An Elegant and Timeless Wedding at Villa La Rondinaia in Ravello, Italy
Emily and Jonathan weren’t looking for anything serious when they first met. Both had recently gotten out of long-term relationships and were “far from ready” to start a new one. As soon as they had their first date, however, plans changed.
“We were inseparable and said, ‘I love you’ after only three weeks of knowing each other,” Emily shares. “I know it sounds cliché, but when you know, you know.”
Wedding Dreams in Ravello
To plan their wedding, Emily and Jonathan teamed up with Alessia Santa of White Emotion, based in Italy. Emily had always dreamed of getting married in Italy, so they soon began searching the country for the perfect wedding venue, traveling from Florence to Puglia to Siena. Just as Emily thought Tuscany would be the winning wedding destination, a “twist of fate” changed everything.
“My parents were on a ski trip to Sun Valley when they met a couple who raved about a wedding they’d attended in Ravello the previous summer,” she says, “calling it one of the most magical places in the world. My mom called me right away and urged me to look into it. I immediately emailed Alessia, and soon, we were diving into a whole new venue search focused on Ravello. Alessia mentioned a brand-new venue that had just started hosting weddings, and the moment she showed it to us, I fell in love. We decided to book it sight unseen, even though neither Jonathan nor I had ever been to the Amalfi Coast before.”
In July of 2023, the couple traveled to see Villa La Rondinaia for the first time—and it couldn’t have been more perfect.
“I’ll never forget arriving in Ravello, seeing the view for the first time, and feeling chills all over my body despite the 90-plus degree heat,” Emily adds. “Everything just felt so right. The next day, during our venue tour, we were welcomed by a staff who quickly became like family and a setting that immediately claimed the top spot as our favorite place in the world. I’ll always remember standing on the balcony where Jonathan and I would do our first look 11 months later, looking out over the Amalfi Coast with the boats below and the pristine white villa behind us, feeling so overwhelmed by the beauty and love that I couldn’t help but cry.”
The Guest Experience and Wedding Details
From the start, the couple knew they wanted to create a guest experience that was elevated, elegant, and tasteful. Although a three-day wedding weekend in Italy is an experience in and of itself, they wanted to ensure the trip was worth everyone’s while by providing the full range of Italian comforts.
The weekend began with a classic, Trattoria-style welcome party, which was the perfect warm-up to the more formal elegance of the wedding day. Before the weekend was over, the newlyweds also treated their guests to a vibey post-wedding pool party. Throughout the events, they truly leaned into the natural beauty of Italy and their wedding venue, using it as a focal point whenever possible.
Among the bride’s favorite design elements was the wedding stationery.
“I worked with Jasmin from Linden Illustrations for over a year to curate the perfect wedding stationery—from save the dates, to formal invitations, to stationery for each day of the wedding weekend,” she explains. “This was a very personal element and one where I felt we could really get creative in a tasteful way. I knew I wanted our wedding day to feel timeless and elegant, and our wedding stationery reflected that. It pulled in designs from our save the dates (which were a bit more playful) and incorporated gold foil and debossing to really encapsulate that timeless, classy feel.”
The florals were another labor of love, having spent weeks trying to strike a balance between colorful blooms and Ravello’s natural surroundings.
“I wanted lush, full foliage without too much greenery, and didn’t want too many colors so that it didn’t distract from the stunning scenery,” Emily describes. “Our ceremony and reception were in a garden, so it was also important to me that the naturally growing flowers shine on their own as well. Lastly, our arch was just spectacular and I actually didn’t get a chance to preview it before walking down the aisle; but I could not have been happier with it. The white arch with the blush garden roses and peonies scattered throughout was the perfect contrast to the blue ocean behind us.”
An Elegant and Timeless Wedding Celebration
Emily and Jonathan’s Ravello wedding celebration was elegant and timeless—a picture of classic romance that encapsulated everything they’d envisioned. The bride was adamant about not having any trendy or overly-modern elements for the wedding day, whether it be the design or QR code photo albums. Instead, she wanted to make sure they could look back on photos in 50 years and still love the aesthetics they chose, from the florals to the chairs.
Throughout dinner, a string quartet performed a selection of the couple’s favorite classical pieces, including Tchaikovsky’s “Pas de Deux” from The Nutcracker and “Air on the G String” by Bach. The wedding day also took place during the full Strawberry Moon, which served to illuminate the sky. Beneath the moon, guests dined at two long tables dressed with floral runners, an abundance of candles, and hanging chandeliers that created a romantic ambiance.
“Jonathan and I were truly beaming on our wedding day,” Emily reflects. “It was wholeheartedly the best day of my life and I felt like I was walking on a cloud all day long. The love during the day was radiating and infectious. Honestly, every single one of our vendors absolutely exceeded our expectations and there was no way we could have pulled off our dream wedding weekend without them.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: Villa La Rondinaia; Planning & Event Design: White Emotion Events; Floral Design: Flover; Rentals: G&G Parter Service; Lighting: Antares; Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier; Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo; Afterparty Dress: Oscar de la Renta; Hair & Makeup: Beauty Livery; Groom’s Attire: Suit Supply; Groom’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin; Groom’s Watch: Rolex; Cufflinks: David Yurman; Cinematography: Alberto D’Aria; Photography: Liz Andolina