Vintage European charm meets Italian bistro: Ellie + Corey in Tuscany

Sposo Reale

Having never set foot in Italy before, Ellie + Corey arrived with no wedding moodboards and no desire to overcomplicate things. Just a love for Italian architecture, an appreciation for beautiful bistro interiors and the instinct to let their venue do the talking.

Flying their favourite people all the way from Australia, they created a day that felt entirely their own. Think vintage, yet effortless style, a soundtrack that meant something to them, time with their closest people and, of course, one hell of a party. Proof that some of the best weddings come from simply leaning into what you love and letting the rest fall into place.

LOVE STORY

We met at a music festival in 2014, where a little matchmaking by Corey’s cousin (and a not-so-subtle hint from me) set things in motion. I spotted Corey in the background, thought he was cute and handed his cousin my number, secretly hoping she’d pass it on. As it turned out, Corey was hoping for exactly the same thing, having been too shy to ask for it himself.

Ten years later, on our anniversary, Corey planned a stay at The Ritz-Carlton Perth. Before heading out for dinner, I started filming a little outfit check in our hotel room, completely unaware of what was about to happen. Corey was unusually enthusiastic about the whole thing, and then, mid-filming, he switched the music to Fred Again and got down on one knee, presenting me with my dream oval-cut bezel engagement ring. Needless to say, it was a pretty unforgettable anniversary.

WHY ITALY

We had always dreamt of visiting Italy and knew it was where we wanted to honeymoon. We’ve always been drawn to its rich history, architecture, traditional interiors and, of course, the la dolce vita lifestyle.

Although we’d never visited before our wedding, there was something about Italy’s beauty and the feeling it evokes that we wanted to capture on our wedding day. Ultimately, we knew Italy could offer an experience and a setting that we simply couldn’t recreate at home.

THE VENUE

We loved that the villa could accommodate most of our guests, as having everyone onsite was really important to us. Despite its grandeur, it had so many intimate spaces that felt perfect for our smaller wedding. The beautiful gardens, fountain, traditional Italian architecture and vintage interiors offered all the old-world charm we were looking for.

The villa was such a beautiful backdrop in itself that we knew we wouldn’t need much additional styling. Even the wet-weather options were just as lovely as the outdoor spaces. It ticked all the boxes.

THE DRESS

My dress was from Floure Studio in Sydney. I flew to Sydney with my mum for less than 24 hours to try on this gorgeous dress. My apricot coloured veil was custom made by Luce Di Luna. I really wanted a different colour veil to give me that vintage edge. For the dinner, I added opera length white gloves, along with a beaded bag, both Etsy finds. My biggest style inspiration was Andrea Ricci. I loved how chic and timeless her look was for her wedding day.

AUTHENTICITY

Authenticity was at the heart of every decision we made. We chose to share our vows privately in the morning, still in our PJs, over a cup of coffee. We wanted to hear each other’s vows for the first time with just the two of us.

For our ceremony, we had my mum as our celebrant, with my brother and Corey’s sister each sharing parts of our story. We also had all our guests pronounce us husband and wife, which was so special and fun.

We also hadn’t planned a first dance, but our saxophone player began playing Frank Sinatra, whom we both love, and we spontaneously got up and danced together. It ended up being one of the most beautiful moments of the day.

We also wanted to take our guests on a musical journey, as our whole relationship has been built on music. Fred Again is a big part of our story, so we intentionally wove his music throughout the entire day and even into our stationery. All our guests commented on how much the wedding felt like us.

THE STYLING

Most of our inspiration came from vintage European hotel interiors and stationery, traditional Italian architecture and Italian bistros. We deliberately avoided referencing other weddings throughout the design process, instead drawing on these influences to create something that felt personal and authentic. The aim was to complement the venue and its existing character, keeping everything understated and never overly styled.

STAND OUT MOMENT

Probably our dinner entrance. Our saxophone player played Latch by Disclosure which sounded incredible. As we sat down, he continued playing and I remember just smiling, singing along with Corey and looking around at all our happy guests, our beautiful dinner setting and the Tuscan hills in the background. I remember thinking, we’re actually here, and all these people have travelled so far to celebrate with us. It’s no longer a dream, it was everything I’d ever imagined. The overwhelming happiness of that moment just hit me and I was crying happy tears.

LA LISTA LOVE

We used La Lista so much throughout the wedding planning process. We found both our venue and many vendors through the La Lista directory. We joined many live video sessions, read countless articles about other couples, met with founder Lucy, used the La Lista budget template and joined the Facebook community group.

OTHER EVENTS

We hosted a welcome dinner the night before the wedding, which we wanted to keep quite casual. We hired bistro-style tables and chairs and served a selection of traditional Tuscan dishes buffet-style. For entertainment, we had an Italian guitar duo, lawn games and a quiz later in the evening.

We’d also planned a recovery day by the pool, but unfortunately, the weather had other ideas! After a big night of celebrating, most of our guests were happy to enjoy a relaxing afternoon with a barbecue lunch and spritzes, followed by pizza for dinner in the villa’s chandelier-lit dining room.

PER LE FUTURE COPLE

If your budget allows, invest in a great planner and stylist. We were so fortunate to have the incredible team at One Martini Please guiding us through this process, and I honestly don’t know how we would have managed without them. They played such a huge part in bringing our vision to life, and we’re so grateful for them.

I’d also recommend leaning into a wedding community group like La Lista. Wedding planning can feel quite lonely at times, and connecting with other couples going through the same experience really helped me.