Tania and Matthew’s romantic and elegant Italian destination wedding took place at the enchanting Casale del Gallo in the heart of Rome in summer 2022.
Set amidst Italy’s scenic and rolling countryside, the couple planned a day that exuded a perfect blend of simplicity and casual refinement. From the groom’s sophisticated white tuxedo to the bride’s modern and minimalist off-the-shoulder gown and long, loose hair and the the laid-back, neutral decor and detail – everything was designed to enhance and complement the beauty of the natural surroundings.
These gorgeous images were captured by talented Italian wedding photographer, Matteo Crescentini. Enjoy!
Bridal Beauty & Accessories
I wore a long veil with pearls delicately scattered on it. It was also purchased from Alexandra’s Boutique.
My shoes were by JW Anderson. I also wore a diamond tennis bracelet from Ring Concierge that Matt gave me as a wedding gift!
The Dress
I wore a custom dress from Alexandra’s Boutique outside of Boston, USA.
I wanted simple elegance to carry through in every way. I always loved an off the shoulder dress and always considered myself wearing something fitted.
The Groom
Matt wore a custom suit from Suit Supply and Gucci loafers. We would definitely recommend this experience. Suit Supply offered premium luxury fabrics we were able to choose from to accommodate our vision and also the warm weather.
They were supportive and excited for us and to be a part of the journey.
The Ceremony
My father passed away suddenly when I was a sophomore in high school from a brain aneurysm. My mom is the most remarkable woman and mother and I would not have had anyone else do the honour of walking me down the aisle. We had classical church music for every entrance and exit. Traditional and romantic.
Since we had a traditional church wedding, our vows were in line with those the church and Priest recite. Because we did want to write our own vows, we each wrote our own vows the days leading up to the wedding and separately, we read them the morning of the wedding in private.
Our readings included Song of Solomon 2:10-14, 16a; 8:6-7, and an extract from the New Testament: Philippians 4:4-9 (802-7). We chose the first reading because it was sweet and sentimental and as soon as I saw the passage about ‘figs’ I knew it was meant to be. My dad absolutely loved figs and it felt like a ode to him.
Our rings were from Ring Concierge, Mouradian Jewelers, and J.B. Horn. We went with local family known jewlers for our wedding rings + bands, but I did go with some extra bling from Ring Conierge (gold emerald bezel infinity) to complete the look.
We did have a legal ceremony at City Hall in Boston with our immediate family as well. My mom made my bouquet for me. It was really special and intimate, but we always considered the wedding in Italy to be our real and true ceremony.
Discover wedding readings
Photography
We chose Matteo Crescentini after finding his Instagram, portfolio, and website and feeling super connected to him. I did not even reach out to another photographer as we knew he was the one. His aesthetic, capturing the moments and the feelings in those moments were so important to us.
His style is of natural elegance, just like the ambience we wanted to create. It’s how we wanted to remember our wedding and it’s exactly how Matteo lives through his photography. We clicked immediately! We couldn’t rave about him more.
It’s so exciting to have the best day and weekend of our lives published. Matteo was truly one of a kind as a photographer. He made the whole experience that much more exciting and enjoyable. He was so natural and really did a phenomenal job making us feel so comfortable, enhancing every ounce of the day with his cool and calm personality. The best!
How They Met
We met at university back in 2014 and have been together ever since. I had bangs at the time and when a mutual friend connected us, our first interaction was Matt playfully jostling my bangs while seated next to each other.
After university, we both found jobs, shortly after moved in together, a few years later bought an apartment together. Two years after that, Matt proposed in the November of 2020. We were engaged for almost two years before our wedding, twenty one months later.
Matt had always been supportive of having a destination wedding since we are both avid travellers. Both of my parents were born in Italy, so it was always a dream of mine to have a wedding there.
My father passed away when I was high school and there was that feeling that a wedding and dinner under the sky of Italy with lots of twinkly lights would instil that much more of a connection to him on that special day.
For general aesthetic, we knew we wanted simple, casual elegance. Nothing that would interfere with the natural beauty of the Italian landscapes. Nothing too bold or bright – just the surrounding hills and villas providing the colour.
Reception
Detail & Decor
We provided loads of baby’s breath, white linen table cloth, one long table with a ‘cielo stellato’ (twinkly star canopy).
Catering was provided by a private chef organised through the property owner and our stationery was created by Albertine Press.
I loved the work of our florists, Anthea Studio, as soon as I first connected with them. At first on Instagram, then email, Whatsapp, then in person. They are unbelievable artists and with minimal information on my end, they understood the clean vision I had and knew they would be able to execute in a seasonally appropriate way.
Evening & Dancing
Big Wild 6’s to 9’s. We both loved how upbeat and whimsical this song is and felt super connected to it the moment we heard it a year or so prior. It’s soft yet full of affection and can make both of us smile.
We knew our first dance was going to be later in the evening, so we really wanted it to be the perfect kickoff to the rest of the dancing.
Entertainment was provided by Mhó Events.
My favourite part of the day was walking hand in hand out of the church as official husband and wife. It was so special to walk out of the church seeing our family and friends, from the USA and from Italy, cheering us on. And walking through the piazza in front of the church to head to the party and celebrate with everyone!
Words of Wedded Wisdom
Be patient and truly follow your heart, doing what you want to do and what feels right for you. Those that truly love and support you will be there, no matter the distance or destination.
It’s not always about quantity, but rather quality.
We knew that we would not have a large wedding if got married in Italy. For us, it was about spending really special moments together with the quality few. Find what is important to you and follow it!
I would have taken even more photos of just Matt and I with our photographer, Matteo! We were excited to join everyone for aperitivo and looking back at it, I could have spent even longer with Matteo soaking up all the moments with him!
Additional Credits
The below suppliers and venues are featured in this article, but are not part of the Love My Dress Wedding Directory.
Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
