Stefania and Simone's Simple yet Vibrant Boho Beach Wedding in Tuscany

Happy Friday everyone! Wow that week went quickly! With 3 wonderful days in York with Nik and Dexter I have only had 2 days in the office this week, so it’s been a super fast week for me. We are off to Gloworm festival with Dexter on Saturday and then next week Camp Bestival, I have been checking the weather forecasts hourly! So far it looks like I need to be doing a bit of a sun dance! Today’s wedding sees lots of sunshine though as we head to beautiful Tuscany for the wedding of Stefania and Simone in Forte dei Marmi, a wonderful seaside town in Tuscany. It’s a wedding of two halves, firstly a sophisticated flower filled church ceremony, followed by a laid back, boho beach reception. Two stunning dresses, amazing decoration, vibrant colours and the cutest couple! All planned to perfection by Gloria Morselli and Elisa Compagno from Coquette Atelier and photographed beautifully by Laura Barbera.

It’s been a blast: the celebration of our long-lasting love surrounded by the people we care the most. Dancing bare feet in a magical atmosphere!

Stefania and Simone were married on 2nd July 2022 at Duomo di San Martino, Piazza Duomo, Lucca in Tuscany, Italy. The reception was held at Bagno Palmo Mare, Lungomare di Levante, Massa MS also in Tuscany. ‘The emotional bond with the place, especially with Palmo Mare: it is the beach club Stefania used to spend every summer since she was 3 years old. But above all: the seaside vibes of course: the seafront, the sea wind, the bare feet. All recalling that freedom and long-lasting magic between us. We had 100 guests and we started booking the location a year before. Then, it took us 8 months roughly to plan and get everything done.’

How they met
We originally met at high school during a school trip.

The proposal
We have to go back a few years: it was during our life abroad, our Amsterdam years. I got back from work as any other day, he was waiting for me on the couch: he asked me to get closer, a big hug and then he goes. “We should buy a house together here now; we should own something together. And since I love you so so much, why don’t we get married first?” And the ring was there. He had called my dad before proposing and that was far beyond everything I wanted. I did say yeas and we promised each other to do it there first, just the two of us, and then in Italy, with family and friends, as soon as we’d have been back.

How did you allocate your budget?
Mainly on catering and location with quite a big slice on flower and various décor.

Where did you splurge and where did you save?
Cocktail bar and overall flower & décor – we did save on video though. We both were happy with great photos capturing best moments of our day.

How did you choose your photographer?
I ran into Laura on social media, looking for wedding photographers. The natural look & feel of her work was immediately clear: once we met her, there were no doubts. She was the right person to capture the real essence of our day through real living shots.

The dress
My dress was by the Spanish bridal luxury designer Jesus Peiro and shoes by Aquazzurra. I did wear family-owned accessories.

The suit and bridesmaids
Simone had a custom-made suit by a Tuscan tailor. Bridesmaids had only been given a colour palette: they all chose what fit them best.

Theme or colour scheme
Yes, I did choose a colour scheme recalling throughout the day, from the church to the beach. The same colours bridesmaids were wearing. The same colours the dinner tables setting was about.

Flowers
A mix of flowers, very different between each other still perfectly matching. A classic pink blush carnation meeting white hortensia and mixing with orange and blue dried flowers.

Decoration
A simple yet vibrant decoration made of colourful flowers, candles, glass & terracotta pots and wooden signage. A boho look with a marine (sea) touch.

Food
A mix of appetizers with live-cooking local scones. A fish big crudité followed by champagne risotto. A pineapple carpaccio.

Wedding cake
A strawberry tart made on spot + creamy and plain donuts towards the end of the party.

Entertainment
A DJ performing throughout the evening.

Who supplied the stationery?
Officine di Carta is the supplier we’ve been working with for all “paper” stationaries such as invitations, menus and so on. Arcobaleno Arte del Fiore, for flowers and décor, has also been involved with some stationary on the beach (wooden signage etc).

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We did fly to Namibia first for a full-on two weeks of incredible African vibes (safari, desert, ocean and much more) ending then the honeymoon in Seychelles. And what a honeymoon!!!

Personal touches
Simone was the one giving the personal touch with an “unplanned” speech during dinner in honour of a promise he made to my dad: a promise he honoured that day, a day my dad unfortunately was not with us anymore.

Special moments
The walk down the aisle was definitely the moment I was more worried about: having lost my father, I decided to make the entrance with my two sisters on my side. It was a surprise finding myself handling it so well.
And then the dance, our dance, unplanned too: barefoot on a table at the rhythm of our song “Chasing Cars”. It was like there was nobody around us.

Advice for other couples
No matter what, do fully enjoy every bit of that day!

Biggest surprise
Simone’s speech and the amazing sunset we got lucky to have.