Chiara + Leland by Studio Fotografico Bacci - Together Journal

Since it was a July wedding by the ocean in Sorrento, we knew we wanted a beachy, elegant yet casual, vibe.

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

Chiara is a journalist (she writes culture and style pieces) and Leland is a data scientist. We got married on the 9 year anniversary of our relationship! We started dating after we both turned 20 and got married right after we turned 29. We had travelled Sorrento and the south of Italy many times over the course of our relationship (Chiara’s family is originally from this region), and The Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria was always an incredibly special place for us. We loved going to their breath-taking terrace that hangs over the Gulf of Naples for a cocktail, listening to Carmelo sing. It feels so beautifully surreal and dreamlike. Chiara mentioned to Leland many years ago, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we got married here?!” and when it came time to choose a venue, nowhere else compared. You enter the gate to the property and take a gorgeous walk through a garden path that’s lined with fragrant lemon and orange trees, and you just feel utterly transported by the time you reach the hotel.

We live in New York, the city we were both born and raised in, with our little dog, Fiorenzo (Enzo). We both really love the ocean and boats, so any chance we have to be on the water, we take. Actually, on our wedding day morning, before seeing any guests or doing anything to prepare, we decided to run off to Leonelli’s Beach Club for a swim in the sea, just us two. We really wanted to savour the day as much as possible, knowing it would fly by.

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

We met on the first day of 10^th grade when we were 15 years old! I started attending a school where Leland was already a student, and we were friends for 3 years of high school. We both were quietly interested in each other, but nothing came of it. After graduation we didn’t keep in touch with each other. But then during the summer after our 2^nd year of college, we saw each other again. We were both close with a mutual friend, Julia, who got us together one night to go to a concert. It turned out none of us were enjoying the music, so we decided to leave early and go bowling. After that night we spent more time together and within a week, we started dating. It was pretty immediate. Leland was going to college at McGill University in Montreal and I was attending NYU, so we did long distance for the first few years and moved in together in the summer of 2020.

Our relationship felt a bit fated. Leland’s birthday is April 6^th, and mine is June 6^th, so we loved the idea of getting married on the 6^th of July. And our anniversary for the relationship is July 7^th, so now we have a 2-day anniversary every year! We were born in the same hospital, and had the same pediatrician growing up. And before attending the same high school, our primary schools were just a couple blocks apart. We became each other’s best friend so quickly, and it was really clear from the beginning that this was it.

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

We both knew pretty early on. We said we loved each other after dating for about a month. There was this immediate sense of comfort, and a sense of coming home when we were together. We have never been adults without each other, and we have both grown and changed so much over our 20’s, and we’re really lucky and happy that with all changes we’ve both experienced, that we have always been a constant support for each other. We feel so fortunate for our little family with Enzo.

A few weeks into dating, I got really sick and spent most of the night crouched over the toilet, throwing up in my tiny little studio apartment. Leland laid down on the floor next to me and we both remember thinking that this was it. He was really concerned about me and took such good care of me—running out to get every medicine the drug store had and lots of ginger ale.

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

We really wanted an intimate wedding, so we only had 23 guests which was perfect for us. It felt really important to us that we knew and loved everyone who was there—we didn’t want to get overwhelmed by having tons of people around and not being able to really spend time with them. We also chose to write our own vows, and neither of us was comfortable sharing those in front of a large group.

Since it was a July wedding by the ocean in Sorrento, we knew we wanted a beachy, elegant yet casual, vibe. My wedding dress was really a dress, not a gown. The men didn’t wear ties. And our only dress code rule was “cocktail attire, but no dark colors.” We had the ceremony outdoors on a terrace under the hot evening sun, so we wanted things to be elevated while also feeling breezy and comfortable. I was very specific about the floral color palette: creams, peaches, buttery yellows, and lots of greenery. The hotel is dusted salmon pink with yellow details, and of course the sea behind us was a gorgeous azure, so I really wanted the florals to feel natural to that environment without overpowering it.

Our dinner was held on a private terrace overlooking the Gulf of Naples with Mount Vesuvius right across from us, and we all fit at one long rectangular table, which was how we envisioned it. We had a gorgeous sunset right in the middle of dinner while Carmelo Sciplino sung and played guitar. We had speeches from family and close friends staggered between all the courses, and it just felt really joyful and fun. By the end of the night, the sun had set and the table was completely candle lit, so there was a warm syrupy glow. Everyone had spent the past couple days together for wedding activities, so it was a lovely cohesive group by the wedding day.

The dinner table was set with the same color palette for florals, and there were lots of gorgeous citrus fruits and terra cotta vessels scattered throughout—natural, Italian country / seaside vibe. I also really wanted an Italian lace table runner in a cream color. And the lovely hotel manager, Tiziana Laterza, made it happen for us! She knew a woman who handmakes gorgeous lace and she created the most stunning runner for the dinner (and we’re actually having one made to fit our dining table at home).

