My husband and I were very honoured to take part in our friend's wedding in Tuscany at the weekend. My first wedding abroad! (I wish we had thought of this for our wedding!). Daniel and Meena shared their love for Italy with us and a few friends and family, and it was such an intimate and unforgettable experience. The wedding celebrations started the night before, with a tour of Villa Vignamaggio where they produce amazing wine,  followed by a 4 course dinner with a different wine served with each meal. Yum!!

On the Saturday, the sun was shining and the skies blue and we were again blessed with a breathtaking view of the countryside around us. I left the girls to get ready and went off with Daniel and his groomsmen in the VW convertible Beatle he had hired for an exhilarating drive to the ceremony at the medieval village Certaldo. This car can definitely be described as vintage as myself and Saeish experienced the lack of suspension and power steering sat in the back! But it was a lot of fun, and I must have looked quite goofy with a big beaming smile and my hair flying all over with the roof top down! Daniel did an amazing job driving it, and his best man gets a pat on the back for finding our way through the tiny back streets to the top.

When we arrived at the town hall, the boys enjoyed a nice (well earned) cold beer and the temperatures continued to rise. When all the guests had arrived we went into the town hall, which is just stunning and so full of history. Meena then arrived looking beautiful and sophisticated in her gorgeous Madeline Isaac James gown which had subtle pink tones, and her fabulous sparkly Jimmy Choo shoes. Visitors of the town lined up outside the town hall with huge beaming smiles on their faces and gave happy applause as Meena made her way to the entrance. Her brother Saeish walked her down the aisle, and it was a beautiful ceremony conducted in Italian, with live music playing.

Back at the villa, we were greeted with Champagne and hors d'oeuvres before being seated to a candle lit dinner and more delectable food. Live music played while everyone laughed and had such an amazing time, it really was such a dream experience. We all danced the night away with delicious food and drink in our bellies, before retiring upstairs to the games room for some pool and table tennis!

The following day everyone relaxed and spent the day lazing by the pool (well, us girls did) while the boys went off geocaching and surviving lightning storms! Our final evening was spent with everyone enjoying a meal out and overlooking fabulous views across the vineyards.

Truly, utterly unforgettable. I am SO happy for Daniel and Meena and to be amongst them and their company was a wonderful experience. David and I can't thank them enough for their hospitality, generosity, and friendship and for opening our eyes to such a beautiful part of the world. We have fallen in love and can't wait to go back! xx

❤︎