Location: Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Setting: Villa
Season: Summer
How long did the couple plan the event: 4 months
Number of guests: 75
Wedding theme/style: Italian summer glam.
Farah and James are from the U.S. but always knew they would want a destination wedding since many family members lived abroad and for whom it would have been difficult to travel to the U.S. Italy was an easy choice since it is one of their favorite destinations in the whole world although they were unsure of where would be the ideal setting.
Brenda Babcock, the couple’s wedding planner, suggested Ravello and Villa Cimbrone as the ideal location and they loved it immediately. Coincidentally the couple have a painting in their living room of the legendary Infinity Terrace at Villa Cimbrone; it was purchased 12 years earlier by the groom on a trip to the Amalfi Coast who thought it was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen. It was meant to be!
The couple loved Villa Cimbrone for its undeniable grandeur and beauty and also for its vastness. The villa, with its massive gardens, overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, the Amalfi Coastline, and the surrounding mountains in equal measure. In addition the villa boasts 19 hotel rooms onsite where they were able to stay for several days together with their closest family and friends.
The couple was lucky to have snagged a last-minute cancellation for what became their wedding dates. The wedding was planned over the span of just four short months from abroad. Brenda Babcock was instrumental in making the couple’s dream wedding come together with the many vendors and a myriad of details. She found a number of sweet touches—from designing and producing the custom ceramic tables for the welcome dinner to personalized limoncello bottles to hand-painted fans—all of which added to the charm quotient of the wedding.
They kicked off the wedding weekend with a festive welcome dinner. The bride wanted the theme to scream Summer in Italy—complete with lots of bright and vibrant florals, citrus fruit, limoncello, and an Italian folk group. The custom-designed dinner tables were made from hand-painted ceramic tiles typical of the Amalfi Coast. It was the perfect touch and set the mood for the evening.
The bride had a very specific idea for what she wanted in a wedding dress but, with only a 4-month window, was in quite a predicament. Farah tried on dresses for weeks with no luck, and time was running out.
She luckily reached Ines Di Santo, who was gracious enough to design and make the dress in just a few short months. A couple of sketches later the bride’s dream wedding gown came to life. Farah’s favorite feature was the detachable skirt, which she wore for the ceremony and portraits but then removed for the cocktail hour and dinner.
The ceremony was in the iconic gardens overlooking a seemingly endless stretch of the Mediterranean. A highlight of the wedding was that it knit together the different traditions of the newlyweds: “The couple wanted to have a Western wedding but one that incorporated the Iranian wedding tradition of the “sofreh aghd” explained Brenda Babcock.
First, their close friend from Dallas officiated the western ceremony, after which followed an integral Persian ritual. The couple sat in front of the sofreh aghd table decorated with honey and sweets, eggs and walnuts, rose water, seven spices, coins, wild rice, candles, and a mirror. Each item has a symbolic meaning to bless the newlywed couple for their new life together. Happily married women held a cloth over the couple’s heads as others rubbed sugar cones together on top of the cloth to shower their marriage with sweetness.
After the ceremony, guests were treated to a cocktail hour on the Infinity Terrace, where they marveled at the stunning Amalfi Coastline stretched out before them. Meanwhile, Farah and James savored a quiet moment together, exquisitely captured by their photographer, Jose Villa.
Set in the historic crypt, the space was transformed into a beautiful setting ideal for an intimate dinner. The strong stone columns and vaulted ceilings provided a dramatic yet delicate backdrop, beautifully enhanced by hanging roses and greenery from Malafronte Fiori, which filled the air with the scent of fresh blooms.
The tables were beautifully decorated, covered with a rich variety of flowers ranging from gentle pastels to vivid pinks and whites, complementing the natural beauty of the crypt. Scattered candles cast a warm, welcoming light, reflecting off fine glassware, adding a magical touch to the atmosphere.
Elegant stationery from Momental Designs added a sophisticated touch to the tablescape, with each menu and place card carefully designed to match the wedding’s theme.
The festivities culminated back in the gardens with the cake-cutting and an after-dinner dance party featuring the famed Inspiration Live Music band from Paris.
At midnight, the dance party gave way to a silent disco that lasted late into the night. “The guests raved that it was the most fun wedding they had ever been to,” shared the bride. Not only was it spectacularly beautiful in every way, but there was a surprise for them around every corner, never knowing what was next in store for them.
Advice from the couple:
• Invest in your photographer and videographer. The day goes by so quickly, and pictures and videos are what we remember from the day. Marco and Jose are true artists and talented in what they do, making reliving the moments much more enjoyable.
PLANNING & DESIGN Brenda Babcock | VENUE Villa Cimbrone | PHOTOGRAPHER Jose Villa | VIDEOGRAPHER Marco Caputo | FLORALS Malafronte Fiori | MUAH Botias Hair and Makeup | DRESS & VEIL Ines Di Santo | BRIDE’S SHOES Gianvitto Rossi | SUIT Ermenegildo Zegna | GROOM’S SHOES Christian Louboutin | INVITATIONS Momental Designs | RECEPTION DECOR Ravello Backstage, Brenda Babcock Celebrations | SOFREH AGHD Mimmo Sadeghi | DESSERTS Rose Cakes Rome, Brenda Babcock Celebrations | BAND Inspiration Live Music | STAGE LK Event Wedding | RENTALS GEG Party Service, F&G Eventi, Preludio Divisione Noleggio
