Dominique and I are just back from our incredible Italian Study Tour, during which we visited three amazing venues, each one different from the other and all gorgeous for a destination wedding. We will be doing a more detailed blog on each of the venues we visited, but we wanted to give you a quick look at the splendour of what we saw, tasted and experienced.

We had the pleasure of sharing this unforgettable adventure with two other members of the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners, Steven Pellier of Steven Pellier Weddings and Louise Perry of Louise Perry Weddings; a wedding blogger, Jessica Barrie from Deluxe Wedding Blog; and a great wedding and fine art photographer, Kate Nielen, who took all the venue photos you see below.

Here are a couple of selfies of the team:

We spent the first two days at Villa Balke and Hotel Marad, on the Gulf of Naples overlooking the Isle of Capri, with Mount Vesuvius in the background. Villa Balke is bright and modern with a seaside feel. It has so many possibilities for an amazing wedding, including a fantastic pool party area.  It’s also very close to a variety of tourist destinations, so perfect for a three or four day visit to this region of Italy.

Villa Balke

Our next destination was the Tuscan countryside just outside Florence. We visited the stunning Villa Mangiacane, enjoyed the locally produced wine and the inventive cuisine of the resident chef. This romantic, elegant venue left us all speechless on more than one occasion!

VIlla Mangiacane

Last but certainly not least, we visited Il Borro. Situated a little further into the Tuscan countryside around the town of Arezzo but just one hour from Florence, this magnificent estate is owned by the Ferragamo family. It has so many different options for your ceremony and reception, each more stunning then the next – and even its own church. Amazing!

Il Borro

All photographs from Kate Nielen Photography

The hospitality we received at each venue was outstanding and we wish to thank our host venues for their warmth and friendship. We can’t wait to return very soon.

More to come on each of the venues and our experience in Italy!

Love,

Anna and Dominique