Each day of their weekend-long nuptials was intricately realised by luxury destination wedding planner Elegante by Michelle J. From the welcome party styled with lemons for a Sicilian vibe, through to tables set with fragrant herbs in authentic aged terracotta pots on day three, the happy couple embraced Italian style with their wedding decor.

Taylor & Matt’s Italian destination wedding suppliers

Planner – Elegante by Michelle J
Photographer – David Bastianoni
Videographer – Whites Film
Florist – Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design
Stationery – Big Day Designs
Venue – Palagina
Dress – Monique L Huillier
HMUA – Ayelet Garson
Production – Wedding Music and Lights
Entertainment – Ambassador Band

Beginning by welcoming their closest friends and family, Taylor and Matt hosted an incredible wedding weekend. Their celebrations culminated in a spectacular evening of dinner and dancing in the marquee space overlooking the pool and countryside beyond.

Crucial to the success of their wedding day was Michelle’s plan B in case of rain. A beautiful ceremony set up in the gardens of their venue was transformed by the expert Elegante team, whose meticulous planning meant everything was in place for a stunning indoor wedding and marquee reception. The look is incredible, with sumptuous white roses, hydrangeas and delphiniums alongside plenty of candles creating the most fabulous centrepieces for their wedding tables.

A four-day weekend wedding in Tuscany for Taylor & Matt

All images are by David Bastianoni / Planning and styling by Elegante by Michelle J.

Day one! Taylor & Matt’s beautiful wedding welcome party, with circular wedding menus in elegante chinoiserie-inspired blue and white, real lemons and warm candlelight (protected from the breeze) giving a relaxed and truly welcoming vibe to the first event, for their closest family and friends.

Day two is fun and modern, with Matt and Taylor looking fabulous in pink and guests wearing white for a party by the poolside!

Day three’s dining tables feel really authentic, with aged terracotta pots filled with herbs. The fragrance must have been fantastic, with rosemary, thyme and sage running along the table centre in the venue’s (beautifully named) Limonaia! (This translates as “Lemonery” – which has no equivalent in English – our closest is Orangery or even conservatory!)

Everything in this wonderful destination wedding weekend was leading up to the couple’s wedding on day four. Styling is exquisite with such beautiful luxury. The florals are divine, the candle light warm and elegant. Taylor is stunning in her Monique Lhuillier dress, which she changes at the end for a spectacular, sparkly little dress which is perfect for the dance floor!

The post Taylor & Matt’s luxury destination wedding weekend in Italy, with Elegante by Michelle J. appeared first on English Wedding.

“The wedding day itself was totally unique and we planned it so that it felt relaxed, informal and joyous for Anjali, Porus and their guests. Anjali was radiant in a short, sparkly feathered dress and striking pink heels, just another way of making the day feel more like ‘them’.” ~ Elegante by Michelle J

I’m in love with Anjali’s Nadine Merabi dress – so perfect for dancing! The styling and florals in this wedding are absolutely stunning. All images are by Italian wedding photographer Gabriele Fani. You might have seen this gorgeous Italian wedding on Wedding Chicks!

“The atmosphere was cosy and communal, and it was truly special to see everybody enjoying the exceptional catering of Galateo Ricevimenti in this beautiful setting. The tables were vibrant with variations on hot pink and magenta through the florals by Giardino delle Fate flower design, and complimentary stationery by Dimitria Jordan. It was a fiesta of candlelit romance, rich pink tones and a stunning outlook.” ~ see more of Michelle’s breathtaking Italian weddings here.

Italian destination wedding suppliers

Planning – Elegante by Michelle J
Venue – Il Borro
Photographer – Gabriele Fani
Florist – Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design
HMUA – Your Wedding Beauty Team
Catering – Galateo Ricevimenti
Stationery – Dimitria Jordan
Production & Entertainment – Alma Project
Marquee – Tentickle
Ceremony – True Blue Ceremonies
Dress – Nadine Merabi

Elegante by Michelle J is a member of English Wedding and a renowned luxury wedding planner in the UK and Europe

Web: https://elegantebymichellej.com

The post A stunning Italian wedding in Chianti, with Elegante by Michelle J appeared first on English Wedding.

Words: Elegante by Michelle J // Images: James Mason Photography

Natasha and Marc’s vision for their wedding day was to get married overlooking a lake, and on our venue search trip to Italy they knew Villa Orlando was the one immediately. It’s a privately owned villa on the edge of the lake. Their guests all stayed about 20 minutes away in Viareggio which is one of Tuscany’s coastal resorts, and we held their welcome party in a beach club. The venue was kept a secret until the day of the wedding.

