My vision for the wedding was that I wanted it to feel like you were teleported back in time.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Josh and I truly are the loves of each other’s lives. Ever since we met 5 years ago, we knew that this was the person we could build a life with, go through tragedy with, and create a family with. Josh and I dated for a couple of years before my family recruited him to work at our family pharmaceutical business. Now, several years later, we actually work together as CFO (Josh) and COO (me). My grandfather was the general manager who was diligent in his recruiting of Josh. It was really special to me that they got to have a great relationship before he passed away, being able to see how much Josh was able to bring to our family business. We are working together with my family, and this has really made Josh a core component and the connection he has with each one of my family members means so much to me and brings me so much happiness
Taylor – loves to read, loves time with family and friends, loves fashion and design, and spends a lot of time curating our home.
Josh – loves to golf, loves sports, loves time with family and friends. Loves wine and loves to work.
We both enjoy our personal time with one another, even after spending 8+ hours a day working together in what is a high-stress role.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We went to high school together; Josh was a senior when I was a freshman. However, our paths really did not cross at that point in our lives. We met on a dating app (Hinge), and I knew who Josh was, but he had no idea who I was. He asked me what high school I went to, and I pretended to be so shocked when we realised it was the same one and that I had no idea who he was lol. I eventually came clean after our first date. We connected in January of 2021 when Taylor was in pharmacy school and Josh was working and living full-time in St. Pete. Our first date, Josh drove 2 hours to pick me up at my house in Orlando. We went to dinner and then to drinks after. We ended up back at my home, talking and getting to know one another for hours. From there, we were inseparable, spending every weekend together until he eventually moved to Orlando 6 months into dating to be close to me (actually moving into my house, much to my parents’ chagrin lol)
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Josh – it was soon after meeting and getting to know Taylor on a deeper level that I realised Taylor was special. She was so funny and smart, caring, beautiful, and had a way of making you feel loved that seemed to come effortlessly.
Taylor – With Josh, I truly felt love in a way that I had never felt before. I felt that he was dedicated to truly understanding me and seeing me. He made me feel so supported and loved throughout my time in pharmacy school and through all parts of life. All the small ways he prioritised me every single day made me fall deeply in love with him. Him holding me through tragedy, making me laugh after a hard exam, holding my hand on long walks, him playing tennis with my dad and charming my mom are all little moments that just made me fall for him.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
My vision for the wedding was that I wanted it to feel like you were teleported back in time. I felt very inspired by the Regency era, specifically Pride and Prejudice, as my main point of inspiration. I wanted the ceremony to have a beautiful aesthetic set in a garden that made you feel like you were in the 1800s. The dinner portion, I wanted it to feel like you were at a ball in the same time period. I feel like we successfully captured that vision throughout the wedding day. It was also a really special touch that throughout the wedding planning process I was always telling the wedding planners and Josh that I wanted it to feel like pride and prejudice… and during Josh’s vows he quoted directly from the book which was such a nice touch and surprise to me that made me feel seen that he really understood my vision and inspiration for the wedding but also of what true love is written about. He incorporated that vision when he expressed his love to me.
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).
We felt very excited about the venue itself; I knew that the venue was going to be the foundation for creating my vision of something that felt vintage and authentic. La Foce was the perfect backdrop for bringing that to life, with its beautiful gardens, the greenery, and the fact that it was an authentically historic building that had so many elements from the time period I was trying to draw upon. The florals were also an extremely large component of bringing my vision to life. For the ceremony, I wanted guests to feel like when they walked down into the garden, they were being taken to a secret garden that felt beautiful, magical, and ethereal, as though they had stumbled upon an enchanted, fairy-esque garden. For the dinner portion, I wanted it to once again feel like we were in a ball in the 1800s and having dark and moody florals really captured the romantic and almost sensual feel of a ball in the 1800s. The candles, as well as the twinkle lights, really brought a soft and romantic ambience to the dinner.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
The time we spent together laughing, stressing, joking, and orchestrating our perfect wedding. Josh focused on the music, the wedding website (which was amazing), and a lot of the logistics. I focused on the aesthetic nature and the details of each event. It was really helpful for us to have a scheduled time each week to knock out tasks. It allowed us to come to the meetings together, focused with little to no distractions. It allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience of planning the only wedding we will have in our lives (hopefully). It also just made me feel really supported to have my husband so involved because he knew how stressful the whole thing was for me. I knew if I gave Josh something to do, he would take it really seriously and get it taken care of, which just showed me how much I had picked the right person.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
