A Cinematic Wedding with Sculptural Installations & a Vibrant Palette in Sicily

Modern love meets modern art amongst an iconic White Lotus location for lovers Patricia & Xander

Lush, expressive, and full of life, Patricia and Xander’s wedding unfolded at Villa Tasca in Palermo – vibrant, layered, and deeply personal. With guests arriving from across the world, the couple chose Sicily not only for its beauty, but for its energy: sun-soaked, chaotic, theatrical, and alive. Working closely with our member All Things Beautiful, who led both wedding planning and art direction, Patricia and Xander transformed the historic villa into a setting that felt elevated yet playful. Color, texture, and subtle surrealist references threaded through every detail, from bespoke paper goods and sculptural textiles that quietly nodded to theatre curtains, to modern, deconstructed florals that reimagined classic red roses in a fresh, unexpected way. Nothing felt overly styled or forced. Instead, the weekend carried an effortless sense of joy, intimacy, and creative confidence. More than a wedding, it became an immersive experience – one where art, fashion, and atmosphere came together to celebrate love in its most expressive form.

A Cinematic Wedding with Sculptural Installations & a Vibrant Palette in Sicily

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

Xander and I met on New Year’s Eve (2017–18) at a beach rave in Tulum, whilst I was there celebrating my sister’s bachelorette. We ended up sitting on the sand talking about life’s big questions, whilst surrounded by fellow revellers and glitter-covered acrobats — definitely a surreal and unforgettable way to start the year. At the time, I was living in LA and Xander was in London. We kept in touch sporadically over Instagram until six months later, when I was performing in Arles for the Rencontres photography festival and he came to watch me dance.

That week, he’d jokingly asked if I liked raisins… before asking, “How about a date?” I said yes, obviously, and he spontaneously travelled out. When I picked him up from the train station, it felt like we’d known each other forever. We spent the weekend exploring Arles, eating rotisserie chicken from the farmers’ market, and visiting the Van Gogh Museum. By the end of the trip, we both knew this was something worth pursuing. We dated long-distance for over three years until I moved to London in late 2021.

^{The Proposal}

We got engaged in July 2024 while on holiday in Croatia. It was completely unexpected — Xander proposed on a dark street after dinner, and I could barely see him or the ring! He later confessed that two previous attempts had been thwarted — one in Mexico, when I flew home from a job early, and another at the opening night of The Secret Garden at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, which I missed for a last-minute shoot. He was very patient!

^{The Engagement Ring}

I was lucky enough to receive my dream engagement ring from Xander. It’s an Asscher-cut diamond ring from New York–based jewellery brand Wwake. Xander worked hand-in-hand with Wing (the founder) and the Wwake team to create my ring. It’s the perfect blend of modern and classic, and I really think it will stand the test of time.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

We wanted, first and foremost, for our wedding to feel authentic to us and not like anything else we’d seen. We started by creating a few mood boards, and what came through was a lot of color, fun, and a sense of surrealism. In the end, we were able to distil that into elements that felt very considered and fit well with the location we had chosen. I think our wedding balanced our ideal mix of something modern yet rooted in tradition, and something elegant but also joyous and unique.

^{The Location}

Finding a venue that guests from around the world could easily reach was a challenge, but when Magdalena showed us Villa Tasca — one of the locations from the second season of The White Lotus — it was love at first sight. Xander and I had also been to Palermo before and loved how wonderfully chaotic and lively it was. It made us so excited to show off our favourite bars and places to eat with our guests as well.

^{Our Team of Vendors}

We worked with Magdalena of All Things Beautiful from the very beginning of the planning and art direction, and are still in touch with her now. She was wonderful at translating our inspirations and assembling the perfect team to bring the ideas to life. I truly couldn’t have dreamt of our dream wedding without her. Our planner’s creative direction shaped the wedding’s visual language, helping us refine our initial mood boards into a unified concept that balanced elegance, joy, and a touch of surrealism. Drawing subtle references from the worlds of art and theatre, while rooting every detail in the rich context of Villa Tasca, the overarching vision informed everything — from the paper goods to the use of textiles at the ceremony, which evoked theatre curtains in a thoughtful, non-cliché way.

This extended to the florals as well, including a modern, deconstructed take on red roses that the ever-creative Bosque Concepts elevated to new heights — making an often overplayed flower feel fresh again, even adorning candleholders with rose thorns placed one by one. The result was an immersive, artful atmosphere that never overpowered the natural beauty of the venue.

A Cinematic Wedding with Sculptural Installations & a Vibrant Palette in Sicily

^{The Ceremony}

We held the ceremony in front of the villa, using its façade as a backdrop, with a custom textile installation by Marta Sandri that added a subtle element of performance.

Our officiant, Brandon (a friend of my sister’s), perfectly balanced humour and heart — even channeling a bit of Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek in his look. He began by asking everyone to close their eyes and be present — a moment that beautifully set the tone for the rest of the day.

