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Dreamy and Romantic Tuscan Wedding

February 16, 2022 | kailey

Saying “I do’s” in a medieval castle surrounded by vineyards and olive gardens in Tuscany—sounds like a dream! And thanks to wedding planner Giulia Alessandri and a team of talented wedding vendors, Sara and Fabio’s dream of a romantic Tuscan wedding was brought to life in ways that have exceeded their expectations.

With it’s gorgeous panoramic views of the Chianti hill towns, the Castelo Il Palagio was the perfect setting for their timeless wedding. Their beautiful ceremony was set at a chapel overlooking the courtyard and was followed by a luxurious reception at the Hall of Arms. Neutral floral arrangements by Luca Coza was a beautiful addition to the gold charger plates, artisanal stationery, and charming tassels used as placeholders for their guests. Not to mention it was all under a canopy of fairy lights—absolutely divine!

If you and your partner have been dreaming about a fairytale wedding surrounded by Tuscan scenery and breathtaking architecture, scroll through and draw inspiration from these stunning images by Daniele Cuccia.

The Couple:

Sara and Fabio

The Wedding:

Tuscany, Italy

The Perfect Venue For Their Romantic Tuscany Wedding

The bride has always wanted to get married in Tuscany, where she is from. First, we started to search locations on the coast but we quickly realized we were both more connected to the Tuscan countryside. When we visited the Castelo Il Palagio for the first time, we both got a thrill and we immediately decided to go for it.

The Bride’s Most Memorable And Touching Moment

The most touching moment for me was walking down the aisle side by side with my dad. All the people I love were there and at the end, my future husband was waiting for me, happier than ever.

The Groom’s Most Memorable And Touching Moment

It was when we performed our first dance together with our song. Suddenly, all the tension of the previous two years just vanished and my eyes were only for my astonishing wife.

Creative Wedding Favors

At this point, we can say our families helped us a lot! We asked Fabio’s brother, Claudio, who is a visual artist, to create unique wedding favors—a very creative caricature which represented ourselves, surrounded by what we like, what we dislike and in the background our favorite locations—Tuscany, Puglia and Berlin(which was the city we met).

Working With Photographer And Family Daniele Cuccia 

We were lucky because the photographer, Daniele Cuccia, was the bride’s brother-in-law. We were scared to be not natural but in the end everything went smoothly and we had fun.

Wedding Planning Advice From The Newlyweds

Don’t focus too much on Pinterest inspiration but customize every detail following your taste, personality, and the things you like most—that’s the secret to making your wedding unique.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Daniele Cuccia
Event Planning – Giulia Alessandri
Ceremony + Reception Venue – Castelo Il Palagio
Floral Design – Luca Cozza
Catering + Cake – Roland’s Catering
DJ – Luca Di Venere
Live Music – Swing Ensemble
Invitation Design – Chiara Mada
Makeup Artist – Debora Bongiovanni – EliBi Estetica
Hair Styling – Capelvenere
Rings – Cartier
Favors – Claudio Corfone

 

Congratulations to Sara and Fabio on their dreamy and romantic Tuscany wedding. And big thanks to photographer Daniele Cuccia for capturing the magical moments that made their day one for the books.

The most important decision you will ever make when it comes to planning your big day—like Sarah and Fabio— is finding wedding vendors you can trust and then completely trusting them. After that, you can hand over the reins and let them take the stress off your shoulders so you can focus on enjoying your big day.

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7 Wedding Outfits and Affordable Wedding Dresses

February 16, 2022 | riley

After you’ve chosen your venue and nailed down your photographer, it’s time to grab your wedding mood board and start wedding dress shopping. Finding beautiful and affordable wedding dress options online can quickly get overwhelming. Meanwhile, you also have to find outfits for all of your pre-wedding events, too. 

Not sure where to begin? Let’s start with the wedding event outfits you’ll need. 

Engagement Party Outfits

Whether you’re planning your engagement party by yourself or you’ve got the help of a few friends, your outfit is going to be as important as your decorations. When you’re considering the vibe of your engagement party, keep in mind that you’ll want your outfit to match. 