Natasha & Marc’s Italian wedding suppliers:

Photography – James Mason
Planner – Elegante by Michelle J
Stationery – Bigday Designs
Videography – Whites Film
Venue – Villa Orlando
Bride’s dress – Lihi Hod
Hair + Makeup – Your Wedding Beauty Team
Flowers – Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design
Band – Muzika
Catering – Le Bon Ton
Stationery Illustrations – Anna Jayne Designs
Production – Alma Project

The venue presented a logistical challenge as it is still a family home, and for a wedding we only have access to the outdoor spaces. This means we had to bring in everything from generators and toilets to kitchen equipment, furniture, sound and lighting.

We used different areas of the property for different parts of the wedding. The chuppah took place in front of the villa by the lake, the aperitivo by the boat house and the dinner and dancing behind the villa. The unusual layout meant it took a lot of discussion to work out where to place the stage, dance floor and bar. We developed a unique layout with the top table beside the dance floor, but it made for a wonderful atmosphere.

About the wedding day team:

I used my network of wonderful wedding suppliers across Italy to recommend a team that would bring Natasha and Marc’s day to life. As a specialist in destination Jewish weddings, I was able to bring their vision to fruition and exceed expectations.

Natasha always wanted to get married under a chuppah that emulated a tree, so we worked with Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design and they built a beautiful chuppah with four ‘tree trunks’ for legs. The structure was covered in spiralling white roses and topped with green and white florals and foliage. The floral team worked with our green and white colour palette to create table arrangements of vases and grouped candles, placed on mirrors to reflect the candlelight, with cascades of florals and chic green and white patterned napkins.

Bigday Designs created their on-the-day wedding stationery, featuring venue illustrations by Anna Jayne Designs.

Natasha’s Look:

Natasha wore Audrey by Lihi Hod, a gown she had been dreaming of wearing since even before her engagement. Her wedding day look was brought together by Consuelo of Your Wedding Beauty Team, along with the bridesmaids and both mums.

The food:

Kosher catering was provided by Le Bon Ton, based in Rome, and featured typically Italian food including a lavish aperitivo with live cooking stations, followed by pasta and fish courses and a dessert buffet. They also had a traditional Italian millefoglie wedding cake show beneath the chuppah, repurposing the space beautifully.

The entire day was set to the soundtrack of Muzika from the UK. Their Israeli singer sang at the chuppah along with their keys and sax player, and the sax and trumpet then led guests through to the drinks reception area and played on the boat house roof. In the evening the full live band was on stage, and the dace floor was full all night long. Alma Project provided staging, sound and lighting to enable us to keep the party going.

The day was captured by James Mason, who the family had worked with before, and Whites Film for videography.

This wedding is making waves! Natasha and Marc’s gorgeous celebrations have been featured on Jewish wedding blog Smashing the Glass, and on 5 Star Wedding Directory.

The post A Hidden Lakeside Jewish Wedding in Torre del Lago, Italy, with Elegante by Michelle J appeared first on English Wedding.

“Our wedding was in Sorrento so it was only right for us to go with an Italian style. Our tables were named after Italian landmarks and our wedding cake was decorated with local Sorrentine lemons. We served locally made wine and limoncello shots and our venues were decorated with olive branches and eucalyptus leaves.

Our colour scheme was sage green and white. The bridesmaids dresses were silk sage and we chose white flowers of different textures, with olive branches and eucalyptus leaves. We chose silver jewellery / accessories and everything blended effortlessly. We were delighted with how our vision was brought to life.”

Wedding photographer’s website

https://jossdenham.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Joss was an incredible photographer. There really aren’t enough words to express our gratitude to him for being an all round fabulous person. He felt like a friend from the outset, gave us encouragement and guidance when we needed it and was such an asset to our day.

We chose to do a pre-shoot with Joss a few days before the wedding and this was an invaluable experience. It made us more comfortable with the camera and also allowed us to meet Joss and get to know one another. The photos also turned out great!

Joss kindly attended a dinner the night before our wedding and captured some special moments of us greeting our friends and family. He made an effort to talk to people and lots of our guests commented on what a lovely guy he is.

Joss returned over 700 beautifully edited photos and they capture every element of our day perfectly. He found and captured little moments that we ourselves missed and it’s wonderful that we can relive our wedding from different perspectives. He also returned all of the photos within just a few weeks which is unheard of!

We would without a doubt recommend Joss to anyone getting married, he was one of the best decisions we made and we will cherish our photos forever.

