Meet Ed and Jemma. The two Brits living in New York, and saying those all important I dos in Italy!
The Couple
Ed and Jemma met while on a weekend away for music festival Coachella in Palm Springs where they’d rented a house with a group of mutual friends. “We hit it off immediately. That weekend we had late night heart-to-hearts where we seemed to talk about anything and everything, and despite having only just met, I honestly felt as if we had always been friends.”
Two weeks later they went on their first date back in New York, and the relationship developed from there. However it was no plain sailing, as Ed had already committed to moving to India for 18 months with work by the time they met! But somehow they made the long distance thing work, and just shy of 3 years after meeting, they were getting married!
The Proposal
“Ed proposed on a November afternoon on our favourite beach- Goose Ricks in Kennebunport, Maine, having surprised me that morning with a weekend trip up there. He got down on one knee with the sunset behind him- it was a perfect moment that I´ll never forget”
They quickly set about planning the wedding, but as two Brits in New York, their biggest challenge was transporting their UK guestlist to New York. “It just seemed like a lot to ask, but the thought of planning a wedding in the UK from afar filled me with dread” Given that they didn´t see their loved ones that often, they also loved the idea of getting everyone together for a weekend rather than just a day! Therefore, a destination wedding felt perfect! And as Italy was also a top contender for their honeymoon, it all fell into place- the perefect Italian destination wedding!
The Venue
The couple set their sights on Tuscany, with it being such a beautiful place, and also looking like it would fit their budget. Having contacted a few places, it was the ease of communication with John, the owner of La Bandita, that made their decision. “We never actually went to the venue until the afternoon before our wedding, but luckily everything exceeded our expectations!” With breathtaking views, and delicious food everything ran without a glitch!
The Planning
Wedding co-ordinators Francesca and Martina of Il Canto di Imeneo Weddings did a great job of organising all the outdoor furniture and flowers- even finding Jemma´s favorite peonies for the bouquets, which wasn’t easy in Italy in the height of summer!
The Photographer
Ed and Jemma chose old time friend from school, Jamie Bott, as their wedding photographer! “Jamie was a joy to be around and captured every special moment perfectly” Jamie also has the added bonus of being married to a wedding hair stylist– the perfect package! Charlotte stayed with the bridal party for almost the whole day continually making adjustments after some very enthusiastic dancing!
The Look
Choosing the perfect wedding dress was Jemma´s least favorite part of planning the wedding! Although an avid fan of shopping, the idea of choosing just one dress – “that’s it! – felt very foreign to me.” In the end, she opted for the Margi dress by Rembo Styling (from Veka Bridal in Brooklyn NYC who were lovely) which felt beautiful yet comfortable, and like it would suit the setting perfectly. Absolutely gorgeous! Ed on the other hand was very happy just to be choosing one outfit, and was styled head to toe in Reiss.
The Ceremony
The wedding ended up being delayed for 2 hours due to torrential rain but with friends and family being on call to provide the perfect distraction, and the drinks being moved forward ahead of schedule, spirits remained high!
“Having the ceremony outside had started to feel like it might not happen with the bad weather, so it felt even more special to be out there and with such an exquisite back drop all around us.” A delayed start meant a delayed everything, and after the most amazing dinner from the in-house chefs at La Bandita, our guests all partied like rockstars with the night ending around 6am!”It sounds such a cliche, but it really was the best day of our lives.”
Congratulations to the happy couple!
Want to plan your own Italian destination wedding? Check out top Italian wedding planners! More: Find your perfect honeymoon destination! Gorgeous wedding dress inspiration!
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