We leaned into white tones with touches of yellow and green.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We are now the Whites! We live in the mountains of Colorado with our black lab, Marshall, and love being outside. Our weekends usually consist of hikes, happy hours, biking, and spending time with friends. We always try to have a trip planned, whether it is a camping trip, seeing family in Iowa and Minnesota, or a longer vacation anywhere in the world (Germany and South Africa are coming up) – we love having something to look forward to. This is part of the reason we decided to get married in Italy! Along with it being closer to Callum’s extended family in the UK.
To support our amazing lifestyle, Jenna is an interior designer working on the beautiful mountain homes of Colorado and Montana. She helps families, couples, and individuals realise their dream homes, from new builds to renovations. Callum is a consultant working to help businesses understand and achieve their strategic goals by working closely with clients to implement new processes in their day-to-day work.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Our story actually started in the sophomore year of college at Iowa State, in a grungy basement surrounded by mutual friends. We had a few classes together and quickly became friends, but at the time, that’s all it was. I (Jenna) remember thinking he (Callum) was easy to talk to and funny, and we always seemed to end up in the same circles, but the timing just never quite lined up. Fast forward to 2021, and we were both living in Minnesota and had completely lost touch. Out of the blue, he ran into one of our mutual friends at a bar, and she immediately told him I was in Minnesota and single. He invited a group of friends over to his apartment and me the following weekend, and the second we saw each other again, there was an immediate spark that hadn’t been there before. We started spending more and more time together over the next few months, and he eventually asked me out. It took a little convincing at first, but he quickly broke down my walls (it didn’t hurt that he was an excellent dog dad to my new puppy), and we were officially dating within a few months.
From there, everything just clicked. We spent as much time together as possible, getting to know each other’s families, interests, and what we wanted out of life. Then, in May of 2024, he planned a trip to Scotland for me to meet his family. While in Edinburgh, a “casual” photo moment turned into a surprise proposal, and I turned around to find him down on one knee. I said yes, and now here we are—happily married and still laughing about how it all started in that basement at Iowa State.
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).
For us, it was really the scenic beauty of the venue. Don’t get us wrong, we had visual elements throughout, but we intentionally kept things quite simple to let the landscape stand out. We leaned into white tones with touches of yellow and green, just to subtly complement the surroundings. The yellow was a nod to my bridesmaid dresses, and the green helped tie everything back into the natural setting.
The venue itself honestly felt like the main design element. It’s set overlooking rolling hills, vineyards, and the Italian countryside, with caves underground and different terraces and spaces at every turn. It already felt like art in itself, so we really wanted to just let it be the backdrop. What we loved most was how it gave guests this feeling of moving through different spaces throughout the day. It made everything feel really special without needing too much added styling.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
Our favourite part was getting to make everything feel like us and not overthinking what it should be or what everyone else planning a wedding was doing. Some of the best moments were the more low-key ones – sitting on the couch with a glass of wine, going through our list of ideas, and getting excited every time we officially checked something off. Our biggest tip for couples starting the process would be to figure out your priorities early on and let those guide your decisions. There are so many options and opinions (even just between the two of you), and it can get overwhelming quickly, so having a clear sense of what matters most (what really helps tell your story) makes such a difference. Also, try not to get too caught up in making everything perfect. At the end of the day, what people remember (and what you’ll remember most) is how it felt, not whether every single detail was perfect or not. And of course, enjoy it. The day goes by so fast!
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
Most of our vendors were included through our venue, Le 7 Fonti, which made things so easy, especially planning from Colorado. From the beginning, we were paired with our planner, Maria, who helped guide us through the whole process. Since we weren’t local, she went above and beyond to make everything feel manageable but still exciting. She shared presentations and visuals so we could see how everything would come together, set up video calls to walk through decisions, and even handled things like menu tastings for us. She gave us all the feedback and “stats” on what people were liking from the food options, which was so helpful when we couldn’t be there to taste everything ourselves. She played such a huge role in making the whole experience feel easy, and definitely stands out when we look back on it. And of course, our photographer, Linden, was also a standout in a completely different way. We originally had someone booked from South Africa, but due to an illness, he wasn’t able to make it, which left us without a photographer just a couple of months before the wedding. Luckily, I was then introduced to Linden. She actually used to work with the same company I’m at now, so there was already a shared overlap through coworkers and friends, which made it feel very meant to be. She ended up being such an important part of our day, and we’re so grateful everything worked out the way it did.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
My wedding dress definitely came with a bit of a story. I had originally picked out a dress, but it never arrived, which left me without a dress just a couple of months before the wedding (again). Before I knew it, my mom was on a flight out to Colorado to help me find something new. We went to a bunch of different dress shops that day, but of course, the dress I ended up falling in love with was one of the first ones I tried on. It just felt ‘right’ right away. It was also one-of-a-kind, which I loved—no one had ever had it and no one ever will. That ended up being what made it so special. Because it was so unique, I didn’t want multiple outfits or changes. I just wanted that dress to shine all day. I honestly never wanted to take it off. Looking back, it all worked out exactly how it was supposed to – if anything, I ended up loving this dress even more than the original one, so it really did feel meant to be.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Callum actually picked out my engagement ring completely on his own, which makes it even more special to both of us. I never gave him any hints or direction – he designed it all himself. One of my favourite details is the hidden halo underneath with green emeralds, which he chose to represent my birthstone. It’s such a fun, personal touch and something I notice and love every time I look at it. For our wedding bands, we wanted them to complement the engagement ring but still feel like us. I always knew I wanted a cigar band, but with a bit of a twist, so we worked in green emeralds again in a subtle way, so everything tied together. For Callum’s ring, we went with a simple gold cigar band with a mix of matte and high-shine finishes to complement mine.
