The Elegante by Michelle J team have been no strangers to Tuscany this year, and the 4-day extravaganza celebration we delivered in June was one of our highlights. Taylor and Matt’s stylish luxury wedding in Tuscany was held at the historic Palagina La Dimora, holding court on a hill overlooking endless vineyards and olive groves. It was here that guests from far and wide gathered for a thoughtfully curated multi-day event, and you’re invited to relive it with us here.
Palagina La Dimora’s versatile variety of event spaces meant that it was possible to use every inch of the property over the four days, and we began with a romantic al fresco welcome dinner for Taylor and Matt’s closest friends and family who arrived on the first day. Having exclusive use of the venue’s honey-coloured villa meant we were free to be flexible with our events, which was a blessing given the uncertain weather throughout. Happily, the skies did clear and allow us to set up a dining table beneath an avenue of trees, and the sun cast a bronze glow over the setting just as guests were sitting down to dine. We worked with Giardino delle Fate Flower Design to create a striking chinoiserie-styled tablescape, finished with fresh lemons, candlelight and the sounds of love and laughter long into the evening.
For each event we worked with Big Day Designs to give guests an immersive experience, introducing new stationery elements that would guide them through the celebrations. After the welcome dinner’s circular blue and white menu cards, the following day saw guests receive welcome booklets complete with a beautiful watercolour illustration of the venue. We also created specially designed wine bottle labels which were added to Palagina La Dimora’s own wines and included in the welcome bag gifted to all guests. We believe it is these fine details and little touches that really elevate a guest experience.
Day 2 saw guests invited to a White Party by the villa’s pool, which included live pasta cooking stations and classic Italian aperitif style food. As night fell, fireworks lit up the sky, illuminating the surrounding Tuscan hills and Taylor and Matt’s chic pink outfits…a sprinkling of colour among the clean whites of the party!
On the penultimate day of this luxury wedding in Tuscany guests were given the option to leave the villa for wine tasting tours and cooking classes led by locals, or to explore Palagina La Dimora’s own vineyards and farm-to-table ethos. Giving guests authentic activities to partake in at a destination wedding really helps them get the most out of their trip, particularly when they have come from as far as the US as in this case! We wrote a blog full of ideas for things to do around your Italian wedding – have a read here. In the evening, a classic Tuscan dinner was served in the Limonaia and heartfelt speeches were exchanged. One of the things we always encourage our couples to do is include what feels right to them for their wedding. In the US it is common to have a more open format for speeches, rather than set people assigned them as is typical in the UK. Taylor and Matt embraced this and had their wedding, their way.
The crescendo of Taylor and Matt’s luxury wedding in Tuscany was, of course, the wedding day. After the weather put a dampener on our original plan for the ceremony, we delivered a lovely, intimate set up inside with the rolling Tuscan hills in the background. You can read all about how we manage ‘wet weather weddings’ in our latest blog. There was nothing soggy about the wedding day however, and the celebrations culminated in a spectacular evening of dinner and dancing in the marquee space overlooking the pool and countryside beyond. Ambassador Band threw a roaring party, there was a fabulous outfit change from Taylor, and the entire week was captured to perfection by David Bastianoni.
It was a pleasure delivering such a joyful series of events, and we wish Taylor and Matt every happiness for the future! To plan your own heartfelt Tuscan wedding, get in touch to book wedding planning services for 2024 and 2025.
