hallway at Palazzo Ximenes is impressive enough, but guests were then totally immersed in their surroundings by abundant decor, lighting and cosy seating areas provided by Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design and Alma Project. A chinoiserie-and-citrus theme gave a flavour of the vintage charm of Florence, and we doubt there was a lemon left in the whole city when we’d finished! Beyond the seating area was the main event space; a fantastic hidden gem in the city, a grassy courtyard that unfolds before your eyes and was filled with warm fairy lighting, tables set with blue, white and yellow, and an array of wonderful Italian food and drink. We featured a vintage Fiat 500 Spritz bar which doubled as a sort of photobooth opportunity, and guests were treated to live cooking stations dressed like market stalls and scattered around the area. They could have fresh pasta, woodfired pizza and the best local Florentine feast foods made right before their eyes by Galateo Ricevimenti, set against a backdrop of charming Italian and popular music by the extremely talented Muzika.
It was a beautiful sight to see, and as the sun set on their very own cosy little corner of Florence we knew A&A’s wedding day was going to be something special.
The following day the bride and groom got ready at their hotel, The Four Seasons, accompanied by Consuelo and her army of hair and make up artists, Your Wedding Beauty Team. Aviva’s ceremony look was a chic, pared back updo to allow her stunning lace long-sleeved Elie Saab gown to shine, and her simple yet striking red rose bouquet was the perfect bunch of blooms. After a touching first look with Alan and some family photos, it was time for their private transport service by 01 Group to take them all to the Florence Synagogue. Alan travelled first in order to enjoy his Tisch, and Aviva followed sometime later. Upon arrival she took her place on a purpose-built throne-like seating area for the bedeken, and we were then ready for the chuppah to begin.
For a Jewish wedding in Florence the Synagogue is unbeatable; its interior beauty is staggering, and the decadent white floral chuppah by Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design perfectly framed the couple as they had their traditional ceremony.
Meanwhile, high on the hill overlooking the city at Villa di Maiano, the rest of Team Elegante was preparing proceedings for the wedding party to follow. Guests would arrive through the gardens, the natural beauty of which had been enhanced with extra florals in rich red and pink jewel toned florals to set the theme of the evening. They were then to be served drinks and canapes while finishing touches were made to the space reserved for dinner and dancing.
Let’s fastforward to the arrival of A&A at Villa di Maiano, when Aviva changed into another princess-esque Elie Saab dress and had her hair and makeup changed into a relaxed style for the evening. When it was time for the big reveal, guests made their way up from the gardens and were greeted with the warm honey-yellow facade of the Villa and a spectacular clearspan marquee, filled to the brim with stunning florals and delicate details. The whole design was sumptuous and flowing, filling the space with lavish life and surprising the guests at every turn. Beautiful bespoke stationery by Ceci New York announced the menu for the evening, and custom monogrammed napkins from Laurel House Design made for a lovely personalised touch.
As the evening got underway it did so in typical Jewish fashion, with plenty of Israeli dancing (Muzika entertained fabulously all night long!), lots of wonderful food from Galateo Ricevimenti and a handful of meaningful speeches. One of the highlights of the evening was the millefoglie show; guests were brought outside onto the brow of the hill overlooking the city just after sunset (which, by the way, was breathtaking!) to witness the catering chefs build the wedding cake, layer after layer of pastry, cream, sugar and fruit. At the very moment of cutting the cake, fireworks erupted into the sky…and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t shed a tear!
This is where we leave A&A, dancing the night away in their custom-built, air conditioned marquee and surrounded by their loved ones from near and far. Before we leave you too, it would be remiss not to mention some of the extra little details that were included to help transform this from ‘just a wedding’ to an experience. The whole vision was meticulously planned, from the styled lounge areas outside the marquee built for guests to enjoy the views of Florence, to the bespoke benching books provided for guests. Almost every element of the wedding was personalised (the napkins, the welcome bags, the reusable water bottles) and elevated (linen-feel napkins in the toilets, a special air conditioned changing area for guests, and some of the best suppliers the UK and Florence Jewish wedding communities have to offer).
A&A’s wedding has been featured in:
A&A’s Jewish wedding in Florence was a truly spectacular event and one which the Elegante by Michelle J team feel very proud to share with you. Each city in Italy has its own special charm, but secretly Florence is one of our favourites – and for good reason! If you’re dreaming of your own Elegante extravaganza in the Renaissance capital of Europe, we’d love to hear from you.
With huge thanks to the inimitable David Bastianoni for all the imagery used in this blog, and to Waterfall Visuals for this stunning film of A&A’s celebrations.
Here are some other links you may find useful;
Our guide to kosher catering at destination weddings.
How to create wedding welcome bags your guests will love.