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A Dreamy Wedding in the Heart of Tuscany

A Dreamy Wedding in the Heart of Tuscany

An elegant celebration of love set against Italy's iconic landscapes

In the rolling hills of Tuscany, Ian and Amanda tied the knot in the dreamy and historic La Foce villa. Completely immersed in the Italian countryside, loved ones gathered to celebrate the couple in the lush gardens as their vows were exchanged beneath a stunning floral archway. The air filled with the sound of a string quartet playing their favorite songs as Amanda walked down the aisle, and each special moment was captured by La Moment Photography. The reception, set under the shade of Italian Ilex trees, was a lively blend of classic elements and Italian culture, complete with a spritz bar, wood-fired pizzas, and a poolside recovery day to cap it all off. It was a timeless wedding that didn’t just celebrate the union, but an unforgettable experience of joy, love, and memories made to last a lifetime, all in the enchanting landscapes of Italy.

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

It wasn’t just one specific day—it was more of a slow burn that started in our office at NBC, where we both worked at E! News. Ian often came up to my floor to take meetings and strike up conversations with me. What began as a quiet curiosity quickly grew into long talks and eventually a date after work, complete with margaritas and nachos. The rest, as they say, is history. For a year, we had to keep our relationship a secret before finally coming clean to HR—which, looking back, is a pretty funny story on its own.

^{The Proposal}

Ian proposed to me in Rome, Italy, during our summer vacation in 2022. Even though I wasn’t feeling well, he somehow convinced me to fight through my jet lag and head out for a pre-dinner cocktail. Hand in hand, we wandered through the city streets and into a quiet, private park overlooking the Colosseum. There, Ian had arranged the most beautiful surprise: a floral archway, music, and candlelight. It was just the two of us, and I was completely taken aback. The moment felt so perfect, especially as the sunset painted the sky, creating the dreamiest backdrop for me to say “I do.”

^{The Engagement Ring}

I always knew I wanted something classic, so I chose an oval diamond on a thin gold band. Ian and I had gone ring shopping together so he could get a sense of what I liked. I tried on several different shapes, but the oval felt the most elegant—something timeless that I knew I’d still love 10 years from now.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

Timeless. Elegant. Intimate. Romantic.

^{The Location}

We wanted to immerse our guests in the culture of Italy, which we love so much, and also have as many people stay on the property as possible. After months of research, we discovered the historic villa, La Foce, and quickly reserved our date. This was the perfect, most authentic option we came across and allowed almost all of our closest friends and family to be with us for all three days of events. The central location in Montepulciano, Tuscany, allowed us and our guests to visit many other regions of Italy before and after the wedding with ease.

^{The Ceremony}

Our goal for the ceremony was to highlight the natural elegance of the La Foce Villa gardens, enhanced by our floral altar, and leave our guests speechless. A grand staircase led down to the garden, creating a monumental entrance for our family and bridal party. To add a touch of personality, our string quartet played “Sweet Child of Mine” and “I’ll Be” as the entrance songs for the groom and bride.

^{The Reception}

First, we wanted our cocktail hour to feel authentically Italian, complete with a spritz bar, caprese corner, meat carving station, and over twelve different types of tray-passed appetizers. During this time, we were off taking post-ceremony portraits at the altar, giving our guests a chance to mingle, enjoy the sunset views, and greet us warmly when we finally joined in for our turn at the spritz bar! La Foce’s layout allowed for a seamless flow between events.

After the hour-and-a-half cocktail reception, we moved to the upper panoramic gardens for dinner under the enchanting Italian Ilex trees. Our entrance was unforgettable, thanks to our live saxophonist playing the iconic “Jubel.” We danced our way down the aisle of tables as guests cheered and tossed their napkins in celebration—a lively and fun way to kick off the evening!

Dinner was a three-course meal featuring cacio e pepe with summer black truffle, beef filet, and tortelli pasta filled with potato. Elegant chandeliers hung above the tables, but our favorite touch was the colorful Versace porcelain plates. We laughed and cried through four heartfelt speeches from our immediate family, maid of honor, and best man, making the dinner reception truly memorable.

Once dinner concluded, our saxophonist led guests to the Limonia, or lemon house, next to the La Foce pool. We transformed it into a club-like setting, complete with tray-passed espresso martinis to keep the energy up. Our first dance, set to the millennial classic “Chasing Cars,” was a highlight, but what truly stole the show was my surprise mother-daughter dance to Donna Lewis’s “I Love You Always Forever.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the room—a core memory for sure.

