Alessia and Lou's Tenuta Tegolato Wedding
What was your wedding venue (ceremony & reception) and why did you choose there?
Our wedding venue was the beautiful Tenuta Tegolato in Tuscany.
It was our wedding planner Rosy (Wedding In Wonderland) who found it for us.
We went to see a few venues before but when we arrived at Tenuta Tegolato we immediately knew it was the one as it complemented our vision perfectly. It was laid back but incredibly tasteful at the same time.
When we met the owners, Doreen and Anthony, we immediately felt at home. We had a lot of guests flying over from the UK so we wanted them to have a great time and make a little holiday out of it. Tenuta Tegolato was perfect because it had beautiful apartments where our guests could sleep and a gorgeous pool where we had a pool party the day after the wedding.
What is your proposal story?
Lou asked me to marry him in July 2021, a year before we got married. We were on holiday in Elba Island, a place which is really dear to me as that’s where I have often been going on holiday with my friends since I was a teenager. He planned a beachside picnic at sunset and asked me in Italian with a ring and a bottle of champagne. He had also brought a small speaker and played some old school Italian classics which was very cute. It was a no-frills affair and it felt absolutely perfect. Afterwards we went for dinner to celebrate with my brother and sister in law which was a lovely way to end such a happy day.
Did you have a wedding theme/style? If so, tell me about it please.
We didn’t have a theme in mind so just brainstormed ideas with Rosy as they came up.
We knew we wanted things to be chic but without being over the top, but our main vision was for the day to be as fun as possible for us and for our guests, so we kept this in mind when budgeting and used most of our budget towards what mattered the most for us. We were very lucky because our venue was stunning as it was and it didn’t need to be decorated much.
Because this was both an Italian and an English wedding, we decided to incorporate traditions from both countries which we really enjoyed, we had speeches during the dinner and one of my bridesmaids printed translations for all the guests so that everyone felt included. We had lots of traditional Tuscan food which was a hit with both our English and Italian guests.
How did you and your now Husband meet?
Louis and I met on Tinder back in November 2015. We both live in London and we were actually living quite close to each other at the time - we also discovered that we were hanging out in a lot of the same places, so I am sure we had crossed paths before then.
Fun fact: Lou was my first and only Tinder date. When I downloaded the app, I never expected my experience with dating apps to be that short (and successful I guess!).
How did you hear about Prea James Bridal?
I was following some wedding photographers and stumbled upon some brides wearing Prea’s gowns.
It was love at first sight and I immediately knew I wanted to wear one of her creations.
I did some research to find who was stocking her dresses in London and booked an appointment at Lovely Bride, a wedding boutique in Fitzrovia.
From where did you purchase your gown?
Lovely Bride London
What do you love most about the gown?
I bought my gown the first day I went dress shopping, it didn’t take me long at all to choose!
As soon as they fitted the Tyler gown on I decided that it was the perfect dress for me. I knew that I wanted to feel special and elegant but I wanted something minimal and chic
I knew I wasn’t into lace or sequins or any sort of sparkle.I tried other Prea gowns on that day and loved them all, but decided that Tyler best reflected my style.
Plus I liked the fact that it was a two piece - it made it cool and different and meant that I could find ways to wear it again. I think Prea’s designs are truly stunning and the materials she uses are so flattering. I also bought the Chloe wrap top for the evening, which I am looking forward to pairing again with the top for special occasions in future.
Are there any special details about your wedding that you would like to share? (A particular reason you chose the venue, or the date, or did you have a special ritual in your day that was important to you?)
The date of our wedding is also my brother’s birthday. My brother was my witness and we share an amazing bond, so it was nice to have two occasions to celebrate. When we cut our cake we also had a birthday cake for Luca and everyone sang happy birthday to him which I loved - it made the night that little bit more special.
My favourite part of the day were the speeches, we spent the dinner alternating between laughter and tears and I felt so emotional and so fortunate to have all those amazing people there celebrating with me.
I also loved getting ready in the morning with my three best friends. We did each other’s make up and had a real laugh, it was lovely to have them there helping me keep my cool!
Were there any details that you (and friends and family) made yourselves?
We sorted all our own music with the help of some of our guests who are DJs. We knew exactly all the genres that we wanted to listen to during the day so we chose to sort this ourselves and didn’t hire any bands or extra DJs. Lou and I played a set on the night of the wedding which was one of my highlights. In all fairness he played, and I just chose my favourite songs :)
Finally, Do you have any words of wisdom for couples planning their big day? This can be to do with any part of the wedding – eg, planning, budget, or the day itself.
I know that this is what everyone says but it really couldn’t be truer: just make sure to have fun and enjoy the day!
It’s easy to get stuck on the small details but when you are there these small things will only mean so much.
The most important thing is to remember to enjoy being present on the day, and if some small details don’t go to plan just try not to hold on to them.
When it comes to looks, I think it can be very stressful to know that you’ll be the centre of attention and have so many eyes on you all day, and it may put a lot of pressure on thinking you need to look or act a certain way.
But remember you’ll look your absolute best if you are having loads of fun and everyone there is rooting for you. We had the time of our lives and when I look back at our pictures I can still feel it.
Wedding Vendors
Photographer: Alex Wysocki Photography
Alex Wysocki did an amazing job at capturing the essence of the day perfectly. It was lovely to have her with us on the day and I will be forever grateful for these pics!
Hair & Makeup:
Hair: Chicks Hair on IG: @chicks_hair
I did my own make up :)
Wedding Co-ordinator: Rosy Strati
Very thankful to Rosy for helping us plan a three-day destination wedding with lots of guests flying from abroad, not an easy task! She cares about her couples so much and is so passionate about her work.
Francesca at Divina Fortezza was the venue’s planner and she was also extremely kind and helpful.
Florist: Angriflor Fiori
Stationery: Papier
Caterer: Royal Catering
Most delicious traditional Tuscan food and a real pleasure to deal with.
DJ and sound equipment: Duccio Mitola
Instagram: @cls_service
Accessories (Veil/headpiece/jewellery)
Jewellery: Alighieri
Headpieces: @14.quatorze from Net A Porter
Shoes: Acquazzurra
Bridesmaids Dresses: Rewritten Bridesmaid
Groom & Groomsmen’s Suits: Edit Suits Bond Street
