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A Chic and Authentically Italian Wedding in Rome

A Chic and Authentically Italian Wedding in Rome

A story of serendipity woven with fresh, trendy touches in this charming, intimate affair in the heart of the Eternal City

A Chic & Authentically Italian Wedding in Rome

Set in the romantic city of Rome, Valeria and Artem wanted their wedding to feel personal—layered with texture, color, and moments that felt entirely their own. Held at a 17th-century baroque villa in Italy, the ethereal venue boasted manicured gardens and a panoramic view of the Eternal City. With vibrant vegetable centerpieces, the weekend was filled with organic and thoughtful details: handwritten letters for each guest, a single, large tablescape, a communal painting that now hangs in their home, and an intimate celebration that blurred the line between formal and familiar. A Chic & Authentically Italian Wedding in Rome

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

I saw him (he didn’t see me!) around midnight at Mykonos Airport over 10 years ago. I was in a relationship but spotted a cute guy I wanted to set up with my friend. We never actually spoke, but I remembered his face (how could I not?). Our paths crossed again about five years later on a dating app (I still remembered him), and we had our first date in Green Park in London after work.

We fell in love just a few days later during our next date in Hyde Park. He was sitting on a park bench, and I was lying on his lap, looking at the sky and talking about life. I think we both knew in that moment that we were stuck together for good.

^{The Proposal}

He proposed to me in the Cotswolds, the English countryside, on New Year’s Eve a year ago. Right after the fireworks, he asked me to step outside with him to watch the stars. He waited for a shooting star so he could “catch it” and “give it” to me in the form of a ring. But, living in the UK, the skies quickly became cloudy, and we didn’t see any shooting stars. So, he proposed in bed shortly after.

^{The Engagement Ring}

An emerald-cut ring from G. Collins & Sons (they make tiaras and jewelry for the British royal family).

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

We always wanted a small, cozy, and personal wedding with only our closest friends—our “bubble.” A beautiful place where we could all sit together at a loud table filled with delicious “homemade” Italian food, laugh and cry, dance the night away (preferably to my beloved reggaeton!), and still feel at home. For the aesthetics, we wanted everything to be as natural and authentic as possible (with our majestic venue, we barely needed any additional decor!). Our tablescape was minimal and earthy, with autumnal touches.

^{The Location}

Call it serendipity, but months before the wedding, our flights (originally heading elsewhere) kept getting diverted to the Eternal City, leading to many unexpected and memorable nights in our favorite city. It was meant to be, and we leaned into it. At first, we only pictured a wedding in Tuscany or Sicily but quickly scrapped that idea because all we could think about was Rome—an open-air museum, a timeless living masterpiece, a place of passion, history, and culture that we knew our guests would love discovering. For us, nothing else compared.

^{The Ceremony}

Why Villa Aurelia? It was true poetry and love at first sight. A 1650 Baroque villa, once owned by the Pope, with never-ending gardens and greenery. It felt so much like “us” that we didn’t visit or consider any other venue in Rome but this one. Our ceremony took place under one of the most majestic, towering, and beautiful trees I have ever seen, in the gardens of Villa Aurelia, overlooking all the magic that the Eternal City embodies. Our best friend, Will, officiated our wedding, and our godchildren and closest friends’ kids were the flower girls and page boys. My dad led me to the flower “altar,” and my baby sister was the ring bearer. It felt truly special that our ceremony was family- and friends-only.

^{The Reception}

We were lucky with the weather—it was warm with a light breeze, and we had an al fresco dinner in the main “piazza.”Instead of name tags, we hand-wrote personalized letters to each of our guests, thanking them for being in our lives and reminiscing about some of our favorite memories together. With a backdrop of the majestic Baroque villa and lemon trees, it felt like we were dining in a royal countryside estate. We all sat at one long, lively table, cheering, laughing, and crying during the beautiful speeches and toasts from our loved ones. We enjoyed delicious Italian food—risotto, pasta, slow-cooked meat, gelato, and tiramisu—and indulged in the most exquisite Italian wines. (We were very focused on having only the best food at the wedding and spent hours upon hours at tastings a few weeks before.) The tablescape was minimal, adorned with fresh fruit and vegetables inspired by late summer’s seasonal bounty.