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?).
We were really happy we chose to spend a little more on having whisky and cigars available in the caves below our wedding venue. That ended up being one of our favourite parts of the night – it gave us a chance to step away from everything for a bit, slow down, and spend time with our closest friends and family before heading back to the music. It also gave guests who weren’t as into dancing a really fun place to hang out (both in temperature and overall vibe), which made it feel like there was something for everyone. It felt like a nice break in the middle of everything and a nice change of pace from the dance floor.
Food was also very important to us, and part of the reason we picked our venue was due to the cooking school attached. They made all of the food on-site, so it was fresh and plentiful (maybe overly so) throughout the wedding. The menu provided was exceptional, and it was very hard to decide, but we ended up with the following for our dinner.
- Course 1 – Shrimp Risotto
- Course 2 – Eggplant Lasagna
- Course 3 – Braised Beef Cheek over Potato Pave
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
It’s so hard to pick a favourite moment on your wedding day, but for us, it was at the moment of our first look. We had built up to this wedding for over a year with lots of planning, setbacks, and excitement – and it was the first real peak of the day. We finally got to come together at our venue, stare into each other’s eyes and face the next peak together. From there, we got to stay together for the rest of the night, so while the ceremony, dinner, and everything else were extremely special, we’ll always treasure that first look most. It really helped calm the nerves and made everything feel real, and it set the tone for the rest of the day in the best way.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
Being married to us is a commitment in partnership in all aspects of life, from raising our dog, doing chores around the house, supporting each other at work, and planning for our future. Our first priority is always being there for each other when we need it. If one of us has a bad day, we know the other will always be there to uplift us and remind us what is important in life. Especially if we haven’t had the best day, we love to tell each other what we mean to one another – and every night that we need a reminder, we answer “why” and “how much”.
LOCATION Le 7 Fonti, Rome, Italy, @le7fonti BRIDE Jenna, @jenna.n.white GROOM Callum, @callumwhite24 PHOTOGRAPHER Linden Wilson, @lindenwilsonn PLANNER & FLORIST Le 7 Fonti, @le7fonti ENTERTAINMENT Trio Toscano, @triotoscanoband HIRE, MARQUEE, CATERING, CAKE & SIGNAGE Le 7 Fonti, @le7fonti ENGAGEMENT RING Wedding Day Diamonds, @weddingdaydiamonds WEDDING RINGS Bulow Jewelers, @bulowjewelers OTHER SIGNIFICANT JEWELLERY Bride’s grandmother’s wedding ring BRIDE’S DRESS Justin Alexander One-of-a-Kind Gown – The Bridal Collection, @thebridalcollection BRIDE’S SHOES Dolce Vita, @dolcevita BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Shall – Made from the bride’s mother’s wedding dress; Earrings/Necklace – Mejuri, @mejuri; Bracelet – Tiffany & Co, @tiffanyandco MAKEUP Done by bride’s good friend & bridesmaid, Olivia Wabbe, @oliviawabbe HAIR Done by bride’s good friend, Amanda Wabbe, @amandawabbe BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Flora – Gucci, @gucci, @guccibeauty GROOM’S SUIT & SHIRT Custom Made – Black Lapel, @blacklapel GROOM’S SHOES Allen Edmonds, @allenedmonds GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Vintage Watch – Seiko, @seikowatchusa GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Cufflinks – Custom Made, with our dog, Marshall’s image on them GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Eros Energy – Versace, @versace BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Show Me Your Mumu, @showmeyourmumu MOTHERS OF THE BRIDE & GROOM’S DRESSES Anthropologie, @anthropologie GIFT REGISTRY Crate & Barrel, @crateandbarrel
