Category Archives: Italy

Romantic Wedding at a stunning, fairy-tale Castle in Italy – Nicola and Daren’s Wedding

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It was a complete honour to organise this 6-Day wedding for Nicola and Daren at Castello Orsini in Nerola, Italy in July 2018.

We first met Nicola and Daren through Daren’s mother Jeanette, who is herself a renowned photographer. From the very start they knew exactly what they wanted their wedding to be – a fabulous adventure in a fairy-tale castle somewhere in Italy, surrounded by family and friends. They wanted to create a wedding that their guests would remember forever. 

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They asked us to be involved right from the start of the planning and before anything had been booked! Having this time to find the perfect venue was so important to them and so there followed our 18 month adventure together. We spent 6 months researching every possible castle in Italy, and I really do mean every possible castle – from the North to the South, from the East to the West,  we searched and searched and searched. 

For anyone who knows Italy well, there are a lot of beautiful castles – or Castellos as they say in Italian – so this was quite a search!

Map of Italy from Wikipedia

After some time, we had narrowed it down to 3 castles – one in Tuscany about an hour from Florence; one in Lazio about an hour from Rome; and one in Ischia, which is a small island off the coast of Naples. So, in July 2017 Nicola, Daren and I set off for 4 days in Italy to view the venues, spend some time in each region, sample the food and wine and enjoy the atmosphere of each location.

From the moment they saw Castello Orsini they knew – and so did I – that this was the place. They simply loved it. The Castello is stunning, the people who work there are so lovely and the location is breathtakingly beautiful. It ticked every box on their wish list.

Castello Orsini, images courtesy of their website

We also met their wedding co-ordinator, Nathalie, who was delightful. Nothing was ever too much trouble and she cared about the wedding as much as Nicola and Daren (and me). She was with us every step of the way and made fantastic suggestions for everything. I will never forget working with Nathalie and I am so grateful to have had her with us to plan this wedding. I can only pray we will work together again some day soon.

Once we had the venue, my team got to work to plan the wedding over the next 12 months – exactly how Nicola and Daren wanted everything to be. We loved being involved in all aspects of the planning – from arranging the Legal Ceremony in Italy, to the flights and accommodation for over 100 guests, to selecting the perfect wedding suppliers for the three main events – the Welcome Party, Wedding Day and the Brunch Party the day after the wedding. There were also dinners in the local village and various events each day, including a day trip to Rome, spa treatments and a wine tasting. There was a lot to do!

Planning a 6 day event in Italy is not an easy task, but with a Bride and Groom who are warm, generous and know what they want, it was a joy from start to finish.

The details and styling of the Welcome Party in the gardens of Castello Orsini

The details and styling of the Wedding Day

We will never forget this wedding – it was one of the most complex and detailed we have ever planned. It’s always such a pleasure to work with couples who are beautiful – inside and out. This was the most wonderful wedding in a magical castle. So many happy memories. ❤️

This epic wedding would not have been possible without an amazing team:

Stylish Events Team: Dominique, Lucia and Ilaria
Venue, Catering and Cake: the fantastic Nathalie at the team at Castello Orsini
Photographer: Nick Redman
Florist: Eva Ludmila Srovnalikova and Antonella My Wedding in Rome
Video: Thomas and Gianluca, De Lorenzo Wedding
DJ: Daniele Camarda
Band: The Martin Bell Band
Lighting and Sound: SAV Teknology
Hair: Sam Goode
Chairs: Preludio Divisione Noleggio
Invitations and Favour tea lights: Intricate Creations
Menswear: Stephen Williams, SW Tailoring
Bridesmaids Dresses: Maids to Measure
Bridal Gown: Vivienne Westwood

“From the moment we met Dominique we knew our dream wedding in Italy was safe in her hands. Dominique and her team worked so hard in getting every last detail of all the events to perfection.

Dominique also had the gigantic task of flying out our guests on different days and they all made it for the long weekend without a single hitch. They not only helped with the wedding, they also booked coaches to and from different airports, day trips for our guests and even managed to get the local Pizzeria to open only for us and all our guests in the local village. 

