Fiona & Richie

Love and Family Values

Fiona and Richie’s wedding in Tuscany took place on a private estate, set in a traditional Italian garden, within terraces of vines and olives. Situated in the Garfagnana area of Tuscany with a stunning natural backdrop of the Alpi Apuane, the wonderful 13th century Villa enabled the couple to create a unique and personal wedding day.

The following account of Fiona and Richie’s wedding given by Jo Daye of Accent Events, provides not only great inspiration and ideas but an insight into the steps taken to plan a destination wedding from the view point of an event planner. The couples stunning wedding photography was captured by Australian destination wedding photographer Marcus Bell of Studio Impressions.

When I asked Jo how she would describe Fiona and Richie’s wedding, she responded saying that “I can best sum up this wedding as one of love, closeness of family and friends and old fashioned values.”…..what a wonderful compliment and beautiful start to any marriage, congratulations Fiona and Richie.

The First Meeting…

I met Richie and Fiona early last year. We met at Carluccio’s restaurant at St Pancras Station. We had a very informal skype phone call which was really entertaining; they came across as a relaxed young couple with a fantastic sense of humour. Fiona is Australian and Richie English/Italian. They needed a planner as they lead very busy lives, Fiona travelling the globe and Richie had invested in a new business so taking on the planning of a destination wedding would have been no easy task. When I met them in person it was like meeting old friends, although I did introduce myself to another gentleman wearing a red jumper as this was my identifying criteria!

The Inspiration…

Richie came armed with his iPad to show me the photographer they wished to secure for their wedding, the amazing Marcus Bell of Studio Impressions (Australian based photographer) and Fiona had a clear idea of how she would like their wedding to be styled, drawing upon the natural beauty and colours with wonderful personal touches honouring family, their aspirations, and heritage. The thing that stood out for me was the consideration they gave to their guests; a cosmopolitan wedding party; flying from UK, Dubai and Australia to share their wedding day.

The Venue…

We shortlisted venues around Lucca as Fiona had spent a memorable time there, she knew the area well and as it is only a short distance from Pisa and Florence it was perfect for the international contingent. The one venue that resonated with them was in the little town of Borgo a Mozzano, the stunning Catureglio.

Catureglio is made up of a main villa and several cottages. It is private and reveals itself after travelling down a narrow country lane. There is an amazing courtyard area bordered by the main villa, a little chapel which can be used for blessings and high stone walls with decorative water features. This was to be the setting for their civil ceremony and aperativo.

Richard and Kate who are the guardians of Catureglio ensure that everything is in place and nothing is too much trouble. They are amazing hosts and as the planner it was a pleasure to work alongside them.

The Style…

Their choices lent themselves to vintage style. To compliment this we arranged a fabulous live band playing english and italian songs, the band was dynamic, dressed to suit the occasion with a 40s/swing influence. The choice of songs for the civil ceremony were a selection from Nina Simone, Etta James and Marie Hines, the sentiment captured beautifully their relationship.

The Wedding Breakfast…

We were able to call upon local suppliers that have worked with the venue many times before which made for seamless service on the day. The caterers were superb and the decisions taken in their wonderful showroom came together on the day.

We arranged for the pastry chef to make the millefeuille wedding cake in front of the guests which was really special and something the children enjoyed!

Extra Activities…

The beauty of this venue is that it has different aspects and spaces which catered beautifully to the wedding but also would equally serve for family gatherings. Fiona and Richie wanted to organise an informal pizza and beer party for their family on the day of arrival which was possible as there is an outside stone oven.

For the post wedding celebrations, Kate was able to organise with the Comune of Lucca for a large gathering to take place for a picnic just outside the walls of Lucca.

The Perfect Partners

Wedding Planner: Jo Daye – Accent Events  //  Photographer: Marcus Bell – Studio Impressions Australia // Civil Ceremony and Reception Venue: Villa Catureglio, Borgo a Mozzano Lucca, Italy // Catering: Il Fattore Party Ricevimenti // Bridal Party & Guest Accommodation: Villa Cutureglio, Borgo a Mozzano Lucca, Italy // Bridal Gown: “Kristene” by Claire Pettibone  // Bridal Hair Piece: Twigs and Honey  // Wedding Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Groom’s Attire: Nick Tentis