Keri & Matt

I love the unconventional seating arrangement around the pool of the beautiful Pieve de Pitti wedding venue in the picturesque Tuscan hills. Such a lovely setting, so elegantly arranged with a clear glass plate and a few lavender sprigs. Sometimes simplicity really is best. I also adore Bride Keri's lace Maggie Sottero gown. Those beaded cap sleeves are something else, picked out and complimented beautifully with her embellished Gillian Millon hair accessory. As far as bridal looks go, this has to be classic beauty at its best. Add a few hanging lanterns, some gorgeous pastel pink Dessy Bridesmaids, an intimate outdoor ceremony and even a small rain shower won't dampen the spirits of your guests. Who apparently started a very noisy rendition of "We're singing in the rain" when the heavens opened. Absolutely brilliant and incredibly pretty destination wedding captured by Helen Abraham Photography.

The Proposal

Keri the Bride: We loved the idea of getting married abroad and Matt proposed in Venice after meeting at work 4 years ago so we decided to continue our Italian story and marry there. Matt surprised me with a weekend away in Venice for Valentines and proposed to me under the Rialto bridge on a romantic Gondola ride on Valentines day.

The Wedding

We wanted a relaxed wedding with our closest friends and family so Tuscany was the perfect location. We had only 87 guests. It took 18 months to plan the wedding. The day was everything we wished for and more. It was intimate, relaxed, full of laughter and just a great celebration with our closest friends and family. For us the most important thing was to celebrate over a few days with our closest friends and family and create the perfect setting for our actual wedding day and have a party and celebration with friends that we would give us the best lifetime memories. I wouldn’t say we splurged or tried to save money, as it was important to us we didn’t try and cut any corners – we wanted everything perfect but we were also sensible with what we could afford within our budget.

Photographer

Our photographer Helen Abraham was the first thing we booked! As soon as we got engaged we knew Helen was our perfect photographer. Matt and Helen worked together several years ago and we both love her style. She captures the most beautiful photos and they bring to life the mood and atmosphere of the day.

Flowers & Decor

We wanted a very classic look so went for mainly white with a touch of blush pink. I had pure white flowers (roses, Stocks, lisianfeus, gyposophila and phlox) with green foliage. We had a very rustic and romantic feel to day – an assortment of white flowers, candles scattered around and hanging from trees, hanging lights and lanterns. We designed our own personal messages and signs for our guests and special little personal touches for the day.

Food

For the food we kept to Italian tradition. Served with champagne and an English twist of Pimms in jam jars.

Canapés

A selection of meats and Breads

Starter

2 Courses of Pasta

Main

Roasted Ham, Tuscan Beans, Salad and Potatoes

Dessert

Limoncello and Sorbet

The cake was a 5 tiered cake with 3 different sponges (Chocolate, vanilla and lemon.)

Ceremony

The ceremony itself was beautiful, seeing one another for the first time and making our commitment to one another in front of our closest friends and family. Every moment of the day was special, we loved every minute of it and the build up to the day.

Advice

My advice for the day would be to just remember the day is about the two of you and enjoy every minute of it. It goes so quickly!