Natalie + Dan’s perfect Puglian wedding

real wedding

Mar 17

Married at a LL favourite Puglian venue Masseria Amastuola, Natalie and Dan bossed their wedding planning themselves; creating a relaxed, fun celebration for their guests. Full of unique touches elevating the styling and guest experience, Natalie and Dan chose an A team of suppliers to deliver this unforgettable weekend. With no hiccups and nothing they would change, let’s discover how they achieved their perfect day.

SUPPLIER TEAM

The Dating

“We met at work! I was a placement student studying for my Business & Events degree. I chose a wedding/events catering company based in Leicestershire and when I joined Dan was the head chef of the business. We worked together very closely on lots of events and soon realised our close friendship/working relationship was a little more. Dan took nearly 10 years of us being together to propose, but trust me, the proposal was worth the wait!!!”

Why did you choose Italy?

“My grandma is Italian and we have both always LOVED visiting and exploring Italy. Given our jobs (we own a restaurant) we’re OBSESSED with good food and I can honestly say we’ve never once eaten a bad meal in Italy. We both adored Puglia and the aesthetic and vibe of the area and once we visited Amastuola we just fell in love! We had 2 more venues to visit after Amastuola but we actually cancelled them because we knew we’d found the one!!”

Masseria Amastuola wedding captured by Miki Studios photographer and videographer duo

Destination wedding at Italian wedding venue Masseria Amastuola

Did anything go wrong?

“Honestly, absolutely nothing! And if it did we were having honestly the time of our lives, I don’t even think we would have noticed if it had. We were so super organised that by the time we got on the plane to Italy we were both super chilled and I think this had a massive effect on our guests too – so many guests commented on how relaxed we were and trust me – this has a massive effect on your guests and how relaxed they are!! I think the key is to do EVERYTHING you possibly can ahead of time so that by the time your big day comes around you’re organised in the knowledge that everything is done!”

“We had an initial budget which we definitely went over!!!!! Multiple times I imagine. But I’d spend it all over again in a heartbeat. It was the most incredible weekend and worth every penny!!”

Biggest win

“We had budgeted an ‘on the day co-ordinator’. We could do the organisation and planning up until the point of the wedding, but we didn’t want to be sorting out any issues or running the show on the weekend itself! Our biggest win was finding out that at our incredible venue – Masseria Amastuola – provided us with an on the day co-ordinator – Enzo – and it was completely included in the price. He was amazing, nothing was too much trouble! This was a huge benefit and meant that we had extra budget to spend on our entertainment!!! Win!!”

Best money spent

“It’s a very cheap part of the wedding but made things extra memorable – the glitter bar we created for our pool party. All of our guests absolutely LOVED it and the pictures of the pool party were incredible!!! I bought 50 pots of body glitter, tubes of glue and loads of little brushes and pots for the brushes. Whole thing probably cost me less than £60 but it was so memorable and fun!”

Puglia Wedding at Masseria Amastuola, wedding photographer Miki Studios

Stand out supplier

“It would HAVE to be Mick & Ash from Miki Studios, our photographer/videographer duo. I could not recommend them more – they were honestly beyond everything we expected. They were so subtle, we didn’t even know they were there half the time, they laughed, they danced and they really became part of the wedding weekend and oh my god the pictures and videos! We had a full wedding highlights album and a teaser video less than 12 hours after our pool party ended and honestly we have watched it 100 times every day since. Can’t even explain how perfectly they captured the feelings of our weekend – every single time we look at the photos or watch the video we literally get transported back to that incredible feeling. If you book anyone, BOOK THEM, they’re just the best!”

The styling

“We had a ‘selfie mirror’ at the wedding which we LOVED and created so many good pictures! We actually just ordered a cheap mirror from Ikea Italy and got it delivered to our venue. We then got one of our friends to order some vinyl and apply it to the mirror which had our wedding monogram on and a lovely message and had it out for all three of our events. We put a polaroid camera and a guest book on a table nearby and we have SO MANY good pictures from it. The guests loved it too!!!”

Stand out moment

“Our FAVOURITE moment and the one that will be engrained in our memory forever was when we were announced into the wedding breakfast as bride and groom for the first time. Our guests went WILD!!! We chose one of our favourite songs ‘Million Voices’ by Otto and our guests were jumping up and down (on their chairs!) and dancing and singing their hearts out. That moment I don’t think either of us will ever forget!!!”

Advice for future couples

“Don’t sweat the small stuff. Honestly your guests won’t care and you certainly won’t remember what colour the napkin is on the table or what piece of glassware they drink their drink out of. All that really matters is that you and your guests have the most incredible unforgettable weekend. Your personality, your chill/stress levels and your enjoyment influences the rest of your guests SO MUCH!!! Try and get as much done as possible before you fly out to Italy, don’t leave things until the last minute and be so super organised that you can just chill and enjoy the build up and the weekend – I can’t stress enough how much your attitude towards the weekend impacts your guests.”

“SO many of our guests commented on how chilled we both were and how we looked like we were having the time of our lives all weekend and didn’t see us stop smiling – this had a MASSIVE effect on the vibe of the weekend – it honestly couldn’t have been better!!!!”

Outdoor courtyard wedding at Italian venue Masseria Amastuola

“We had surprise fireworks displayed over the pool with an incredible backdrop. They went off whilst we were doing our first dance – everyone was so surprised and absolutely loved it!”

SUPPLIER TEAM

Travel into Italy is changing and we have the latest ETIAS information for you. This is a must-read for couples planning their weddings from mid-2025; it would be slightly dramatic if you weren’t permitted into the country for your wedding!

Natalie + Dan’s perfect Puglian wedding

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