The music, a mix of hip-hop and classic 2000s hits, kept the dance floor packed all night. At one point, I changed into a custom Galia Lahav mini dress, ready to make our wedding cake. Late-night snacks included pizza and a gelato cart with three flavors for everyone to enjoy. For our cake, we chose a classic Italian millefoglie, which Ian and I assembled together in front of our guests. We cut the cake to Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be,” accompanied by a stunning sparkler shower that had everyone cheering.

As the night went on, things got wilder. The groomsmen started jumping into the pool, and soon, our wedding evolved into a full-blown pool party. One of my favorite moments was jumping in with my bridesmaids, dresses and all, and swimming until 5 a.m. It was an unforgettable night filled with love, laughter, and so much fun!

A Dreamy Wedding in the Heart of Tuscany

^{Our Favorite Moment}

Hands down, our favorite moment was jumping into the pool together and swimming until 5 a.m. with our closest friends. Our dance floor was right next to the pool, and after hours of dancing and dessert, it didn’t take long for everyone to bring the party into the water. The fun didn’t stop until the early morning hours, making it a night we’ll never forget!

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

I knew I wanted a lace gown that felt classic but not boring. When I tried on the “Diana” by NettaBenShabu, I just knew it was the one. I found my dress on the very first day of shopping (though I did end up trying on 100 dresses after that). The intricate detailing with the pearls, sleeves, and Alencon lace was unmatched. It was a dress I knew I wouldn’t get tired of looking at over the years, something I could one day pass down. Paired with a cathedral-length veil by Toni Federici, I felt more elegant than ever. I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel—I just wanted to feel like myself, and “Diana” perfectly captured that feeling on my special day.

^{The Groom Looks}

Ian wanted a classic, custom tuxedo that fit perfectly and had personal touches. He chose SuitSupply, who created a high-quality suit and allowed him to design it from top to bottom. He opted for an olive green interior lining as a nod to Italy and added two custom stitchings—his and Amanda’s initials on the inner breast pocket and their wedding date on the inside of the collar. He also selected a shawl lapel, as he preferred the modern, sleek look of that cut.

^{Our Bridesmaid’s & Groomsmen's Looks}

Our bridesmaids wore black silk gowns from Revelry. I wanted each of them to have a different style—something they felt comfortable in and that suited them best. I liked the idea of having mismatched styles while keeping the look elegant and chic with the all-black theme.

For Ian: He wanted all of his groomsmen to have a uniform tuxedo look. He discussed it with each of them and found the best style that worked for everyone. The process was fairly easy, and they all looked great! It was a great decision to have them all wear the same tuxedo, as it made the pictures even better.

Our Advice

^{For The Planning Process}

Planning our wedding abroad, 7,000 miles away, without visiting our venue beforehand meant we had to spend more time narrowing down our vision based on photos and videos online. Our advice for the planning process is to gather several vendor quotes and do thorough research—whether that’s on Instagram or vendor websites—before making your decisions. We relied heavily on Instagram to see how vendors executed their work visually before choosing them. It also helped to create several mood boards on Pinterest to visualize exactly how we wanted our day to unfold. Having a clear vision and making firm decisions is key. I would suggest not overthinking things—be decisive and move on to the next step. Don’t overthink it and trust your gut!

^{For On The Day}

Having a phone-free wedding weekend allowed us to be present and in the moment, and it was one of the best ways for us to feel relaxed. We really tried to make the day feel as long as possible by getting ready early and ending the night late, ensuring we could savor every moment. We took deep breaths throughout the day, looking around at our beautiful venue and admiring everyone in our presence. Ian and I were constantly checking in with each other, making sure we stayed connected throughout the day. We have zero regrets because we feel we were truly present the entire time. Another piece of advice is to hire a content creator to capture behind-the-scenes iPhone moments throughout the weekend so you can relive those special memories later.

^{For Post-Wedding}

We were extremely relaxed the following morning, knowing we had just had our dream wedding. We hosted a post-wedding pool recovery day with an Italian spritz truck and homemade wood-fired pizzas at La Foce for all of our guests. We loved the idea of regrouping with our friends and family one last time before everyone headed out on their travels. We definitely recommend doing this—it was one of our favorite moments! It allowed us to share many laughs and reminisce about the last two days of the wedding weekend, and we felt we spent more quality time with our guests.