A Spectacular Cliff-Top + Sea View Wedding at Il Faro in Italy, with a Pregnant Bride in a Grecian Inspired Dress

I have such a destination beauty to share with you all today, in the shape of this celebration in Calabria, Italy, which took place at a breathtaking cliffside venue overlooking azure waters.

It also features the loveliest styling, with bursts of fresh lemon yellow all the way through, providing the perfect contrast to the Mediterranean backdrop.

Meet our couple, Kate and Jordan, who were married on the 4 August at the magnificent Il Faro – a family run venue located on the cliffs of Capo Vaticano, Calabria in Italy. We’re delighted to have Il Faro be part of our directory of excellent suppliers, Little Book.

“Our love of Calabria was our inspiration. We wanted something special, and that dream destination wedding whilst being in keeping with the place. We called it rustic opulence!”

Images by Sergio Sorrentino

“Il Faro is managed by Emma, who has 2 decades of event planning under her belt, and it truly shows. She is so organised and detail focused, and future brides and grooms would be extremely lucky to have her input and guidance. She is the ultimate support system to what sometimes can turn into a bit of a stressful situation in trying to plan a destination wedding.”

“Emma helped in every single aspect; translation, finding suppliers, negotiating prices, organising deliveries, arranging accommodation for our guests, dealing with the wedding admin and helping us with our styling ideas.”

“We picked it as it is the most beautiful place on earth, and holds a very special place in our hearts. Jordan’s parents own a holiday home a few minutes away from Il Faro, and we love everything about the area: The views, the food, the culture, the beaches, the weather, the vibe. Everything is pure perfection.”

“It is such a happy place full of wonderful memories. The venue and team at Il Faro embodied everything and more about what we adore about Capo Vaticano. We had our perfect day in a setting that is truly breathtaking.”

“I went for a swim in the sea with my bridesmaid Jo on the private beach near the venue. It was the perfect relaxation before getting ready – until I got stung by a jellyfish! I took it as a good omen, since I got stung by a bee when Jordan proposed! I loved the ceremony the most though.”

With make-up and romantic, softly pin curled and braided hair by Sonia Bergomi, Kate added a handmade hair vine of golden leaves, crystals and dainty pearls by Ivy & Pearl, via their Etsy shop.

“We both wore Acqua di Parma perfumes – again because our love of Italy. My scent was Iris Nobile and Jordan’s was of course Bergamotto di Calabria from the Blu Mediterraneo scent collection.”

On her feet, Kate wore striped espadrille wedges by Francesco Milano, and for jewellery, a pair of drop earrings by Kiki McDonough, and a bracelet by Monica Vinader.

Kate’s dreamy, Grecian inspired halterneck dress, with its delicate bodice embellishment was chosen at Ellis Bridals. I just love the way the softly draped fabric flows over Kate’s lovely pregnant tummy.

“I knew I would be 7 months pregnant, so the brief was something to flow over the bump! It was the second dress I tried on, and  I loved the Grecian feel and detail on the back.”

Katie and Jordan’s hand illustrated, watercolour suite of stationery, with accents of yellow and fresh green was by the talented Emmy Designs, and perfectly reflected the stylish Italian celebration they wished to have.

Katie and Jordan’s page boy looked smart in navy blue shorts, a white shirt and a pale yellow bow tie from Dessy, which perfectly matched the gorgeous sherbet lemon tutus from Flowers & Confetti worn by the flowergirls, who looked incredibly sweet with their outfits, flower crowns and pomander balls of gypsophila.

The couple chose to have an outdoor ceremony, and chairs were arranged for guests in front of a gazebo decorated with white drapes and custom made bunting. Kate walked down the aisle together with her mother, with Aerosmith’s, I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing played live by a string quartet led by Sharon Tomaselli.

“We met in August 2015 whilst walking our dogs, and Jordan and Teddy fell in love at first sight! We moved into our first home together in August 2017, and Jordan proposed in the garden on the 20 August 2017 after a day of painting and decorating.”

The ceremony was conducted by a good family friend, as as Kate and Jordan said their vows to each other, they also exchanged rings, which they had chosen at Peter Ungar Jewellery in Marlow.

Jordan and his groomsmen wore blue trousers and waistcoats from Magee, and Jordan paired his with a white shirt from Eton, shoes in a rich cognac colour, by Barker, and a watch from Filippo Loreti.

The bridesmaids wore softly draped maxi dresses of lemon yellow in different styles, courtesy of Dessy, and along with Kate, they carried bouquets of pure sunshine by florist Gianni Cortese. I just can’t get enough of this colour scheme, and the bouquets were filled with yellow pom pom dahlias, craspedia, roses, chamomile daisies, lisianthus and fragrant eucalyptus.

“Gianni came highly recommend by Emma, Il Faro’s manager. He took our ideas and really created a beautiful ensemble of floral compositions for the various spaces we needed to decorate.”

Whilst guests enjoyed treats and ice cold drinks, Kate and Jordan took some time away with their photographer, Sergio Sorrentino, to savour those feelings of just-married happiness. I’m delighted to share Sergio’s exquisite work today. These images are flooded with soft, natural light in the daytime, and as we move into the evening, they really convey that merry party atmosphere!

“The pictures turned out so dreamy, and even better than we expected. Sergio is a truly talented photographer.”

Dinner tables were set on Il Faro’s partially covered terrace, which was decorated with cascading fairylights. Tables were filled with candles, and posies of beautiful flowers inside vases decorated with slices of lemons inside. There were also fresh lemons dotted around the tables, as well as being ingeniously used as place settings.

“Our favours were mini limoncello bottles personalised with a label with a caricature of us, along with a yellow striped straw.”

An incredible Italian feast was prepared by Lo Schiavo Catering & Banqueting, and included delicious antipasto, sea bass and a dessert buffet table – all eaten by candlelight as twilight gave way to evening across the summer sky.

“The food was outstanding! The antipasto was our favourite part, there were so many choices and such excellent quality.”

Lo Schiavo also made a lovely three-tiered wild strawberry and lemon cake, decorated with lemon buttercream frosting, lemons and sprigs of lavender.

The dancefloor was illuminated by a giant ‘Amore’ sign, custom made for Kate and Jordan by Il Faro.

Against this backdrop, they took to the floor for their first married dance together to I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, by Michael Jackson, before everyone joined them for live music from the Ensemble Piccola Orchestra.

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“Small details make a big difference.”

Kate and Jordan, thank you so much for sharing your sunshine yellow day with us – how wonderful it’s been. Many thanks to Sergio Sorrentino for his enchanting, fine art images, too. Do be sure to check out more of the amazing real weddings we’ve featured, all taking place in Italy.

Until next time.

With love,

Laura