Forty-five guests, a private tower estate in Montespertoli, and a first dance that stopped the whole party — Marissa and Bailey’s wedding was Tuscany with an edge. At Antica Fattoria di Paterno, candlelight, oversized bows, and a sly nod to the 1980s turned an already stunning estate into something bolder and more personal. Green and baby blue ran through every detail, from the tablescapes to the late-night dance floor. It was glam, it was warm, and it never once felt like anyone else’s wedding but theirs.
Location: Montespertoli, Tuscany, Italy
Style: Sophisticated, Elegant, Glam
Time of planning: 1 year
Number of guests: 45
Setting: Estate
Season: Summer
Marissa and Bailey met in San Diego through mutual friends and hit it off immediately. Two weeks later, they were in Florence together — and that trip is where things officially began. What started as something spontaneous became the foundation of their relationship. Back home, they moved in together, and life since has revolved around travel, good food, and making the ordinary days count.
Bailey proposed on a trip that felt both intimate and completely unforgettable, the kind of moment that still feels like the start of something. For the wedding, the couple had one wish above all: to gather the people they love most for a weekend that felt as warm, fun, and full of life as they are.
Concept & Inspiration
The vision came together with The Couplers, the planning and design team behind every detail of the weekend. Marissa and Bailey wanted something with a strong sense of fun and a subtle nod to the 1980s — so The Couplers built the design around oversized bows, kenzan-style arrangements, and modern, sculptural floral compositions, all set against a green and baby blue palette.
The setting did plenty of the work on its own. Antica Fattoria di Paterno sits on a hilltop in Montespertoli, its 17th-century tower rising over cypress-lined gardens and rows of vineyards. With only 45 guests for the weekend, the estate felt more like a private home than a venue: bold where it needed to be, intimate everywhere else.
Bridal Fashion & Getting Ready
Marissa’s morning had a slow, easy pace — soft light, quiet laughter, the kind of calm before a day that would be anything but. Her gown balanced elegance with ease — timeless in silhouette, but cut to move.
Refined shoes carried her from ceremony to dance floor without a second thought, and her beauty look followed the same instinct: soft, luminous makeup by The Porfirio, an effortlessly polished updo, a bouquet by Scervino Flowers in whites and greens that echoed the wedding’s palette without overpowering it.
Groom's Getting Ready
Bailey kept it classic: a black tuxedo with a peaked lapel and a bow tie, tailored close and clean. A gold floral boutonniere tied his look back to Marissa’s bouquet, the one deliberate flourish on an otherwise sharp, understated suit.
He spent the morning poolside with his groomsmen, trading champagne toasts on the terrace before the ceremony. It was relaxed, low-key, exactly the kind of morning he wanted before the day picked up pace.
First Look With Bridesmaids
WedVibes usually can’t resist a good first look with the groom, but this one, with the bridesmaids, was impossible to look past. When they saw Marissa for the first time, they lit up instantly — clapping, calling out, some already laughing before she’d fully stepped into the room. There’s something about that kind of support, right before a ceremony, that steadies a bride in a way nothing else quite does.
Ceremony
The ceremony took place in the garden of Antica Fattoria di Paterno, with the Tuscan vineyards rolling out behind the guests. Marissa walked down a petal-strewn path on her parents’ arms — her mother in blush sequins, her father in a soft tan suit — toward Bailey, waiting under the shade of an old oak tree.
The setting fit exactly what the couple wanted: a modern ceremony built on natural beauty, simplicity, and elegance, refined without ever feeling stiff. Every detail was designed to let the landscape do the talking.
Afterward, both described the moment as unforgettable: pure happiness, pure gratitude. Guests felt it too, and the feedback afterward kept circling back to the same things: the setting, the understated elegance of it all, and an emotional current that ran through the entire ceremony.
Cocktail Hour
Cocktail hour spilled out across the terrace, with guests drifting between the pool and the vine draped loggia, drinks in hand. Signature cocktails, Espresso Martinis and Hugo Spritz, set an easy, celebratory tone as the golden hour light settled over the hills.
It was loose and social, the kind of stretch where conversations run long and nobody’s in a hurry to sit down. Bailey and Marissa moved through the crowd together, catching up with guests before the night ahead picked up its pace.
Pause for Portraits
After cocktail hour, the group broke off for portraits — first Marissa and Bailey alone by the pool, her veil catching the breeze, both of them at ease in front of the camera. Then the full wedding party gathered poolside for a series of group shots, easy and a little playful, everyone leaning into the moment instead of posing for it.
Behind the camera was Shaina Sterrett, shooting a mix of film and digital throughout the day. The portraits came out full and varied, from quiet, romantic frames of the couple to loose, motion-blurred shots of the bridesmaids mid-twirl, showing the range of the day, not just its highlights.
Decor & Design
The reception decor leaned into the couple’s brief: a modern take on the 1980s, with a punch of nostalgia running through it. Oversized baby blue bows wrapped around candlesticks and chair backs, paired with stylized arrangements from Scervino Flowers — sculptural, kenzan-style compositions with clean lines and a contemporary edge.
Candlelight carried the whole space, glowing along the long tablescapes and catching the silver chargers and crystal glassware set against crisp white linens. Green and baby blue ran through every surface, from the ribbon work to the low floral centerpieces, keeping the reception polished but still personal.
Reception
Dinner was catered by Delizia Ricevimenti, who kept the courses coming through toasts, speeches, and plenty of laughter around the long candlelit tables. AF Luxury Wedding handled the sound and lighting, keeping the atmosphere warm and cinematic as the evening moved from dinner into dancing.
Then the room shifted. Marissa and Bailey took their first dance to “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones, close and quiet before the party picked up around them. Surrounded by candlelight and their closest guests, it became one of the most memorable moments of the entire day for the couple.
Not long after, their cake, a classic millefoglie, was assembled live in front of guests, part dessert, part showcooking.
From there, Tasten’ Sax took over, weaving live saxophone through DJ Ghigo Certosini’s set as the dance floor filled up fast. Marissa was right in the middle of it, laughing, dancing, pulling everyone else along with her.
By the time the night wound down, she’d changed into something easier to dance in, still glowing, still surrounded by the same people who’d cheered her on that morning. It was, in every sense, exactly the celebration she and Bailey had set out to have.
Advice from the couple:
• Marissa and Bailey’s advice is simple: build a day that reflects who you actually are, not what’s expected or trending. Simplicity and authenticity go further than people think, and surrounding yourself with vendors who understand your vision makes all the difference.
• Their other piece of advice: pause. Take moments throughout the day just to breathe and take it in — it moves faster than anyone expects, and those quiet seconds are the ones you’ll want to remember most.
PLANNER & DESIGN The Couplers | PHOTOGRAPHER Shaina Sterrett | VENUE Antica Fattoria di Paterno | FLORAL Scervino Flowers | CATERER Delizia Ricevimenti | MUAH The Porfirio | SOUND & LIGHTS AF Luxury Wedding | SAX Tasten’ Sax | DJ Ghigo Certosini
