WEDDING BLOG

Chic Italian Castle Wedding at Castello Monaci

April 10, 2020 | Junebug Weddings

Siobhan and Linus’ chic Italian castle wedding at Castello Monaci has our hearts fluttering. This duo of professional dancers wanted their day to feel like royal affair — and it was totally packed with style at every turn. We think they pulled it off brilliantly with the help of planner LeccEventi Wedding Planners! From Linus’ three-piece suite with grape-colored details to Siobhan’s romantic dress with modern cutouts, this couple knows how to do classic, formal attire. If unique wedding entertainment is your thing, we can’t wait for you to see the photos FotoClip captured of the special performances by Truly Medley Deeply and Passione Taranta Music & Dancers. Prepare your hearts, because these photos do not disappoint!

The Couple:

Siobhan & Linus

The Wedding:

Castello Monaci, Lecce, Italia

Choosing our ‘look and feel’ was somewhat influenced by the rustic, rich greenery of Italy. However, being dancers in our spare time, we often wear very formal attire – so we wanted to feel even more special on our wedding day. Inspired by the timeless style of Siobhan’s parents’ wedding we wanted to combine classic tradition with modern touches. Linus chose 3-piece tailor made suits in a range of greys with flashes of our ‘grape’ feature colour in the lining of jackets, back of waistcoats and accessories.
The Ronald Joyce ‘Hermione’ dress was a tight fishtail silhouette with a train long enough to compliment the beautiful Cathedral. A light ivory colour, it was beautifully embellished with lace and beads and fitted in with the warm, rustic and romantic style we were trying to create. The sides of the dress were unusually cut away – giving it a modern sexy, hourglass touch (and helped keep cool in the heat!). Her look was finished with bespoke made diamond & pearl jewellery from her parents and stunning white & crystal heels by Italian shoe designer ‘Rene Caovilla’.

The ceremony was undoubtedly our favourite memory of the day. We were full of emotion seeing each other at the alter (which was perfectly captured in our wedding film). We exchanged bespoke rings that we had designed together and had made in Qatar. Both rings had a secret sapphire on the inside of the band to signify our ‘something blue’.

We issued digital invites and launched a wedding app and website that enabled guests to RSVP to different events, choose their food and transport options – and for us to send out notifications on the day too. Planning a wedding remotely was always going to be a challenge, but with the help of our amazing wedding planners LeccEventi, everything ran smoothly and was followed up meticulously. We grew close to Katia, Francesco and their team, and no obstacle or idea was too great for them to overcome. For example, not only did they stay with us during our initial visit to ensure that everything went smoothly during Siobhan’s hair and makeup trial, we also had a lot of religious and legal paperwork to overcome and LeccEventi were with us every step of the way – Liaising with the cathedral, ensuring we had an Italian notary and even personally taking our paperwork all the way to Rome to the embassy.

We knew, that after our wedding day was over, our lasting memory would be the photographs – so prioritizing photography and choosing the perfect team was vital to us. After stumbling upon ‘Fotoclip’ and seeing their website – the beauty and art that came through in their work took our breath away. Their photographs looked like something from a timeless movie and we loved their ability to capture the romance of a moment. Traveling from Spain, nothing was too much to ask from Dimitri and Sergey. They made us feel comfortable and instantly understood how we wanted a balance between candid shots and beautiful posed portraits. They listened to what was important to us and have provided us with perfect pictures and video’s that allow us to relive each and every moment and emotion of our perfect day.

Italy has always been in our hearts with the fabulous style, food and culture – and after finding our dream wedding venue in Puglia (the wine region) we instantly fell in love and started to plan our Italian destination wedding. Castello Monaci – a fairytale, romantic castle – lush with greenery and its own winery provided the backdrop for our wedding week (it was an added bonus that when we first met Linus had dreamt about us one day marrying in a castle!). The beautiful areas and on-site accommodation allowed us to hold other events for our guests during the week including a Welcome BBQ, Wine tour & Farewell Pizza Party. The staff from the castle, especially Pamela & Marco became our friends during wedding preparations. They both filled us with confidence, when we were initially nervous planning remote. They were fantastic, answered endless questions and offered honest advice and they could not have made our week more perfect or fun and were there 24 hours a day catering to any request.