Nothing was ever too much for the Stylish Events team. Dominique was so patient with all our guests queries and questions and everyone told us how lucky we were to have her involved. We will be forever grateful to Dominique and her team for turning our dream wedding into reality.” 
Nicola & Daren

Unless otherwise stated all photographs in this blog are by photographer Nick Redman

A Dream Italian Wedding Venue, Il Borro in Tuscany!

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Last month I had the pleasure of spending some time with Angela Boninsegni, who is the Director of Reservations at Il Borro in Tuscany. She came to London to meet with a number of top destination wedding planners based in London. It was so lovely to be able to assist with the meetings and get to know Angela and Il Borro so much more.

Il Borro is an absolutely stunning 860 hectares’ location for weddings, events or just a lovely Italian holiday, in a secret corner of the landscape of Tuscany which is owned by the Ferragamo family. They have kept the history of the past and combined it with modern touches to create a superb blend of history and luxury.

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If you do not know Il Borro, I believe after this blog it will be hard to get it out of your head. For those who already know Il Borro, this is a perfect excuse to remember why this place is in your heart.

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At Il Borro there are many different locations to hold your wedding and for your accommodation. From the Main Villa, being an elegant location for the bride, groom and close family to stay, to the 5 star suites in the Medieval Village. There are also gorgeous farmhouses for your guests, which are 3 big country houses split in 2 or 4 units with a lovely pool to share.

Il Borro’s overall style is a combination of luxury and the Tuscany style.

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Looking out of the window from the Main Villa, gives you a view over the village and the breath-taking Tuscan landscape.

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In my opinion the Medieval Village is one of the unique selling points of ll Borro. Guests can enjoy the Italian experience with the unique handcraft boutiques and excellent restaurants.

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For weddings, Il Borro offers a series of exclusive locations, outdoors and indoors. Each of them has different characteristics and is designed to suit every taste. You can choose between the nineteenth-century manor house (Main Villa) for a refined and romantic ceremony, the private garden in the Renaissance style for an outdoor function or the stunning old Orangerie for your reception. If you wish to add authenticity and charm to your ceremony, why not choose the Medieval Village with its narrow streets and centuries-old church?

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Il Borro is a biodynamic farm where they produce their own electricity with solar panels. They produce their own wines with true passion from their beautiful vineyards which they store at their own wine cellars. This is a nice excuse to sign up for their wine tour, where you can enjoy the different home-made produced wines and visit the beautiful wine cellar.

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Il Borro offers a variety of different activities, amongst which are nature walks, a round of golf, mountain biking, trekking….. there is something for every taste to keep you and your guests entertained.

They also have 26 horses, which is the perfect way to discover the Italian landscape in a fun and exciting way.

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When one thinks of Italy, the majority will associate this country with delicious food. They have two fantastic restaurants (The Gourmet and the Bistro) and you can also enjoy cooking lessons with their chefs, which is a great way to learn Italian cooking skills from an experienced Italian cook. Not to forget, using the olive oil produced at Il Borro, from their own olive trees.

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It is my belief that Il Borro gives you that “goose bump” feeling even if you only look at the pictures, imagine actually being at this stunning location. An oasis of peace that rests over this Italian fairy tale location contributes to its uniqueness for your very special wedding day or just a relaxing holiday.

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I was already interested in Il Borro when Dominique introduced me to it and this interest only grew during my time with Angela. Her true passion for Il Borro is so inspiring and it was an absolute delight to see how she glowed and lit up when speaking of it. In my eyes, this is true passion. But then again, no wonder passion arises with a wonderful location like this!

Best wishes, Nina

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All photos in this blog are from the Il Borro website and their facebook page or from Snowdrops Weddings & Events photo shoot at Il Borro with Kate Nielen.

 

Elegant Italian Wedding in Tuscany – Emma and Manuel’s Wedding

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Emma and Manuel designed an elegant wedding in beautiful Tuscany in an historic castle, Castello di Modanella.

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120 guests travelled to Italy for a 4 day event and enjoyed the wonderful food and wine of the region.

As well as the wedding arrangements Dominique was involved in the travel, accommodation and the many events over this dream week.

This event was a joint venture with the fabulous Italian wedding planner, Giulia Bono (www.giuliabono.it).