An Intimate Destination Wedding Along the Amalfi Coast
{Amalfi Coast Destination Wedding}. Abbie and Nick both come from large families and after much debate decided to have a destination wedding that would reflect their lifestyle and personalities as a couple. Abbie’s maternal grandfather came from a small island in Greece, called Tilos and Nick’s paternal grandfather came from a small town outside of Naples, Italy, called Scafati. We were torn between a wedding in Greece or Italy. As travel and adventure enthusiasts, we decided to have an intimate destination wedding on the Amalfi Coast that not only would create fun and exotic memories for us, but for our guests as well.
Michela Cuomo helped us personalize the day in so many ways. She took all of our ideas and helped turn them into life. From the Greek tradition of breaking a plate for good luck, to having our own “Signature Drinks” where Michela drove 2 hours to find the key ingredients to Nick’s “Dark & Stormy” who knew Gosling’s Ginger Beer and Black Seal Rum would be difficult to find on the Amalfi Coast? 😉
Hands down…Marco the Donkey. I remember when I sent Michela an email and a photo of this beautiful bride being led into her reception by her husband on a donkey. I am pretty sure that Michela thought I was crazy. But, despite the language barrier, she responded, “everything is okay.” I remember the night before the wedding, we stayed at the Sant’ Alfonso and as I said goodnight to Michela, she assured me that everything was okay and “my husband is the donkey” and hugged me goodnight.
Naturally, this concerned me a bit. I instantly had this image of her husband dressed up in a donkey costume escorting me into the reception. Of course, I wasn’t allowed to see or speak to Nick before the wedding ceremony to express my concerns about the donkey and with the distractions of the actual wedding day, I quickly forgot about it. After the ceremony, we went off with Rochelle to take our photos and as we climbed to the 100 stairs from the Sant’ Alfonso to the top of the drive, Marco came into view. There he stood with Michela’s husband, Nicola, dressed in his wedding formal wear with the cutest smile on his face.
Abbie and Nick wanted to incorporate the natural beauty of the Sant’ Alfonso and the surrounding area. From olive tree branches to lavender, we wanted an elegant, natural and whimsical feel. Abbie grew up on a farm and loved the simplicity of the Sant’ Alfonso. Aside from the few extra DIY pieces that Michela had added, we wanted to keep everything as environmentally friendly as possible.
Once Abbie and Nick decided on the location, they went to work researching venues and areas on the Amalfi Coast as well as a date that would fit in Nick’s small window between deployments for the Navy.
Living in California, they were not able to visit any of these venues so they put a lot of faith in that everything would work out and they would be open minded. They had emailed many venues on the Amalfi Coast but they kept going back to the Agriturismo Sant’ Alfonso that Abbie had read about on a blog post by Fly Away Bride. What sealed the deal was the most genuine, professional and prompt email they received from Michela.
Advise for Upcoming Brides Planning a Destination Wedding
BE PRESENT.
It won’t matter if the bridal party attire is a little wrinkled from traveling, or that the September Italian sun has you and all of your guests sweating bullets during the ceremony. At the end of the day, you want to be reminded of the love and connection that you shared with your partner, your closest friends, and family. We will never forget the intimate moments that we experienced on that day with each and every one of our guests.
Also, make sure you have the “special reserved” wine made on the Sant’ Alfonso vineyard for your parents clearly marked and separated from the reception. Or it might end up accidentally being consumed during the 4:00am Backstreet Boys serenade by the bridal party.
