I wanted a classic and timeless mood that still felt like us.
KARLEY —— We met in high school. Justin was a grade above me, and we had many mutual friends. We both had crushes on each other, but nothing ever happened. More than ten years later, I was visiting a friend in California for the 4th of July, and I ran into Justin, who was living there. He told me he’d loved me since high school. I thought he was crazy! I didn’t believe him or expect to hear from him again, but he kept checking in — he tried weekly, but I ignored him a lot, until I finally agreed to hang out with him when he was back in Omaha for Christmas.
JUSTIN —— When I first met Karley in high school, she was always hanging out with the older guys and I was too intimidated to make a move. I had a crush on her for ages but never acted on it. I guess the patience paid off in the end!
KARLEY —— I knew Justin was the one when my brother unexpectedly passed away. I had recently moved to California to be closer to Justin, and one Saturday morning, I got a call from my mum. I immediately knew something was wrong. Justin packed my bags, got us on the next flight to Nebraska, and didn’t leave my side the entire time. The way he cared for me and my mum during those difficult weeks made me realise that this was forever.
We always knew we wanted to get married in Italy, and we wanted a villa where our family could stay with us. After speaking with Sarah, our planner, we decided on Villa Cetinale. The history, beauty, and location near Siena, combined with the fact that we could stay for seven days, made it an easy decision.
I wanted a classic and timeless mood that still felt like us. I envisioned a royal Italian villa experience for our guests, but with a comfortable feel, so everyone could relax and be themselves. The villa was so beautiful that I wanted the floral décor to be subtle, and the candles with bow pieces were the perfect touch to make it feel special without overdoing it.
JUSTIN —— For me, the food was the most important part. Everyone expects incredible food at an Italian wedding, and I wanted it to be a standout. Sarah recommended Galateo for catering, so we did a tasting in Florence while planning, and it was perfect. I’m happy to say that many of our guests told us the tortelli cacio e pepe was the best pasta they’d ever had!
KARLEY —— My mum and I went to southern California to go dress shopping, which was a really special weekend for us. At our first stop, Loho Bride, I knew my dresses were there. We went back at the end of the day and decided on two. I’d always imagined my ceremony dress would be from Danielle Frankel. Her designs remind me of Italy, and the Noa Dress was perfect — it had the timeless feel I wanted.
When I tried on the Katherine Tash Simone Dress, I knew it would be my reception dress. I sent pictures to my friends back home, and they all said yes immediately! My mum loved every dress I tried on, which made it hard to choose. We were both so excited about the whole experience and that I was marrying Justin.
PHOTOGRAPHER Ashleigh Brooksbank of Sapphire Studios, @sapphirestudios___ LOCATION Villa Cetinale, @cetinale CEREMONY DRESS Noa Dress from Danielle Frankel, @daniellefrankelstudio bought from Loho Bride, @loho_bride SHOES Reformation EARRINGS Shashi, @shashinyc MAKEUP Morgen Moreno at ARTST, @artstsalon HAIR Ryley Sidles at ARTST, @artstsalon FLORIST Edénique de Beaumont Floral Design, @edeniquefloraldesign CELEBRANT Steve Isenberg, Uncle to Karley STATIONERY & SIGNAGE The Letterist, @theletterist VIDEOGRAPHER Caputo Films, @marcocaputofilms ENTERTAINMENT Tasten’Sax, @tastensax RECEPTION DRESS Simone Dress from Katherine Tash, @katherinetash bought from Loho Bride, @loho_bride HIRE & CATERING Galateo Ricevimenti, @galateoricevimenti PLANNER Sarah Bongini at Blanc Weddings, @blancweddingsitaly
