Sophie + James

How did you meet?

We met at school. What started out as the best friendship grew into so much love!

When did you know they were the one?

I remember thinking that he had this beautiful energy that surrounded him. It was his warmth, kindness and his ability to put the goofiest smile on my face that I loved the most and something he still continues to do to this day. He sees the best parts of life and approaches every day with so much love, gratitude and enthusiasm which always inspires me.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

He values and places such importance on the little moments in life, whether it be the late night/ early morning messages when we are travelling and in different time zones or acknowledging moments where I’ve made him smile or proud.

His heart, he instantly cherishes the things I value most by the love he gives our friends and family. I am so lucky to be with someone who has the warmest heart.

His inner strength and the commitment he has in everything he does to create the most beautiful future for us, he continues to amaze me

Who proposed and how?

James proposed to me in Lake Como on my Birthday. He took me to Villa Melzi Gardens in the town of Bellagio where he got down on one knee! It was the most magical setting and it meant so much to also have my family there with me, a moment he knew I would treasure forever.

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

I fell in love with my dress at the Made with Love London Boutique. I tried on a couple of different styles and had my top choices, one was the Parker dress as it was so classic and elegant and the other was Elsie/ Remi as I loved the lace detail. The Jack dress was the perfect combination of them with its figure hugging crepe skirt and lace top and I was completely blown away by the matching detail on the veil. I added extra lining in the top to create more of a match with the bottom part of the dress, it felt super Italian and the absolute perfect fit!

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

There were so many incredible moments but my top moments would be getting ready with my mum and girls, walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing James for the first time. It was also the most beautiful feeling getting to see our closest friends and family enjoy our favourite place and having an amazing time. They surrounded us with so much love and joy!

What were your favorite details?

We had my Brother in law Ryan marrying us which felt so incredibly special, we immediately saw him at the top of the aisle and felt so much love and relaxed energy from him, it felt super personal and he did the most beautiful job.

We also had all of our friends and family spending the week in Florence which meant we were spending time with them either side of the wedding. We made memories that we will treasure for the rest of our lives and were so grateful for them all travelling out.

To top off the most amazing week our best friends got engaged, there is no words to describe how happy we are for them and to be able to share such a beautiful moment with them is something we will treasure for the rest of our lives

What advice would you tell other brides?

Keep calm and enjoy every single moment, remember that this is your wedding day and you are surrounded by your closest friends and family who are all wanting to make this day beautiful for you. Take a moment to reflect how you are feeling and take it all in as it is honestly so magical (wise words from our beautiful best friends who got married a couple of weeks before us).

Any standout vendors?

Corsini Events Group – Alessia Degioannis, For anyone getting married in Italy doing an abroad wedding I cannot recommend Alessia enough. She is the kindest most beautiful being and is so incredible at what she does. She made us feel so relaxed throughout the process and feel like she is now part of our family. If you are like me, planning a destination wedding in Italy can feel super confusing and you don’t know where to start but she is honestly unbelievable, I feel very grateful that we were introduced to her.

Villa Corsini a Mezzomonte – Benedetta Listri and team are so incredible.

Mark Nortcliffe Photography – we flew out Mark from the UK as he is honestly incredible. When we imagined our dream wedding in Italy we always envisioned him being a part of it and we were so lucky to have him out there with us. Could not recommend enough for anyone getting married!

Pasquale Paradiso – Our videographer was absolutely incredible, he made us feel so relaxed and comfortable on the day and we can’t wait to see the video. Thank you for being so amazing.

Il Sorriso Ricevimenti – Our catering team, Simone and her team were fantastic. The food was absolutely incredible and they looked after us and our guests so well.

Andrea Ribas – Lights and Sound. Wow! Andrea was simply incredible, the dance floor was packed all night and he created the most magical party for us, something we will remember for the rest of our lives. I would most definitely recommend Andrea for anyone getting married in Italy, he’s the best there is!

Marco Caponi – Marco on the Sax was incredible! When we spoke to our guests everyone was completely blown away by Marco, he brought so much fun and elevated the party to a whole new level! He also came back and surprised us at midnight for our favourite song which was so incredible. If you are looking for a fun filled party in Italy, Marco is your guy!

Made By Diwani – Diwani created the most beautiful wedding stationery for us and we were completely blown away. Diwani is the most beautiful, kind soul who was so incredible throughout the entire process from the planning to printing and wanted us to have everything we could have wanted and more. All that she created for our Italian wedding was truly amazing and we can’t thank her enough.