Almost one year ago we celebrated our dream wedding weekend! Three love-filled days starting with an Italian-inspired welcome dinner to kickoff the weekend. It was the first time all our favorite people would come together- I wanted the evening to feel intimate and cozy, yet lively and heartfelt. I worked alongside my incredible wedding planners, Honey & Thyme, to curate an evening full of intentional details and a taste of Italia. In honor of our honeymoon, we transformed one of my favorite spots at Morning Glory Farm, the stone hearth, into our own private trattoria decorated with Italy’s best herbs and antipastos. Stone features, canopied pathways, Frank Sinatra radio, twinkle lights, stripes and pops of color, vino, and cannolis, of course. Will never be over seeing this vision come to life!

details & design

venue & Space

Our full wedding weekend was held at Morning Glory Farm, a private estate & family friend’s farm with a romantic and intimate garden feel located outside Charlotte, NC. MGF is a very special place to me and it meant so much to host our wedding weekend here and share it with all our guests. Since all three weekend events were held here, I wanted to create variety by having each event at a different location on property. The stone hearth we utilized as the main meeting place for when guests first arrived. The stone features, string lights and bistro tables fit our trattoria theme perfectly. I always wanted one of our seating arrangements to be one long table which we created within a winding canopied pathway near the hearth. Perfection!

tablescape

I had been dreaming of the tablescape for this day for months! It exceeded all expectations and was truly iconic. Our florist (more of an artist!!), brought our vision to life- you really felt transported to Italy with the playful, unique design. A red and white striped runner lined the winding table, along with a mix of potted herbs, veggies, dried pasta, cordless lamps, wine bottles and old sauce cans to prop up the pizzas. Napkins were embroidered by my Grammy. Every detail was incredibly thoughtful and fit the vibe!

stationary & signage

For signage and stationary, we kept things minimal while staying bold and fun. I’m typically not a huge fan of signage, but we loved the idea of a custom A-frame to help direct guests as it was there first time on property. Plus, it felt very authentic to an Italian bistro! The bar sign and menus were minimal as well, with that restaurant feel.

food & bev

For the cocktail hour, we offered tons of traditional antipastos that also acted as part of our tablescape. Nuts, crackers, cheeses, olives, etc. For dinner, we started with a caesar salad followed by 4 pizza options: veggie, fig & prosciutto, sausage & pepperoni, and margherita. Cannolis for dessert!

the look

I spent months sourcing all the elements to my look! I wanted something that felt different from my wedding day (which was more classic, polished, simple) and Italian-inspired of course. Had to go with something lace! I purchased a lot of my looks and accessories second hand including this signature lace Simkhai dress- I loved the heavy lace/sheer combo and tiered hem. In terms of accessories, I scored a vintage YSL clutch and absolutely insane red & white gingham Manolo Blahniks that took so long to find. Both pieces I will cherish forever and hope to get lots of use out of. Jewelry I kept minimal- Dorsey tennis bracelet and Heaven Mayhem earrings. In terms of beauty, I opted for a little more glam and a bouncy blowout half-up-do.