An intimate wedding ceremony in the warmth of an Italian late-summer afternoon. The venue, a stunning Puglian farmhouse – or ‘masseria’ – in the classical Italian tradition, its interiors and gardens stylish yet uncomplicated, grand yet understated.
Guests arriving at the venue from the seaside villas that are their home for the wedding week. Greeted by Prosecco, the uncomplicated beauty of Puglia’s countryside, and the graceful music of a classical string trio.
The bride in a handmade Italian gown, the groom in a tailored Italian suit. The weather and setting perfect: sunshine, the shade of olive trees, the welcoming cool of the stone farmhouse.
The ceremony followed by toasts, with more Prosecco and antipasti, in the gardens. The trio of musicians playing classical arrangements of modern songs that have special significance to the bride and groom.
Then the wedding breakfast, a lavish, al-fresco feast of six courses. Handmade pastas and local meats. Puglian seafood paella, cooked live by artisan chefs in front of the guests – a mouth-watering spectacle. Local wines, carefully selected to compliment the rich and varied flavours of the menu.
And of course, the wedding cake – a ‘naked’ Italian sponge cake with extra chocolate, for a chocolate-loving bride, lovingly decorated with local fruits and flowers.
Feasting and merriment, accompanied by a pianist and singer, until afternoon turns to evening and the stars appear above the Puglian countryside. Then partying in the masseria’s courtyard – a DJ and a cocktail bar, and dancing into the early hours. A celebration of love, friendship and family in beautiful surroundings; and a perfect first day of a life together.
After the wedding, the bride and groom wrote to thank Madama for our work:
“We still can’t believe how amazing you all were, and how you made our wedding so perfect. Our guests still talk about the day, how brilliant it was and how fantastic the Madama team were. I really can’t thank you enough for making our day so perfect.
“We both wish we could do it all again. Even the planning was fun (because I didn’t have to do much). You made every detail perfect, and so personal.
“I have recommended you to everyone!”
The couple’s main ambition was a wedding location where warm weather could more or less be guaranteed, but that wouldn’t break the bank budget-wise. The Madama team introduced them to Puglia and its charms, and they fell in love with it. So much so, they made four separate trips during the wedding planning process!
Madama found the perfect wedding venue for the couple in our ‘Elegant Masseria’. The converted farmhouse, with its film-set-Italian looks, is a simply breath-taking location, and owner Ernesto has a way of making his guests feel not just welcome, but like returning friends.
The couple also wanted accommodation that would allow the core of their wedding party – closest family and friends – to stay together in a single location, with the rest of their guests nearby too. The Madama team found them the ideal place – an exclusive complex of private villas with their own pool in Polignano a Mare, a local coastal town with world-beating views of the Adriatic. We helped the couple secure the luxury villas, as well as hotel accommodation just across the road for the rest of the guests, at a preferential rate, creating the perfect base for the wedding party to enjoy their stay in Puglia. (We also arranged transport to and from the airport for the entire group, and stocked each villa with groceries so the wedding party would feel like they were at home from the moment they arrived. We even arranged a homemade birthday cake for the groom’s brother, whose birthday fell on arrival day!)
We guided the couple through every aspect of the wedding planning process – arranging flowers, photography, menu, music and more – supporting their decision-making with our local knowledge and expertise, and working with our network of trusted local suppliers to ensure the couple’s every need was met.
We arranged itineraries for the couple’s visits to Puglia as part of the wedding preparations, and accompanied them on these visits. These included a tasting session at the wedding venue (where bride, groom and the bride’s parents got to try the entire wedding menu they’d chosen), a rehearsal of the bride’s wedding-day hairdressing, and a tasting session for the handmade Puglian sugar almonds they intended to give as gifts to their guests, at one of the most famous sweet-makers in the region. Known in Italy as ‘confetti’, these traditional wedding sweets are a local speciality, and like nothing you’ve ever tasted – soft and indulgent, and in a wide variety of sophisticated flavours like limoncello, panna cotta, pear, and watermelon.
Puglia being one of the top places in Italy for handmade wedding dresses, the bride decided on a lace gown made locally, while the groom and the bride’s father treated themselves to tailored suits from Bari.
On the wedding day itself, the Madama team started early in the morning, with a presence both at the wedding venue and at the villa accommodation. We were there throughout the entire day, supporting bride and groom, making sure everything went perfectly and that no detail was forgotten. From the opening words of the ceremony under the shade of the masseria’s olive trees, to the last song the DJ played in the early hours of the morning, we were there, making sure the couple’s day was as perfect, unique, and memorable as the first day of their married life together should be.
