Couture in the Countryside: Claudia + Chris’ Tuscan Garden Wedding
Photography: Olivia & Daniel
Set above Florence in the sculpted gardens of Villa Gamberaia, Claudia and Chris’ wedding unfolded like a curated exhibition. Hong Kong-born art-world bride Claudia Chow led the vision, pairing a Zuhair Murad gown with sculptural Flowersliving florals and a candlelit garden dinner that felt more gallery opening than garden party. From vows in the cypress-lined grotto to mille-feuille and sparkler fountains under the stars, every detail balanced couture polish with effortless Italian classicism.
Love Story
“Chris and I met at Tommorowland in 2016. We found out quickly that we went to the same university and were in the same year. So we would have been in the same room many times before. Although we didn't start dating until 2022, it was kismet!” ~ Claudia
The Engagement
“Claudia had told me on one of our early dates her dream proposal, and I duly noted it down for future use, as any doting partner would. A couple of years later, when it came to that time, I started bringing this idea to life — only for Claudia to find out when we were away in Italy and decide she had changed her mind.
In the end I pretended I was going ahead with the original idea, when we would be going to Venice in March, and then hatched a plan to come up with a surprise before then.
That surprise ended up being quite complicated — a much longer story — but in short, it happened in Hong Kong at a suite in the Rosewood, and then we spent a few days in Kyoto and Osaka afterwards.” ~ Chris
Why Italy?
“We've really loved all the time we've spent in Italy over the years — some of our most special moments have been there. Claudia also did a Master’s in Art History at the Courtauld, specialising in Renaissance Florentine art. It felt like the natural fit.” ~ Chris
The Venue
“We knew very early on we wanted to get married in Italy, and quickly narrowed it to Tuscany — proximity to an airport was essential, since guests were travelling from Asia, Australia and the US. Once we visited Villa Gamberaia, it was a no-brainer: stunning, close to Florence (a city that means so much to us), and easy to get to. It ticked all our boxes.”
The Bridal Style
“On our wedding day, I wore a beautiful dress by Zuhair Murad with a custom-made veil. The dress felt like "me" from the moment I put it on, and I was able to alter it to give me two looks. My veil had a beautiful thick lace border, which I had embroidered with our custom wedding logo, and a small sapphire pendant as my something blue. Later, for a night of dancing, I changed into a dress by Safiyaa.” ~ Claudia
The Groom’s Style
“I thought it was only fair if I also got an outfit change. Beggar’s Run in Shoreditch, made two different dinner jackets for me and a host of different shirts, I couldn’t recommend them more. On the day, Claudia’s mother gifted me a lovely timepiece from Breguet and vintage Buccellati cufflinks and studs.” ~ Chris
Stand Out Moment
“We think it's really hard to pick a single standout moment, as there were so many special moments, and they were all so different.”
“The first moment I saw Claudia walking down the aisle — seeing how beautiful she looked, I thought how lucky I am.” ~ Chris
“Even though I teared up quite a lot, as did many others, Chris's speech was so heartfelt.” ~ Claudia
The Aesthetic
“We wanted our wedding to feel elegant and classic, but with contemporary, personal touches — timeless enough that we'd look back on it in years to come without it feeling dated.”
Special Touches
“Rather than a conventional seating chart, we wrote a personal letter to each guest, with their seating placement noted on the envelope. It was a small gesture, but one that made the day feel more intimate.”
“Flowersliving (the team behind Millie Bobby Brown's wedding) designed a modern palette of hydrangeas, garden roses, phalaenopsis orchids, dahlias, pink anthurium, and trailing amaranthus.” ~ Olivia Ruggeri, photographer
The Food
“Good food is really important to us both; it is our shared passion and something we've travelled all over the world for. We were thrilled with what Delizia brought to the table on the day. Two exquisite pasta courses, a beautifully cooked beef fillet, and a millefeuille made live all stood out. Even now, our friends still bring up how good the food was at our wedding.”
Anything you’d change?
“We don't regret skipping a videographer, but in hindsight, it would have been worth asking someone in the wedding party to film the speeches — just so we could relive them again and again.”
Best Money Spent
“Olivia Soldi, our wedding planner, and her team. We really couldn't have come close to the amazing weekend we had without them — they did an incredible job throughout the whole process. The venue and high-quality food and drink were up there too.”
The Budget
“I think we went quite a bit over budget in the end. Although Olivia was organised with a meticulous spreadsheet and budgeting, there are lots of little things you don't account for initially (day-before, wet weather backup options) or nice ideas you have along the way (gifts for the wedding party and wedding merch). But we have zero regrets about the extra spend — all those things helped make it such a special day.” ~ Chris
Advice for Couples
“A really fantastic wedding planner, it would have been a herculean task without Olivia and her team.”
Did you use La Lista when planning?
“Yes! We leaned heavily on the venue listings early on — it helped us narrow down areas in Italy and get a feel for the kind of venue and vibe we wanted. We also read through plenty of real wedding entries for inspiration, which is actually how we discovered our wonderful wedding planners, Olivia and Sveva. ”
VENDOR TEAM
Venue: Villa Gamberaia | Photography: Olivia & Daniel | Wedding Planner: Olivia Sodi | Florals: Flowers Living | Catering & Cake: Delizia Ricevimenti | Stationery: Tuscan Lab | Hair & Makeup: Elena Puggelli | Dress: Zuhair Murad | Entertainment: All The Feels
Categories
PLANNING | REAL WEDDING | SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT | INSPIRATION | WANDERLUST
