Lets take off for Tuscany for 5 day! Can you imagine sitting by a pool sipping cocktails in the sun for a week leading up to your big day? Sounds like an absolute dream and we are seriously wishing we could have been at this white wedding in Italy, where that dream became a reality!
Whitney and Harry’s wedding at Casa Cornacchi, Italy looked beyond relaxing. They and their 40 guests spent the days leading up to the wedding just enjoying themselves which meant all the thank you’s and catching up was done before the big day. Smart!
Want to find out some of the other very smart planning this bride did? Keep scrolling, to learn how to avoid a hair and makeup disaster on your destination wedding, and find out what this couple budgeted for their “I dos.” Angelica Braccini gave us some stunning photos of this day. You can see them all in the full gallery here.
How to Plan Your Destination Wedding Day
From Angelica Braccini: Whitney is from the USA and Harry is from the UK but although they now both live together in Boston they wanted sort of a neutral venue that was accessible for both families. They loved the idea of an Italian wedding and so together with their wedding planner Charlotte they visited some venues that would fit perfectly with their numbers and requirements for the day. They decided on Casa Cornacchi in the heart of Tuscany.
Pro-Tip: Hire A Wedding Planner
From the bride: Destination wedding!! It was the best decision we ever made! 5 days with our guests in a secluded location allowed us to spend quality time with every single guest. The night of the wedding we were able to just enjoy ourselves! We did not have a strict itinerary, which allowed everyone to do their own thing when they wanted- explore local scenery, sienna, wine tastings, relax by the pool with cocktails, golf, etc.
If you are planning a destination wedding and want to reduce your stress: use a wedding planner! I work long hours and the thought of planning everything (I didn’t even know what needed to be planned!) was overwhelming! We used Charlotte Elise Weddings and Events, she was fabulous! She was helpful in finding the lowest price options, negotiating prices with vendors, and dealing with answering any logistics questions from guests!
Dressed in White
From Angelica Braccini:
The ceremony was held outside on a hill with the view of Tuscany in the distance – Harry and Whitney had asked James, Harry’s brother to be the ‘officiant’ for the blessing which was a lovely personal touch. They arranged a string trio to play as guests took their seats. The aisle had metal tins of babys breath running down it. The ceremony was lovely and full of personal touches. Whitney and Harry wanted a ‘white wedding’ where guests wore different shades of white/cream – something you don’t see very often at weddings but it worked really really well.
How To Avoid A Disaster
From the Bride: I did my own hair and make up, as I felt more comfortable with this, but I will say this could have been a disaster if I hadn’t planned ahead. I went to my hair dresser- Hannah Williams and make up artist Amanda McCarthy for some pre wedding help and advice on product before flying to Italy!
Budgeting for a Trip for you +40
Who else is no day dreaming of taking a week long trip to Italy’s
Casa Cornacchi? Want to hear how much Whitney and Harry spent for this lovely wedding day? We have their budgetbreak down right here for you.
Budget breakdown:
We had close family and friends (40 in total)
Guests paid for their rooms around 300$ per person for bed and breakfast 5 days, car rentals, 1 dinner, all lunches, and flights.
The wedding was around 30k total in the end (depending on packages):
This included 4 dinners and alcohol (welcome, rehearsal, wedding, good bye)
welcome bags (filled with prosecco, snacks 2x a week)
florist
photographer
string trio (during ceremony & cocktail hour)
lighting and sound system (we had our own playlists)
Transportation to last dinner