Since many of these events are more upscale and give you the chance to invite a small number of people to celebrate your engagement, opt for an outfit that balances comfort, style, and a little bit of romance, like The Kitty Dress from Afarose.

The Kitty Dress

This stunning gown is the perfect combination of lace and chiffon with a full court train. The delicate lace detail on the back is balanced by the v-neckline to make this perfect for romantic occasions. Because it’s sleeveless and lightweight, this is perfect for outdoor weddings and engagement parties.

Engagement Photo Shoot Outfits

After you’ve properly celebrated your engagement with friends and family, it’s time to book your engagement photographer and capture this moment in time. Since there aren’t many opportunities in life to dress up and take glamorous photos, take advantage of this one! 

You can use this time to give your wedding guests a sneek peak at the wedding color palette you’ve chosen by wearing a colorful dress (like this Marta Allure dress) or opt for an intricately beaded white gown that will shine in your photos—it’s up to you. 

The Rowena Dress

This v-neck sheath dress has intricate sequins beaded in a symmetrical pattern fit for a queen. The simple spaghetti straps and open back also give this dress an easy-going yet elegant feel that will shine in engagement photos. There’s a bit of weight to it which makes it perfect for engagement shoots because you won’t have to worry about the wind.

Bridal Showers

Bridal showers are typically less formal than engagement parties so when you’re putting together your bridal shower outfit, opt for dresses with shorter hemlines. Shorter hemlines will also give you a chance to show off your shoes while looking incredibly chic. 

The Susanna Dress

This stunning tulle skirt will make dressing for your bridal shower easy while keeping you looking and feeling cool. 

image provided by Afarose

Rehearsal Dinner Outfits

The rehearsal dinner is one of the last chances you’ll have to go all out with a white bridal gown. Typically brides will wear a white dress to rehearsal dinner but—just like every aspect of the wedding—there aren’t any rules that say you have to. Your rehearsal dinner dress can be a nod to the gown you’ll wear during the ceremony or reception. It can also be a completely different look or one that doesn’t quite fit with your wedding theme but that you still want to rock. Whatever the case, your rehearsal dinner gown should be comfortable like this Lucine dress.

The Lucine Dress

This simple sheath column dress features white beading to add texture and elevate it to create an elegantly breathtaking look. And don’t get us started on the keyhole cutouts in the low back. The high slit in the skirt also keeps this gown classy yet modern enough for any rehearsal dinner location. 

image provided by Afarose

Wedding Ceremony Dress

Now you’ve made it to your wedding day—congratulations! It’s time to don your wedding ceremony dress and walk down the aisle to exchange vows with your partner. There are many different wedding dress styles to choose from so it’s important to pay attention to what your dress looks like in your head when you picture that moment. Whether it’s a full ball gown or a sleek sheath dress, your wedding ceremony dress is an image that will live in your mind long after the party has ended so make sure you’re in a dress that makes you feel as beautiful as that moment.

Wedding Reception Dress

One of our favorite wedding trends at Junebug is couples making the most of their wedding fashion with outfit changes. After the wedding ceremony is over and it’s time to dance the night away, it makes sense to change into a dress that’s easier to maneuver. This is another chance to opt for a shorter hemline or more daring fashion choices than a typical romantic ball gown offers. Reception dresses can be short and sassy, actually a jumpsuit, or even a two piece gown.  

The Remy Dress

This modern two-piece wedding dress features a fitted sweetheart bodice with a corset back and a puffy ball gown skirt. This dress is a more rock n’ roll take on a classic bridal look which is perfect for wedding receptions. 

Honeymoon Dress

The wedding day came and went, so it’s time to pack your honeymoon bags. This is truly your last chance to rock an all white bridal inspired gown. If your honeymoon is taking you to somewhere chilly, pack a warm long sleeved bridal gown that you can rock with a coat to and from dinner. If you’re headed somewhere warm and tropical, look no further than a dreamy boho dress you can easily pair with your favorite beach sandals.

The Hana Dress

This dress is beautifully flowy, light, and easy to pack which makes it perfect for tropical honeymoon adventures. On top of that, its lace embellishments on the bodice and sleeves make it clean and simple but sophisticated. Throw this dress in your suitcase to extend your wedding celebration.

