Organic Destination Wedding in Tuscany

Imagine yourself in the middle of Tuscany, wearing an exquisite Alberta Ferretti gown, the love of your life on your arm, and your closest loved ones by your side. That’s precisely what bride Karen envisioned for her wedding with beau Chris, and she invited Italian photographer Lelia Scarfiotti along to capture every precious moment. Take in every breath of this one, folks — it’s a winner.

From the bride, Karen: Chris and I both wanted to get married somewhere bohemian and laid-back with natural beauty and rustic charm. Since Chris is Italian, we thought it would be extra special to get married in Italy. We looked at a few venues online before finding the Lazy Olive, and we knew immediately it was a perfect match for us. We ended up visiting a year before the wedding to check it out and meet the owners Daniela and Malcolm. I remember when we arrived; it was the most amazing feeling– just being up there in the hills with this awe inspiring view of vineyards and olive groves everywhere you look, it’s just incredible and so magical. We were also totally enamored with the Lazy Olive’s beautiful architecture and rustic sensibility. Plus, the owners, Daniela and Malcolm, are some of the coolest people we’ve ever met, and they have tons of experience planning weddings. Everything just worked so well.

The décor and flowers were very high on my priority list. I wanted everything to look aesthetic and styled without having this cookie cutter, everything matching wedding look – that’s just not me. The keywords were organic, lush and eclectic yet a bit “undone” and easygoing. I am so happy I was able to work with Daniela on this. We had a few talks and I showed her some inspiration pictures and she totally understood my aesthetic vision. It was so nice to have a wedding planner who got my vision so well. That way I didn’t have to worry or stress at all. When deciding on a photographer, we wanted somebody who could perfectly capture the mood and atmosphere and go beyond the typical wedding photography look. We were looking for a true artist. I found Lelia’s website online and knew instantly that she was the one for us. Not only is she an incredible photographer, but she is also an amazing person who helped us so much on our wedding day. We are beyond thrilled with our pictures and are so happy that we got to meet such a cool person.

The ceremony took place overlooking the Tuscan countryside. We felt so blessed that my Rabbi from the United States came over to marry us. It was very special having him there since he has been a friend of my family for many years, and in the past he married all of my three sisters. For an extra sentimental touch, we placed the bow from my mother’s own wedding dress on our Chuppah.

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Decide early on what’s super important to you and what’s lower on the priority list. Then find an experienced wedding planner who shares your vision and let him or her take over. Getting married can be so stressful, so find somebody experienced who gets you and let her take the reigns. Also, Pinterest and wedding blogs (thanks Ruffled Blog!) cannot be underestimated! I don’t know what I would have done without them!