Ismeria & Maarten | Florence, Italy

Wedding

GREAT-GATSBY- INSPIRED WEDDING AT VILLA CORSINI IN TUSCANY

Ismeria and Maarten are a Swiss-Italian & Dutch couple of globetrotters and journey lovers. They met while working in Dubai, got engaged in North Korea, recently settled in Amsterdam and soon after their wedding they set on for an 18-month trip around the world. When they got in touch with us to shoot their wedding at Villa Corsini in Florence we were certain we’d be in for a treat.

It’s not every day we get to document a wedding at a Medieval villa, let alone the stunning Villa Corsini a Mezzomonte, one of the last Medici residences still privately owned. Initially bought by Lorenzo the Magnificent in 1480, the grand establishment was frescoed and decorated in 1630 to the request of Prince Giovanni Carlo de Medici (one of the most renowned members of the historic Florentine family) to serve as his banquet and celebration venue. Needless to say, it was the perfect place for Ismeria and Maarten to tie the knot, surrounded by their dearest and closest and throw a party in the style of Great Gatsby’s Summer Afternoons.

Their big day in the Tuscan land was greeted with soft morning mist that soon turned to gorgeous milky light that showered the pea-green vineyards and golden wheat fields around us.

As the couple’s majority of guests were close friends from around the world, the bride and groom wished to offer them a true Italian countryside experience with personal touches (see the Great Gatsby font seating charts, aperitivo map and menus they designed themselves), as well as a non-traditional affair. In lieu of a typical vow exchange and ring ceremony, they decided to go with personally addressed speeches and had each and everyone of their loved ones thanked for their presence.

With picnic carpets and cushions on the lawn, the great area of the English garden (giardino all’inglese) was filled with corners to entertain cigar lovers, cocktail fans, foodies, and even chess and checkers, card and table-football enthusiasts.

The jazz band who are personal friends of the bride played non-stop, while the Galleria – the dinner place – was set to perfection with golden candle lights, a variety of eucalyptus, fern, ruscus, ivory, and lisianthus, Chiavari seating, and gold rim flatware.

As the party reached its peak, we all chipped in making the wedding cake, a giant traditional millefeuille with chantilly cream covered with berries and sugar veil. What a better thing to have fun and to wish a sweet life to those big-hearted sweethearts!