We wanted our photos to be natural and ‘in the moment,’ with as little posing as possible. Even for our portraits we wanted a fairly relaxed vibe. We were so lucky with the surroundings that we had a multitude of incredible options for shoot locations. We got some stunning ceremony photos at the Cloisters along with the portraits with our families and wedding party. We got some romantic photos of just the two of us on the windy path down to La Marinella beach. Golden hour was fairly muted for us but it didn’t matter at all, the photos came out perfectly! We also have some amazing drone footage.

Venue name + review

We got married in Chiostro di San Francesco (The Cloisters) in Sorrento, Italy. It is a 14th century town hall with a rustic court yard, classic archways, draping vines and a bell tower. It is a truly stunning and romantic space, as soon as we set eyes on it we knew this was the place!

For our reception we chose Hotel Mediterraneo for its incredible sky bar with panoramic views over the Bay of Naples. Both venues were a dream and we would 100% recommend them to anyone wishing for a Sorrento wedding.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

My dress was a simple shape but covered in sequins. I chose it because it was comfortable, weather appropriate and felt glamorous! It sparkled in the light and in photos, which was what I was going for. I chose a plain waterfall cathedral length veil.

Tom wore a 3 piece navy tux with a bow tie. He chose it because it was timeless and was surprisingly not too hot on the day! We both felt great on our wedding day.

Flowers

We found it difficult to choose flowers initially but after a visit to the Florist in Sorrento it all fell into place. We went for white avalanche roses, white lysinathus, white hydrangeas, cotton flowers to add some texture, olive branches and eucalyptus leaves. We had two flower columns next to the ceremony table and these were transported to the reception venue and used as table decorations. We were both delighted with the flowers.

Entertainment, music and dancing!

We had a Guitar & Mandolin duo play during the ceremony and they created a romantic atmosphere. The mandolin particularly is an instrument we don’t hear very often and it felt authentic and special.

For entertainment in the evening we had a DJ and saxophonist do joint sets. Together they really brought the party vibe and it was a surreal experience dancing to a live sax on a rooftop with everyone we love! One of our most cherished and special memories to date. The DJ opened with Earth, Wind & Fire – September, and so many people commented 21st night of September.. oh that’s today! This song will now always hold a special place in our hearts.

The post Eleanor & Tom’s magical Sorrento wedding, with Joss Denham Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

As always, we’ll share lots more including favourite photos on instagram @englishweddingblog

This luxury celebration will have you aching to make lemonade! The welcome party is a glorious fiesta styled with a thousand lemons, sunflowers everywhere and festoon lights shining into the Italian evening light. The bride’s floral dress is divine; Michelle created the most captivating ambiance for the happy couple and their guests.

“Guests were 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. 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.” ~ Elegante by Michelle J

The wedding day itself is styled with breathtaking and abundant florals in shades of red and pink, filling tables and cascading into the most fabulous arrangements.

“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. ”

This wedding was previously featured on Smashing the Glass. If the welcome bags look familiar they inspired us to write a piece on Thoughtful Touches: wedding welcome bags earlier this month!

For a fascinating peek behind the scenes, head on over to Michelle’s own blog, where she shares a brilliant behind-the-scenes wedding video showing the incredible hard work, and contributions from all the amazing suppliers that came together to create this exceptional celebration.

Photography – David Bastianoni
Planner – Elegante by Michelle J
Videography – Waterfall Visuals
Venue – Villa di Maiano
Dresses – Elie Saab
Bride’s shoes – Jimmy Choo
Hair + Makeup – Your Beauty Team
Flowers – Il Giardino delle Fate Flower Design
Band – Muzika
Catering and Cake – Galateo Ricevimenti
Stationery/Invitation – Ceci New York
Embroidered napkins – Laurel House Designs
Marquee – Pellicci & Meschi
Production – Alma Project
Travel Services – Come Wander Travels
Singer – Udi Ullman
Welcome Party Venue – Palazzo Ximenes
Synagogue – Florence Synagogue

The post An incredible two-day wedding in Florence, with Elegante by Michelle J appeared first on English Wedding.

Their weekend wedding in Italy was planned and brought to life by lovely Elegante by Michelle J. Michelle specialises in Italian weddings for UK couples, and is one of the UK’s top destination wedding planners. Together with the happy couple, she designed a wedding with a Chianti theme, delicious florals styled around a soft peach colour palette, and oodles of green foliage.

A Borgo is a magical concept unique to Italy – a medieval village comprised of buildings and farmhouses, many of which have now been reimagined into hotels. Borgo di Pietrafitta is a wonderful example of a Borgo which operates as a hotel and self catering accommodation and can be booked in its entirety on an exclusive use basis. “It was the perfect venue to allow all their loved ones to stay together and become fully enveloped in the experience of their wedding weekend, and we designed a celebration over the course of 3 nights using each of the different spaces available.”

