• NEW Wedding Ideas

While we can argue that a wedding day is just as much the groom's as it is the bride's, and that weddings can be as fluid in feel as possible, because yes, they absolutely can be, we can't help but smile whenever we come across a wedding that is fiercely feminine. Just as Michelangelo's David represents the ideal of male beauty, so too has Botticelli's Venere become the universal canon of exterior but above all interior female beauty, and that is precisely what guided this magical Renaissance-styled wedding set shot by Gianni Di Natale. Purity, simplicity, and nobility of the soul are the attributes that this design team, led by Bianco Bouquet Weddings & Events, looked to emulate and with a natural foliage palette prepped by Il Giardino delle Fate, a serenic and utterly-refined sampling of accessories and stationery ideated by Raffaella Oddo, and wedding fashion finalized by Antonio Riva Milano, the image of a modern bride in a framework suspended in time was story boarded and filmed to perfection by Marco Abba. All of the images are in the full gallery, so swipe all the way through and read on for the details denoted by the designer, Bianco Bouquet Weddings & Events. 

The city 

We were looking for a location that could frame our work and what better venue than the picturesque, coastal setting of Sorrento? Built on the cliff that separates it from its crowded and small port, Sorrento presents a unique landscape in the world, where sea and mountain, deep valleys and citrus terraces alternate.

The venue 

Overlooking the Bay of Naples, this majestic property of Villa Astor rises sheer above the sea on a cliff. The property is traced back to 1st century A.D., when Agrippa Postumus, grandson of Emperor Augustus, first made it his residence, Villa Astor has long been a home and a destination for the rich and noble. In 1905, it was purchased by Lord William Waldorf Astor who designed and built an enchanted garden that inspired us for many of the photographs, creating a soft, heavenly and ethereal atmosphere. A semicircle covered with green leaves and roses was the setting for the ceremony; disheveled compositions, suspended candle stems and circular supports decorated our table set against the background of the trifora from which to admire the Vesuvio. 

The dress and the beauty 

We chose Antonio Riva as the stylist for our shoot. The nude color of the dress gave the model an editorial ensem with a feeling of frothiness. Its bodice, with the neckline finely decorated with floral appliqués perfectly inserted the dress into the angelic garden atmosphere. Our bride, with utmost natural makeup and glowing, dewy skin courtesy of Beyouty was the ultimate representation of our goddess - and an unbelievable, modern manifestation of the Renaissance painting that guided this vision. 

The stationery

Considering 'Renaissance,' we let ourselves melt into this mind space and chose cotton menus from Raffaella Oddo to lay perfectly on the mise en place, just as the dress painted by Botticelli laid on the Venus. 

The florals 

The bouquet was composed by Il Giardino delle Fate with Lathyrus Odoratus, Ammi Majus, Edera, and varietal Roses (larger and spray); its soft and messy shape made by the blooms and greenery really came to life in photographs that spoke of smoothness and majesty. 

The cake

The wedding cake was made by Sugarcups Cake Design with the intent of reproducing a sublimely light and frill-tiered confection. In this case, the natural colors served as the protagonist, leaving room for a golden touch that beamed brilliantly from the sweet.  

• Cakes & Catering: Sugarcups Cake Design
• Cakes & Catering: Roland's Social & Business Catering
• Dress & Apparel: Antonio Riva Milano
• Dress & Apparel: Sartoria Vanni
• Event Planning & Design: Bianco Bouquet Weddings & Events
• Flowers: Il Giardino delle Fate
• Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Beyouty
• Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Raffaella Oddo
• Photographers: Gianni Di Natale
• Rentals: Wedding Solution
• Venues: Villa Astor
• Wedding Films: Marco Abba