Me & My Wedding: A Special Day In Italy

The Proposal

Olly and I met at university in Bath around seven years ago. We crossed paths in a seminar, sat next to each other and joked the whole time. He found me on Instagram later that day and by the next week, we'd had our first date. We’d always discussed marriage and got engaged in September 2023 – 18 months before our wedding date, 3rd May 2025. We had a trip booked to Capri and Olly planned a day and surprised me with a boat trip. When I asked him which bikini I should wear – black or white – and he chose white, I had my suspicions. He claims it was a complete fluke but he proposed in front of the ‘Love Rock’ of Capri. He got down on one knee – it was such a blur and rush of emotions, I can’t remember what he said at the time, but it was perfect. We spent the next week alone in Italy dreaming up the type of wedding we'd like.

The Venue

We found Tonnara di Scopello on Instagram and I just knew I wanted to get married there. It wasn’t too formal, it felt very authentic and grounded. Just bear in mind that if you are getting married in Sicily, they work to a different pace of life! Luckily, our wedding planners Wiskow & White are pros and had planned a wedding there before, so they knew what they were dealing with. It is a dry-hire venue, though, so although you can book exclusive use, you will have to bring your suppliers in – another reason to use a wedding planner who knows the local businesses well.

The Décor & Flowers

We didn’t want the usual big flower display, especially with all the gorgeous scenery on the beach. We wanted it to look as if it belonged there. The white leaves Frascati Fiori sourced were amazing – it almost looked fabric amongst the greenery. I also didn’t want any flowers at the dinner – nothing blocking the view of people’s faces or top tables that felt isolated from everyone else.

We purchased a lot of the décor ourselves. In the months leading up to the wedding, we sourced vintage silverware, salt and pepper shakers and spoons. The hope was the pieces could become keepsakes and be used again. Some of our friends and family took the table lamps and silverware home with them! We were also mindful to support smaller businesses where possible; sshepaints is an artist we love and she collaborated with Nonna’s Napkins to create our hand-embroidered linens.

Stationery was a highlight – we put a lot of effort into the designs, working closely with Ten Story. Together, we created vintage-style welcome postcards, restaurant-style menus which outlined the flow of the dinner, as well as intimate love letters to each guest with mine and Olly’s favourite Italian recipes on the back.

The Dress

A quick word on the dress I wore to our welcome party. As soon as I saw this dress by Arcina Ori, I knew it needed its moment. The movement, the cut, the detailing… everything was perfection.

For my main dress, I was incredibly lucky to be taken to New York by my mum, with Olly’s mum, to visit my best friend Ellie and go wedding dress shopping. It felt like a scene from The Princess Diaries! I’m not the big white wedding girl, so I knew a big princess dress wasn’t me and it didn’t suit our venue either. I tried on some ‘slip type’ dresses but they felt underwhelming.

At the time, Danielle Frankel had brought out one or two collections but I was wowed – they were so unique and different. I fell in love with the showroom interiors. Dana, the director of client relationships, gave us the most wonderful experience. I tried on lots of unreleased dresses and different styles, but I knew in the back of my mind I loved the corset and trousers. I was so close to wearing that as my main look but I knew I wanted something more elevated to walk down the aisle. I was also conscious of investing in a wedding dress and what a shame it would be for it to be hidden in a loft and never worn again. After Dana suggested a silk skirt with the corset, and we added the long tulle scarf, I never looked back. I then changed from the silk skirt into trousers for the evening – which avoided the issue of people stepping on my dress!

The Bridal Party

All my bridesmaids wore different dresses – from brands like Shona Joy, Bec + Bridge and Rat & Boa. In the end we decided to build the colour palette around the Luciana dress from Rat & Boa, incorporating blues, reds and browns. I didn’t force them into any kind of hair and make-up either – I wanted them to look like themselves. I treated myself and had my make-up and hair done on the main wedding day by Ausra but otherwise I just did it myself.

Olly wore a custom Suitsupply tuxedo, with ‘amore’ and his initials sewed into the inner, and his shoes were from G.H.BASS. In true Olly fashion, he decided on his suit in one appointment, hired his groomsmen suits from MOSS in Bath and his outfit for the welcome and day after arrived the day before we left for Sicily.

The Ceremony

Olly and I had been legally in married in Bath a few months before the wedding in Sicily. We chose Bath because that’s where we met and it was very low-key; I’m not sure I even booked a table for lunch at Walcot House nor ordered an outfit until a few days before! It was such a special day that we did come away wondering why we were doing the bigger wedding in Italy, but we can now see there was plenty of room for both, each different but both wonderful.

The beach at La Tonnara is something special. We knew that was where we wanted to exchange our vows and while the wedding planners warned it could be a logistical nightmare with the changing tides, we pulled it off. I walked down the aisle onto the beach with my dad while Olly's uncle Tom Corneill played the guitar. The ceremony was very personal – with Tom as our celebrant and incorporating our own vows, it was a highlight of our day.

The Food & Drink

Fontana Catering managed our food, which was amazing. After the ceremony, we started with aperitivo, drinks and lots of ‘picky bits’ like cheeses, meats and breads. Later as the sunset, we had a sit-down meal on one long table against the waters edge (the space just fit our 70 guests). I wanted the meal to feel very New York or even Parisian inspired – that restaurant feeling with low music, chatter and plenty of intimate moments. At the party we served a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake and tiramisu in shells for dessert. Following dinner, L’aristocratico joined and served cocktails. After some dancing, late-night cheese and tomato gnocchi was brought out to finish.

The Entertainment

We worked with ALR Music, who sourced BEAT Band. We and our guests were blown away – we had seen a few videos and the set list prior to the day but we really had no idea what we were in for. Their friendly nature, vibe and songs are perfect for a wedding – old classics mashed up with newer songs. We’re already looking for an excuse to hire them and their DJ, Charlie, again…

The Photographer & Videographer

We chose Benjamin Wheeler because of the way he captures moments, the light and the edit. I personally love photography and wanted images we’d never regret. Plus, Ben’s a wonderful person – all our guests remarked how at ease they felt around him. We also worked with Liam at Soby Films to create our incredible wedding video.