^{The Special Touches}

We handwrote love letters to each of our guests, thanking them for being in our lives and reminiscing about some of our favorite memories together. We wanted a keepsake from our wedding weekend that captured the spirit of everyone who shared it with us. So, during the recovery day, we invited our guests to contribute their own brushstrokes to a painting. The result now hangs in our home, with little contributions from each guest! Our flower girls and flower boys were the kids of our family members and closest friends. Also, my little sister was the ring bearer.

^{Our Favorite Moments}

A short story about how we changed the weather... Three days before our wedding, the forecast suddenly changed—thunderstorms and torrential rain were predicted for the entire weekend. We were about to cancel our rooftop drinks and move the entire wedding indoors. Then, we heard a legend: in Italy, if you bring eggs (in multiples of dozens) to the nuns of a specific monastery (Santa Chiara), they will pray for good weather. We thought, why not? We love an adventure. So, the day before our rooftop event, we spent half a day running around the outskirts of Rome with 60 eggs in hand, searching for an open monastery—but they were all either closed or no longer existed.

Our last attempt was a monastery on Via Vitella. We rang the bell multiple times, but no one answered. Just as we were about to give up, we heard a faint voice over the intercom. The sweetest nun (who was also Spanish!) welcomed us in. I’ve never seen anyone smile as much as she did. She blessed our wedding, our love, and promised to pray extra hard for the weather to change. I’m not religious, but there was something otherworldly about the entire experience—her peacefulness, her positivity, her purpose. I had goosebumps the whole time. At that point, we stopped worrying about the weather; we were just grateful for the moment.

Call it luck or a blessing, but the day before the wedding, the forecast completely changed—it was perfect. And right after dinner, when we began our first dance to “Fields of Gold” by Sting, tiny raindrops started to fall on us. It was so romantic and magical—I can’t even describe it. Minutes later, the skies opened up with thunder, lightning, and torrential rain—pure magic. So what did we do? We ran outside and danced on the tables in the pouring rain, with thunder and lightning all around us.

Another unforgettable moment was right after the ceremony. While the guests were at the cocktail area, my husband and I hopped into our vintage Alfa Romeo and went for a drive around Rome—no phones, no photographers, just us in our love bubble. It felt like it was us against the world. And then—halfway through the ride—a bird flying overhead left me an unexpected “gift” all over my arm, just millimeters from my wedding dress sleeve. Where I’m from, that’s considered the highest form of luck. Just when we thought we couldn’t feel luckier—serendipity.

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

I had four looks on the wedding day—because when else do you get the chance to wear four outfits in one day? For the reception, I wore a dress by Ila, paired with heels from Gianvito Rossi and a playful bag from Clio Peppiatt. The ceremony dress and veil—both ethereal pieces—were by Peter Langner. They felt like something out of a fairytale. It’s even more special because my best friend, Tara, found the dress for me. I was originally looking for something completely different (and far more minimal), but when I tried it on, it felt like stepping into a dream I didn’t know I had. After a few tweaks and a couple of trips between Milan and London, my fairytale came true.

For dinner, I changed into a sleek Danielle Frankel dress, followed by a chic dancing jumpsuit from Galvan London, and ended the night in a sparkling Retrofête dress. For the recovery day, I opted for a timeless Rebecca Vallance dress, paired with a Loeffler Randall bag, classic The Row sunglasses, and heels from Amina Muaddi.

^{The Groom Looks}

The groom wore a custom tuxedo by Sartoria Silvio Zanella, shoes from Crockett & Jones, and a Patek Philippe watch, with styling by Grooms' Counsel.

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

The bridesmaids and groomsmen each picked their own dresses and looks—we let them roam freely.

Our Advice

^{For The Planning Process}

Have a glass of wine (or two) before any wedding planning calls! (P.S. We planned our entire wedding in less than six months—maybe that’s why we needed the wine!)

^{For On The Day}

Have a glass of wine (or two!) before the ceremony. Also, try to carve out at least 20–30 minutes during the day to be alone with your spouse. Take a moment to pause and soak it all in.

^{For Post-Wedding}

Figure out how to do it all over again—without needing a divorce!

^{The Day After}

The recovery brunch was at Le Jardin de Russie—a secret garden in the heart of Rome and an ode to our heritage. Between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, it felt like a hidden sanctuary. It’s also a place where history lives and breathes, once frequented by Pablo Picasso, Stravinsky, Sophia Loren, and many more.