Taylor + Jeff by Kim Captein

The deep reds felt like the very definition of romance against the landscape of Tuscany.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

I’m Taylor, and I grew up in a small town in South Carolina called North Augusta. Jeff is from Long Island, NY. We met in Nashville, Tennessee, when we were both living there, and Jeff was completing his undergraduate degree at Belmont University. It had always been Jeff’s goal to attend law school in New York City, and while I was a little unsure about following him, big-city life had never really been part of my plan; I’m so grateful I did. Six years later, we are still happily calling New York home. Jeff has since completed law school and now works as an Assistant United States Attorney, while I am an executive assistant at a financial firm. We both absolutely love our jobs, though they are very fast-paced, so we truly cherish our evenings and weekends as time to recharge together. Most weekends are spent strolling around Manhattan, exploring different neighbourhoods, and enjoying everything city life has to offer. At home, Jeff loves to cook—and he is wonderful at it—so our ideal evening usually involves a cocktail, good music, a delicious meal, and time spent debriefing the week and relaxing with our dog, Ghost.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

Our story began as a restaurant romance in Nashville, Tennessee, where Jeff was bartending and I was working as the maître d’. We knew each other for a couple of years before things turned romantic — and when they finally did, everything just clicked. We’ve always described that early time together as a time capsule. The moment we were in each other’s company, the rest of the world seemed to fade out. We could talk for hours about anything and everything… we never wanted our time together to end. It was one of those rare feelings where you’re so at ease with someone that you just know — you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. A couple of years into dating, Jeff moved to New York City for law school. As a small-town girl from South Carolina, I was hesitant — but ultimately took a leap of faith and joined him. Six years later, we are still loving life in the city.

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).

Honestly, the greatest styling decision we made was choosing Locanda in Tuscany as our venue — because once you have the rolling Tuscan hills as your backdrop, everything else falls beautifully into place. Locanda is one of those places you must experience to fully understand just how special it is. We feel incredibly lucky that it’s now such a meaningful part of our story. From a styling perspective, our approach was intentionally minimal — we wanted the natural beauty of the venue and the Tuscan countryside to take centre stage rather than compete with it. What we did add was deliberate: an abundance of candles and the most stunning deep red florals, courtesy of Puscina Flowers, who exceeded every expectation we had. The deep reds felt like the very definition of romance against the landscape of Tuscany. From the hand-placed rose arch that served as the backdrop for our ceremony, to the cocktail hour bar arrangements that incorporated fruit, every single detail was beyond perfect. Looking back, I genuinely cannot choose a favourite — each arrangement felt like its own moment

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

The part of the wedding-planning process Jeff and I enjoyed most was our site visit in April, when we were finally able to experience the place where we’ll say our vows and see our vision begin to come to life. While visiting Locanda, we had our menu tasting and were able to include my mom and sister, along with Jeff’s brother. It was so much fun tasting all of the food and wines together before making our final selections—although everything was so delicious that the decisions were much harder than we expected! During our time in Italy, I also had my hair and makeup trial and was able to spend some one-on-one time with Puscina Flowers. Although we had been working with our wedding planners for quite a while before the visit, that was the moment everything truly began to feel real. Being there in person made it so much easier to clearly envision all of our dreams coming to life.  I have two pieces of advice for couples beginning their wedding-planning journey. First, try not to get too caught up in what everyone else is doing. Your wedding is about the two of you, and comparison truly is the thief of joy—focus on the details and moments that feel most meaningful to you as a couple. Second, hire a content creator! It’s such a fun way to capture the candid, behind-the-scenes moments of the day that you may otherwise miss.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

