A Sweet Italian Welcome Dinner

Keeping the elegance of the flowers and décor for the welcome dinner.

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

Esther is a journalist currently reporting on education. She lived in Southern California for most of her life but moved to New York City for college and studied law and journalism. After graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked with student journalists across the country. Esther loves to travel, explore new cities, drink great coffee, and discover new coffee shops. She loves quality time with the people she loves, but she is an introvert at heart. JohnMark is an architect. He is in his last year of his master’s program. He was born and raised in Southern California. JohnMark is an artist and an athlete. In undergrad, he was a D1 track and field athlete. He still enjoys going on, as he says, a brisk seven-mile run. He is also an artist. In his free time, JohnMark loves to sketch, draw, and paint. He is a people person and will always say yes to a party invitation.

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

We met in June 2023 at our home church through the introduction of Esther’s mother. Esther first noticed JohnMark walking through the church and thought he was handsome. Upon meeting Esther, JohnMark noticed how beautiful she was. A week after meeting JohnMark got Esther’s phone number and asked her to coffee. After a 7-hour coffee date, it was safe to say we enjoyed each other’s company. Esther was leaving for a two-week trip to Europe just after meeting JohnMark, and then moving to D.C. for work. He asked if he could call her while she was away. With this clear, consistent communication and pursuit of a relationship, despite being a world apart with a 9-hour time difference, Esther knew that long-distance relationships with only a 3-hour time difference were possible. After coming back to California from Europe, JohnMark told Esther that he wanted to be more than friends, and he would do everything in his power to make long-distance work.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your welcome dinner. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

Our main goal was to have a peaceful and elegant welcome dinner. Esther did not want the stress of wedding planning and actually enjoyed the engagement process. Too often, stress takes away from the beauty weddings hold. Esther and JM truly spent quality time with their guests and wrote them handwritten thank-you notes. In regard to the tone of the wedding, Esther grew up listening to classics. She fell in love with the buttery voices of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin; keeping the music and overall vibe classy and chic were factors that played in the overall simplicity but elegance of the flowers and décor for the welcome dinner. We originally wanted to get married in the fall. We got engaged in the fall, and Esther loves the warm earth tones the season brings. We wanted to capture that warm tone but in spring colours, which is where the bridesmaid dresses came in, tying that with the ground arbour and the bouquets. Pinterest was an obvious help in setting the mood and tone for the welcome dinner. With how intimate the welcome dinner was, we wanted it to be sophisticated yet casual. With JohnMark being an artist, he was a part of the design process for our invitations (he drew the villa we stayed at for the wedding invitations), weekend itinerary cards, and the menus.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you?

We are absolutely in awe of our venue, the location, and the views it provided. The whole weekend, we were blown away that we were not only staying in the countryside of Italy, but that we had the immense honour to get married there. In choosing colours and décor, my main goal was to let the villa speak for itself. The 17th-century villa had character; it told a story. We really did not need to add much for it to be an absolutely stunning day. Everything was gorgeous, but especially the views during our dinner/reception. The Tuscan countryside behind us, with its rolling hills, was where our closest family and friends were beside us. A cherished memory we will savour for the rest of our lives. It was amazing to see a vision that I had only in my head for those past 7 months, actually become a reality, and even be better than that.

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

My biggest advice to couples planning a wedding is to talk about dreams and expectations for your wedding before you are engaged. We had already loved the idea of having a destination wedding, and so when it came time to talk to our families, we were both confident and excited about the idea. Invite the groom to be involved with the wedding process and plan things with him before anyone else. The person you are spending that day and a lifetime with is your spouse. Not your bestie and not your mother, your future husband. The planning process was so chill and fun for us because that is what we intentionally wanted. We did not really plan or talk about wedding details until a month and a half after we got engaged. We just enjoyed the ring, the debrief of getting engaged, and this new chapter of our lives we were walking into. We were preparing not just for a wedding, but also for our future and our marriage. Enjoying and learning in pre-marital counselling, solidifying post-wedding plans. A wedding is the beginning chapter of your new season of life with your spouse. You don’t just magically wake up and become the most amazing, perfect spouse. The engagement season is just as important in preparation for the day you say “I do”.

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

I went to David’s Bridal on New Year’s Eve and bought the fourth dress I tried on and never looked back. It felt so perfect, and it was an easy one-and-done. I was not sure if I wanted a reception outfit change, but I love that my dress had two different looks. For the ceremony, I kept the skirt on, so it had a longer train, then for the reception, I took the skirt off so it was just a straight A-line dress. It was a sweet memory because a childhood friend also got engaged shortly after me, and we both went dress shopping together when I got my dress. For the veil, one of my mother’s friends made it. She has made all 3 of my sisters’ wedding veils, so it was only appropriate that she made mine.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

The bride’s ring is an east-to-west marquise diamond suspended from the gold band. Wedding bands have an engraving on the inside of our wedding bands. They reflect a phrase we would always say to each other when we were long-distance. The groom’s ring is a Black tungsten wedding band with a diamond-shaped hammered pattern and a gold line through the band.

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?).

One of the best decisions we made was choosing the location of our welcome dinner. We had always envisioned a small, intimate celebration with our closest family and friends, and hosting it in Italy made that dream a reality. While it ended up being significantly more affordable than a traditional wedding in California, we knew we were asking a lot of our guests—booking international flights and taking time off work. The villa we stayed at was nothing short of stunning. It wasn’t just about the wedding day itself, but the entire weekend experience. Being able to unwind, share meals, enjoy wine, laugh, and spend quality time with everyone before the big day made everything feel that much more special and connected. It wasn’t rushed—it felt like a true celebration of love and togetherness. One of the biggest unknowns was the food, since we didn’t get the chance to do a tasting beforehand. We took a leap of faith, trusting that Italian cuisine would live up to its reputation—and it absolutely did. Every dish served was beyond delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented. Our guests raved about the food for days, and we’re still dreaming about it!

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

One of our favourite moments was the morning of the wedding. We all shared breakfast with our guests, which made the day feel less like a production and more like a celebration of family and friendship. Sitting around a table with our closest loved ones, sipping coffee, laughing, and enjoying a slow morning in the Italian countryside was surreal. Before the ceremony, we took some time for ourselves to exchange private vows and pray together. It allowed us to pause and truly connect before the day began. After that, the bride did her own hair and makeup with her bridesmaids, playing music and drinking coffee. It was all so relaxing and peaceful. It was a truly special way to start the day, and we’ll both always carry those memories with us. It set the tone for everything that followed—joyful, intentional, and full of love.