An Immersive Wedding in Puglia with Sculptural Tables and Artful Florals

A florist-bride’s vision of lace, light, and artful installations in the heart of southern Italy

In the heart of Puglia, where ancient olive groves stretch endlessly and light filters through silvery leaves, Sara and Dario’s wedding felt less like a single day and more like a fully immersive design experience. The couple transformed the space with a vision rooted in intention, craft, and emotion. Sara – wedding florist and founder of Babel Bloom, one of our members – approached the event as a living installation: sculptural table layouts inspired by playful geometry, lush floral compositions rising organically from negative space, and oversized lace-draped structures.

The atmosphere balanced bold creativity with warmth, amplified by bespoke lace chandeliers crafted by Dario. Rotondo Catering by Alba, our member and the wedding’s planner and caterer, orchestrated the celebration with precision and heart, seamlessly guiding guests from olive grove ceremony to joyful, food-filled moments. Sara’s bridal look echoed the setting – lace-forward, architectural, and effortlessly expressive – perfectly complemented by hair and makeup by THE WED member Tom Perdigão. The result was a wedding that felt deeply personal, visually striking, and alive with energy, where design and feeling moved together in perfect rhythm.

An Immersive Wedding in Puglia with Sculptural Tables and Artful Florals

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

We met in Puglia, Italy, at a wedding where we were both working. We spoke briefly, and almost a year later, we reconnected by chance on social media. From that day on, we were inseparable. Currently, we live between Italy and Portugal, as our work allows us to.

^{The Proposal}

Dario took a plane from Puglia and met me in the middle of the street (with my parents and two of my best friends) in Lisbon, in front of the Tejo River, and proposed. I panicked—for real—for 10 minutes and then said yes. Of course, I said yes.

^{The Engagement Ring}

Dario and his sister Alba chose the engagement ring together: a simple white gold ring with a diamond. It’s perfect.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

Because we both work in the same industry and are Pisces (we have a lot of opinions), it was challenging to merge our ideas and desires. But once we got there, it was magic. All the decor and the project were chosen and created by us, along with Rotondo Catering. We started with a place that united us both professionally and emotionally, Masseria Angiulli Piccolo, and studied it in every detail to conceive it in an intimate way.

^{The Location}

We knew we wanted our best friends and family together, so we chose Puglia. It wasn’t easy, but we managed to bring together more than 100 people from Portugal, Sardegna, Canada, France, Spain, Luxembourg, and more.

An Immersive Wedding in Puglia with Sculptural Tables and Artful Florals

^{The Ceremony}

The ceremony was held in the large olive grove, using a new and previously unused space. We loved the idea of having the vast expanse of olive trees as a backdrop for the stage. For the dinner tables, we wanted a new concept, with empty and full spaces, intersections reminiscent of Tetris. Having both played video games together a lot, we wanted an intimate reminder of our shared experience.

Sara’s floral arrangements were designed like bushes that seemed to sprout from the shapes—colorful, site-specific installations that harmonized with, yet contrasted against, the large chandeliers, also entirely crafted by the groom. Large, billowing hanging fabrics and beloved lace—another common thread between Portugal and Italy—were mounted on large wrought iron hoops.

^{Our Team of Vendors}

Most of the styling, catering, and setup team are very familiar to us (some are close friends), and we work together regularly. We spent four days prior to the wedding at Masseria Angiulli building our dream with approximately 40 people. It was beautiful, tiring, and exciting all at the same time.

The emotion of getting married while organizing everything was one of the most challenging and wonderful experiences we’ve ever had. Our parents and siblings did everything to make us happy. Alba, head of Rotondo Catering, coordinated all the Italian vendors and didn’t stop working until the last second. The photographers were wonderful, the videographers genius! The flower team—Diogo, Angela, Kamil, Rute, Catarina—and Dario from Vision Stretch, who built a magnificent tent for the day and the ceremony. The musicians were incredible.

The bar? Joebar—definitely the best wedding bar in Puglia; all our guests were amazed by the personalized and delicious cocktails. Alessandra Linoci—without her organization of the ceremony, we would still be trying to seat the guests. Rotondo Catering staff, tireless as always! Everyone, at some point, was the most important person of the day. We literally can’t mention them all.

^{The Special Touches}

We wanted each floral installation to be appreciated as a piece of art, not just decor, so we gave them a proper stage in the empty spaces. We played with shapes—circular and slender, solid and hollow—in clever contrasts to create the “wow” factor for our guests. The also wedding kicked off the day before with a pizza party and a lively karaoke session that brought the guests together—along with the alcohol. Hot pizza was baked live in a wood-fired oven, and there was a panzerotti station with typical fried pastries from Puglia, filled with tomato and mozzarella. To this day, our guests say it was the most beautiful wedding ever, full of fun—we agree.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

It’s hard to choose, but the ceremony, with an Italian singer and guitarist performing fado, was the most emotional part (we cried about 70% of the time). The Terrarossa concert, which got everyone dancing, was also very special.

Our Style

^{The Bridal Look}

I knew I wanted a dress with lace that was both sculptural and organic. I saw one on a website and booked a fitting in Warsaw. Since my best friend lived there, and I loved the design of the Milla Nova store, I went with him and one of my best friends, Manon, to buy the dress. It was the best. Can I repeat that?

^{The Groom’s Look}

Dario chose a classic tuxedo for its timeless elegance.

^{Bridesmaids’ & Groomsmen’s Looks}

Bridesmaids wore butter yellow and green, to pop on the scenery in a delicate way. Groomsmen wore all black for elegance and contrast with the bridesmaids.

Our Advice

^{For the Planning Process}

To all engaged couples: don’t try to do everything yourselves. Trust your vendors and find a wedding planner or day-of coordinator, especially for a destination wedding. We wanted a challenge as professionals and as engaged couples, but we don’t recommend it. Experience the planning as part of your wedding journey and enjoy the moment. The people you hire are there to help you enjoy one of the most important days of your life.