beach wedding in isola d'elba

Selene & Jacopo – May 14th, 2022

beach wedding in isola d’elba

It is such a special feeling to write about your own wedding after having narrated so many other love stories. This time, I – Selene – was on the other side of the lens for my beach wedding in Isola d’Elba. Valeria and Silvia were our photographer and videographer, and we couldn’t have wished for a better duo to share the whole weekend with us. I needed to put some of my point of view in the article, too – so I’ve added some film photographs I shot in Isola d’Elba over the past few years.

Jacopo and I have been together since we were eighteen – it’s a crazy story, but I actually met him the same night I met Alba. His father’s family is from Livorno, and his great-aunt moved to Isola d’Elba in her twenties, and the family has spent every summer there ever since. That same great-aunt officiated our symbolic ceremony on the beach; we couldn’t have hoped for a more intimate or personal celebrant.

The two of us have spent so many vacations in Elba, and from the very first dinner we ever had at Le Viste – the beach restaurant where we held our wedding dinner – I knew I wanted to get married there. Seeing that dream come to life is still one of my favorite memories.

We got married immediately after the COVID restrictions were lifted in Italy. Our intimate destination wedding was the first time we could have a weekend away with our friends, which made the whole experience feel even more special. It wasn’t just our wedding; it was the end of a long year and a half of travel restrictions and uncertainty. We decided to have this celebration – following our civil ceremony the previous week – with just our 30 favorite people, in our favorite place on Earth. It remains my favorite weekend ever.

Jacopo and I arrived in Isola d’Elba right after our civil wedding for a “mini-moon” before our friends joined us. We all stayed together at Sapereta, a wine property surrounded by olive trees in Capoliveri. That is where we got ready and shared our first look.

Even though years have passed, I am still in love with my bridal look: an off-white Reclamation dress, a flower crown, and flat golden sandals. For jewelry, I only wore my mother’s earrings and a golden body chain.

We shared our vows during an intimate ceremony on the beach, surrounded by our inner circle. Our favorite beach, our favorite people, and that golden Tuscan light all around us – it was perfect. Our friends of Il Nido Verde took care of the flower decorations: a semi-arch on the beach with the same colors as the golden hour, and a simple turquoise and pastel gold setup for the table.

Food is so important to us – we are Italians, after all! – and we love the menu at Le Viste. We had fresh fish from the sea right in front of us, served the authentic Tuscan way. Music was another essential element; since Jacopo is a musician and drum teacher, we knew we had to choose well. We went with the island’s most famous band, Trio delle Meraviglie, who played acoustic covers in their unique style.

During the dinner – if I close my eyes, I can still see that sunset – our fathers and many of our friends gave speeches. We still go back and re-listen to them sometimes; it’s one of our most treasured memories. We danced the night away on the beach, the most perfect ending to the most perfect wedding we could have hoped for.