Ravello Wedding at Villa Cimbrone on Amalfi Coast Italy
Catherine Bradfield Wedding Planner: Both Kristin and Joe were an absolute pleasure to work with. From the very beginning, they knew they wanted a fantastic atmosphere, a great party and a focus on beautiful yet chic styling to be the heart of their three day Amalfi Coast Wedding celebration. The Bride and Groom wanted to keep the wedding venue a secret from their guests, just to heighten the anticipation and surprise on the big day. Keeping such a big secret was quite difficult but we managed it, and it definitely obtained the desired effect! The highlight being the moment the guests stepped out onto the infamous Villa Cimbrone Infinity Terrace for the aperitifs- there were no gasps of excitement, just a mouth-open kind of silence that only mind-blowing views such as those on the Amalfi Coast can deliver.
The fairytale castle perched high above a blue azure mediterranean sea, coupled with stunning white, gold and green styling, was like something straight from a film set for this beautiful Amalfi Coast Wedding. More than anything, the story's protagonists, the American born and now London resident Bride, and her dashing English Groom were the shining stars.
Wedding Fashion
The Groom in his bespoke tailored suit and the Bride in her stunning gown outshone only by her beautiful smile, made the day a glamorous and chic affair from start to finish. Not content with just one special day, the wedding celebrations were a three-day affair of cocktails, sumptuous cuisine, elegance and refinery.
Three Day Wedding
Day one brought all the guests together for a cocktail party in the historic convent turned five-star luxury hotel, Grand Hotel Convento, overlooking the Amalfi Marina.
Day two was the highly anticipated wedding day, heightened yet more by none of the guests knowing where the wedding was taking place- a closely guarded secret known only by the Bride Kristin, the Groom Joe and their wedding planner. Instructed to meet in the Amalfi square and look out for the iconic white balloons, the guests were then taken by coach to the little town of Ravello, halfway up the mountainside.
Following the atmospheric ceremony in the Cathedral of Ravello in the main square, beautifully decorated by Ravello's well known and flamboyant florist Armando Malafronte, the Bride and Groom made quite the exit. The stairs were lined by their 100 guests and the Ravello Square filled with the rousing sound of a 30 piece marching band, at the great delight of gathered onlookers, Kristin and Joe took their first step together as husband and wife. After a quick toast in the square, the fantastic marching band then lead guests up the winding, cobbled streets towards the reception venue- the castle of Villa Cimbrone, the stuff of fairytales that is all kinds of beautiful.
After a refreshing welcome drink, guests were invited to wind their way through the stunning Villa Cimbrone gardens to discover the pièce de la resistance that is the Belvedere Infinity Terrace- with its iconic marble busts and spectacular continuum vista where sea and sky become one hazy blue. Guests were silenced and stunned by the view, and as a dusky sunset began to fall on the Amalfi Coast with the string quartet playing seamlessly in the background- it became pure magic.
Thinking it was impossible to top such a beautiful setting after the aperitifs guests were invited to follow the flame-lined pathway down to the Two Fountain Gardens which had been transformed into a fairytale setting with twinkling lights and atmospheric ambience. The dance floor was at the heart of the gold, green and white dinner table set-up and DJ Ken Abel worked his magic yet again- the dancefloor was full, even after the first course!
Dancing the night away under the stars, at the chime of midnight guests made their way back down to the Ravello Square to continue the party until 04.00am in a wonderful underground wine bar, before retiring in the early hours of the morning.
Day three brought everyone together for a boat ride along the picturesque Coastline, towards Positano with its pastel-coloured houses tumbling down into the sea. The boat moored at One Fire Beach and an epic beach party ensued with nobody wanting the celebrations to finish as the sun came down.