We wanted a party to remember and our live band ‘Truly Medley Deeply’ gave us just that. Their mashup’s and clever medleys featuring iconic songs from all our favourite genres were a huge hit with all our guests. After their first set the guests gathered in the castle courtyard for the cutting of the cake, which was topped with custom made ‘bobble head’ versions of ourselves. As we cut the sky was lit up with roman candle fireworks all around us – which resulted in one of our standout photos of the wedding. After that, the open bar and party continued with more awesome medleys by TMD, who kept everyone dancing till the early hours.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – FotoClip
Event Planning – LeccEventi Wedding Planners
Ceremony Venue – Cathedral of Lecce
Reception Venue – Castello Monaci
Floral Design – Rollo Fiori
Live Music – Truly Medley Deeply
Makeup Artist – Anna Chiriatti
Hair Styling – Antonio Candido Unique
Dancers – Passione Taranta Music & Dancers

Congratulations, Siobhan and Linus, and many thanks to Junebug member FotoClip for sharing their day with us! If you love FotoClip’s work, be sure to check out their page in our directory of the world’s best wedding photographers.

Change the Date Cards + Tips for Announcing Your Wedding Postponement

April 9, 2020 | Junebug Weddings

2020 has brought a unique circumstance for couples planning their weddings thanks to COVID-19. If the pandemic has forced you to rethink your plans and postpone your wedding, you’re not alone. We’re here to help, along with our friends at Minted, who have designed a selection of Change the Date cards and other items to get you through this process as painlessly as possible.

Whether you’ve set a new date or plans are still up in the air, Minted has gorgeous solutions ready to help you inform your guests of the updates as they come. Plus, these stationery experts have some useful tips and wording examples to get you started that you don’t want to miss at the end of this post!

Change the Date Cards

If you’ve picked a new date for your wedding, these brand new Change the Date cards will help you announce the change in style! From bold to elegant, Minted recommends choosing a design that is cohesive with your wedding style and coordinates with your original stationery.

Haven’t Set a Date?

Engagement Announcements: Recently engaged but don’t know when the wedding will be? You can still celebrate this momentous occasion with engagement announcements. Being engaged is a special event all its own, so take some selfies and share the love with your friends and fam!

Wedding Websites: Did you know that Minted offers free wedding websites? Whether you’ve changed your date, haven’t set one yet, or are just starting the wedding planning process, we can’t recommend having a wedding website enough! Not only is this a great way to give your guests a portal for all the info they need on your upcoming day, but Minted’s website features allow you to keep guests updated on any changes that may arise.

Announcement Wording Suggestions

Finding the right words to deliver the news isn’t always easy, which is why the folks over at Minted have lent their expertise!

Wording suggestions if you are rescheduling but you don’t have a new date yet:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are changing our wedding date. New details to come soon.
In light of current events, we are changing our date so we can celebrate safely. New details to come soon.
In light of current events, we are postponing our wedding. New wedding date to come soon.
We have decided to postpone our wedding to a future date. Please stay tuned for details.
It’s still happening! …Just at a later date. New wedding date to come soon!
Social distancing just isn’t our thing. New wedding date to come soon so we can party properly!

Wording suggestions if you are rescheduling and have a new wedding date:

Please mark your calendars with our new wedding date! We can’t wait to celebrate with you.
Save our NEW date!
We changed our date and can’t wait to celebrate!
Don’t dust off your dancing shoes yet! Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are now getting married on [insert date].

Wording suggestions if you are not rescheduling:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we decided to elope! We’re planning a celebration soon and will send you the details.
We do. We did! Since we aren’t able to celebrate in person, we decided to elope! More celebration details to come.

Rescheduling Tips from the Experts

If you’re not quite ready to send out announcements of any kind, that’s okay! This process is understandably more stressful than you could have anticipated. Take a deep breath, have a snack, and come back to wedding planning when you feel up to it. Here are some step-by-step instructions from Minted about how to move forward when you’re ready.