In my outfits, I really wanted to feel that they expressed all the different aspects of my personality. I worked with Hope LaVine on all my styling, and she really helped me develop unique aesthetics that fit each event. I love vintage, so for my welcome party look, we really leaned into that, with a vintage dress, shoes, and heels. I also loved the idea of incorporating colour into the weekend and thought it would be really unique to make my welcome party look red while doing a white party theme for the guests. It was so fun and different, and when I walked into that first event, it really felt as though I had done something unexpected. For the wine tasting, we really wanted to do something that felt flowy, ethereal and colourful since the backdrop was this really beautiful vineyard that we took the guests to offsite. Hope sent me a bunch of options, and we selected this Zimmerman dress with so much colour and texture that really popped. It also reminded me of Padme from Star Wars who was one of my style icons growing up, I just have vivid memories of watching her and Anakin in those movies and just loving the costume design. For the rehearsal, I found this beautiful Monique Lhuillier gown off the rack at a local bridal shop in my town (the Bridal Finery), and it was the first piece I bought for the wedding wardrobe I purchased. Monique is such an iconic bridal designer, and I love the lace she incorporates so much that it felt like I needed it in my wardrobe. Hope had the coolest idea to add a neck scarf that trailed behind me, and we had it custom-made from Madison Chamberlain. It took the look to a whole different level and felt so much different from my other wedding looks. We also went a totally different direction with my hair, doing a French twist with pearl pins – that may be the best my hair has ever looked LOL. On the wedding day, I wanted the getting-ready look to feel sexy and vintage, so I found a beautiful Ralph Lauren slip and had a custom choker from Studio Sewn made. This was also when I gave my bridesmaids their vintage bags that they wore for the ceremony, so I felt like the whole energy of the morning was very timeless/vintage. My dress and accessories were all done by Cinq. Cinq was the most perfect choice to do my wedding gown because they really have such a vision of dresses that feel like they are transporting you back in time, with the fabrics and details. I feel like they capture the vintage aesthetic the best with the most amazing pieces. My gown from them was just one of the most stunning pieces of clothing I have ever seen, and I felt really blessed to wear it. When I knew I wanted to go with Cinq, I had to plan a trip to LA to do all the alterations. My dad actually came along with me and chauffeured me to all my appointments, and in our free time, we went to Disneyland lol. So not only did I get to design my dream dress with the help of Hope and the Cinq team, but I also got to spend amazing quality time with my dad. The inspiration for the ceremony dress was once again just to truly feel like I was in a Jane Austen or a Thomas Hardy novel, where I was in a gown that felt vintage while also being feminine and dramatic. The addition of a lace Watteau and a cathedral veil created amazing texture for the dramatic walk down the La Foce aisle. Cinq also did a custom choker for me, along with a bag, so all the details felt very cohesive and beautiful. I wanted to feel very ethereal and like I could run through a garden at midnight to meet my husband. The texture and the movement of the gown were really important to me. The cake-cutting dress was another beautiful red piece from Vivienne Westwood, and we did hair changes for that as well, so each outfit felt totally unique. The red really popped against the cake and the sparklers, plus I got to wear custom earrings Josh designed for me as my wedding present. The final dress for the after party was totally different, a mini Kim Kassas with custom made lace gauntlets from Bridal Reflections paired with gorgeous AB ellie earrings. This one was another nostalgic inspiration as the dress had sirens on it that really called to my inner little girl who just loved The Little Mermaid. It was so unique and different from my other looks, and such a fun last outfit to party in.
What was 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?).
The clothes were definitely really important to me; I wanted my style and personality to really be expressed through every outfit. I wanted to wear multiple and really let myself have the freedom to be a little over the top at the only wedding I’ll ever have. Josh has always been super encouraging of my style as well and has always expressed that he loves that about me, how much effort I put into having a really different personal style that reflects me, so he was really supportive. I also didn’t show him any of my outfits, so he was always very surprised and loved seeing all the looks.
The florals and the venue were a combination as well; I felt I had to invest in them. The venue I knew would be the foundation for making my vintage, Regency era dreams come to life. The flowers also were what really made a space pop and add all the uniqueness. I wanted each event to feel totally different from one another, so I used the florals and the different spaces at La Foce to really lean into that. Each event had a very different floral aesthetic, in a new location at the site. The welcome party was held in the courtyard with the gravel and iconic yellow walls, which was perfect for a bright, fun pizza welcome party with fun, almost wildflower-esque florals, lots of bright colour. The rehearsal was lots of draping with minimal florals on the bar, with greens and purples to match the grapes on the table. This was held in a lanai area by the pool, which was so beautiful and one of the most standout designs. The ceremony was very magical and almost whimsical, with florals that were meant to seem as though they were growing from the ground and up the altar statue, along with petals lining the aisle. I wanted the entire thing to feel like you walked down the stairs into the garden, and that the florals provided a romantic, feminine, ethereal feel as though you were in a secret garden. I felt like the florals and the venue were the most necessary part for my vision to be brought to life.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
I felt so nervous about the whole weekend. Asking guests to fly all the way to Italy meant I really wanted them to have an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I wanted them to experience our love and our family and truly feel the romance. I said for the whole year up to it that I just want everyone to have a really amazing time, and that I was worried no one would have fun lol. In hindsight, after hearing from everyone, I realise I was being absolutely insane to think that all the people who love me and Josh so much wouldn’t have fun at a three-day wedding weekend in Italy.
