Real Wedding: Mariana & Tom

Dream intimate wedding in Tuscany

Mariana and Tom's wedding took place in an intimate and elegant setting provided by the beautiful Tuscany, Italy with gorgeous ancient villas and lavish nature. After reading the interview with the bride below you will learn in detail about organising such an amazing event, finding bridal outfits, planning a destination wedding, choosing a concept for the event and much more. Additionally, enjoy the visuals created by our talanted member Marta Ilardo.

Tell us a little about yourselves. How did you meet? What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies?

Tom is an engineer who works for an aerospace company here in Los Angeles and I work on the retail side of an interior design firm. We met at a wedding being held on a vineyard in San Luis Obispo, CA. I was the last minute stand-in date for a mutual friend of ours, who introduced us. Tom and I spent nearly the entire time talking and at the end of the night, he was too nervous to ask for my number so I asked for his phone and put it in myself. Six years later, we asked that mutual friend to be the officiant at our wedding.

Did you have any pre-wedding events, like a rehearsal dinner or bridal shower?

On the day of our rehearsal dinner, in the morning, we had a local rental company deliver 25 vintage vespas right to the property for all of the guests to use that day. It was such a treat for everyone to wake up the day before the wedding to these beautiful, colorful vespas all lined up and ready for them to explore the countryside. The company was called Vintage Tours and Dario and Alex were super nice and very easy to work with. Everyone had a wonderful time and it was a fun way to ensure that the guests got to leave the property and enjoy the local towns and hillsides.

Where was your wedding? Why did you choose this venue?

Our wedding was held at Borgo Casabianca, about 45 minutes south of the city of Siena, in Tuscany, Italy. There were a few factors that were most important to us when choosing the venue. With it being a destination wedding, we wanted to cover the cost of housing to offset the travel expenses for our guests. This also ensured that everyone would stay in the same location and avoid the hassle of trying to find taxis in the Tuscan countryside (nearly impossible!). Instead, everyone was just a few minutes walk from any activity that we had planned. Casabianca had enough space for our group size, fit within our budget, and a 4 day/5 night window available in early October, which is exactly what we were hoping for. While both Tom and I would agree that having everyone stay in one location was possibly the best planning decision we made, the charm of the property and dedication of the staff at Casabianca, is ultimately what made the experience exceptional for everyone.

What was the concept behind your wedding and how did you find your inspiration?

The concept was intimacy, elegance and relaxation. Tom and I both love to travel and it’s been a big part of our relationship. We went to China together just six weeks after meeting, so a destination wedding felt true to us. We wanted to relax and sit around with a glass of wine, eating, and really have the time for conversation with our families and closest friends while celebrating. I believe there is no better place in the world for this than Italy! I tried hard to focus on design elements and colors for the wedding that I have loved year after year and steer away from trends I might regret down the line. I wanted the table design and florals to look unstructured and fluid, and I lived on Pinterest and Instagram for the first three months of planning.

We knew the ceremony would be outdoors but I still wanted that feeling of intimacy, which could be hard to achieve on the open lawn where Casabianca usually holds theirs. Instead, we requested to have our ceremony on the side driveway of the main villa. The staff at Casabianca were hesitant because they had never held a ceremony there before but ultimately they accommodated our request and made it happen for us! The Tuscan stone walls, pebble driveway, small olive tree and two large Oak trees framed the ceremony beautifully, and I really feel like it created a cozy Italian corner for our intimate group.

How long did it take to plan your wedding? Did you encounter any challenges during the planning process?

We got engaged at the end of January 2023 and had our wedding October 9th, 2023, so it was a pretty quick turn around. October is my favorite month of the year; cool enough during the day that I wouldn't sweat and feel sticky in my wedding dress but warm enough in the evening for the ladies to be comfortable in dresses. The weather was pristine nearly the entire time we were there! Since neither Tom nor I speak Italian, the language barrier was a bit of a challenge for us. We found that a few things did get lost in translation with some of our vendors but overall it worked out and any added stress or effort from that barrier, felt justified by the overall success of the wedding events.

Conducting google searches from a different country was also a major challenge, I felt like my search results were really limited. As minor as it may seem, I really struggled to find a rental company that could provide high quality cotton or linen tablecloths that fit the draped, fluid vision that I had in my head. Ultimately, three weeks before the wedding, I went to the fabric district in downtown Los Angeles and purchased 40 yards of fabric. We checked them in a duffle bag and flew with them to Italy! Tom thought I was crazy at the time but I think it was absolutely worth it. We both loved the way they looked on our dining table.

How many guests did you have? And what was the seating arrangement at the wedding like?