If you’re changing your wedding date, then it’s important to let your guests know ASAP, here are some steps for wedding couples to take:

First call your family members and wedding-party members directly so they can update their calendars.
- Just be prepared for some scheduling hiccups along the way – there’s a chance some of your VIPs sadly won’t be able to make it.
Next, inform the rest of your wedding guests about the date change via email. Time is of the essence, so the more notice you’re able to give your guests, the more likely they’ll be able to attend.
- Be sure to highlight your wedding website, if you’ve created one, with the date change prominently highlighted.
Continue to add new details to your wedding website as they come in order to keep everyone updated.
Last, mail Change the Date cards that will serve as an official announcement about the update. You do not need to send a new RSVP card; you can easily direct guests to your wedding website to RSVP.

Got more stationery questions during this uncertain time? Chat with a Minted representative to get the answers you need!

This post is sponsored by Minted!

17 Relationship Tips for Coming Out of Quarantine Stronger Than Ever

April 8, 2020 | Junebug Weddings

photo by Cedar & Pines

How ya doing, babes? We know this time at home can bring on waves of emotion, but on the bright side: Extra time at home means extra time with your person. And we want all of you to come out of this feeling like total #couplegoals! Now is the time to practice slow living and really invest in your relationship. You have nothing but time and each other, after all!

If you’re searching for relationship tips right now, here are Junebug’s best ideas for coming out of quarantine stronger than ever:

Get to know each other again
Discover (and talk about your love languages)
Bake or cook something new
Pay attention to the little things
Write each other random love notes
Go on a road trip
Ask about your person’s job
Take a personality quiz
Have “date night” at least once per week
Dance. Just dance
Give each other a little space
Make a “chill at home” playlist
Document this time with candid photos
Host a FaceTime hangout with friends
Get outside (if you can) and go for a walk
Try a new exercise program
Keep a journal record of this time

Scroll on for “how-to’s” and fun ideas to help you rock these tips!

photo by Scarlet O’Neill

Get to know each other again.

With all of the extra time together, it can be easy to “just chill,” but now is the perfect time to go deeper in your relationship. If you need a little help getting the conversation flowing, there are plenty of resources. We love these reflection cards to help prompt the deep questions. Tip: Make it fun with a challenge or over drinks!

Discover (and talk about) your love languages.

While you’re getting to know each other, taking a love languages quiz can be an awesome way to learn about how you show and receive love. You might even be surprised with your partner’s love languages. After you’ve taken the love languages quiz, take some time to talk about them. If you want to go the extra-mile, you can even read the love languages book together!

Bake or cook something new.

Get it poppin’ in the kitchen! Now is the perfect time to head over to Pinterest and find a new recipe to try—together. Doing activities together can be extremely rewarding and a sense of bonding between two people.

Bonus tip: Support a small business by getting the recipe printed on a cutting board so you can cherish this memory forever.

photo by Karina & Maks

Pay attention to the little things.

You probably haven’t spent this much time with your s/o in quite awhile. Take some time to notice the little things. How do they like to start their mornings? What is stressing them out during this time? What brings them joy? Are they going stirr-crazy or enjoying the extra time at home?

Write each other random love notes.

Walking around the same space everyday can get quite, well, boring. Spice up your environment with little love notes throughout the house. These little gestures will bring a smile to your person’s face—plus, you can keep them forever!

Want to be extra cute? We love these heart-shaped sticky notes.

Go on a road trip.

Good news: You can still hop in the car and drive! Sometimes getting “out” and taking a spontaneous drive to no-where can be extremely refreshing. Pick a destination, jam your favorite tunes, and just drive!

photo by Jaci Berkopec Photography

Ask questions about your person’s job.

If you’re not used to observing your person “at work,” you might not know all of the ins-and-outs about their professional life. Use this time to ask questions about their career, co-workers. Remember: It’s not the time to criticize or judge! You likely have different work styles and ways of going about business. That’s what makes you a great pair!