Since citrus fruits are native to the region, I wanted to use a citrus color scheme to inspire the flowers as well as using the citrus from the property to adorn the table-scape. Lots of natural greenery, white porcelain, glass, and terra cotta was scattered throughout.

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).

I was definitely most inspirited by this stunning hotel and the region. Mount Vesuvius, the sea, and the cliffside of the coast are all so striking. We travelled in Italy many times over the years, so we wanted our wedding weekend to feel like a collection of all our favourite things to do. We got legally married in Italian in the garden at Museo Correale, we planned a boat trip from Sorrento to Capri and had lunch at a beach club there, for our rehearsal dinner, we had a sunset sailboat cruise in the Gulf of Naples followed by dinner at the oldest restaurant in Sorrento under a pergola, and after our wedding at Excelsior, we had a farewell lunch at a beach club in Sorrento, Bagni Sant’Anna.

We were really so inspired by the region! We had lots of local and traditional dishes like melanzane parmigiana, fried zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, spaghetti alla Nerano, and tons of local wines from Campania. For stationary, we worked with Brogan who made a gorgeous suite of paper save the dates and invites. Our save the date is an illustration of the Excelsior terrace we always had drinks at, with Leland’s and my favourite drinks—a negroni and a limoncello spritz. These are the same two drinks we’re photographed drinking after our ceremony! The invite was a trifold with the exterior being a watercolour of the cliffside view from Excelsior, and the interior of the trifold was framed by a watercolour of the gated entrance to the property.

For the ceremony florals, table scape, and after-party effortless ease and elegance was definitely the guiding motto for us.

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

I think we enjoyed the whole process, and working on every single thing together. We designed my engagement ring together and our wedding bands. We interviewed photographers, officiants, and the make-up artist. We planned each and every event together based on what we loved to do in Italy. We also happened to agree on every single hire and decision! There were no disagreements between us on anything. It definitely re-affirmed how well-suited we are because we worked together on this huge high-stakes project in lock-step from start to finish. Leland was a very involved groom and I didn’t have a maid of honor to bounce things off of, so we were doing everything as a team.

I’d say my tip for couples about to plan a wedding would be to take time for it each week leading up to it, and each day in the final months. And marry someone who wants to be part of the planning—it really helps. When we were stressed, everyone told us “it will get done, don’t worry” which we both found infuriating, so I wouldn’t say that to anyone planning a wedding!

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

I knew from the beginning, I would be really particular about my wedding dress. There aren’t many silhouettes I like, and I knew I wanted something that looked like it belonged in the environment. The hotel has a kind of turn-of-the-century old world elegance, but I wanted an simple slip dress. The second I tried on my dress at Danielle Frankel, I knew that was it. The ivory silk, pleated fabric, and subtle overlay of lace flowers was perfect. I was really inspired by Carolyn Bessette’s wedding, and always loved the look of a silk slip for a bride. The elegance and simplicity of it really spoke to me. The pleated detail and lace were the perfect additions to elevate a silk slip for the venue without over-doing it. I also worked with the team at DF to add a couple lacey flowers onto one of the spaghetti straps to give it a little asymmetry. Once the dress was selected, I knew my bridal bouquet had to be white long stem calla lilies fastened with an ivory ribbon.

For my shoes, I hunted every Manolo location in the US and Europe to get the Carolyn sling back in a very particular heel hight and finally found it, which felt like such a win! For jewellery, I always knew I’d want to wear a vintage silver Elsa Peretti mesh earring from Tiffany’s that my dad gifted my mom on their wedding day, and no other jewellery except for the wedding rings.

I was also involved in working on Leland’s groom’s suit. He knew pretty quickly he wanted a blue suit since that felt right for a seaside wedding, and he knew he didn’t want to wear a tie in that heat! We ended up with all the men in gorgeous pastel coloured linen suits, and crisp shirts, and it looked incredible. His suit, shirt, and shoes were all done by Stefano Bemer and his suit fabric is a light wool, silk, and linen blend from Loro Piana.

What was 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?).

The photography was incredibly important to us, and I kept saying all throughout the wedding that what we’re left with after the day is done are the photos and rings. We are absolutely blown away with the work Barby and Fede did photographing the wedding. We look back at those images and can re-live that magical weekend through their eyes, which is so much fun. Every time we look back, there’s a detail or something new to see!

The venue was another key choice—since it’s a luxury hotel, their staff handled the food, drinks, cake, and flowers, so we didn’t need to search for individual vendors. It was a huge help since we were planning an international wedding that the hotel did everything so beautifully.