The beauty of a wedding weekend is how relaxing it feels for you and for your guests. There’s time – nothing is rushed. You get to have proper catchups with everyone you love. They have the chance to settle in and really enjoy the surroundings – so important for destination weddings where your guests have travelled! And Charlie and Bobby got to do all of this together, which meant the world to them, especially as their wedding would reunite family and friends after the pandemic.

“We placed great importance on bringing everyone together for an ongoing celebration, immersing their guests fully in the Italian lifestyle experience.” – Elegante by Michelle J

Charlie and Bobby had a welcome party for guests on the Friday evening – a pizza party at the rear of Borgo di Pietrafitta’s main villa. Their symbolic ceremony was held in the villa’s Italian garden the following day and officiated by a family friend.

The outdoor ceremony overlooking the Tuscany hills is just magical. The views are spectacular, the archway draped with florals and foliage is incredible.

Day three is genius… the recovery BBQ! I can’t think of a single better way to celebrate the day after a wedding!

Bobby and Charlie booked some amazing wedding suppliers, alongside Elegante by Michelle J, to make their dream wedding happen. The images are all by Charm Wedding Florence, and we’ve included a full list of supplier credits below for you to check out!

Destination wedding planner: Elegante by Michelle J
Venue: Borgo di Pietrafitta
Photography: Charm Wedding Florence
Videography: Vertigo Wedding Films
Florals: Il Giardino delle Fate
Catering: Delizia Ricevimenti
Ceremony written by Katie Keen of True Blue Ceremonies
Roaming band: Mamas Tomatoes
APE vehicle: Noleggio Chianti 500
HMUA: Ayelet Garson

The post Charlie and Bobby’s Chianti wedding weekend in Tuscany, with Elegante by Michelle J appeared first on English Wedding.

Destination weddings can feel like a fairytale, but they can take a heavy toll on the environment. If you’ve always dreamed of getting married in a magical, faraway place, is it possible to achieve your vision without harming the planet? Here are some suggestions for planning an eco-friendly destination wedding. 

Liam Collard Photography – real wedding feature here

1. Keep Your Guest List Tiny

People often assume that weddings are large events, but small, intimate affairs have much less of an environmental impact. If your venue requires guests to travel, having few invitees will reduce the amount of carbon emissions produced through travel. You may even choose to have only your parents, or just one person to serve as a witness.

Martin Dabek Photography – real wedding in Portugal here

Martin Dabek Photography

2. Stay Close to Home

While some couples choose to jetset across the globe for an extravagant wedding, it’s really not necessary. Choosing a no-fly destination wedding will keep your CO2 emissions to a minimum. The Lake District, Wales, Scotland and anywhere in the U.K. countryside will be a beautiful backdrop for your wedding – without needing to get on a plane. 

3. Find an Eco-Friendly Venue

Once you decide which region you want to have your wedding, look into finding an eco-friendly venue. There are many venues throughout the U.K. that prioritize sustainability, like Folly Farm Centre in Somerset or Borthwick Castle in Scotland. These venues, and more, have committed to reducing their carbon footprint and hosting events that produce less waste than the typical wedding venue.

Francesco Mantino Photography (Italy) – styled elopement feature and full credits here

4. If You Do Go Abroad, Find Sustainable Lodging

If you choose a venue that doesn’t have accommodation, you’ll also want to look for a sustainable hotel option. Your best options will be ones closest to your venue, to minimize travel between them. A sustainable hotel may also feature green architectural details like heat-resistant windows or rainwater recycling equipment, as well as renewable energy sources and low-waste practices. 

Kalampokas Fotografia with Lefkas Weddings in Greece – full wedding feature here

5. Connect With Local Vendors

For any extra elements, like catering or flowers, try to find local vendors in the region you choose. This will cut down on CO2 emission from transportation. For example, you might have a favourite bakery in London that you would love to have bake your wedding cake, but transporting that cake from the city to the countryside would create unnecessary waste. Instead, see what options your venue offers nearby, or simply skip the unnecessary elements if they’re going to cause too much harm. 

6. Break Unsustainable Wedding Traditions

Decorating with traditional flower arrangements or disposable table settings creates a lot of waste. Digital wedding invitations are better for the environment and a great way to save money. And while you might think of flowers, confetti or balloons as traditional wedding decor, none of it is essential to have the perfect wedding day. Consider creating new eco-friendly traditions for your wedding – like letting the beauty of your venue be all the decor you need. Instead of a typical wedding cake or a large catered meal, simply enjoy a small meal at a local restaurant to cut down on food waste. 

