I’ve always known I wanted to get married in Italy, specifically Tuscany.
Tell us a little bit about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Matt and I grew up in NJ only 30 min from each other, but did not cross paths until later in life. I am a merchant planner for Bloomingdale’s and naturally love fashion and many forms of creative expression, although I am better at appreciating than practising in the arts!
Matt is an F-16 Pilot for the US Air Force and has welcomed me with open arms into the crazy, unpredictable life that comes with this career. We currently live in Northern Italy and are making the most of our time here while we can!
How/where/when did you meet–and what were your first impressions?
We met at a mutual friend’s wedding. Matt was being paraded around as the single friend looking for a date and I was not interested in being on that list. After I let him buy all the drinks at the after-party, I Irish exited to avoid an awkward goodbye. The following day at the post-wedding bbq we reconnected and spent the whole day and evening playing lawn games and showing each other our competitive sides. We exchanged numbers and I lied about having plans to travel to Philly to see a friend so that he would have a good opportunity to ask me on a date.
When did you first realize that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
For me, it was pretty early on. I had done a lot of self-reflection prior to meeting Matt, so after once we got past the surface and I got a glimpse of who he was at a deeper level, it wasn’t hard for me to understand he was my perfect counterpart. We had less than 3 months together before he was leaving for Korea for a year, so I was on constant surveillance for red flags, but also really appreciated all that he was and could be for me. By the time we had said goodbye for supposedly forever, I knew that
if I had the chance to make it work I would take it in a heartbeat… we never actually stopped talking and less than a year later we were in the works of me moving with him to Italy.
Mat – I knew the first weekend that Brooklyn moved to Italy with me. After a week of getting settled at home, we took a trip to Tuscany and had the most amazing time. Covid was still preventing
international tourism so the countryside was unusually quiet, making it a perfect romantic getaway.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little bit about it…
For Matt’s 30th birthday, I planned an incredible trip starting in Bordeaux, France and ending in Taormina, Sicily. There were so many beautiful vineyards and evenings in France I thought for sure he’d pop the question there. A week later, we were on our way to Italy with no ring on my finger. On the last day of the trip, we decided to spend the afternoon at Isola Bella. Matt asked if I wanted to go for one last swim around the island and despite the cooling temperature I agreed. When we were about 100 yards from the beach and balancing on a portruding rock, Matt pulled a beautiful mine-cut diamond ring from the zip pocket of his swim shorts and asked me to spend forever with him. I was shaking and shivering so much we put the ring back in his pocket and swam back to shore so we could celebrate in safety!
Tel us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
I’ve always known I wanted to get married in Italy, specifically in Tuscany. We both love the rolling hills, cypress tress, and grape vines that are so quintessential for the area. The area around Siena is beyond beautiful and Tanuta di Monaciano checked all our boxes for a lovely garden wedding and villa reception. I envisioned an evening of old time-y romance with lots of florals and antique decor to tie it all together. When I met Leah 2 years earlier and saw her style of photography, I knew she would be the one who could capture my vision through the lens.
VENUE Tenuta di Monaciano, @monaciano / PHOTOGRAPHER Leah Tise, @leahtise_ / VIDEOGRAPHER Wedding Key Studio, @weddingkeystudio / ENTERTAINMENT The Love Beats Band, @lovebeatsband / PLANNER Tuscania Events, @tuscaniaweddingevents / FLORA Anna Circhetta, @fleurdecor_anna_circhetta / CATERING & BEVERAGES l’Oste Gentiluomo, @ostegentiluomo / REGISTRY With Joy / LIGHTING & DJ Kaleydo Entertainment, @kaleydo.official / TENTING Tentickle Italia / WEDDING DRESS Le Spose Di Gio Milano, @lesposedigio / TUX Ulysess Boutique, @ulyssesboutique / ENGAGEMENT RING Lyppens Amsterdam, @luppens_amsterdam / SHOES Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo; Gian Vitorossi, @gianvitorossi / BRIDE’S HAIR AND MAKEUP Sydney Smidt, @sydneysillsmidt / BRIDESMAID’S HAIR AND MAKEUP Alison Adams, @thealisonadams
Unveiling the secret to a flawless wedding!
Explore our exclusive online directory, your ultimate guide to the best wedding vendors! Don’t miss out on creating your dream day. Click HERE to start browsing.
