Emma + Jared by Martina Boggian

Our vision was to create a timeless yet relevant and chic, yet understated design.

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

The Boring Stuff – We are both from San Francisco, California. Jared works in tech sales, and I work for a luxury travel agency and media company called Indagare.

Who We Are & What we Love – Jared and I are very similar in a sense that we gravitate towards living a life of yin and yang. What do I mean by this? We love staying fit and healthy, but we also like to indulge in an occasional gelato. When it comes to music, we love our oldies—Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, etc.—but we also like to dabble in some Fisher and deep house. One of the things we love doing most is spending countless hours with our families at home, but we also deeply cherish our time spent traveling and exploring different corners of the world. And yes, sometimes we like to stay out until 2am, but we almost always make it to church on Sundays. We love tradition but we also love novelty. This dichotomy is the theme of who we are, how we like to live out our lives, and the underlying theme of our wedding.

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

We met our first year in college in California. It was a Tuesday night, and at around 9pm, my roommates made the executive decision that we were going to a party. Thirty minutes later, we were out and about, and this handsome dude—politely and confidently I might add–came out of nowhere and introduced himself. I transparently thought nothing of it, but I do remember having a certain level of respect for this man that would one day become my husband. Sparks began months after we met, on the dance floor. After that night, we kept crossing paths and began having deeper conversations about the things that truly mattered. We discovered how aligned we were. His admiration for his family mirrored my own, and we both liked to get after it and have fun while staying grounded in kindness, love, and spirituality. Separately, we dreamed of building a life with that same balance – and soon realized we’d found the perfect partner to do it together.

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

The guiding question we asked ourselves from the start, and continued to ask ourselves as we made design decisions was: “When our kids look at pictures and videos of our wedding, will they admire our aesthetic, or will they say ‘what were you thinking, guys!’” Our vision was to create a timeless yet relevant and chic, yet understated design. To achieve this, we focused on natural tones such as beiges, olive greens, and soft yellows and oranges, paired with materials in their purest forms, including natural woods, vegetable accents–like broccoli, asparagus, bok choy, green beans, and leeks–and florals, in those same muted, natural colours. I also wanted the design to reflect our surroundings. How to achieve this when set among the rolling hills of Tuscany on an organic agricultural estate? We drew inspiration directly from the landscape–using the same earthy tones, and like I mentioned before, incorporating vegetables similar to those harvested from the farm itself. The goal was to cultivate a design that felt one with the surroundings–casual and approachable, since we were on a farm estate, while still carrying an elevated sense of beauty that people respected. Elegance and charm, but in the most warm and welcoming way!

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).

The first worth mentioning is florals (florals, florals)! Our florist, Il Profumo Dei Fiori exceeded our expectations with giant Moon of Nippons, white and green hydrangeas, green amaranthus, and bells-of-Ireland. To add another dimension, we included subtle vegetable accents. The veggies definitely didn’t overpower the florals, which was intentional so as not to be overly trendy, but we still wanted to stay relevant. The second is the tablescape: one long dining table for 88 people, set in-between two rows of cypress trees, overlooking the vineyards during sunset. I was torn between a curved table—unique, but quite trendy—and a long, straight table, which is obviously classic. While we ultimately chose the curved option, our brilliant wedding planner, Lucia, surprised us with the best of both worlds: a partially curved table at the entrance and a straight table running parallel to the cypress rows. It was the perfect mix! Again the theme of dichotomy strikes again.

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

I obviously loved the design process. Planning a wedding was a creative outlet. And with professionals like my wedding planner, Lucia and her assistant Letizia, and Il Profumo Dei Fiori by my side—true masters of their craft who could bring my visions to life—it was incredibly satisfying to see everything come together. I also really enjoyed collaborating with my husband. While Jared has two macho older brothers and could happily eat steak every night, he actually has an incredibly special and artistic side to him. Brainstorming and working alongside him made the process fun and in the end, a huge success. I found this a great practice run at teamwork before committing to being a team for life.

