This glamorous destination wedding in Tuscany was the epitome of beauty and style. The couple and their relatives hailed from Canada, while their guests arrived from all across the globe: Australia, Africa, Japan, the UK, the US, and Europe.
Although all guests were close friends of the couple, some were meeting each other for the first time.
The uniqueness of a destination wedding is that people usually come for a few days and spend this time together, getting closer to each other and to the couple.
Danielle & Dan’s guests started celebrating with them in Florence, then had a festive pizza party at the hotel Villa Fiesole (where most of the guests stayed - it was booked entirely for the wedding guests). The festivities culminated in the wedding ceremony and celebration at the famous Vincigliata Castle, the only castle near Florence which operates as an event venue. The castle is located on top of a Tuscan hill in Fiesole and offers breathtaking views of Florence and its surroundings.
The big day started with preparations: the ladies getting ready in their suite with some Champagne, whilst the gentlemen treated themselves to beer.
The late June weather was perfect that day: some light clouds helped to hide from the sun, and the light wind was refreshing.
The celebrity stylist Cherie Spisso was taking care of the bride and her crew. Danielle is an impressive woman: an activist for healthy and responsible living, a yoga master, a mother to 2-year old Lily and is incredibly beautiful! She and her friends model for various agencies, and seeing them all together was a real treat for the eyes.
When the time came, Federico, the floral designer for the wedding from Lilla Floral Design, delivered bouquets for the ladies, a floral crown for Lily, and boutonnières for the groomsmen.
Luba, the owner of Primavera Dreams Weddings, and the wedding planner for the couple made sure that everything followed the strict schedule. Her associate Dina took care of the guests’ departure in buses to the Castle, as well as that of Danielle with her bridesmaids, and of Dan with his groomsmen.
Luba was focused on the preparations inside the castle: she supervised the ceremony set-up, the music, the cocktail, the dinner, etc.
On arrival, guests were able to admire the grounds, the castle’s various courts, and impressive walls, as well as a picturesque fountain and sculptures. The pianist was playing light jazz music. The flowers were dispersing light fragrances. But soon everyone was invited to take their seats, the officiant shook hands with the groom, the wedding party took their seats, and the musician started playing the melody by Einaudi, selected by the couple for the bride’s entrance. Soon she arrived, together with her parents.
For her wedding, Danielle wore a Pronovias couture dress and a cathedral veil. She looked sublime. Dan couldn’t take his eyes off his beautiful bride.
The celebrant Giuseppe Rossi conducted a touching ceremony, the couple exchanged vows and rings, and 30 minutes later the excited crowd applauded the newlyweds!
A festive cocktail reception followed immediately in the garden, with plenty of Prosecco and Aperol Spritz, typical Tuscan wedding drinks. The amuse-bouches were delicious, the cheese and cold cut displays were a huge success, the guests enjoyed a warm summer evening and each other’s company. The couple greeted everyone, kissed their adorable daughter Lily, who was very well-behaved and went for a tour of picture-taking.
An hour and a half later, everyone was invited to the internal court where the dinner was waiting on long rectangular banquet tables.
Federico worked on the florals and overall design with Danielle and they came up with a white/off-white/green and gold palette.
The tables were decorated with crystal and bronze candelabras, greenery, and a multitude of small candles and vases.
In addition, multiple strings of bistro lights were installed across the court, and torches were lit along the castle’s walls for the dinner.
The resulting ambiance, reflected in the photos, was surreal.
A typical Tuscan four-course dinner was freshly made and beautifully served by Roland’s catering.
The dinner was joyful, with several humorous toasts and an entertaining shoe game.
It was topped off with the cake-making show, during which Roland’s pastry chef assembled a big millefoglie cake – a traditional Italian wedding cake, with some help from the bride. Champagne and sparkles added an extra touch to this stunning scene.
After the dinner, the festive crowd moved to the loggia where DJ Ramta had everyone dancing surrounded by party lights, which was taken care of by Kaleydo Entertainment.
The night was warm, the castle was enchanting, and it felt invigorating to take the occasional break from the dance floor and enjoy the grounds around.
The celebration continued until 2 a.m. and long after, in everyone’s heart…
