Eighteen years before Stephanie and Domenic exchanged vows in the Tuscan countryside, their story began in a photography class. Life eventually took them in different directions, but years later they reconnected, and this time their relationship blossomed into something lasting.
Their next chapter began with a proposal in a winter wonderland in Finland, but when it came time to choose a destination for their wedding, the couple traded snow for the rolling hills of Tuscany. In October, Stephanie and Domenic gathered just 30 of their closest family members and friends at Castello di Celsa for an intimate Italian celebration.
Rather than limiting the experience to a single day, they created a destination wedding weekend at Castello di Celsa with help from Alessa B Weddings that began with a colorful take on “La Dolce Vita” and transitioned into a softer, more romantic wedding day filled with pink and white flowers, Italian cuisine, and live music.
A “La Dolce Vita” welcome party outside the castle
Photographed by Barbarossa Studio, Stephanie and Domenic wanted their welcome dinner to feel different from the traditional destination wedding pizza party, so they leaned fully into a “La Dolce Vita” theme.
Stationery artists By Chloe Louise Art and Papira Designs created custom artwork that carried the Italian-inspired concept throughout the evening, while Flowers Living embraced a much brighter floral palette than the one planned for the wedding day. Pink garden roses, dahlias, peach tulips, and vibrant hot pink hydrangeas brought saturated color to the castle setting.
The food kept the atmosphere relaxed and celebratory. Brindapino served pizza and two varieties of pasta, while gelato joined the menu from charming food trucks arranged across the lawn outside the castle.
Stephanie dressed for the colorful evening in the Aviva Stretch Sequin Strapless Maxi Dress by Helsi, giving the festivities a touch of sparkle before transitioning into the more romantic bridal fashion she had planned for the following day.
More than 100 dresses led to a Monique Lhuillier gown
Finding Stephanie’s ceremony dress was anything but a quick process. She visited 11 bridal boutiques and tried on more than 100 gowns before finding the Alexandra by Monique Lhuillier at Chic Parisien in Miami.
After such an extensive search, the decision itself was immediate. “The moment I put it on, I knew it was the one,” Stephanie shared.
Her wedding party complemented the romantic bridal style in soft pink. Stephanie’s Maid of Honor wore the Misty Rose Sheer Sleeve Maxi Tulle Dress from ItsMilla, while the flower girls wore coordinating dresses custom-created by an Etsy vendor to match.
Later in the evening, Stephanie changed into a second bridal look, the Groundsel gown by Lee Petra Grebenau, giving the reception its own distinct fashion moment.
A softer floral palette for the wedding day
After the saturated pinks and peaches of the “La Dolce Vita” welcome party, Flowers Living shifted the floral design into a softer palette for the wedding itself.
Garden roses, white hydrangeas, white larkspur, white stock, light pink lisianthus, pink peonies, white ranunculus, and pink spray roses filled the celebration with layers of delicate color and texture. The combination allowed pale pink to remain present throughout the design while introducing plenty of white for a more romantic, refined atmosphere.
Against the historic architecture of Castello di Celsa and the surrounding Tuscan landscape, the softer flowers gave the wedding day its own identity while still feeling connected to the colorful celebration that had welcomed guests the night before.
A string quartet played everything from Metallica to Billie Eilish
Music gave Stephanie and Domenic’s ceremony a personal soundtrack, with Chiara Trallori’s string quartet performing an unexpected mix of contemporary songs.
Domenic entered to “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica, followed by the bridesmaids and flower girls to Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather.” Stephanie chose “Golden Hour” by JVKE for her entrance, while “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” accompanied the newlyweds back down the aisle.
The string quartet continued performing during cocktail hour, allowing live music to carry naturally from the ceremony into the first portion of the celebration.
A spritz corner and three-course Tuscan dinner
Following the ceremony, guests were welcomed with a spritz corner, passed hors d’oeuvres, and an abundant charcuterie station before sitting down to dinner by Guidi Lenci.
The three-course menu began with caprese salad served with aubergine cream, followed by seven-layer lasagna with black truffle. Beef filet with baked potato mille-feuille completed the savory portion of dinner.
For Stephanie and Domenic, the service was just as memorable as the food itself. Courses flowed seamlessly throughout the evening, allowing the intimate group to enjoy dinner without interruptions or long waits.
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A three-tier tiramisu wedding cake
Sugacups Cake Design created the couple’s three-tier wedding cake, pairing classic vanilla cake with a tiramisu filling that brought another distinctly Italian flavor into the celebration.
The cake provided a sweet finish to a weekend already filled with pizza, pasta, gelato, spritzes, and a full Italian dinner, making food an important part of the destination experience from the welcome party through the wedding reception.
From romantic first dances to DJ and saxophone
After dinner, the celebration shifted from the elegance of the ceremony and meal into a night of dancing.
Stephanie and Domenic chose Haley Reinhart’s rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” for their first dance. Stephanie and her father danced to Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” while Domenic and his mother shared their dance to Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.”
Tastensax then brought DJ and live saxophone entertainment to the reception, changing the energy once again and giving the intimate group of 30 guests a reason to stay on the dance floor.
After meeting in a photography class 18 years earlier, losing touch, reconnecting, and eventually getting engaged in Finland, Stephanie and Domenic chose to begin married life surrounded by only their nearest and dearest in Tuscany.
The weekend reflected that intimacy without sacrificing the experience of a destination celebration. A colorful “La Dolce Vita” party welcomed everyone to Italy, while romantic florals, couture fashion, a spritz corner, exceptional food, and live music transformed Castello di Celsa for the wedding day itself. With only 30 guests gathered in the Tuscan countryside, Stephanie and Domenic created something that felt both grand in setting and deeply personal in spirit.
