Fairy Tale Tuscan Wedding, Shoes Optional!

A grand, romantic destination wedding at a private villa in Florence, with fairy lights and lace

Once upon a time, there were two free spirits from Nashville, Tennessee…! Surprised? Maybe you were expecting “…from a far-away kingdom”? Ah, but this is a modern fairy tale. One that begins on a dating app and ends with, well, what all the best fairy tales end with: a destination wedding at a private villa in Florence! Yes, a bride so lovely, so free that she flew down carpeted stairs on gossamer wings and bare feet, and a groom so handsome, so prince-like, that his eyes appeared to be made from the finest precious sapphires.

This is a true story. It’s also a grand, romantic and beautiful fairy tale, witnessed by 60 loved ones who will truly never forget that extraordinary day.

“We met on Tinder. We’re both from Nashville,” said Sarah. “What attracted me was Michael’s gentle strength.”
Michael said, “I instantly knew I’d found a songbird – she would stir music and joy inside my soul.” So poetic and so heartfelt.
And, at nearly the same time, they said, “In each other, we found a playmate, a mind-mate and a companion in each other.” They paused. “Soulmates.”

When they decided to get married, both Sarah and Michael knew it had to be Italy. Specifically, Florence. Home to Michelangelo, the subject of Michael’s favorite book, Irving Stone’s “The Agony and the Ecstasy”.

Like all the fairy tales we know and love, there are tiny details in the story that stay with us. You might not remember ever line of “Cinderella”, for example, but who would ever forget that glass slipper?

What were some of the details we noticed?

Children! So many children!
Sarah’s long, beautiful hair, flowing freely down her back
Opal clouds like cotton balls above the Tuscan hills
White roses, full and luscious, tied in white ribbons to decorate the rows of chairs
The lace of Sarah’s custom-made gown, delicate and light as fairy dust
The sprig of silvery-green leaves in Sarah’s hair
Five handsome groomsmen, all in dark blue suits, with white shirts and dark ties
Michael, the groom, in a French blue suit – could his eyes be any more gorgeous? (Answer: No)
Michael’s white silk tie
Sarah’s bouquet of plush, romantic peonies in pink and white
The flower girls with crowns of leaves in their hair – little sprites of a fairy tale world
Sarah’s white gown contrasted against the robin’s egg blue walls of the villa
Sarah and her bridal party pausing for a moment to give thanks, to express gratitude, to acknowledge what Sarah calls the Divine hand
The flowing veil, floor-length, dancing merrily in the breeze
The white chairs and the white flowers juxtaposed against the simple wooden tables
Garlands! Who doesn’t instantly conjure up images of fairies and cheeky cherubs?

As the sun began to set over the lush green Tuscan hills surrounding Sarah and Michael and their 60 guests. Some call this the witching hour. And what’s a fairy tale without a witch, right? But this fairy tale, the one that started on a dating app in Nashville, Tennessee, had only a good witch. A kind witch. A witch so dedicated to love she lit the sky with stars – twinkly lantern lights —  to pave a beautiful, enchanted future for this beautiful princess and her blue-eyed prince.

The only thing missing was a shoe. Or maybe a glass slipper. We like to believe that Sarah went barefoot not only because she’s a child of nature and a spirit of the land, but also because she knew, as we do, that all self-respecting fairy tales include stylish Italian footwear…and after a destination wedding in Florence, perhaps this bride was about to be whisked away to the Ferragamo boutique…!