A Cinematic Wedding with Sculptural Installations & a Vibrant Palette in Sicily

^{The Cocktail Hour}

After the ceremony, everyone followed us onto the lawn for aperitivo and had a chance to wander the vast grounds of Villa Tasca. Drinks were flowing, and snacks (arancini, panelle, and fried sage) were passed around. We worked with our stationery designer, Vanessa from BYV Studio, on a map of the estate that included information about the villa and the wedding, as well as a seating chart for dinner. This encouraged guests to explore and discover the swan lake, the big ficus tree, and our citrus installation created by the florists.

^{The Reception}

Guests entered the villa for the first time to enjoy dinner in the main room after aperitivo, followed by our cake-cutting and first dance on the balcony. We were lucky that the villa allowed us to host the party in the room next to the dining room — apparently, we were the first guests ever to do so. We laid down red carpet to protect the original floor tiles and had an indoor bar in the adjoining room, as well as a bar and smoking area outside on one of the lower balconies. We asked our friends Alex and Josh to DJ, and they were amazing. They even got my dad out on the dance floor — and I have literally never seen him dance before!

A Cinematic Wedding with Sculptural Installations & a Vibrant Palette in Sicily

^{The Special Touches}

We asked our catering company to serve gelato in brioche as our midnight snack. It was the perfect way to end the night and cool off after working up a sweat on the dance floor.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

How can we choose just one?! The whole weekend — starting on Thursday with casual drinks at a wine bar, to debriefing with our wedding planner at 2 a.m. on Saturday post-wedding — was such a gift. Our families met for the first time, friends from different parts of our lives mingled, and we all basked in some late-summer sun. It was pure magic.

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

My ceremony dress was actually the first thing I chose, even before we found a venue, and it ended up inspiring everything that followed — from my other outfits to the overall wedding aesthetic. I found it unexpectedly while in Shanghai for the Moncler Genius show last October. My mum suggested we visit the Suzhou Wedding Village before my flight back to London — mostly to humour her, I went along. After trying on more than 30 dresses, I slipped into one with the most beautiful lace train and asymmetrical bow and instantly knew it was the one.

A Cinematic Wedding with Sculptural Installations & a Vibrant Palette in Sicily

For my second look, I collaborated with Amy and Evan from Wed Studio on a custom gown — a blend of two designs I loved. We combined the silhouette of their Calla dress with a sheer, sequined fabric that had a subtle tweed-like texture. My friend, milliner Awon Golding, created a custom birdcage veil embellished with tiny pearls and diamantés to complete the look.

My final outfit was the Clio Peppiatt Palazzo beaded mini dress, which I adored for its playful cupids that echoed Villa Tasca’s frescoes. I paired it with a voluminous Wed veil and sparkly René Caovilla heels. After a full day in long gowns, it was such a joy to dance freely! For the pre-wedding dinner and drinks, I wore a tiered dress from Chictopia with a matching Clio Peppiatt beaded bag. It felt very “sweet sixteen” — in the best way!

^{The Groom Looks}

Xander wore a double-breasted Daniel Fletcher suit and shirt for the ceremony, later changing into another DWF shirt with a collar designed to resemble an untied bow tie. Finding the perfect suit took time — he wanted something refined but not too formal — and Daniel’s design struck exactly the right balance for his understated style. Instead of a boutonnière, Xander wore a custom Completedworks pearl pin that matched the earrings I wore, paired with Jacques Solovière shoes. For the pre-wedding events, Xander wore off-white Auralee trousers with a ribbed black T-shirt and a Jacquemus blazer. He paired the look with loafers from Vinny’s and a 1970s Omega watch with chunky sterling silver links.

^{Our Bridesmaids’ Looks}

I asked my bridesmaids to choose a pastel dress of their choice. I figured they would find dresses they truly loved wearing, that complemented their individual body types, and that they could wear again. I simply asked that they consult me so I could make sure the overall look felt cohesive and not all one color. On the day, I gifted each of them different pearl earrings from Completedworks that matched their looks. I think it tied us all together without feeling too uniform. For me, the most important thing was that they felt like themselves. They are all so gorgeous — I just wanted their natural beauty to shine.

Our Advice

^{For the Planning Process}

Find people to work with who are genuinely excited about your wedding and truly understand your vision. Trust the process and know that what is meant to be will happen.

^{For On The Day}

Don’t worry about creating content or being on your phone. The best thing I did was give my phone to one of my bridesmaids and not look at it until the end of the night. It allowed me to fully enjoy the day.

A Cinematic Wedding with Sculptural Installations & a Vibrant Palette in Sicily

^{For Post-Wedding}

Our wedding had over four parts, with one still yet to happen — a dinner in Beijing with my Chinese family. If you can draw it out over multiple events and celebrations, do it! It makes the end of the official wedding day feel less final and gives you so much to look forward to.