Afarose’s Affordable Wedding Dresses

From prewedding events to your walk down the aisle, Afarose has every affordable wedding dress you need. Afarose wants every person to feel amazing on their wedding day so their incredible team offers virtual appointments to have a one-on-one consultation with a wedding gown expert to help you find the perfect dress for you, too. Once you’ve found your dream dress you can use their free alteration service. It’s a 14-point measurement system that will instantly save money on alteration costs while creating a flawless fit for sizes 2 through 28.

If you’d rather try on dresses at home, they can help with that too. They’ll mail you a sample gown for you to have an exclusive try-on experience at home. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your bridal party and have a mini-celebration while you’re trying on the affordable wedding dress of your dreams.

Check out even more affordable wedding dress options (and bridesmaid dresses, too!) during your free consultation appointment with their virtual stylists today. In the meantime, you can also follow them on Instagram to get wedding dress inspiration.

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Beautifully Boho Astrology Inspired Wedding

 

When Victoria and Michael thought about their wedding and what they wanted it to look like, they knew that astrology would play a big part. With that in mind, they set their sights on all of the details that would make up the astrology-inspired wedding of their dreams. 

With the help of Junebug planner Brehant Creations, that’s exactly what they had. From the crystal seating chart and the moon ukulele guestbook to the perfectly terracotta color palette for it all, these are gorgeously boho nuptials you won’t want to miss. And thanks to the gorgeous photos captured by Abigail Renee Photography, you won’t. So keep scrolling and get your Pinterest boards ready for lots of star sign inspiration.

The Couple:

Victoria and Michael

The Wedding:

The Lace Factory, Deep River, Connecticut, United States

Recommended Reading: Denim Jackets For Any Wedding Style

Astrology Inspired Wedding Vision

We spent a lot of time thinking about the smallest details to make our day special and really curate an entire vibe. We were so lucky that our vendors were so on board with this vision and just as excited about it as we were. My vision from day one was to have a seating chart using crystals for each guest. This was brought to life by our planner and calligrapher, who made the signs. I sourced all the crystals from Etsy and local shops. I specifically chose crystals within our color scheme. This display came out so cool, and the crystals were a really unique favor for guests. 

Special Zodiac Sign Details

With the help of Chrissy Marie Designs, we were also able to get zodiac sign necklaces and boutonniere charms for the whole bridal party. This was probably one of my favorite details. I also DIY’d the place cards, which included guest names and zodiac signs. This was such a fun detail for our guests, and it was fun for us to learn everyone’s signs.

Choosing The Lace Factory As Their Venue

We pretty much settled on The Lace Factory before we were even engaged. We went there one day for brunch and then rode the Essex Steam Train. It was a blast. The Lace Factory had the vibe we wanted and it was so cool that our guests could take the steam train to our wedding. We didn’t get to ride the train with our guests. But the train did come back after our ceremony to take some photos on it with our wedding party. Those ended up being some of our favorite photos so we’re so glad they were able to come back.

 

The Most Memorable Parts of the Day

There were so many memorable moments, but two definitely stick out for us. The first was the actual wedding ceremony. It was incredible to finally be there with all the people we love together in the same place. Our ceremony was officiated by a close family friend who took so much time to write a beautiful and personal ceremony. We had live music from our friends Rad and Kell, which also made the ceremony incredibly special. I walked down the aisle to “Crystal” by Fleetwood Mac, and our recessional song was “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. The other most memorable moment was seeing our reception space. After months of working on all the decor and design, it was awesome to see it all come to life. It was so breathtakingly beautiful and even more magical than we ever could have imagined.

Shop Similar Bridesmaid Gowns:

Their Wedding Planning Advice

If it’s within your budget, get a wedding planner! We hired our planner, Sarah Brehant of Brehant Creations, very early in the planning process. We had a very specific design vision that we knew we could not bring to life alone. Having Sarah kept us sane and on track with the wedding planning process. Wedding planners are especially helpful in those last few weeks leading up to the wedding when your head is spinning with all the final details. Also, having her and her team the day of the wedding allowed us to sit back and relax, knowing everything would go off without a hitch.

