A Charming Italian Countryside Wedding at Castello Di Vincigliata in Fiesole, Italy

“We met on the first day of MBA and we were assigned to sit next to each other,” says Christie about her first encounter with Winson. “He had a very British accent. Growing up in Canada, I didn’t know anyone in life with that accent – especially an Asian person. It was very interesting to me.” As Winson recalls, “I thought she was the prettiest girl I’ve ever met, and I was so lucky to sit next to her.”

After an afternoon nap during a holiday in Bali, Winson told Christie he had a surprise for her. A car took the two to a dock where a yacht was waiting. “I was surprised, because he is not usually the poshest person,” Christie describes. “We went around the islands and then at sunset, he played “Grow Old with Me” by Tom Odell and popped the question.”

At the beginning of their wedding planning process, Winson and Christie decided they would host three wedding celebrations so both sets of parents could have a dinner “their way.” The couple would also have full control over the small, intimate wedding they wanted. “We wanted to have it in Italy because we spent a few months there as exchange students during MBA, and that was the best time of our lives,” Christie explains. “We searched for wedding planners in Italy online and found Sara and Infinity Weddings. We met with Sara in December, saw the venues, and it took off from there.”

On the day of the wedding, the bride and groom spent the morning writing their vows. By the time the ceremony arrived, both were relaxed, overwhelmed with joy, and relishing in the entire experience.

For the reception, the couple let Sara and Infinity Weddings take the lead in creating the décor scheme. Sara conceptualized a chic jungle theme, which ended up surpassing their expectations. As guests walked through the gate and into the courtyard, they were surrounded by a scene reminiscent of a Henri Rousseau painting.

“I was even more stunned because I have seen the courtyard at Vincigliata before, and I have seen many photos of other weddings in the same courtyard,” the bride adds. “It was completely transformed for our night.”

One of the highlights of the wedding reception was the Italian wedding cake. For many of the guests, it was their first time watching an Italian wedding cake being made live. The cake was so delicious, in fact, that one of the bridesmaids spoke to the caterer and ended up taking all the leftover cake back to the hotel.

“At the end of the day we had the best party,” Christie reflects. “Everyone had a lot to drink and had a lot of fun. We were simply happy all-around.”