With a trip to Spain and Italy already booked, Alexandra and Christian couldn’t resist the idea of eloping in one of the most romantic places on earth – Venice, Italy. When they discovered that it would be both Valentine’s day and Carnival when they arrived, it sealed the deal for the romantic couple. They exchanged their vows in the stunning baroque Scuola Grande dei Carmini and celebrated their newlywed status with a fittingly intimate and indulgent three hour lunch at the Gritti Palace overlooking the Grande Canal, complete with a romantic surprise proposal right outside their window.

A huge thank you to Nastja Kovacec for sharing Alexandra and Christian’s wonderful wedding adventure with us!

Alexandra & Christian

Venice, Italy

Wedding Date: Valentine’s Day, 2015

Number of Guests: None

Wedding cost: $4,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Scuola Grande Dei Carmini

Wedding Reception Location: Club Del Doge Restaurant, The Gritti Palace

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We had already planned a trip to Spain and Italy for February 2015. We both decided what could be better than an intimate ceremony in one of the most romantic places in the world?! Then when we realized it would be Carnival and Valentine’s Day at the same time in Venice, well what an amazing experience that would be! We contacted My Italian Wedding Planner and the rest was history.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

We really didn’t face many challenges. The decision to hire an Italian wedding planner made everything so easy. We discussed the venue, photography, musicians, bouquet, wedding luncheon, and transportation needs. We communicated with the planners via Skype and email and everything went very smoothly. We purchased the gown and tuxedo in the US and carried them with us to Venice. When it was time to send payment to the wedding planners from the US, the only difficulty was having the bank convert US dollars to Euros. The money arrived without a problem, but it could have been a real issue.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

No, it wasn’t difficult because we didn’t invite any guests. It was a true elopement.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

We didn’t have a guest list so we didn’t have any issues.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

My favorite moment was my bridal entrance and walking into the song “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. It was played by a solo flute and violinist. I played the flute when I was in high school so the musician selection held sentimental value for me. I loved seeing the expression on my future husband’s face as I walked into one of the most beautiful churches in Venice. We were the only two in the room aside from the officiant, musicians, photographers and wedding planner. It was an incredible feeling to marry the love of my life in such an intimate, romantic setting.

What were the highlights of the reception?

Since we didn’t have any guests, we decided to have a formal luncheon at the Gritti Palace. The decor of the restaurant was beautiful, including large windows which allowed us to look out on the Grande Canal during our 3 hour intimate lunch. One highlight during our luncheon was witnessing a man propose to his girlfriend on the deck right outside of the window in front of our table. It was beautiful to watch.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

The best thing about having an intimate wedding was the experience. Eloping gave us the time to focus on each other and the importance of our vows without the anxiety of a planning a large wedding and reception. We travelled through Spain and Italy for 11 days prior to our wedding date so we had our honeymoon before the wedding. Our wedding day was stress-free and absolutely amazing!

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

The best advice we have is to make it as stress-free as possible. Decide what the most important aspects of the day will be for both you and your partner, and seek assistance when necessary. Neither one of us had travelled to Italy before, so choosing a wedding planner was best for us. This helped to reduce any stress we would have faced and allowed us to focus on each other during our special day.

Vendors:

Wedding Planner: My Italian Wedding Planner

Photographer: Nastja Kovacec

Ceremony Venue: Scuola Grande dei Carmini

Reception Venue: Club del Doge Restaurant, The Gritti Palace

Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sotterro

Western inspired weddings are a big trend for 2015. The Wild West wedding still has plenty of sophistication but with an informal edge. A ranch or barn would be ideal, but you can incorporate all of these details into any venue.

Even with this trend, you can still keep the look relatively minimal. Long farm tables with low vases of fresh flowers are all the decoration that you need for your tables. To add some warmth and to make a big space feel more intimate, go for low hanging chandeliers with greenery that are accompanied by draped fabric.

Textured buttercream cakes go well with rustic themes, adding a horseshoe is in keeping with the Wild West theme.

Antlers are a key detail to go for, and will look good as a piece of wall decor with contrasting glitter initials.

Say goodbye to mason jars for a barn wedding and hello to the Moscow mule. The copper mugs look stunning on the table and add a metallic touch. Copper and burnished tones complement the wooden details that this trend focuses on.

A bouquet of desert blooms and succulents fits in well and adds some color.

If you still prefer more of a classic table setting, adding in a horseshoe tied with a ribbon will add a touch of the west to your decor. Give your guests a subtle hint as to what your wedding will look like with an antler detail on the invitations.

If the ceremony will be held outside, adding a few wooden signs will keep the theme running seamlessly throughout the different locations. A distressed window pane makes for a creative way to seat your guests.

Finally, a Western wedding wouldn’t be complete without a pair of cowboy boots. And, of course,  a horse.

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Roses are undeniably romantic and the gorgeous look of a rose garden is perfect for a spring wedding. From fresh blooms to scattered petals, there are plenty of ways to incorporate this trend into your day. Roses work well with a classic palette but can also be added to other themes as a pretty finishing touch.

Go for the ultimate in opulence with an aisle runner of fresh rose petals. This will look amazing for an outdoor ceremony.

Match pink bridesmaid dresses with a soft rose and baby’s breath bouquet for a classic color combination.

Garden roses are all the decoration that you need for a tiered cake.

Pink roses can easily dress up a simple white cake.

For a simple but stunning centerpiece, a bowl filled with dusky roses, pale pink astilbe and complementary candles is a lovely option.

Milk glass vases go so well with fresh blooms, include them in your table settings or around your venue.

Sometimes a donut requires a little makeover in order to be truly wedding appropriate. Persian donuts with rose petals, cardamom and pistachios are a decadent treat that your guests will love.

If your venue has a sweeping staircase you can decorate it with greenery, white roses and candles.

Roses on a grapevine wreath is an easy way to decorate your chair backs.

Watercolor invitations are a pretty design detail, and the watercolor florals will look great as wedding decor too.

Make the most of an outdoor ceremony with an arch of lush greenery and hanging roses.

Why not make paper rose escort cards to go with your rose theme?

If you don’t have heaps of money to throw at your wedding flowers, go for a simple milk glass centerpiece! Milk glass vases are easy to find at thrift stores where they are usually under $1. You can also find them on Ebay and Etsy.

Place a single flower (we used pink mums) in each vase and you are good to go! Here’s how they look in groups of three:

Or as a pair:

Mix and match patterns and sizes. They look gorgeous en masse!

If you don’t like the look of white milk glass, you can paint it. Here is a tutorial for distressed milk glass vases.

Nicole and Humberto wanted an intimate, five star wedding with stunning views, but without the sticker shock. They found everything they wanted and more (at a fraction of the price) at the Hotel Atitlan in Guatemala. Coming from different religious backgrounds, the couple opted for a spiritual Mayan ceremony rather than a religious one. Surrounded by Lake Atitlan and majestic volcanos, the bride and groom were joined together as husband and wife by a Mayan shaman in a ceremony that can only be described as purely magical. They ended the night by sending wish lanterns up into the sky – a beautiful and fitting end to the perfect day!

Special thanks to Daniel Lopez and Mellisa Ballarin for capturing it all and sharing the photos with us today.

Nicole, 32 & Humberto, 31

Lake Atitlan, Panajachel Guatemala

Wedding Date: November 25, 2014