Personalizing This Astrological Ceremony

We had a close friend officiate our wedding, and she took the job very seriously. She sent us questions about things like our love story, our favorite things about each other, and where we see ourselves in the future. She also interviewed our family members and even contacted an astrologer that read our birth charts and the astrology of our wedding date to provide insight. Throughout her process, she met with us several times to go over the things we wanted to include, and she wrote rough drafts with different wording for us to choose from. We wanted the ceremony to be spiritual, meaningful, uplifting, and include a hand-fasting ceremony. She worked in everything for us. Before the ceremony, she even came early to cleanse the space with incense. Everything she did really made it such a beautiful sacred space and ceremony for us to share our vows. 

DIY Details For The Astrology Inspired Wedding

I’m an avid DIY-er, but for my own sanity, the number of DIY projects I took on for my own wedding was small. Knowing that I would have enough on my plate as the bride, I didn’t want to be overwhelmed with DIY projects. To keep it at a minimum I only did a few projects like DIY’ing the place cards using acrylic arches I got from Etsy. To do it I painted the backs, used my Cricut to add guest names and zodiac signs, and then fastened a tassel to each one. I also DIY’d the crystal cards for each guest. I made these on Adobe Illustrator and then printed and cut them with my Cricut. Then I sewed the handfasting cord we used during the ceremony using extra fabric from my wedding dress. For the card box, I bought a clear acrylic card box online, painted the inside, and then put our names on it using my Cricut. The last few things I DIY’d were our wedding weekend timeline and wedding welcome bags for the hotel guests. The majority of our guests were from out of town, so it was very important to us to have thoughtful welcome bags for them.

 

The Wedding Day Menu

Cloud 9 Catering served the most delicious meal. While we didn’t do anything special for the menu, the way it was served was very special. When we first toured The Lace Factory, we found out they did family-style meals as a catering option which we loved the idea of. However, once COVID hit, they stopped doing family-style meals. It wasn’t until our final walkthrough where we happened to ask that they told us that family-style dinners were back. We were so excited to have that option for our guests to try both entrees!

 

Especially Special Wedding Favors

We did give out wedding favors, but they were very non-traditional. We had an awesome crystal seating chart where each table was themed with a different crystal. There was a crystal with a card that said the crystal name and its properties at each place setting. This was a way for our guests to take a little magic home with them from our wedding. As an added bonus, they served as beautiful table decor and brought in good vibes.

Congratulations to Victoria and Michael on their beautiful boho astrology inspired wedding. Special thanks to Junebug planner Brehant Creations for sharing it with us. To see more of their incredible work, check out their portfolio in our directory of vendors from around the world.

If you’re feeling inspired to plan your own creative wedding, get started with our unique wedding planning guide

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Abigail Renee Photography
Event Planning – Brehant Creations
Venue – The Lace Factory
Floral Design – Earth Blossoms Floral & Event Design
Catering – Cloud 9 Catering
Cake – For Goodness Cakes Desserts
Officiant – Teresa Regan
DJ – Signature Sounds DJ & Uplighting
Live Music – Rad and Kell
Videography – Earth + Sun Co.
Invitation Design – Summit & Sage Design Co.
Makeup Artist – Transcendent Makeup
Hair Styling – All Dolled Up
Wedding Dress – Everthine Bridal Boutique
Rings – Lauren B Jewelry
Rentals – Wylde Rose Events
Transportation – Essex Steam Train
Flower Girl Dresses & Place Cards – Sew Knotty Crafts Co.
Bride Jewelry + Hair charms, Bridesmaids Jewelry, + Groomsmen Boutonniere Charms – Chrissy Marie Designs
Mod installations – EMU Studio
Tabletop Rentals – Petals & Plates
Linen – BBJ Linen
Acrylic Signage – Kate’s Calligraphy
Guestbook & Vow Books – Luna Paper Company
Bridesmaids Velvet Robes – Hayden Harlow PR
Cheesecloth Table Runners – Snassy Crafter
Bride Heels – Forever Soles
Bride Hat – Lack of Color
Pocket Squares – ETON

 

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