We went for a very refined look
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Our names are Corey and Andrew, and we live in San Diego, California. Our home is very close to the water, so many of our days are spent boating, being outside and enjoying the perfect weather. We love hosting dinner parties and finding any excuse to bring people together over good food and wine, which was part of the reason for our Italian wedding. For work, we are both business owners, which gives us the flexibility to travel often, which we do.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met on the dating app “Hinge” one month before the pandemic/lock down. There was an instant spark and chemistry, and our first date ended up being 4 hours, which then led to many evenings spent together thereafter.
We quarantined together as well, which allowed us the space and time to develop a very strong connection early on without the normal distractions or processes that go into dating someone new.
Wedding Day
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
Luckily, Borgo Cosignano and the view of the Tuscan countryside were so out-of-this-world beautiful that we did not want to detract from it. Therefore, we went for a very refined look, simple in some ways, to keep the attention on the architecture, landscape, colours, etc., while bringing in design elements that would enhance the overall experience but not distract from what was all around us.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
The Summer before our wedding, we travelled to Tuscany, met our wedding planner, and visited 7 different venues all over the region. Not only did we get to see so much through the hundreds of miles driven, but we got to envision our wedding on so many gorgeous properties. But, from the moment we stepped out of the car at Borgo Corsignano, we knew we were somewhere special. The added bonus was that the property looked out to a small town (Poppi), with a medieval castle in its centre. We had the idea of not doing the ceremony on the property, but transporting our guests to the castle for the ceremony, which created a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone who was there. Then, we got back into the black Mercedes sprinter vans and had the aperitivo, reception, and after-party at the Borgo.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
Our vendors were beyond amazing. We are especially grateful to our photographers and videographers who truly captured the essence of what we had planned so long to create for our wedding. Urška & Domen knew exactly how to keep us in the moment of what we were experiencing while capturing all the magic around us. Their energy was calm during times of chaos, and they did a phenomenal job of finding all the right locations for pictures that we will treasure.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Each of our main outfits was custom-created by a tailor in San Diego. For our wedding ceremony/reception, we wanted to go with an elegant, classic look.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
Photography and the venue. All of our guests travelled from the U.S. to Italy for our wedding, so it was very important to us that the venue was something special, magical and once-in-a-lifetime. We felt a duty to our guests to curate a truly unique experience, given their financial and time investment in joining us in Italy. When we saw Borgo Corsignano and the medieval castle out in the distance, we knew this would be the type of setting our guests would fall in love with. And, they did. We also knew that our wedding was going to have a lot of unique elements to it, and we wanted pictures to remember it by, and Urska & Domen perfectly captured everything.
Welcome Dinner
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
On our first night of wedding activities, we had told our guests that we had a special surprise for them. Everyone started making guesses about what it could be, and it was fun to watch them do so. The surprise was leading our guests to a part of the Borgo where we had created a candlelit opera. It was magical, and we loved watching the opera, with candles everywhere, and the Astello dei Conti Guidi lit up, perched high on a hill, in the background. It was a moment that certainly made the trip to Italy worth it (and then, of course, having the wedding in the castle).
Pool + Farewell Party
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
As one of our best friends said in her speech the night of our wedding, marriage is not looking inward, but looking outward and in the same direction. Everything that we do from here on out is to look towards a future that we are building together, and ever since our marriage in Italy, that is exactly what we have been doing.
CEREMONY LOCATION Castello dei Conti Guidi, @castellopoppi RECEPTION LOCATION Borgo Corsignano, @borgocorsignano GROOMS Corey, @im_core; Andrew PHOTOGRAPHER Urška & Domen, @urskaanddomen VIDEOGRAPHER Milos Milosevic Films, @milosmilosevicfilms PLANNER Caravanilia Events, @events_caravanilia FLORIST Simone Bertini, @simonebertinifloraldesigner CELEBRANT Friend of the Groom – Brianna Sacarro ENTERTAINMENT Strings – Linda Strings, @lindastringsofficial; Cocktail Hour – Tea for Three Swing Band, @tea_for_three_swing_band; DJ – Andrea Raimo, @raimo.dj; Sax – LaBrass, @theeleganceofsax; Opera – Niccolò Buscemi, @niccolo_buscemi_composer; Daniela DiPasquale, @dani__di; Dalai Chenhai, @khaindalai HIRE JD Events, @jdevents; Preludio, @preludiodivisionenoleggio CATERING Calamai Ricevimenti, @calamai.ricevimenti OPEN BAR Mercury Events, @mercuryevents CAKE Calamai Ricevimenti, @calamai.ricevimenti STATIONERY Soccorsosposi Wedding Design, @soccorsosposi_weddingdesign GROOMS’ OUTFITS Custom made – Created by a tailor in San Diego