We also realize there are many people who’s jobs have been affected by the pandemic. Our hearts go out to you, and we’re sending you all of the love. If you or your loved one’s job has been affected by COVID-19, we encourage you to still ask questions. Ask about the things they enjoy or look forward to doing when they’re back at work. And, if nothing else, just lean on each other.

Take a personality quiz.

You probably already know a lot about each other’s personalities…that’s why you’re together, after all! But we’re big believers (and lovers) of personality type tests. Our favorite test right now is the Enneagram. Taking this test can be a great use of a few hours to both complete the quiz and read about your (and your partner’s) type! Then, go follow some Enneagram accounts on Instagram and prepare to become obsessed. Tip: Just search #enneagram!

Not married or engaged (yet)? Find out which ring is best for your Enneagram type.

Have “date night” at least once per week.

Don’t skip date night just because you can’t leave the house! We know you can get creative from the comfort of your home. Get dressed up, support your favorite local restaurant by ordering to-go, make cocktails, and enjoy this quality time with each other! P.S. We’d love to see how you’re celebrating dates at home by tagging #junebugweddings in your Instagram posts!

photo by Karra Leigh Photography

Dance. Just dance.

Any Tik Tok lovers out there? We know, these dances can feel a bit silly, but getting your body moving releases endorphins. And we all could use a little mood boost! If you’re getting married, you could even use this time to practice your first dance together. You’ll be pros by the big day.

RECOMMENDED READING: 80 First Dance Songs You Haven’t Thought of Yet

Give each other a little space.

Everyone needs a little alone time. Remember that even though you’re stuck in the house together, it’s important to take some time to do things independently. Choose at least one activity (aside from work) that you can do by yourself each day. Whether it be a workout class, video game, or reading a new book. This will give you something new to talk to your partner about, too!

Make a “chill at-home” playlist.

We are so thankful for the gift of music during times like these. Plus, a new playlist can be a simple way to boost the good vibes in your home! Working on making a playlist together will ensure you can both agree on the songs (we hope) and it can be something you have to “take with you” after this is all over.

Not sure where to start? We love Spotify’s Chill Hits playlist.

photo by Pablo Laguia

Document this time with candid photos.

You may have already realized this, but we’re living in a major moment in history. We likely will all be talking to our grandchildren about what it was like to isolate from the rest of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since we know you’re making the most of it, what better way to be able to tell those stories than with a bunch of cute photos you snapped of each other during your time at home?

Trying to get away from your phone? Now might be the perfect time to invest in an instant camera.

Host a FaceTime hangout with friends.

Where are our extroverts at? If you’re a couple who is used to hanging with friends on the weekends, we encourage you to keep that tradition alive via FaceTime or Zoom hangouts! Pour some drinks, pick a game to play, and log on to get that screen time with your besties!

Get outside (if you can) and go for a walk.

If you’re living in a place that still allows socially distant time outdoors, we highly encourage you to get out and explore your neighborhood on a walk. You never know the people you might meet (from a distance, of course) with everyone trying to get outside a little more often. You might just meet another couple you can hang with when you’re allowed to again!

photo by Jen Menard

Try a new exercise program together.

If you want to go the “extra mile” from a simple walk, there are tons of gyms, trainers, and online programs offering fitness classes right now! Trying a new fitness routine together can be a great way to boost your mood and keep your body movin’ and groovin’ during this time of Netflix binging and couch sitting.

Keep a journal record of this time.

Again, we’re experiencing a moment in history! Even if you’re not usually a writer, we’d encourage you to at least attempt to log your days in writing. Journaling can be a beautiful way to express your feelings, and we think you will love looking back on and reflecting on the thoughts you jotted down.

Looking for the perfect journal? We love these velvet Zodiac journals from Urban Outfitters.

We hope you enjoyed these relationship tips for coming out of quarantine stronger than ever. You got this, babes! Planning your wedding at home these days?

RECOMMENDED READING: 10 Wedding Planning Tasks You Can Tackle from Home