I also really wanted to run in my gorgeous dress and get pictures that had movement and felt very vintage and beautiful. We got that for sure, but in the process, I totally tripped and twisted my ankle so badly that I had to sit down for several minutes, and it swelled up so badly after the wedding day. I was so close to walking down the aisle barefoot, but I managed to push through. My foot was very swollen the next day, though, after all the dancing and everything. It was still more than worth it
BRIDE Taylor, @stonetaylor GROOM Josh LOCATION La Foce, Tuscany, Italy, @lafoce PHOTOGRAPHER Krista K Photos, @kristakphotos VIDEOGRAPHER Alesia Films, @alesiafilms CONTENT CREATION Lisette of Little Nostalgic Moments, @littlenostalgicmoments STYLIST Hope Lavine, @hopelavine PLANNER Manola of Tuscan Wedding Events, @tuscanweddingevents FLORIST Marta of Flowers Living, @flowersliving ENTERTAINMENT Forever Diamonds HIRE, CATERING & CAKE Roland’s, @rolands_florence STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Sakshi of Inquisited, @inquisited WEDDING BANDS Cartier, @cartier BRIDE’S GETTING READY OUTFIT Slip – Ralph Lauren, @poloralphlauren BRIDE’S GETTING READY ACCESSORIES Choker – Studio Sewn, @studiosewn BRIDE’S CEREMONY DRESS, VEIL, CHOKER & BAG Cinq, @shop_cinq BRIDE’S CEREMONY SHOES Stuart Weitzman, @stuartweitzman BRIDE’S CEREMONY ACCESSORIES Earrings – A.B. Ellie, @a.b.ellie BRIDE’S CEREMONY FRAGRANCE A Kiss of Bliss – Penhaligon’s, @penhaligons BRIDE’S CEREMONY DRESS ALTERATIONS S. Rothan, @s.rothan BRIDE’S CAKE CUTTING DRESS Vivienne Westwood via Mytheresa, @viviennewestwood, @mytheresa.com BRIDE’S CAKE CUTTING SHOES Jimmy Choo via Moda Operandi, @jimmychoo, @modaoperandi BRIDE’S RECEPTION DRESS Kim Kassas Couture by Bridal Reflections, @kimkassascouture, @bridalreflectionsny BRIDE’S RECEPTION SHOES Badgley Mischka, @badgleymischka BRIDE’S RECEPTION ACCESSORIES Earrings – A.B. Ellie, @a.b.ellie HAIR & MAKEUP Barbara Corso, @barbaracorso_, @theporfirio_ SUIT Tom James, @tomjamesclothing GROOM’S SHOES Tom Ford, @tomford BRIDE’S REHEARSAL DINNER DRESS Monique Lhuillier from The Bridal Finery, @moniquelhuillier, @thebridalfinery BRIDE’S REHEARSAL DINNER SHOES Jimmy Choo via Bloomingdale’s, @jimmychoo, @bloomingdales BRIDE’S REHEARSAL DINNER ACCESSORIES Scarf – Custom from Madison Chamberlain Designs, @madisonchamberlain_; Bag – Jimmy Choo via Bloomingdale’s, @jimmychoo, @bloomingdales; Vintage Earrings – Dior, @dior BRIDE’S WINE TASTING DRESS Zimmerman via Farfetch, @zimmerman, @farfetch BRIDE’S WINE TASTING SHOES Cult Gaia, @cultgaia BRIDE’S WINE TASTING ACCESSORIES Emm Kuo via Over the Moon, @emmkuony, @overthemoon; Cuff – Alexis Bittar, @alexisbittar BRIDE’S WELCOME PARTY DRESS Vintage Mandalay from Happy Isles, @happyisles_salon BRIDE’S WELCOME PARTY SHOES Vintage Chanel via The RealReal, @chanelofficial, @therealreal BRIDE’S WELCOME PARTY ACCESSORIES Earrings – Garmentory, @garmentory
