{Carrie and David} Wedding in Cinque Terre, Italy

20 Jul 2011

From Alice of SposiamoVi… In the first half of the 20th century an American couple, Martin and Osa Johnson—from Kansas—captured the public’s imagination through their films and books of adventure in exotic, faraway lands. Martin and Osa Johnson were the inspiration for Carrie and David’s wedding celebrated on Saturday 16th July 2011 in the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. Carrie and David, both from NY, met and fell in love immediately. A few weeks later Carrie was flying from a country to another to follow David during his business travels. Years before in one of his many world wide trips David had accidentally stopped in Levanto, a town completely out of the touristic track. From that time the Cinque Terre have captured his heart, with their quaint and colourful atmosphere and relaxing slow flow of time. When they decided to marry, having a destination wedding in the Cinque Terre has been the natural choice.

We met in Levanto in March 2011. Few days after we were working with David and Carrie via email to create their amazing wedding. In just four months all the details for the wedding were in place! David and Carrie new what they wanted: their vision was to create a casual and informal get together, a family style reception and a touching ceremony performed by their friend Doron. All the decors and rentals were to reflect the rustic feeling of the place. The 100 guests, coming from all over the world, were hosted by the bride and groom in the hotels and villas in the Cinque Terre and surroundings; their generosity went well beyond, as a symbolic thanks to their wonderful lives, David and Carrie decided to give all their wedding gifts to charity. Minivans brought guests to the special ceremony setting: the tip of a panoramic hill above the town where a small chapel honouring the Madonna stands. Here they were welcomed by the stunning views and… some really tasty fresh lemonade! Carrie wore her pretty bronze/gold beaded dress, enhancing her femininity and grace. At 5 pm her father awaited to conduct her to her beloved. The ceremony totally reflected Carrie’s sweetness; she had taken care of the readings and completely tailored the script to their story. Simply touching!

Carrie had secretly ordered a Carrie Spade custom-made “I Married Adventure” jewel box that contained the wedding rings to surprise David at the altar. Following the Italian tradition at the end of the ceremony, bride and groom were showered by their guests with rice and petals as a symbol of good luck. Small delicate cones were hung on the guests’ chairs with the Italian classic cheer “Evviva gli sposi!” (hooray for bride and groom!) They then jumped on an antique authentic Italian Fiat 500 that David drove to the town for a great photo session with the talented Julian Kanz, brilliant photographer that has also shot a romantic engagement session for them in May. Their being world travellers was reflected in the type of reception that incorporated a mix of their favourite countries: Italy, Australia and Holland. The local restaurant owner, Luca, provided a great menu and matched David’s favourite wines: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Amarone, Australian Shiraz, Australian & New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The Dutch Grolsch beer perfectly accompanied the BBQ at the end of the evening, definitely a must for a BBQ and Grolsch aficionado like David. The highlight of the cocktails was with no doubt the Italian old-fashioned truck, the famous Ape – Piaggio, offering fried local fresh fish made and served in the cosy garden overlooking the sea. Sydney-based jazz vocalist Glynis (GT Nash) and Dj Cameron brought warmth and energy to the party. Five long tables have been laid out on the terrace of the private estate like in the classical Italian town festivals including the strings of lights around. Natural and soft pastel flowers gently decorated the tables and together with lanterns and aromatic plants added the extra romantic touch. Favours were luggage tag place cards. The night ended with the classical Italian cake and the newlyweds’ first dance.

Getting ready: Park Hotel Argento, Levanto

Ceremony: Chiesa della Madonna della Punta, Bonassola

Wedding planners: SposiamoVi Wedding Planners, Genova