Maxeen Kim Photography at Lefkas Weddings, Greece – full wedding feature here

7. Remember Your Exit

At the end of the wedding ceremony, many couples like to have a dramatic exit. Whether it be confetti, balloons or a getaway car, this tradition often comes with waste. If you want to enjoy the tradition without the negative impact, choose an eco-friendly alternative. Flower petals or bird seed can replace confetti as biodegradable options. And instead of a getaway car, why not simply walk off into the sunset at your stunning destination as the perfect photo opp. 

8. Wear Eco-Conscious Wedding Clothes

Wedding clothes are another critical aspect to remember when planning a sustainable wedding. You can look for eco-friendly dress designers, and there are plenty of suit options with sustainable fabric. Couples on a budget could also buy from brands with eco-friendly mission statements or secondhand clothes to keep them out of landfills. You can even wear something you already own, which is the most sustainable option.  

Maxeen Kim Photography at Lefkas Weddings, Greece – full elopement feature here

Plan Your Eco-Friendly Destination Wedding

Traditional destination weddings can produce a lot of waste, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan the event you’ve been dreaming of without the environmental harm. There are plenty of options for couples to have an eco-friendly destination wedding. Celebrate your love for each other and the planet with these tips. 

Fourfold Pictures in Mumbai – full wedding feature here

The post How to Have an Eco-Friendly Destination Wedding appeared first on English Wedding.

Destination weddings work with any wedding budget

Couples often expect a destination wedding to be cheaper than a UK wedding. You can choose to save – or spend! – wherever you get married though! A micro wedding in the south of France might cost less than a grand celebration in an English country hotel. If you’re spending more on your day, a luxury wedding in Greece might work out the same as a traditional English wedding.

All images in this blog post by Anna Roussos Photography

Start by working out your wedding budget, then look at locations – and consider everywhere! The cost of a wedding often comes down to your choice of venue and decor, not the country you choose to get wed.

Guests will travel for a destination wedding

The key is to let your guests know well in advance, and before they book their holidays abroad. (Sending invitations at Christmas time is a nice idea, as the key time for booking holidays is January.) Then they can look forward to your destination wedding as a really special holiday!

“Some couples have doubts about whether it is reasonable to ask their loved ones to travel overseas, and I always tell them this: you will undoubtedly lose some guests on the periphery of your lives who choose not to incur those costs. However, the people who do travel genuinely want to be there, and I have only ever seen guests at the end of a wedding be extremely thankful for a wonderful few days.” ~ Michelle (Elegante by Michelle J.)

You can still have your favourite suppliers

If you’ve fallen head over heels for a particular photographer or stylist, ask if they’ll be a part of your destination wedding! Sometimes couples don’t realise that suppliers will travel – and be super excited about your wedding day too!

Language barriers needn’t be a headache

If you do bring key suppliers with you (photographer, videographer, hair and makeup for example) it can be a comfort to know communication will be easy.

Liaising with venue staff and catering, florists and entertainment can be made simpler by hiring a professional. This is where wedding planners are worth their weight in gold. It’s often the logistics of a destination wedding that need careful handling and absolute expertise, and this can be taken off your hands with the help of an experienced planner.

“At Elegante by Michelle J we plan luxury, detail-oriented celebrations, and whether they take place in the UK or Europe we will plan with the same meticulous attention to getting each element right.”

Destination weddings can be sustainable

Asking your guests to fly abroad for your wedding (as is most often the case for destination weddings) means your day will have a carbon footprint. Encourage your guests to make a holiday of it by having a weekend-long celebration and involving everyone in the events before and after the big day. Guests might travel on to extend their holiday, rather than flying again later in the year.

Wherever you get married, you can choose sustainable wedding attire – peace silk dresses or preloved ones, bespoke suits you’ll wear for years to come, vegan shoes… often the smaller details can be earth-friendly.

Scaling back on single use items, especially plastic, can have a huge impact too. Consider all the elements of your wedding, and chat to your planner about sustainability too.

You don’t even need to fly!

A ‘destination’ wedding doesn’t have to be that far away. Last month we listed some incredible UK destination wedding venues on the blog, from Hampshire to Scotland via Cheshire and the Lake District. You can have those destination wedding vibes without going near an airport!

Images are from Claudia & James’s Mykonos wedding, planned by Elegante by Michelle J.

Photographer – Anna Roussos
Videographer – Mont Videography
Wedding planner – Elegante by Michelle J
Venue – Royal Myconian Hotel
Bride’s dress – Jenny Packham
Groom’s attire – Esclot

The post 5 surprising things you didn’t know about destination weddings, inspired by Elegante by Michelle J appeared first on English Wedding.