Ellie + Lewis’ show-stopping Puglian wedding

Ellie and Lewis’ wedding screams pure joy and celebration! Packed full of sentimental touches for guests and themselves, the couple struck a perfect balance between heart and party. Before they even reached their reception there was music and dancing in the streets, as the band and guests followed the newlyweds in their wedding car. What a way to kick-off married life! This is one wedding we would have loved to be at!

Married at Masseria Grieco, with their reception hosted in the iconic stone courtyard (you must see how the colour of the stone with the sunsetting creates a phenomenal tone) was the main event of their 3 day celebration. The couple recognised the importance of music to set the atmosphere throughout the day; along with the street band, they used a string quartet and a band to take guests into the late night party.

Now, let’s start the carnival vibes - be ready to feel a little giddy as you swoon over these shots!

SUPPLIER TEAM

How did you first meet?

“Lewis and I met via a dating app. He was my first ever blind date and I was so so nervous beforehand. We met in a pub in East London one night after work and we have pretty much been obsessed with each other ever since.” Ellie - bride

Stand out moment

“Oh gosh, there are just too many to choose from - seeing Lewis waiting at the end of the aisle was such a special moment. Or the beautiful surprise readings from my Brother and Mother-in-Law that we had during our ceremony. But I think we would both agree that the moment right after the ceremony, when the two of us jumped in the car, it was just the most surreal, joyful feeling. Then the band struck up and we could hear all of our loved ones having the time of their lives as they danced their way behind us to the Aperitivo - that's when it really hit us that our dream Italian wedding had come to life and it was everything we had dreamed it would be, and soo much more.” Ellie - bride

Stand out Supplier

“Firstly, our venue Masseria Grieco really made our wedding. It truly offered everything we could've wished for (having the whole hotel to ourselves, delicious breakfasts and stunning grounds), whilst also having the loveliest staff who took great care of us and our guests over the wedding weekend. Zagor Street Band bought soo much joy and fun to our day, I can't not mention them! They are the perfect party starter and had every single guest dancing from the minute the ceremony ended, we had so many compliments from our guests about them. Then of course, last but not least, our wedding planner Santa, she bought the whole day together perfectly, meaning that Lewis and I could completely relax. She completely got our vision for the day and we were just overwhelmed when we saw the whole thing come to life.” Ellie - bride

Lab Lecce Italian wedding florist at Masseria Grieco Natural styled aisle flowers

Outdoor wedding ceremony at Masseria Grieco in Italy

Why did you choose Italy?

“We got engaged on a very last minute holiday to Puglia back in 2020. It was on our balcony at Masseria Grieco where Lewis proposed to me and ever since that moment, the Masseria has felt so special to us. Right after getting engaged, we thought what an amazing place it would be to get married in and we had a tour of the venue the very next day (keen or what?!). Although we had never even considered getting married abroad, once back home in the UK, nothing seemed to even come close to having an Italian wedding - so we went for it and it was the absolute best decision we made.” Ellie - bride

Biggest planning challenge

“Because all of the contact was going via our planner, not having complete control over conversations with every supplier is what I found most challenging. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I like to know everything is exactly how I want it to be. Everything of course turned out perfectly, but letting go was difficult for me. Plus, a warning to other couples, no wedding comes without hiccups (so be prepared!!), including ours - people's flights got cancelled, our photographer's assistant broke his arm the week before and our band singer dropped out the night before the wedding! Oh, all that plus the biblical thunderstorms on our wedding morning which threatened to scupper all of our plans (luckily the sun came out just in time)! Despite the challenges we had the most perfect day imaginable - so don't let this put you off! ” Ellie - bride

Zagor Street Band for Italian wedding ceremony

Masseria Grieco Italian Wedding Venue in Puglia. Lato Photography

How did you approach the planning and styling to make sure it felt personal to you?

“The venue itself is so stunning, so this really was the starting point for me in creating the style and look for our wedding day. I wanted the styling to feel completely natural and effortless. I wanted the colours of the wedding to complement the beautiful coloured stone of the buildings (using beige tablecloths over white ones for example) and for everything to feel like it had always been there. The brief I gave my florist was that I wanted the flowers to look like they had grown out of the ground, which I think she achieved beautifully.” Ellie - bride

Personal Touches

“My best friend & Maid of Honour painted us our very own coat of arms, which we used throughout the stationery for the weekend, which was a really special thing to have. My bouquet was tied with material from my Mum's wedding dress and some ribbon from the hat my Great Grandma wore to my Nan's wedding. I created all of the on the day stationery myself and we had personalised hand fans and confetti bags for the ceremony. Our guests all received a welcome bag of Italian treats in their bedrooms with a handwritten note from myself and Lewis. Our family & guests, for us were the most important parts of our wedding weekend, so we wanted to make them all feel really special by including lots of special, surprise touches.” Ellie - bride

Any tips for future couples planning their Italian weddings?

“The biggest piece of advice I can offer to future couples planning an Italian wedding is to go with the flow! Italian suppliers do seem to work at a different pace to what we are used to in the UK. But ultimately everything will come together and you choose your suppliers for a reason and you have to put your trust in them. Although, I would say don't be afraid to push suppliers to do something a little out of the ordinary.” Ellie - bride

SUPPLIER TEAM

Written by Emily Jennings, marketing person and wedding day-dreamer; lover of a boho vibe and a wedding night filled with a thousand lights.

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Ellie + Lewis’ show-stopping Puglian wedding

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