Selena + Max’s vintage-inspired multi-day wedding in the Tuscan hills

real wedding
Written By Sophie Harding

Selena + Max’s story began far from Tuscany, in a small bar in West LA, a chance meeting that quickly turned into love at first sight. With roots spanning Germany, Honduras, Serbia and Croatia, and a shared life now in Los Angeles, the idea of an intimate Italian wedding felt like a natural extension of who they are and where they come from. Drawn to Italy’s old-world charm and layered history, they rounded up their closest people for a multi-day celebration in the Tuscan hills. The result was an effortlessly romantic wedding filled with wild florals, vintage details and soft, hazy summer light, a weekend that felt beautifully considered and entirely their own

The Love Story

“We met in a small bar in west LA while I was on a work trip, I was visiting from NYC where I lived at the time! It was definitely love at first sight, Max came up with his friend asking if we (me and my friend) wanted to have a drink together. The rest is history!”

The Engagement

“We got engaged in Aspen, CO after two years of dating! Max proposed in a snowy field with the Maroon Bells mountains in the distance… After he proposed, we spent the weekend skiing and enjoying the snowy town. We decided to keep our engagement a secret until we came back to LA.”

The Planning

I planned a lot of our wedding myself and even debated doing my hair and makeup myself. While I did end up doing my own makeup, I was SO thankful that I booked my amazing hair stylist. She truly took so much stress off of me, and in hindsight, while I loved how my make up turned out, maybe hiring a makeup artist would have helped the wedding day feel a bit less stressful!

Cascading green and white floral bouquet

Why Italy?

“Both of our families have European roots, and Max's parents even met in northern Italy, it felt the most natural to do an intimate wedding in Europe and Italy has the perfect authentic old world charm that we both love and feel in ourselves.”

Stand Out Moment

“Walking down the aisle with my brother, taking in how Deborah, our florist, had transformed our venue and seeing Max and my father standing together at the end of the terrace with the tuscan hills behind them. Even though I was so nervous, it truly felt like I was walking in a dream that I had envisioned months prior!”


Wedding ceremony at Relais Villa Olmo

The Venue

“We had a few factors we were considering when choosing our venue:

  • Updated rooms and bathrooms (Max’s specific request, haha).

  • Walking distance to a nearby town (I wanted guests to be able to explore without hiring a car or feeling trapped at the venue).

  • Close to a major airport (for our guests’ convenience — everyone hates a long travel day).

  • A variety of spots on the property to host different events.

  • Kind and helpful staff on site.

  • Early or late summer availability for a three-day stay (those disappear fast).”

The Style

“I wanted the day to look and feel effortless, mixing ethereal and vintage-inspired elements! I truly believe that your wedding style is in the details. Our wild florals, the hazy sky before sunset during the ceremony, the harp playing during the ceremony, the vintage crystal we rented for the wedding dinner, our cloth menus, the glassine envelopes I hand-wrote everyone’s names on as place cards, the lace ribbon wrapped around the silverware… it all comes together to create your style. Try to focus on incorporating things you’re really drawn to because they feel like you and your partner — doing things because they’re trendy, or even out of tradition, can sometimes take away from what makes a wedding feel uniquely yours.”

Best Money Spent

“Having our photographer and videographers with us all three days! I know that we will treasure documenting everything SO much the older we get. I already have poor memory so I cling to documenting as much as I can, taking photos and videos wherever we go. I know 10 years from now, the photos and videos of our 3 days together with our family and friends will be priceless. ”

The Budget

“We definitely went over our original budget, but I will say most brides expand their budget as they learn how much everything actually costs. If you don’t work in the bridal industry, you spend most of your time guessing pricing on venues, photo/video, catering, music, etc. Most of the pricing for these items isn’t exactly known until you’re ready to book, and it changes every year, so it’s hard to know how to split up the budget. Pick a few things to prioritise and you’ll find a way to fit in the rest!” 

Advice For Couples

“You don't always need to pay the highest price to find the most talented people/beautiful venue. It may take a bit of searching (not everyone who is extremely talented has a lot of instagram followers), vision (on your end), and trust (believe that artists know how to do their art)...but you can create something beautiful without going into debt or going broke!”

VENDOR TEAM

Coordinator: Silvana Pepe | Venue: Relais Villa Olmo | Photographer: Weddings by Tiana Michele | Florist: Deborah Ferri | Hair: Katy Wedding Hair | Sax: Emanuele Cannatella Joint Sax | Lights: Betto DJ | Rentals: Nolo Party | Videographer: Film Blanc | Entertainment: Davide Landini DJD

Sophie Harding
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