Torre del Chianti, Italy
Destination weddings are oh-so trendy right now, and for good reason. Rasmus and I got married in Quintana Roo, Mexico back in June and loved everything about it. I will spill all of our logistical details at the end of this series. I want you to meet some brides who also excelled in getting their rowdy bunches across borders and into pews!
I found this sweet couple through a wedding facebook group I was in, and I am absolutely obsessed with their dreamy, fairytale Italian wedding. I think there is something so romantic about the Italian country side, the wine, the people, and the laid back vibe. From Bumble beginnings, I think you'll enjoy their story! Casey (35) is from New York and Ryan (39) is from Colorado. They currently live outside Boulder, Colorado.
Meet Casey and Ryan
Wedding Date: May 28th, 2019
Location: Tuscany, Italy
Budget: $30,000
In Casey’s Words, Their Love Story
“Ryan and I met on Bumble.* We had lengthy conversations over Bumble and Ryan asked me out on New Years Eve 2016, I had asked for a rain check and we had our first actual date on Pearl Street (1/2/17) where we met at the Boulder Book store.
We now actually have the coordinates of that first meeting place as a tattoo on our arm. We had a 5 hour first date, which began at lunch and ended up with a drive on the mountain roads outside of Boulder.
We dated for a year, getting to know each other and our families before getting engaged. Shortly after, we moved in together and I began to not only be a fiancé but a stepmom. It took us another year to plan and give our families enough time to coordinate travel etc for a wedding in Italy."
*Bumble is a dating app similar to Tinder, but Bumble only allows the woman to make the first move.
The Logistics | Destination Weddings
Location, Location, Location
When Casey and Ryan first started dating, the played around with the idea of a destination wedding. They discussed getting married in a small village with close friends and family. After they got engaged, Casey ran with the idea.
Casey is Italian and has fond memories of Florence, Italy (right outside where they got married) where she traveled with her grandfather during her very first trip to Europe. She rented out a whole Villa at Villa Torre in Chianti in San Casciano, Tuscany. And Ryan has Irish heritage so they decided to have the welcome party at an Irish Pub called The Lion's Fountain.
Casey and her mom traveled to Italy in January before their wedding to double check the venue and to make sure everything was in order.
Cost
Casey is the only girl in her family and the couple was generously gifted the money to fund their special day. She thinks if she had stayed local she would have spent more money because more people would have attended.
Attendees
In total, Casey and Ryan had 25 guests. Their list was comprised of family and very close friends. They feel fortunate that their guests were able to fly over and spend time with them in Italy. Casey says a lot of their friends could not attend due to costs and logistics, and it is something to consider when planning a destination wedding.
Pros
The pros included spectacular food, and an unimaginable venue where friends and family could create memories and emerge into a new culture. Casey also really loved their wedding planner, Roberta of Al Fresco Weddings, who was local and able to coordinate everything on site. When they visited the venue in January, they got to taste the food, do a hair and makeup trial, and see the flowers.
Cons
The couple thought only having a week on-site before the wedding was a bit of a cram. And the other biggest barrier they faced was the time change as it related to communication. Casey and Ryan were in Denver, her parents were in New York, and the wedding planner was in Italy. That meant Skype calls were no later than 9 AM Denver time, and answers to her questions would come in as she was going to bed.
The time change is definitely something to consider when planning a wedding far away. Having to wait for responses and make calls at odd hours is taxing. And then you have to remember to give your body enough time to adjust to the time zone in that country before your big day, you'll both need your beauty rest!
Casey’s Advice?
"Make sure you have a local wedding planner, especially if you are going to be in a country where you do not know the language. They will be your biggest advocate with vendors and be able to explain better your vision without it being lost in translation."
Casey and Ryan had their dream wedding! Despite some rain, their day was filled with love. She said the wedding was better than she could have imagined and totally worth it for the memories.
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