A Wedding in the Rolling Hills of Tuscany

Set within the rolling hills of Tuscany, Anastasia and Marc said their vows beneath towering trees of an old farmhouse. The natural beauty of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa set the tone at this classic Italian wedding styled with a minimalist color palette of white and green. White roses were paired with olive branches and eucalyptus leaves along a single long table seating almost a hundred people for the reception dinner, which was held outside in the pebbled courtyard beneath the historic stone facade of the farmhouse. Overhanging chandeliers and tall white candles added to the romantic atmosphere of a wedding in the rolling hills of Tuscany.

Dominik from Emotional Perspective captured the emotive story.

Our Story

Names /  Anastasia Spataro & Marc Kraut

Location / Tuscany, Italy

Wedding Date / August 26th, 2022

Guest Numbers / 94

How We Met

We have known each other since kindergarten. We would see each other every year at my cousin’s birthday parties. I can still remember Marc as a child. Then, we stopped seeing each other for 10 years. I had just turned 18 and we met again through my cousin while partying together at a disco. A week later we arranged to go to the cinema for our first date. Two hours later, he drove into the back of a pizza delivery car. That didn’t prevent us from ending up together. Since that day, we have been inseparable. The thing with us, Italy and pizza was certainly no coincidence. We said yes to each other 4778 days later.

Our Engagement Story

The marriage proposal was a surprise in Italy. For our 10th anniversary we had planned a week’s vacation. In the vineyards of Sicily at sunset Marc made an incredibly romantic marriage proposal. He had already located a small agriturismo in advance and discussed everything with the operator. Our table had been beautifully set and decorated and we were served prosecco and small appetizers on the terrace. We stood as a couple on the terrace and watched the sunset. Marc’s heart was beating so loudly that I noticed it. When I asked him what was going on, he got down on his knees and took a ring box out of his pocket and asked me if I wanted to be his wife. I had already wondered why he had a jacket with him to dinner. It was the perfect moment and wonderfully prepared by him. I was overjoyed and I wear my engagement ring with pride every day.

What we love most about each other…

We are convinced that our love is made for eternity. That is why our wedding rings are engraved “Forever and ever”. We respect and love each other for our unwavering and unconditional love of one another. We compliment each other in many areas of life, and we can laugh, cry, deep talk and enjoy life together.

Anastasia: What I love about Marc is his truthfulness, he does not pretend. Marc has high moral and ethical values. Marc has a hard time dealing with injustice and stands up for his values in all circumstances. He is well-read and eloquent, incredibly polite and a rambunctious person. He’s fun to be with, an excellent host, and he makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world every day. Marc stands with both feet in life, he knows exactly what he wants and what not. He pursues all goals so single-mindedly and persistently that I am a little envious of his discipline. And the most important thing: he brings me coffee in bed every morning!

Marc: What I love about Anastasia is that she has such a big heart and always stands by me. She is determined and hardworking and has a fighter’s heart. I love her especially in the moments when something becomes too much for me and I feel like the world is spinning way too fast. She is the only one who knows how to stop the world. I love Anastasia for being loud and also calm and sensitive, just for being everything I have ever wished and dreamed of. I love her for the countless morning dances that always bring a smile to my face. When she smiles at me, my world is in equilibrium and all worries disappear.

The Setting

Wedding Location

Our wedding location was a Private Agriculture venue in Tavernelle Val di Pesa, Italy. The love of Italy, good food, sunshine and my roots brought us to the rolling hills of Tuscany. We love the Mediterranean and have always wanted an outdoor wedding. Since traveling to Sicily, where my parents are from, would have been too far for our guests, we chose an equally Mediterranean and culinary region of Italy.

Aesthetic

We wanted an elegant Mediterranean wedding that would match the ambience. The decoration enhanced the beauty of the rolling hills of Tuscany instead of distracting from it. Therefore, many colors were out of the question for us.

Preparation

The “getting ready” took place at the location itself. Both the bridesmaids and the groom’s boys got gifts from us. We wanted to thank them for organizing great bachelor parties abroad for us. The moms received a flower arm band from us and  the fathers the matching boutonniere. Our parents also received a small letter. I, the bride, got dressed in the secondary location which was 5 minutes away. I wanted to spend the moments just before the wedding in peace with my maids of honor. From there my dad picked me up in the car and gave me my bridal bouquet.

Photography

Dominik from Emotional Perspective captured our day. Even before the first request we liked his pictures and the way he photographed. However, after a personal meeting it was clear – he was the one! We are infinitely grateful that he came from Germany to our wedding. His pictures convey so much emotion and love and let us dive back to the day of our wedding every time. We would recommend him wholeheartedly.

Style Notes

Ceremony Décor

Simple, classy, Mediterranean with lots of olive branches and white accents was the decor we went for.

Reception Décor

It has always been a dream of ours to celebrate outdoors at a long table in this beautiful setting with our loved ones. The long table was set with lots of greenery and white accents as a runner in the middle of the table. The stem candles in white also reflected the simple elegance. An absolute highlight were the wonderful hanging chandeliers. It was a fairytale to see the chandeliers shine during dinner.