We had 42 guests and opted for one long banquet table, in a small alley on the property for the reception dinner. The alley was between two 18th century, stone buildings. It was absolutely dreamy. We considered seating ourselves in the center of the table but really worried that the guests at the far ends would feel left out. Ultimately we decided to seat ourselves at one end and work hard at curating the seating of the guests at the far end. Everyone seemed comfortable and included and Tom and I were able to have some time to talk and be together at our end.

Tell us about your outfits. How many different styles have you tried?

I went to five different bridal shops for fittings. I had a pretty clear idea of what styles I feel do and do not suit my body type and I did a good amount of research to save dresses I thought I would love from each designer before the fittings. The dress I chose naturally ended up being the most expensive one I had saved ahead of time; the Cleopatra dress from Sarah Seven. I knew pretty much as soon as it was zipped up that it was the one I wanted. The fabric was a silk and wool blend that just felt delicious, the corset bodice gave me the structure and shape I think suits me best and the sleeves gave it just enough drama and fun. I didn't purchase the dress right away but instead went to my next three dress appointments with the goal of beating the price of that dress while matching the feeling. Nothing else I tried on compared so I talked it over with Tom and he very sweetly agreed that if I felt that good, it was worth it.

I had the sleeves made detachable so that the corset on the dress could be emphasized during some of the photos. I chose a royal length veil, which I worried was a little too “extra”, but I’m thrilled that I stuck with it because I felt like a queen, and the photos turned out incredible. Plus it really will be the one and only time in my life I will get to wear something like that! For my second look, I must have tried on one hundred different pieces before settling on a satin skirt and top from Reformation. I also switched from my long ceremony veil to the mini veil I had worn to our courthouse wedding earlier in the year. I felt great dancing in the satin set all night and an added bonus was that I think the outfit photographed really well.

What was your first dance song? Did you choreograph or improvise?

Our first dance was 'All Your’n' by Tyler Childers and we absolutely improvised.

Did you have any special performances or entertainment?

We incorporated a couple of our friends into the ceremony which felt really special and contributed to the intimate feel that we were hoping for. Our officiant was the friend who’s stand-in date I was, to the wedding that Tom and I met at. We asked another friend of ours, who is a wonderful violinist, to play the violin alongside the pianist as I walked down the aisle. He was nice enough to fly internationally with his violin and ended up playing a few additional songs with the pianist during cocktail hour. It was awesome.

What was the most memorable moment from your wedding day?

I had been so nervous about reading vows we had written aloud, that I struggled to take everything and everyone in when I was walking down the aisle with my dad. Because of this, one of my favorite moments was when the officiant announced that we were husband and wife, we kissed, and then we both turned and I had the opportunity to look out at everyone's faces and soak it all in. There was also a moment when I was sitting at the head of the reception table with Tom and looking out at all of the people closest to us, looking and sounding like they were genuinely enjoying themselves. I remember all of my senses being happy. The food and wine tasted excellent, the music was a vibe, the weather was warm, the table and alley looked absolutely dreamy and Tom looked really happy. It made me feel certain that all of the effort and stress that we put into planning those last 9 months, had been worth it.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Overall we met some wonderful people who all worked together to make that day unforgettable for us but I would like to mention a few in particular. The employees at Borgo Casabianca really were some of the hardest working and most dedicated people I have ever worked with. Each and every one of them did their absolute best to ensure that all of our guests had a comfortable stay and that the food and aesthetic were exactly what we had asked for. Our photographers, Marta Ilardo and Tom Faulkenburg were really a joy to work with. Tom and I were both nervous that we would look awkward in our photos but Tom and Marta put us entirely at ease and we ended up thrilled in particular with the portraits of Tom and I. They feel effortless and timeless, which is a credit to the photographer's skills. Our florists, Nicole and Manuele at Fiori Quotidiani, were also a pleasure to work with. They were very accommodating and professional and Nicole really worked with me to curate floral arrangements that fit my inspiration and our budget.

I also would like to mention our DJ, Jim Sullivan, who traveled from our town of Hermosa Beach, California and did a really exceptional job of keeping the party going through the night. Jim perfectly transitioned between the early 2000’s hip hop, Abba, and random throwbacks that we had requested and our guests are still telling us what a great time they had on the dance floor that night.

Did you make a gift for guests, and what was it?

We hired a really lovely woman named Rachel Leahy, who I found on Instagram, to fly from Ireland to paint portraits of the guests. We’ve seen a few of the portraits already framed in our friend’s houses. It was a really fun cocktail hour activity that doubled as a customized gift for everyone.

What advice would you give to couples who are currently planning their wedding?

I would say that if you're type A (like me!) and aesthetics mean a good deal to you, then trust yourself. Choose vendors whose work you admire and be as specific about your wants and vision as you can be. Don't be afraid to gently make changes. At the end of the day, your vendors are doing a job for you and they really do want you to be happy on your wedding day!