I’d heard incredible stories from friends of the magnificent beauty and evening light at Borgo Stommenano, so it’s fair to say my expectations were high upon arrival the day before Caroline and Charlie were due to marry in the gardens surrounding the grand house – spoiler; I was obviously not disappointed. However, in typical Tuscany style (the day prior) on arrival at Borgo Stomennano, which is located near the city of Siena, Caroline, Charlie and I squeezed into my small rental car for a few short minutes as the heavens opened to welcome us to the setting of their celebrations. Thankfully that was all the rain we experienced that weekend and the proceeding hours and the following day were full of blissful Italian sunshine. :-)
A few lovely words about us from Caroline and Charlie…
“Wow wow wow. From start to finish Barney was absolutely incredible. We had a few meetups before the big day where he made us feel completely at ease (especially the day before). The detail he went into gathering family members names to ensure group photos went as smooth as poss was a nice touch and really impressed us. On the day he had great energy and really played more than just the role of a photographer. It’s been 4 months since our wedding and our guests still talk about him now!
As for the photos, well they speak for themselves. Not only was the whole day documented perfectly but Barney also expertly captured the fun and sentiment of our wedding. They are so so so beautiful and really do take us back to our day every time we view them. We still feel incredibly lucky that they are OUR photos and will forever be grateful to Barney and Poppy.”
A few words from Caroline and Charlie about the decisions that led to their day…
“We always knew we wanted our wedding to be in Italy. Not just because of the beautiful food, wine and weather but also because Caroline has Sicilian heritage. After narrowing it down to Tuscany we heard about Stommenano through word of mouth. Somebody at work boasted about a wedding they had attended in Italy… we looked it up and immediately fell in love. Later in the year, we visited 5 venues in Tuscany and the Borgo was a clear winner (you can definitely see why). It really is the wedding venue of our dreams.
As soon as we booked our wedding venue the next thing we booked was the photographer (hey Barney). We knew the best photographers get booked up really early and settling for any less would not be good enough!
Another top priority would have to be the food and the music. Basically we made sure we had a cracking party sorted asap. Being foodies, having an Italian banquet was a must. The optional appetitivo with cold cuts and cocktails post-ceremony kept all our guests busy and well-stocked while we spent some quality time with Barney taking photos around the Borgo.
For the music, we created several playlists over the two-year build-up. Almost immediately after getting engaged, we started earmarking our favourite music. The magic is hearing them back now as it takes us straight back to the day. Mindful of our tastes and our guest’s tastes we booked a DJ from the UK to see the night out.
The one thing we were most surprised about; how the just married feeling stays with you months down the line. It’s a great club to be part of. I wish we could have made the day last longer! But honestly, we wouldn’t change a thing. Maybe just to have the Borgo booked out for an extra night after the day to rewind and relax with our nearest and dearest.”
Complete supplier list can be found in the footer.
Complete supplier list:
Photographer: Barney Walters
Venue: Borgo Stomennano
Planner: Irene Recupero
MUA: ByJodie – Jodie
Hair Stylist: ByJodie – Nikki Burnham
Catering Team: Delizie Deliziose Catering
Band/DJ: Ed Gillum
Florist: Chiara Signorini
Dress Designer: Made With Love Bridal
Bridal shop: The White Collection
Suit Designer: Gabucci