Advice for any couples starting their wedding is to be extremely mindful and picky when it comes to selecting key vendors like your wedding planner, and florals. Research their work. Have an extremely critical eye. Ensure your personalities click when having those initial calls. If they live up to a certain standard, chances are high that they will hit the mark on your own wedding which relieves much stress ahead of your big day.

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

Martina–our beloved photographer–was especially stand out. Yes, her artistic eye is exceptional, and her deep dedication to her craft is so obvious by watching her in action. But beyond her talent, it is her energy and light that elevates her work to an entirely different level. To help paint a better picture of this, allow me to explain how Jared and I are typically allergic to being the subject of a camera… But there is something about being with Martina that makes that sentiment completely dissipate. I don’t know what better way to describe Martina, than by saying she is “a bright light.” Someone who you want to be around always; she can make a room just a little bit brighter by just being present. Our wedding guests absolutely loved this energy, and I mean it when I say she felt like she was a part of our friends and family. It was because of this, paired with her artistic eye and work ethic that that our photos, in m

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

I like to think my wedding dress matched the theme of my wedding—understated elegance. The dress, “Alexa” by Alyssa Kristin was minimalistic and simple, but it hugged and draped in all the right places. It was the first out of the 20+ dresses I tried on. None seemed to compare—it was one of those “you know when you know” moments. We knew pretty early in the planning stages that we wanted to have a traditional ceremony. We both were raised in the same religious denomination and that denomination just so happened to be the official religion of Italy. (This was another reason as to why we chose to have our wedding in Italy.) Nevertheless, the point of me bringing this up is that I thought the style of the dress was very much aligned to the architecture and design of the church, Pieve di San Leonardo, which is adjacent to the Medici Villa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Originally built in the 10th Century, the church is Romanesque, which means very simple exteriors, with more elaborate interiors. I like to think this drew parallels to my overall look.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

My engagement ring is, transparently, simple. A six-prong, round brilliant diamond set on a white gold band. Growing up, no matter the age, my mom would always let me try on her own ring (unironically round and brilliant)—willingly I might add. I like to think she enjoyed experiencing that “one day” moment with me! Nevertheless, I’ve always been a near mirror image of her, sharing the same features and our long, slender fingers we jokingly call “branches.” Somehow, the stocky round cut compliments our “branches” quite well—a balance of contrasts in shape.

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?).

Venue: Having all our guests stay at the same compound was the number one priority when selecting a venue, and the goal was to privatize a property so there were no strangers in sight. When you’re traveling, your hotel becomes your home away from home, and this added a layer of relaxation to the entire experience. There’s something that elevates celebrating when you feel “at home.” We also wanted our guests to feel like family, and when everyone is all staying together under one roof, that box certainly gets checked. That added layer of comfort really made a difference to the wedding energy. Everywhere you looked, there was someone you knew. You go to breakfast, and you’re eating with others like they are your family.

Family has always been an underlying value in our relationship and having everyone in one place beautifully reflected that theme!

Florals: We definitely splurged here, but it was worth every penny. From the church entrance to the long tablescape, the florals exceeded our expectations in every way. It’s hard to put into words how happy we were with how they turned out.

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

Aside from the moment we became husband and wife in front of the people who mean the most to us in this world, one of our most treasured memories was sitting in the middle of our long dinner table, listening to our family give speeches, with endless wine flowing, as the sun set. The energy was that of pure joy, gratitude, and friendship, and to be dramatic (but still honest), it felt supernatural. There were moments when we were all crying, moments when we were all laughing, and moments when we were all in awe of our surroundings. I witnessed my cousins become best friends with Jared’s cousins and friends from different stages of life merge together, which truly made our hearts so happy. As the sun lowered and the wine settled in, we found ourselves feeling the same thing: utter giddiness (!)