Kim and Karl’s Rustic and Romantic Italian Wedding by Maison Pestea Photography

If you are currently dreaming of summer holidays and trips abroad then today’s wedding is going to get your travel juices flowing even more! Kim and Karl are massive lovers of travel, with Italy holding a special place in their heart. So when it came to finding a venue to get married, Italy seemed like the perfect option. With a guest count of 70, they had the perfect amount of people to keep the day intimate yet full of love and atmosphere. The whole day is just amazing, with a gorgeous array of flowers against the old Italian architecture, the soft colour scheme and of course Kim’s stunning Grace Loves Lace Dress. Big thanks to Maison Pestea Photography for the stunning photos.

A Romantic, relaxed and intimate celebration of love in a rustic Italian village.

Kim and Karl were married on 1st April 2022 at Borgo Di Tragliata, Fiumcino, RM, Italy. ‘Travel has always been a big part of our relationship, so getting married abroad was something we both wanted. Our very first trip together was to Venice 12 years ago, and since then Italy has become our favourite destination in Europe. We are huge fans of Italian food and culture, so choosing an Italian wedding venue was an obvious decision for us. We wanted a venue where everyone could stay together and where we could hold our ceremony and reception in the one place. The Borgo ticked all of these boxes.
We had 70 of our closest family and friends which was the perfect number for us. It still felt like a huge celebration but with a lovely intimacy to it. We planned for over 2 years – but Covid definitely had an impact on that timeline. It was worth the wait.’

How they met
We met in college and have been together over 12 years now.

The proposal
We were almost 9 years together when Karl decided to propose. We obviously knew that we were soulmates, but had never really discussed marriage. We were on holiday in Lisbon and had taken a day trip to the Valley of the Lakes in Sintra when he took me by complete surprise and got down on one knee. Turns out he had been planning this out for months, he chose the ring himself and had very traditionally asked my Dad’s blessing before we flew. The moment was perfect and very emotional for both of us.
How did you allocate your budget?

Where did you splurge and where did you save?
We had decided at the outset that the most important things to us where the entertainment (we both love music) and food and drinks. We held our celebration over 3 days and organised lots of different musicians including a string quartet, an acoustic duo, a DJ and an eight piece Italian party band. We are both quite minimalistic when it comes to Décor, so we let our florist and the beauty of the Venue itself do the talking and definitely saved on the extra accessories that come along with wedding planning!. We issued our save the dates digitally and made an online wedding website for our guests to RSVP.

How did you choose your photographer?
The wedding coordinator at our venue provided us with a list of photographers that were based in Italy. We were absolutely blown away by Peggy’s portfolio and her style of photography. We had also read some reviews from Brides and Grooms that had worked with her previously. Once we spoke to her we knew she was going to create something amazing for us.

The dress
My dress was the Inca Gown by Australian bridal designer Grace Loves Lace. I came across them on Pinterest and it was love at first sight. Lucky for me they had a showroom in London. I’m quite simplistic in my every day and accessories aren’t usually a huge thing for me so I wanted to keep that side of things understated but still classic. I chose some oversized pearl studs by Salita Matthews and of course some white cat eye sunglasses by Saint Laurent. Comfort was key when it came to shoes so I went with some heeled open toe mules from Aldo.

The suit and bridesmaids
Karl’s suit was a custom two piece from Suit Supply in London. My bridesmaids were dressed in different gowns from the Irish independent brand, Folkster.

Theme or colour scheme
We wanted to pair sophisticated boho chic with the rustic charm of our Venue. The colour scheme was definitely earthy, warm tones that we felt complimented each other. The bridesmaids were mixed in dusty pinks, burgundy’s and burnt oranges. We chose a sage green for the groomsmen.

Flowers
Our florist was amazing and based the flowers and floral décor off our colour scheme. My bouquet was made from Peonies, Pampas and dried flowers.

Decoration 
We had a floral arch for the ceremony and festoons for our tables. And candles, lots of candles.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We decided to split our honeymoon into two separate trips. Our first was straight after the wedding ceremony. We rented a car and took a road trip down to the Amalfi coast and across to Matera in Italy. Our second was in the summer 2022 and we decided to do some island hopping in Croatia. We spent most of our time there on the islands of Vis and Hvar, it was incredible.

Personal touches
I think our most personal touch was that we wrote our own vows to each other for the ceremony. As opposed to traditional wedding readings, we asked two of our friends to also read passages from our favourite literature/poets.

Special moments
Other than being surrounded by our nearest and dearest. It was definitely the ceremony. Our officiant really worked with us to make everything about it personal to our relationship and our story.

Advice for other couples
Stay true to how you want your wedding day to represent what your relationship is and who you are and try not to focus on the outside pressures of ‘what a wedding should be’’. Keep it personal, relax and enjoy every moment of the build-up.

Supplier Shout Outs

Venue and wedding coordinator: www.tragliata.it
Officiant: www.blessingsfromitaly.com
Dress: Grace Loves Lace: www.graceloveslace.com
Grooms Suit: www.suitsupply.com/en-ie
Bridesmaids: www.folkster.com
Groomsmen: www.mossbros.ie
Photographer: www.maisonpestea.com
Florist: www.ifiorididonatellaegiuliano.it
Entertainment: www.consonus.it / www.instagram.com/akiramanera / www.thegloves.it
Hair and Makeup www.facebook.com/LouiseFaulknerHairAndMakeUpRome
Stationary: www.papier.com

Peggy Picot from Maison Pestea Photography

www.maisonpestea.com / www.maisonpestea.com/blog / [email protected] / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM 

Based in Italy and France, available everywhere in Europe. I’ve been a photographer for 13 years & documented hundreds of weddings and elopements in Italy, France & Europe. My job is to document your most precious memories, love & emotions to last a lifetime. I care a lot about my work and my couples. I’m always excited to grab my cameras and travel everywhere I’m lucky to go and capture new stories.