I’d be lying if I said destination wedding planning wasn’t my favorite. There’s something about using the colors, sounds, and sights of a foreign land to tell every chapter of a couple’s love story, and create a new piece of home. So when Michelle and Nick hired my team to plan their Italian countryside wedding, exhilaration doesn’t even begin to cover it. I was bursting with ideas.

Michelle and Nick are so much more than clients. Their kindness, appreciation for both quality and style, and complete trust in us created a lifelong partnership after planning a Christmas party for them in 2018. I was their first phone call to design their Italian-themed engagement soiree in downtown Pittsburgh after Nick proposed, and honestly, that event deserves its own blog post!

EM and E Events Destination Wedding Planners — Styled to the detail! We transformed Il Pizzaiolo and brought Italy to Market Square! Vendors: Floral: Sapphire and Lace Linens: Mosaic Photography: Lauren Renee Photography, Invitations: Oh Joyful Day

Our team started laying the groundwork to discover the perfect venue for their October 2020 wedding. Their hearts were set on getting married in the same region of Italy where Michelle said yes to forever, and that’s where this story begins.

On February 19, 2020, bride-to-be Michelle, wedding photographer (and one of Em and E’s favorite!) Lauren Renee, and I traveled from Pittsburgh to NYC to Rome on a scouting trip I would never forget.

Part I

I had never been to Europe, and I was so excited to experience the homeland--Ciao to my Capitano/Orlandini family!--in all its beautiful buildings and fine art. The moment we stepped into Rome, I felt taller than usual, and my blonde blowout stuck out against the crowds of jet black hair.

Our plan was to drive the four hours from Rome to Florence, stopping at potential venues we had vetted from Pittsburgh along the way. Even though we just arrived, we had already spent hours exploring Italy from our office.

Destination weddings get a bad rep because the added travel logistics involved (like language barriers, time zones, and cultural traditions) can quickly eclipse the joy and excitement leading up to your day. Many couples considering a destination wedding assume you need a planner that lives in the city you’ll get married in, but in reality, the opposite is true. You need a wedding planner local to you!

Michelle and Nick are able to have all planning meetings in person with us to brainstorm design, chat about details, and keep the creativity at their fingertips. Without my team acting as that anchor, their plans would be thousands of miles away, lost in translation.

While they sipped coffee and reviewed our custom design sketches, Em and E logistics manager Sophie took the lead on scheduling tours for five venues. After countless emails and Google Map checks, we created a scouting itinerary that accounted for the venues’ tour availability and our route. On top of all the tour appointments, we also reserved hotel rooms and transportation for everyone. Michelle and Nick never get bogged down in the logistics, and we kept their vision front and center.

Fast forward to our trip! Each venue was more breathtaking than the last, and I was so grateful to have Lauren documenting all of the sights while I asked countless questions. After she photographed Michelle and Nick’s engagement party, they hired her on the spot to be their wedding photographer.

Quick heart dump about Lauren: She and I have been partnering on weddings for years, and are always pushing each other to do better. Taking this trip together was just one step closer to taking over the world, and the trust we’ve built results in wedding magic for our couples.

As I wrote down pages of notes for Michelle, the peacefulness I felt walking around the grounds was almost overwhelming...and this was in the wintertime! I couldn’t imagine the look and feel of these gardens in full spring. Halfway through our trip, I was picking up on the language...little things here and there. I couldn’t believe this was my job!

All inclusive: Each villa offered many hidden spaces to host your wedding weekend events without having to travel elsewhere. Along with ceremony and reception, couples will likely need spaces for their rehearsal dinner and farewell brunch.

My favorite take away from touring the villas was that couples have the entire estate to themselves and their guests for the whole weekend. Soaking in all that quality time with your people can really add to the experience, and that stressful ‘rush’ to get a reception over and done with doesn’t even exist!

If the scenery wasn’t stunning enough--and it was--the rich history behind the villas was fascinating. Some used to be churches where popes and priests lived, and others were home to actual princesses. Hearing these stories gave us even more to think about in our search, and I knew we’d have some tough decisions to make soon.

EM and E Events Destination Wedding Planner — *Meet Damon the great dane! He took a liking to Michelle, and followed around the entire tour of Borgo Stomennao.*

When couples hire us, we always ask what the most important details are to them, and keep those close to mind throughout the planning process. It’s almost too easy--especially when you’re planning a destination wedding--to lose sight of your why, and end up with a day completely different from the one you wanted. From the very start, Michelle and Nick’s priorities were sentimental value and location.

Many venues were in the middle of the countryside, a twenty minute drive from Florence, which can become a trek for guests who have never been to Italy. Others did not have accessibility for the handicapped or elderly, and required lots of walking on cobblestone stairs. For those reasons, we ruled out a handful of spots.

In the end, our adventure led us to the heart of Michelle and Nick’s day one aspirations, and we made it official! Their venue’s luxurious, manicured grounds overlook the entire city of Florence, and the views are unmatched. It offers rooms on site for guests, and multiple locations on the property to hold their weekend festivities.

...But we’re not one to spoil the surprise. Check back later this fall for the big venue reveal!

As our trip came to a close, the exhaustion began to set in. I’d love to tell you about the long dinners, wine filled nights and the big life conversations we had, but it was more like pizza on the go, and room service after a tiring day.

Plus, something bigger was approaching….

Destination Wedding Planning

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