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A Dream Wedding in a Baroque Italian Garden Villa

A Dream Wedding in a Baroque Italian Garden Villa

Influencer Cat Spanti's chic celebration dotted in romantic roses, lace, and an undeniable modern elegance

Nestled on the Gianicolo Hill in the Eternal City of Rome, Cat and Josh's wedding was a blend of old-world European charm and modern Italian elegance. Their vision transformed the historic Villa Aurelia into a stage where romance met contemporary sophistication, surrounded by magnificent gardens. The ceremony took place in the secluded splendour of the Secret Garden, with a stunning altar adorned with vibrant red roses. As the sun dipped below the skyline, everyone gathered around a single long table, the epitome of intimate luxury, with every detail thoughtfully curated. The evening reached its sweetest climax with a tiramisu wedding cake in the shape of a love heart – a nod to Italian tradition. The couple's wedding was more than just an event, it was a celebration of love woven with artistry, elegance and unforgettable moments.

A Dream Wedding in a Baroque Italian Garden Villa

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

Our love story is very much representative of the invisible string theory. I knew one of Josh’s family members years before we’d actually met. Years later, it turned out we had quite a few mutual friends and had crossed paths at parties and work events here and there. Eventually we properly butted heads, and after our first date, I found myself in the back of an Uber facetiming one of my now bridesmaids and telling her that he “was going to be my husband.” 8 years later, here we are!

^{The Proposal}

It was peak lockdown. Josh had big plans, including a helicopter and a trip away, and all was ruined when we went into a snap lockdown due to Covid outbreaks in 2021 (for context, Melbourne had some of the longest and strictest lockdown laws.) He hid the ring from me for 6+ months whilst we were in lockdown and finally proposed the first week we were out of it, claiming it was for our “missed anniversary.”

He’d booked us a 9-course dinner with matched drinks, so your girl was flying and didn’t really catch onto anything that was happening. We got back to our hotel room, there were photos and flowers everywhere, and I turned around, and he was on one knee! It was private and perfect.

^{The Engagement Ring}

Josh absolutely nailed the ring. I knew I always wanted something different in true Libra style, I just couldn’t decide or land on a “style.” Josh worked with Natasha Schweitzer to create a unique wrap-style ring that features 6 round brilliant diamonds. I’ve posted about it before on TikTok due to the amount of questions I still get on it daily!

A Dream Wedding in a Baroque Italian Garden Villa

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

Our vision was simple: we wanted to transport our guests to a magical location and throw one big party. We love to travel and are both of Italian descent, so for us, a destination wedding in Italy was a must. Josh actually asked me to be his girlfriend on the cobble streets of Rome in 2016, so we have a special tie to the ancient city.

Our brief for the day stylistically was redefining old-school European charm and elegance with modern Italian touches. The enchanted surroundings of our venue really were the inspiration for our stylistic direction.

^{The Location}

Our mostly outdoor affair was held at the historic 17th-century Villa Aurelia on Gianicolo Hill in Rome. With a focus on the natural architecture of Villa Aurelia with a Baroque-inspired backdrop, the wedding was classically colored, drawing on the fading grandeur of the Villa, its gardens and the surrounding nature.

The villa was actually originally built for Cardinal Girolamo Farnese around 1650 and is surrounded by 3.8 acres of magnificent gardens. The day was progressive and explored multiple areas and spaces of the property, as we wanted our guests to experience all the venue had to offer.

A Dream Wedding in a Baroque Italian Garden Villa

^{The Ceremony}

The day of our wedding was 38 degrees, so our ceremony was in the early evening. Villa Aurelia had multiple lush gardens; however, we decided the day before that our ceremony would be held in the Secret Garden, tucked away in one of the corners, which had ample shade for guests.

Guests were greeted by a live harpist and band before sitting on rows of white wrought iron chairs that flanked the undulating aisle. We actually had a floral direction change about 2 weeks before the wedding, as we were a little limited with both seasonality and durability given the temperatures. We ended up going classic, with deep red roses en masse, acting as an extension of the Roman gardens.

^{The Reception}

After the ceremony, our guests were transported to two of the main gardens of the Villa for aperitivo hour. Live jazz played while spritz, fresh peach Bellini's, and champagne were poured. We also had multiple food stations for guests to enjoy fresh Italian food. Josh and I made sure we were able to join, which was such a beautiful moment being able to greet guests post ceremony.

