If I ever decided to do a destination wedding, Italy would be my obvious choice. I rate my favorite places to travel by the food, so obviously, Italy is at the top (you can’t go wrong with pasta!) Today’s rustic Italy destination wedding from Rochelle Cheever definitely has me dreaming of the rolling hills of Tuscany! Perfectly sweet and intimate!
Nine months into dating, Rob and I took our first true vacation together. We met in Rome and spent an entire week touring Umbria and Tuscany while staying at a friend’s place in this tiny hamlet of Morruzze. At the end of our trip, Mario, one of the locals we’d come to know quite well, told us to come back and get married in Morruzze. With raised eyebrows Rob and I both first looked at Mario, then each other, and laughed. After just nine months marriage seemed a bit premature to both of us but Mario had planted the seed. Wouldn’t you know, three years later we called Mario and asked if his offer still stood.
Rob and I always knew we wanted an intimate wedding. We loved the rustic charm of this 17th century church which was just big enough to hold our fifty guests. The ceremony itself was led by an older, English priest who very well could have been a wizard straight out of Harry Potter. Saying, “…in sickness and in health,” choked me up just like I always knew it would and we all quietly laughed as Rob and I fumbled to slip the rings on each others fingers. Our ceremony was everything we had ever dreamed of – romantic, rustic, intimate and ever-so imperfectly and perfectly us.
Our big day went off almost without a hitch. Unfortunately, the unseasonably cool weather forced us to move the reception dinner inside but with a bit of brainstorming and table rearranging, we were still able to seat all of our 50 guests around one long table in the estate’s rustic and cozy dining room. After an early morning wedding day run, the girls and I put finishing touches on the dinner table. A few DIY floral arrangements, twentyish candles, wired burlap ribbon napkin rings and mini olive oil bottles gave the table a natural but still elegant feel.
Despite the wind, intermittent rain and hail shower on our wedding day, the details and decor made our space warm and inviting – though I’m sure the red wine helped a bit too. But what I remember most, and what truly made the day so special, was the tremendous amount of love we felt, not just between one another but from our friends, family and even the local townspeople we met along the way.
Photography | Rochelle Cheever Photography | Venue | Tenuta Monte Volparo | Dress and Shoes | Badgley Mischka | Groom’s Suit | Hugo Boss | Invitation | Minted | Napkins | confettigrey | Mr and Mrs Banner | lola and company | PR | OFD Consulting LLC