Every single one of our vendors was wonderful, and we genuinely mean that. No wedding is perfect, but ours came pretty close — and that doesn’t happen without an exceptional team behind you. That said, the vendor that stood out most was Wedding Raw Memories, a content creation company that was a last-minute addition to our vendor list — and hands down one of the best decisions we made. Waking up the morning after our wedding to beautiful videos of our special day was a feeling unlike any other. I go back and watch the footage constantly, and every time I do, I’m reminded of just how grateful I am that we got married at a time when content creation was an option. What made it so special was how unobtrusive the entire experience was. Riccardo has a gift for being present in all the right moments without ever feeling like an added presence — he and our photographer worked together seamlessly, never once getting in each other’s way. The reels he created were thoughtfully and perfectly curated, but the raw footage is equally as special — perhaps even more so. It captures more than just the polished moments; it captures the unscripted ones. The emotion, the nerves, the excitement — all the feelings that come with living one of the most important days of your life.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

For my bridal look, I chose a silk Prea James two-piece — classic, timeless, and beautiful on its own, but I wanted to add something more personal to complete it. I wanted to incorporate a piece of my mother’s wedding dress, and my sister had the brilliant idea of repurposing the lace trim from her train into a neck scarf. My great-aunt Eugenia brought the vision to life by carefully removing the lace and crafting it into the perfect accessory. It felt like a beautiful tribute to the love that came before us. I also opted for two veils — a long, dramatic one for the ceremony and a shorter style for the rest of the evening. Nothing feels more bridal than a veil, so I wanted the chance to wear one for more than just the ceremony.

Jeff wore a custom Alton Lane tuxedo—a classic black look made even more meaningful with our wedding date and “T&J” embroidered on the inside. It was such a thoughtful detail and a sweet surprise that I absolutely loved. He put so much care into every part of his look, from the tuxedo to his Magnanni shoes. The one thing that slipped through the cracks? Practising how to tie a bow tie. Jeff and his best man both opted for real bow ties, which led to a small group gathered in the blazing sun, huddled around YouTube tutorials and trying to figure it out in real time. Luckily, Jeff’s aunt came to the rescue—and in the end, he looked absolutely perfect.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

My engagement ring is a round 2.4 carat solitaire set on a thin 14k gold band. Jeff did a truly wonderful job selecting it. He had a ruby added to the inside of the band, which carries more meaning than most people know. Ruby is my birthstone, but it was also my Granny’s birthstone, and her name was Ruby. It’s a small detail that means the world to me. I paired my engagement ring with a thick 14k gold cigar band, and the two together feel like the perfect combination of simple and substantial. Jeff’s band is equally special in its own way. Gold with subtle lines that mimic the grain of a tree ring. He wanted something classic but with just a little something extra, and this was exactly that.

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, food, and fashion — in that order, and we have zero regrets about any of it. Photography was deeply important to me from the very beginning of the planning process. These are the photos we will look at for the rest of our lives and share with our children. I knew I wanted our photos to feel less posed and more candid, more like a beautiful documentation of the day as it actually unfolded rather than a series of staged moments. We spent a great deal of time finding the right fit and ultimately chose Kim Captein — and as you can see, she captured our day more beautifully than we ever could have imagined. For Jeff, it was all about the food — and thankfully, getting married in Italy made that a very easy box to check. There is simply no shortage of extraordinary food in Tuscany. And finally, fashion. What better occasion is there to truly splurge than your own wedding? We were thoughtful about every silhouette and fabric we chose, and it paid off—we both felt like the very best versions of ourselves.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

There were so many special moments throughout our wedding weekend, but what moves us most when we look back is this: 28 of our closest friends and family travelled thousands of miles to be there for us on the best day of our lives. Many of our guests flew into Rome in the days leading up to the wedding, which gave us the gift of time — unhurried, joyful time spent with the people we love most before the celebration even officially began. At one point, Jeff quite literally ran into a cousin of mine on the streets of Rome, over 4,000 miles from home. There’s really no way to put into words what it feels like to be fully immersed in a foreign country, surrounded by your favourite people — but it’s a feeling we’ll carry with us forever.

What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?

To us, being married means having a built-in teammate for life—someone to celebrate the good days with, lean on through the hard ones, and share all of life’s in-between moments with. There is something incredibly comforting about coming home to your favourite person every day. When I only have 10% to give, he brings the other 90—and I do the same for him.