Anastasia & James’ Elegant Destination Wedding at Villa di Striano in Florence, Italy

Anastasia and James married last July at Villa di Striano, a grand historic Italian villa set amongst the hills outside Florence, with planning and on the day coordination by Romantica Italia.

Having already fallen in love with the venue themselves, the couple approached Romantica Italia looking for experienced local support from a team who understood not only the practical realities of planning a destination wedding in Tuscany, but also how to protect and deliver the atmosphere they wanted to create for their guests.

Together, they planned a black tie celebration that combined elegant styling with considered, personal details woven throughout every part of the day. Anastasia wore the Roxanne gown by Evie Young, discovered at Abigails Collection, with detachable lace sleeves that transformed the look from ceremony to evening.

Her lace edged veil featured embroidered initials and wedding date details, alongside two tiny bows taken from her mother’s own wedding veil worn forty years earlier. James wore a white shawl lapel tuxedo jacket with classic black tailoring for the outdoor ceremony led by a close friend.

Romantica Italia worked closely with the couple throughout the planning process, overseeing timelines, supplier logistics, villa regulations, accommodation coordination and all of the operational detail required to bring a destination wedding together seamlessly within a historic Italian property. While Anastasia and James led much of the creative direction themselves, Romantica Italia became the couple’s trusted team on the ground in Tuscany, ensuring every moving part came together exactly as intended.

There is so much personality throughout this wedding, from the handwritten vows and illustrated stationery through to the reception napkins printed with drawings of the couple’s cats. Captured beautifully against the faded stone walls and cypress lined gardens of Villa di Striano, this Florence destination wedding is a lovely example of what can happen when experienced planners, a clear creative vision and the right setting all come together in the right hands.

My Father, Tony, accompanied me into the ceremony, to the sound of The Arrival of the Birds, by London Metropolitan Orchestra and The Cinematic Orchestra.

A close friend of ours, Gary, officiated the ceremony. We worked with him over the year leading up to the wedding to shape the script, making it feel completely personal to us, with the right balance of humour and emotion.

We did write our own vows, allowing me to make every sentence unique and personal. Here is a copy of mine: 

James, I say this often, but I’m so glad that we found each other. From the moment I saw you dressed as Russell from Up, I knew that no matter whatever this became it was going to be a fun time. And since that moment, you’ve given me nothing but love, encouragement and support in everything I do. Except, of course, when I say I want to eat healthy and you’ve already chosen the takeaway and poured your wine.
In our ten years together, we’ve chosen each other, not out of habit, complacency, or ease, but out of love, again and again. I love how we align on how we see the world. How we can laugh without even a look and somehow know exactly what the other person is thinking.
How you’re my favourite person to talk with, drink wine with, build a life and a business with, sometimes in that order, sometimes all at once. And despite your reputation as the life of the party, you’ve got this calm, grounding way of making a room feel different just by being in it.”

“I promise to keep choosing you, even on the days you ask where your keys are for the third time and they’re exactly where I told you they’d be. I promise to keep making us the priority, to show up, to listen, to laugh, and to always back you, even when I think you’re being ridiculous, which, let’s face it, can be often.
You’re the best dad to our cats, Lottie, who I’m certain would marry you if I wasn’t already; Atticus, your loyal little winger; and our old Bébé, who couldn’t have had a better cat dad. You made sure his every demand was met and then some.
But even more than that, you are the most incredible dad to our Lily. From the moment I met her, this bright, curious, beautiful little four-year-old, I knew that loving you meant loving her too. And what an honour it’s been to grow beside her, to laugh with her, to help raise her.
I may not have been there from her first breaths, but she is my daughter too, my heart, and I could not be prouder of the kind, funny, strong young woman she’s become, who is undeniably more emotionally intelligent than all of us put together, thanks in no small part to you.
You make any room feel lighter just by being in it. You bring energy, joy, and a spark to every day, and it’s impossible not to love being around you.
Watson and I may not always, or ever, get the last word, but I got the best person. And I do know this, there’s no one else I’d rather do life with.
You’re my person. My favourite. And I can’t wait for all the ordinary and extraordinary moments still to come, probably ending, as always, with three scoops of ice cream.

We had one close friend give a reading – an excerpt from The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. It felt very meaningful to us, both because of the words themselves and because James’s dad and his wife had chosen the same reading at their wedding a few years earlier.

Our floral designer was I fiori di Nadia and cake was by by Il Sorriso Ricevimenti.

We designed all of the stationery ourselves in-house, working with James’ digital team at Anopia Digital. Everything was personalised, from the order of service to the menus and place cards.

We even included small details like napkins with subtle illustrations of our cats, which made it all feel very “us.”

We met twelve years ago through mutual friends. About six months later, in the summer of 2015, we started dating and have been together ever since.

In the summer of 2023, James proposed in a small town on Lake Garda. They were engaged for two years before getting married, having been together for 9 years and 364 days on their wedding day.   

On the day, things might not go exactly to plan, and that’s okay – just go with it and try not to stress the small things. If, like us, you care about the details, it really helps to have a wedding coordinator or a couple of trusted friends who can keep an eye on the things that matter most to you, so you can fully enjoy the day.

As someone who used to be a wedding coordinator, I already had a lot of knowledge, but visiting blogs is a great place to find things you might not have considered yet.          

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