Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We live together in a seaside town on the south coast of the UK, and you can usually find us scoping out new pizzerias or perfecting our pasta-rolling at home.
Oli earns his keep in town planning and spends his downtime as a (very) amateur beer reviewer. Rebecca is an editor at a publishing house and usually tags along to the pub to dream up the next last-minute city break. Our shared passions are food and travel, which we try to combine as much as we possibly can. These loves take us back to Italy time and time again.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We first met in 2009 at university in Falmouth, a little fishing town in Cornwall, on the sticky dancefloor of one of the town’s only nightclubs. It definitely wasn’t love at first sight. Oli was scared of Rebecca and Rebecca could tell.
We ‘re-met’ years later by chance. With some bigger life experiences under our belts and admittedly much less sweaty appearances, this time, we really hit it off. We’ve been best friends ever since.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
So many couples bond over their shared likes, which we very much do. However, it was our shared dislikes that really sealed the deal (think slow walkers and ‘Live Laugh Love’ plaques). On our very first date we joked that we’ll soon find something we don’t agree on. Seven years and countless dates later and we still haven’t found it.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Oli: In January 2018 I dragged Rebecca out of bed for a surprise 5am flight to Verona. The ‘bargain hostel’ I’d booked was actually a five-star hotel, and after a hearty meal of ragu and wine I took her to a piazza overlooking the city and popped the question. Only that evening did I realise Verona’s connection with Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers and what a huge cliché I’d accidentally walked into.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
We knew almost instantly that we wanted to marry in Italy (the food alone was a deciding factor!). You can’t get a more stunning backdrop than Tuscany, especially Certaldo, the town we married in. Our vision was to let the natural beauty of the area do all the talking and simply soak up the glorious light and colours. We had originally planned for 80 guests, but the pandemic meant we had to cut that down to just 6, but what we ended up with was something much more intimate and special than we could have ever imagined. (Did we mention the food?!)
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
We wouldn’t call it splurging, but a wedding planner wasn’t something we ever thought we’d spend money on. Though we were certain about Italy, we knew nothing about getting legally married there. After some research we realised how much we had to learn and how much we could get it wrong! Bringing Wiskow and White (our wedding planners/coordinators) on board and tapping into their years of experience and knowledge with Italian weddings was a decision that took huge amounts of stress off our shoulders. It’s absolutely something we would recommend ‘splurging’ on if you’re planning a destination wedding.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Oli: My dad is not an unorganised man, he’s the one that’s always half an hour early, itinerary in hand. It was quite the shock when, while all of us were boarding the bus taking us to the ceremony, he was still in the pool, thinking he had another hour to iron his shirt and get dressed. Safe to say he won’t be forgetting that for a while!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Rebecca: I err on the minimal side when it comes to clothes, so I never intended my dress to be ‘statement’ in any way. I wanted something simple, understated and unique, but struggled to find anything for a while. I ended up piecing together parts of numerous dresses I liked, which meant I wouldn’t know exactly what the dress looked like until just a few weeks before the big day. It was definitely worth it, and it’s a special feeling to know that my dress was created just for me. My veil and bouquet were two absolutely gorgeous cherries on top.
Ceremony location: Certaldo, Palazzo Pretorio / Reception location: @villailpozzo / Photographer: @sasa_adamovic_photography / Planning, Styling + Celebrant: Danielle of @wiskowandwhite / Entertainment: @emanuelecefali / Flora: @loasifloraldesigner / Lighting: Wedding Central House / Catering + Beverages: @gveweddings / Bride’s gown: @elbethgillis from @victorialoubridal / Groom’s Attire: @dkny from @mossbros / Bride’s rings: @oliveavejewelry / Shoes: @stuartweitzman / Veil: @sashandveil / Makeup + hair: Anna Kalytyak at @blbsmanagement / Fragrance: @jomalonelondon
