The one day the sun really did shine in Tuscany, we were fortuitously booked in for a wine tasting tour and lunch at Avignonesi. It was seriously good.
After a tour around the vineyard and the cellars (apparently the black mould on the walls is all part of the required environment and not dangerous to your health, eek!), we sat down to the most beautiful view to eat our lunch.
The food was incredible. I tried to opt for the ‘lighter’ of the options for each course but there’s only so much you can do. 4 courses (plus wine) is always going to take its toll and lets be honest, the world’s creamiest goats cheese isn’t really that light….
The wine was amazing too (obviously), the highlight being a very small glass of €310 per bottle Vin Santo. YUM. We rolled back to the hotel very happy and with very full bellies….
Seriously wishing I was back in Italy, even though it was a bit on the chilly side…..
Hurray! It’s the start of the wedding blog posts! There are so many people we want to thank, I am determined to link to every supplier we used because there isn’t a single one I wouldn’t recommend – everyone was incredible.
When we first started imagining what our wedding might look like, we had a bit of a woodland theme in mind. This may or may not be connected to our mild obsession with foxes and bears. We had even started looking into buying scout badges and other similar memorabilia. Then we went and watched Moonrise Kingdom and a true theme was born.
Tom’s parents had the amazing idea (at a very convenient time, just after we got engaged!) of buying a letterpress and we managed to take full advantage of it. Tom designed everything and did a truly excellent job of it too (I married a good ‘un).
We had the letterpress plates etched by Centurion Graphics. And although we did a fair amount of the pressing ourselves, Tom’s Mum and Dad need a special mention of thanks for reeling off printed goods every time we came up with a new idea!
We are both absolute suckers for paper and stationery. Our notebook collection is quite a sight to behold and we are both extremely fussy about paper. Finding a supplier for what we had in mind was pretty hard work, but eventually we stumbled upon Paperback and we were blown away by the quality of the paper and their truly excellent customer service. Besides, the paper is BEAUTIFUL (I may or may not have spent several hours just stroking it).
As well as save the dates, invites and orders of services, we decided to print coasters and activity packs to put on the tables (as well as the obligatory menus!) so that everyone had plenty to do on the day and were encouraged to talk to each other.
One of the last things we got round to doing was the name cards for the place settings. Everyone was assigned a different animal (some more insulting than others!) and they made a great talking point on the day! We got them printed by Moo cards and they came out brilliantly – we really couldn’t have asked for more.
And last but not least, our guest book….. another Wes Anderson inspired idea. Everyone was issued with a registration card to fill in and instructions to have their photo taken. I cannot begin to describe the joy that looking back through these cards has given me. Everyone’s messages and hilarious photos have cracked me up every time I look at them and I really think they have already become one of our most treasured possessions.
Phew!
I would like to hijack these honeymoon posts to blog about my new Belladone dress. Well, sort of… I have been meaning to take pictures of it for a good few weeks (I say “I”, I actually mean my rather lovely husband), but we hadn’t found anywhere nice to take them. HELLO TUSCAN SUNSET. Seriously, look at that light.
We were almost ready for an early night when this bright light came flooding through the window, so we legged it outside for some photos.
I have been meaning to make this dress for ages and I really love the final product. It fits me perfectly and came together like a dream. My only change would be to add a lining to the skirt next time. The dress has had multiple outings already, and in true British spring/summer style, I haven’t yet had a chance to wear it without tights. I used a mid-weight cotton, meaning that the unlined skirt/tights situation has left me almost showing my pants more than once.
Needless to say, I’ll be making more of Eléonore’s patterns, I already have a sailor version of the Reglisse dress in the planning….
It’s a running joke amongst our friends that we always go on holiday to places that are cold. We chose Italy for our honeymoon because of the guaranteed excellent food, wine and sun. In the words of the god that is Meatloaf, two out of three ain’t bad. Although this time, I really would like some sun.
Yesterday we headed to Montepulciano (I’m getting a little more confident in the car with each passing trip), and it was stunning, if a little wet. There were some incredible cheese, salami and wine shops, although we were still pretty full from the night before so didn’t get round to any sampling. I am not expecting to be hungry at any point in the next few days – my stomach currently feels like it’s going to burst after a 4 course lunch today….
We did it!
After almost ten years surrounded with lots of friends and family and in one of the most beautiful spots in Yorkshire, we finally said ‘I do’. I’ll put up lots of posts with pictures and details as we get the photos back, there are so many people we want to thank. It really was the most incredible few days.
However, before all that, I thought I’d put up some photos from where we currently are, near Cortona in Tuscany! After a 5.30am start (having not really had much sleep for several days..!), we arrived in Pisa yesterday morning to be greeted with an automatic Fiat 500 convertible. It is beautiful but having never driven an automatic, or on the right hand side of the road before, we had a slightly terrifying journey down through Tuscany. But it’s ok, we’re still alive! Hurray!
After settling in, we were treated to the most amazing dinner – aubergine in tomato sauce, pasta in meat sauce, chicken with lemon and sage (YUM) and then the best chocolate torte I think I’ve ever eaten. Seriously, this woman is a genius. Unfortunately, I may come home twice the size – especially if the rain keeps up and we don’t spend lots of time outside!
