An Enchanting Italian Monastery Wedding

Brides and grooms to-be, get ready to feast your eyes on the European wedding of your dreams.

Anthony and Marie married at a stunning 12th-century monastery in Umbria, Italy. The ceremony took place in a grand old church, with a reception under the stars, in what looks like the ruins of an old castle.

‘For our reception, we went for two long tables for our six-course banquet, followed by the cutting of our cake in the gardens under a tree filled with tea light votives,’ says Marie.

‘Whilst we cut the cake, we had a cigar and chocolate station for guests to enjoy, then returned to the banquet area to dance until the early morning.’

Anthony and Marie wanted to ensure the styling of their wedding brought out the beauty of the surrounding area, particularly the olive groves that are also a symbol of their Italian and Greek heritage.

They were put in touch with the floral geniuses Donatella and Andrea Belcapo who used fresh blooms like white Peonies, Toses, Lisianthus and Hydrangeas, and offset them with plenty of olive greenery.

‘It felt like we were in a sprawling garden,’ says Marie.

‘Andrea was brilliant on the day. He banished me from the church before the wedding, saying in Italian, “I want you to be surprised when you walk down the aisle”.’

They carried the olive theme through to the gift bags which, amongst other goodies, featured a cold pressed Olive Oil from the groves of La Badia.

For her dresses, Marie wanted to juxtapose tradition and modernity with two different styles. For the ceremony, she wore a one-shoulder, elegantly tailored Toni Maticevski number that she purchased online. For the reception, she changed into a more relaxed dress from The Bridal Atelier, with soft sleeves and an open back that allowed her to dance the night away.

But for both Anthony and Marie, there was one moment in the night that sticks out above all others:

‘As we enjoyed dinner, our entire wedding reception sang (unprompted) to Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Amore”. Anthony and I both had to pinch ourselves to make sure we weren’t dreaming that moment!’ says Marie.

Sit back and enjoy Anthony and Marie’s enchanting European wedding below. HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_05 HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_13 HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_21 HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_30 HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_40 HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_50 HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_60 HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_70 HOORAY_GiuseppeMarano_Umbria_81