A Dream Wedding in a Baroque Italian Garden Villa

^{The Special Touches}

The devil really is in the detail, and regardless of our classic-colored and styled wedding, we definitely put our spin on things. A few things that we did differently: In lieu of Welcome Signage and to aid way finding, we had custom maps drawn and created for guests, which they received upon arrival with parasols and a fan. The map clearly laid out the order of the day and where everything was.

On the back, we also had a special message to our guests, along with some history of the grounds. It was such a special takeaway piece that was so simple but so effective. We also worked with In The Roundhouse to create a few custom sets of plates for our tablescape. This was one of the best decisions we made for the wedding day (and beyond), and something our guests still talk about. Instead of focusing on copious amounts of florals down the table, we let the plates shine, with motifs like ‘When in Rome’ and ‘Josh and Cat in Rome’ adorning the ceramics. It was such a beautiful and unexpected detail.

We come from European households, so food is most definitely our love language, so we wanted to keep all our guests on one long table, family style. This was another decision that had maximum impact in terms of outcome and guest experience. It was so nice to have everyone mingling and mixing, sharing a beautiful meal together. We also decided against having an MC. We always felt at most weddings we’ve attended that the MC can make things feel really formal and rigid with timings, and we didn’t want that for our wedding. Our “reception” was basically one big dinner party, where food, drink and speeches flowed very organically and authentically.

A Dream Wedding in a Baroque Italian Garden Villa

We had both of our sets of parents say a speech; we both spoke, and so did our best man and MOH. The one long table definitely added to this, as before someone went to speak, they stood up, picked up a glass, and clinked it for everyone's attention. The DJ also knew timings roughly, so was able to assist in reading the room and lowering music volume, so guests knew what was happening. It was another great decision that added to the energy flow of the night.

We had a giant, love-heart-shaped tiramisu wedding cake. Yes, you read that correctly! Tiramisu is one of Josh and I’s favorite desserts, and something we grew up making with our Nonna’s, so we knew we wanted it incorporated into our day somehow. When I pitched the idea of the giant, love-heart shaped dessert to our Italian caterers, it definitely got a few strange looks, but they pulled it off so perfectly, and it was the only wedding cake I’ve ever seen not have any leftovers. All of the guests still talk about how great that cake was. We also had a whole dessert station to accompany it and a digestifs bar with cigars, which was another guest hit. We had no official dance floor – our guests just happened to break out on the concrete space next to the dining table, which was an unplanned success! We also decided to keep the party rolling by turning the Villa’s salotto into a red room after-party, post dinner.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

The whole 24 hours! Seeing each other down the aisle was definitely one. There was a moment mid-dinner where we looked at each other, looked around and realized that we were literally in Rome, surrounded by all of our favorite people in the whole world who traveled more than 24 hours to get to us. It was so surreal and so special. Another favorite moment was when Lizzie McGuire’s What Dreams Are Made Of came on and every single person got up and made a makeshift dance floor to belt out the words and dance. Core memory!

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

Due to our destination wedding, we had quite a few events in the lead up to the wedding in Italy, so I had lots of chances to have fun with different looks. I went on a Bachelorette trip to Florence and had lots of fun with color. For my Roman bridal shower, I wore a yellow Jacquemus sheer gown. I had a bespoke architecturally inspired seamless mini with a French lace bottom gown made for my Welcome Party (which accidentally went viral) + a Fanci Club outfit change. On my wedding day, I wanted to keep things classic, timeless and comfortable. The extreme heat in Rome definitely led my dress direction. I wanted something that felt lightweight, breathable and easy to move in. I really struggled with the dress process because of this.

I felt like the market was very oversaturated in the “more is more” category, and none was really doing simplicity well. After a fateful work trip to Paris, I somehow managed to score an appointment at Vivienne Westwood and fell in love. The quality was exceptional, and I felt like me in their gowns. We ended up landing on a classic VW shape, but added a few sprinkles of me, with clear Swarovski crystals adorning the bodice, which could only be seen in certain light. We also chopped the original cathedral veil to sit just above the bust, and I wore a white-gold and pave diamond Tiffany and Co. Hardware choker, which really made the look feel like me. My hair was swept back (again, due to the heat), and my shoes were the Ferragamo Eva Pump in silver. It was the perfect amount of “just enough” considering the Baroque Villa backdrop.

I then changed into another bespoke Maelle gown we designed together, which was actually sheer. I think when it comes to nighttime wedding dresses or second looks, it can be very tricky to find quality and the right craftsmanship. I can’t tell you how many laces, beaded and sequin gowns I tried on that were heavy, itchy and just looked and felt poorly made. Maelle are a small and mighty team based out of Melbourne, Australia, but their craftsmanship is second to none. I told the team I wanted a “naked look” lace, and there were no questions asked; we got straight to it.