Wedding Planner & Stylist

Maike from the The Honeycomb managed everything on the day of the wedding. Together, we planned everything down to the last detail. At the wedding she took over with her team. In particular, a daytime escort on the day of the wedding was very important to us and we would recommend it to any bride and groom. We were only able to enjoy this unique day thanks to Maike, the best wedding planner!

Flowers

Since we are both rather simple and minimalist people, it was clear that this would be reflected in the flowers. Our decision to use a lot of green especially with the olive branches and plain white roses was decided to emulate the rolling hills of Tuscany and the beauty in their simplicity. My bridal bouquet was to be equally elegant and not distract from my dress.  The long stemmed white roses were perfect…. The bridesmaids bouquets were bouquets of white roses, lysianthus and green olive branches and a little eucalyptus greenery. So were the boutonnieres of the groom and fathers all designed by I Fiori Chiara.

Stationery

Our save the date cards were the labels on wine bottles with the link to our self-made website. The wine came from Piedmont and were produced for us by a great agriturismo “Canadin“. We designed the label with a friend and created a website to provide all the information to our guests. The rest of the stationery was created for us by another talented friend. The vows came from AK Papaterie. She is incredibly creative and does everything herself with a lot of love.

Cake

Since we ourselves are not too big fans of cake we decided for a Millefeuille from our caterer, L’Aurora Catering. This was also a way to combine a classic with a delicious dessert.

Fashion & Beauty Notes

Bride’s Dress & Shoes

While getting inspired on Instagram and Pinterest I discovered my passion for Australian brands. They have an innate simple elegance to them. For the eve of our wedding, at the Welcome Pizza Party, I wore a dress from Made with Love Bridal. On my wedding day, I wore a fit and flare wedding dress from Madi Lane. My shoes were made for me by Flordeasoka. I got them through a bridal fashion store called Experinate. I wanted shoes that would fit the wedding as well as be worn later.

Wedding Rings, Jewelry & Accessories

Both my engagement ring and our wedding rings are from 77 Diamonds. Our wedding rings are absolutely classic and look identical and bear the engraving “Forever and ever”. I didn’t want further jewelry to distract from the dress and wore only rose gold earrings.

Hair & Makeup

With Flo Beauty I already had a trial makeup and trial hairstyle 1 year before. We tried a lot with the hair, but in the end I chose the most natural option. I didn’t want to look dressed up on our wedding day and have to ask myself years later why I wore a hairstyle that I would never wear otherwise. The makeup also look natural.

Groomsmen Attire

Marc had his complete outfit including shoes tailored by Stilwolf. The advice was excellent and so was the result.

Wedding Songs

First Dance: “I Follow” by Loi

Entertainment

We had a folk music trio for the pizza party the night before. The mood was great and the atmosphere was magical listening to the Italian classics live at sunset while eating pizza. Both before the wedding ceremony and for the apertivo, and dinner we had put together our own playlists over months. After, our friends surprised us with a flasmob. Then, the DJ duo Butch Voyage created a great atmosphere until the sun came up.

Celebrant

Our free wedding ceremony was designed by Kathrin Dobmann. She had met us 2 times beforehand and held a wonderful wedding speech. Together, we designed moments of the wedding such as the wedding ritual of the wine box.

Readings

We wrote a personal letter to our guests. All of our guests opened the letters during the ceremony and read the lines we wrote to them. Everything got very emotional. We took the opportunity to tell all our loved ones how we felt about them. It was so touching and we would do it again anytime. We read our vows to each other during the ceremony. Also, my dad, the father of the bride, gave a wonderful speech even though it was difficult for him. Our siblings also surprised us with a speech during the dinner and we were very happy about these beautiful, emotional, and funny speeches.

Our Advice

A memorable moment…

In the rolling hills of Tuscany it had not rained for 3 months and on the day of our wedding it started to thunder and rain lightly just before the ceremony. I was sad about it, but my dad told me there is a saying in Italy: “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata” which means “wet bride becomes a happy bride”. So I resigned myself to the fact that I would be lucky but have a rainy wedding ceremony. But in the course of the wedding ceremony, the rain started to stop and for our vows and ring exchange, the sun came out right between us. It just showed us how magical and unforgettable the rolling hills of Tuscany are.

One thing I wish I knew before I started my wedding plans…

When planning a wedding, especially abroad, it feels like you go two steps forwards and one step back. But with perseverance and love, you can create something grandiose for the day. And for the grooms: Be patient with your bride, this time too shall pass.

Our Contacts

Wedding Venue /  Private Agriculture venue in Tavernelle Val di Pesa, Italy

Wedding Stylist & Planner /The Honeycomb

Photography /   Emotional Perspective

Bride’s Dress /  Madi Lane

Bride’s Shoes /  Flordeasoka

Wedding Rings /  77 Diamonds

Hair & Make up /  Flo Beauty

Stationery / Canadin 

Florist /  I Fiori Chiara

Cake & Catering /  L’Aurora Catering

Celebrant /  Kathrin Dobmann

Entertainment /   Butch Voyage & Music & Co Italy