The romantic, elegant destination wedding of Celine & Michael in a castle in Florence

A modern fairytale setting for a couple who longed for a wedding dressed in sophisticated greenery.

If you don’t believe in destiny, then Celine & Michael may just prove it to you. For them, what started as a secret crush, blossomed into a love story born in Jakarta and culminated in a glorious celebration at the Castello di Vincigliata – one of the most stunning wedding venues in Florence. As wedding planners in Italy we have seen so many beautiful things, but this unification back in 2017 was a rare and stunning sight to behold.

As wedding vendors we normally meet couples at the very peak of their relationship. The moment that they have decided that this person is my forever. But as wedding planners we feel our job is done so much better when we have found out how our lovebirds met, what story brought them to our door. For our newly-weds Celine & Michael, it was a hidden admiration for each other & a little help from a friend that eventually brought them together. The couple met over 13 years ago and instantly felt a connection for one another, but neither had the courage to make the next step, so Celine’s friend did it for them. “It was my friend, Thalia’s birthday trip to Dufan. We both harbored a secret crush for each other, and it was Thalia who finally set us up” After a year of dating, work & life unfortunately got in the way of their continued love affair. Celine moved to Singapore, while Michael opted for a new life in the US. After four long years of living separate lives on different continents, the two were finally reunited in Jakarta and rekindled their romance. After four years of dating, Michael finally proposed, with the Rocky Mountains as their cinematic backdrop.

The Real Wedding of Celine & Michael in Florence

Soon after the couple’s engagement, they began planning their wedding, but it was serendipity that placed their nuptials in Italy and not an initial desire to marry in Florence. Celine & Michael had always dreamed of a big day filled with fresh, lush greenery, and so they knew that Fall was the perfect season for them. But where? Scouring the globe they plucked out places that fitted their ambitions. From Lembang to Ubud and New Zealand, they finally settled on Queensland as their location of choice. “Finally we set our minds on doing it in Queensland as we found a really nice venue with a mountainous background overlooking a lake“, Celine stated. But fate forced their hand, as on a phone call with the venue in Australia, they were informed that it had burnt down, and renovations would never be ready in time for their Fall wedding.

But fortune favors the brave, and without hesitation or drama, Celine and Michael set about looking for new venues for their dream wedding, and that is when they happened upon Florence. After researching many beautiful locations across the region, the couple stumbled across Castello di Vincigliata, a breathtaking 13th century medieval castle in the northern hills. They knew instantly it was the one and after checking it hadn’t burnt down, they immediately booked it for their big day in October 2017!

A Fairytale Setting for a Modern Romance

As wedding planners specializing in luxury weddings in Italy, Celine & Michael knew that they could place their trust in us, and after our initial conversations with them back in early 2017, we were so excited to get started on their project. The couple had been in touch with many wedding planners before us, but they found that none of them really understood their level of ambition or requirements for their ceremony or reception. It is often difficult for brides and grooms to find the right wedding planners in Italy, when they do live abroad, as it does involve a high level of trust and communication in order to fulfil everyone’s wishes. That is why we were so delighted that Celine & Michael decided that we were right for them! As a couple they were ambitious and demanding of excellence at every stage of their wedding journey, so as experienced wedding planners, we felt our level of service and passion was exactly what they needed.

As you can see from their real wedding pictures, the couple wanted a modern fairytale set in Florence as their theme. Over the top, yet refined. Sophisticated yet opulent. And always chic! From our initial mood-board, there was very little that didn’t make it into the final selection & implementation on the big day. Together with the bride we dreamed up an intimate affair that felt effortlessly feminine, whilst being rustic and charming. Using the castle as the hero, we simply dressed the wedding around her, never masking the glory of the architecture from view. Of course the wedding venues color palette was very important to Celine, and she wanted a set of tones that only served to elevate the natural surroundings of Florence. She dressed her scene in waves of muted tones, from light gray and taupe to olive green and pale pink – every corner was awash with colour and alive with understated floral beauty.

Celine was a Graceful Vision in Bespoke Bridal

On the day of their wedding in Florence, luck was again on their side, as the day before had seen rain showers. But for their big day, there was nothing but blue skies. The whole wedding party was abuzz with excitement to see their venue, as the couple had chosen to surprise their guests by not letting them see the castle before the wedding. Unquestionably awestruck, their guests filled the intimate ceremony space and awaited their bride. Celine entered the space, backed by the sweet sounds of a small orchestra who sound tracked her graceful journey towards Michael. A forever lover of fashion, Celine went bespoke for her wedding dress and the results were spectacular. She was a vision of delicate hand-beading, crystals and floral embellishments. Subtle sophistication that was endlessly luxurious and finished off with a very special lily of the valley bouquet. Upon arriving at their romantic floral arch, Celine said her vows and prayers with Michael while their guests looked on in sweet admiration.

Following the ceremony, the newly-weds celebrated their nuptials in the grand courtyard of the castle with a spectacular reception dinner. Seated below crystal chandeliers decorated in diaphanous greenery, their guests were served a refined feast at long tables adorned with fresh flowers, and carefully curated tableware that perfectly matched their understated theme. Sophistication was key to their festivities, but fun was never too far away. As the night marched on, the happy couple and their loved ones were treated to a surprise performance from a famous singer from Jarkarta. A celebratory moment to end the most elegant of day’s. “Everything was perfect. We were blessed with perfect weather, a really nice number of guests, and we enjoyed every single moment of it. It was so surreal, as it was nothing that we have ever dreamed of having in a wedding but at the same time, it was so right for the both of us“, said Celine.

We hope we have inspired your own destination wedding in Italy, or even Florence in particular as your location of choice. As wedding planners in Italy we have specialist knowledge of the wedding venues and vendors not just in Florence, but across the country. From the jaw-dropping destinations of Tuscany, Portofino, Capri, the Italian Lakes and the Amalfi Coast along with Rome, Venice, Puglia and Sardinia – wherever you choose to wed in Italy we have the knowledge to make it unforgettable. If you would like to book Sposiamovi as your wedding planners in Italy then please feel free to get in touch via our contact page, and in the meantime please browse our other real weddings in Florence and beyond!