Villa Catureglio Destination Wedding in Tuscany, Italy
Intimate Tuscany Wedding at Villa Catureglio || Italy Destination Wedding Photographer
The first time I went to Italy, I was 19, studying abroad in Germany, and doing a five-cities-in-five-days long weekend with my friends. We hopped trains from Heidelberg to Rome to Florence to Cinque Terra to Pisa to Venice and back home. Even remembering the energy levels we must have had makes me feel tired now! I’ll never forget the sense of family, intimacy, and history threaded into every building and interaction. That trip set a little fire in my soul to return one day to Italy, explore Tuscany and the Dolomites, and really get to soak it in.
When Kailey and Alex (@mainimania if you want to follow along) first reached out, I was struck by how much their plans reflected all the things I loved most about Italy. Namely–– family, intimacy, history, and food, of course! They had booked Villa Catureglio for their venue, just outside of Lucca, Tuscany. The villa is steeped in history, having been built in the 13th century, complete with original frescoes. Even more enchanting, though, was the significance behind them choosing a destination wedding in Italy. Kailey is Italian, and her grandmother had not been back to her home country after leaving for North America as a young woman. This was the first time she would be back in Italy, and to see her granddaughter wed the love of her life, to boot. Photographing the special moments between Kailey and her grandmother, and her grandmother wandering the Villa Catureglio, was a gift.
And so, Kailey and Alex spent a full weekend in Tuscany with just a few dozen of their most beloved. Kailey planned and designed everything herself. They followed it up with a two month European honeymoon–– and my new stance on life is that all honeymoons should be at least two months long. It was everything an Italian destination wedding should be–– warm, significant, delicious. My associate, Whitney, took lead, and the rest was magical Italian history.
A few quick credits:
Venue is Villa Catureglio in Tuscany, Italy (@villacatureglio).
Wedding design & planning by Kailey (@kailmills).
Wedding coordination by Steph Mihalatos.
Wedding dress is Whispers and Echoes Milano Gown by BHLDN (@bhldn).
Groom’s suit by Indochino (@indochino).
Getting Married at Villa Catureglio
Kailey and Alex hit the nail on the head with finding one of the most beautiful gems of a venue in Tuscany. Bonus–– it’s a place where they could celebrate the entire weekend. Villa Catureglio also offers cottages (with a pool!) so do what Kailey did and book the entire villa for a long weekend for your intimate wedding celebration. You can have up to 41 guests stay, and you’re only one hour from Pisa International Airport. Flights from LAX to Pisa are available for under $600 if you book at the right time. They range up to about $2500. The venue is very open to interpretation, so you can make it exactly what you’re dreaming of.
Tuscany is in a Mediterranean climate with hot summers. Fall and spring are best for Tuscan weddings and elopements. Kailey and Alex held their intimate wedding in October, which was absolutely perfect–– still lush but not too hot or cold.
For photographing Villa Catureglio, definitely come at least a day early and scout the number of different areas available. There’s tons of shaded and backlit locations for photography. The cobblestone path and the view from the window down to the grounds were some of my favorite. As much as the charm of Tuscany’s countryside will blow you away, don’t forget to focus on the people. They’re what it’s all about.