We knew the look would be floor length, high neck and a low back. We played around with Delicate Chantilly lace, which is what actually became our lining. We were then able to get that depth and dimension by layering different laces on top. But the thing that really brought that sheer-naked look to life, whilst still maintaining that Italian elegance we were going for, was by selecting small pieces of beaded lace and strategically placing them over the areas that needed to be properly covered. This was all appliqued by hand. Balance was another important factor when designing this dress; we knew with a high neck and full length dress we could get away with it being a little more risqué. It was definitely a showstopper, and I had so much fun with it. I wore another pair of silver heels, this time a wraparound René Caovilla pair that matched perfectly. My bag for the night was the Serpenti Bvlgari Micro Baia Bag, which complimented all of my looks throughout the day so nicely. I also didn’t go down the aisle with a bouquet as I couldn’t find a bouquet style that felt like me/represented that timeless look I was going for, so I went with a singular, deep burgundy rose.

^{The Groom Looks}

Adhering to the dress code that we had for our wedding isn’t as difficult for men as it is for women, but I knew I wanted to keep it classic, so in my mind there was no other choice but a traditional black tuxedo. The tricky part, however, was finding the right tailor who understood the brief – the small nuances that I was looking for as well as someone who could create a tuxedo of quality and style. I had The Cloakroom in mind from the very beginning, and I’m so glad that I ended up working with Andrew, Ben and the team at The Cloakroom in Brisbane.

Quality from start to finish with the know-how that is unparalleled in the business. I’ve worked with many Australian tailors in my capacity as a journalist over the years, and The Cloakroom have always impressed me with the subtle yet effective attention to detailing when it comes to choosing the right materials for their made-to-measure and bespoke suiting. Their Made in Japan collection is easily some of the best suits you’ll find anywhere in the world.

^{Our Bridesmaid’s Looks}

My bridal party ranged from size 8 to 18 and height-wise 5’2 to 6ft, so the key was finding styles that fit, flattered all, and were long enough. For context, the dress code of the wedding was Black Tie Alfresco, so all the normal black tie rules, but make it a garden party. After months of trying on different styles and different brands, we landed on an Australian brand, Shona Joy as they were one of the very few designers that catered for all of my bridesmaids - which is wild considering it’s 2024, but that was the reality.

A Dream Wedding in a Baroque Italian Garden Villa

In terms of color scheme, having my bridal party in the same color has always felt a little one-dimensional to me personally, so I always knew they would be in different colors. However, I didn’t want this to feel trend-driven given the amount of brides that have been doing this lately, and I most definitely didn’t want it to give that real tutti-frutti look that you see quite a lot. So instead of going the route of different block colors, we went down the route of a gradient look instead. My bridesmaids chose the colors and style of dress that they liked best, and it ended up working out as a muted sunset color scheme, which worked perfectly with both the venue and the overarching styling of the day!

^{Our Groomsmen’s Looks}

My bridal party looked fantastic in the Cloakroom custom-made tuxedos. We kept it very traditional and minimal in terms of having a point of difference; the boys all had a lovely satin shawl lapel jacket with a slightly higher button enclosure, while I opted for a satin peak lapel jacket fully made in Japan.

Our Advice

^{For The Planning Process}

Expect the unexpected when planning a destination wedding! So much will go to plan; so much will also not go to plan. Very early on in the planning journey, I realized that there were so many uncontrollables due to the fact that I was quite literally planning a wedding on the other side of the world. I decided that the only thing I could control was my attitude and approach, so instead I focused on that, strapped in and enjoyed the (at times very rocky) ride!

The biggest thing to think about with a destination wedding is logistics and costs. There are so many hidden logistics you need to think of in the lead up to the big week/day - and you need to be organized! Also remember that you’re in a new city, so it’s a big educational process of researching who your go-to’s for things will be on the ground. So many things, from hair to nails to catering to steaming and ironing of gowns and suits.

Costs can very easily go over budget if you’re not planning ahead, and make sure you’re getting a minimum of 3 quotes per supplier you’re researching. I’d also recommend having a 10-20% buffer in your budget, as things always pop up when you’re traveling/in a new location.

^{For On The Day}

There’s literally no point stressing over things come the day. Whatever is meant to be will be. Remember to take a breath and remember it’s out of your hands now. All you should be focused on is marrying the love of your life and having the time of your life!