Romantic Cinque Terre Wedding

Words by Cherelle Joseph
Photos courtesy of Demartini Weddings

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Marta at Demartini Weddings Photography and Cherelle at Perfectly Planned 4 You have created this inspirational wedding shoot to showcase the beautiful Italian region of Liguria, a charming arched strip of land that sits along the Mediterranean coastline between France and Tuscany. It is often overlooked when it comes to destination weddings in Italy. 

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With amazing views of the coastline and a particularly mild climate all year round, Liguria, and specifically the area near Cinque Terre, also offers a wide variety of so many tasty organic delicacies that are unique to this region. They certainly could convince the most reluctant of guests to adventure on a destination wedding here, from certain brands of olive oil, pesto, focaccia Ligure, sweet wine and Limoncello — the list goes on and on!

While on a wedding planner’s familiarization trip to Liguria, I (Cherelle) came across the breathtaking old monastery venue, Eremo della Maddalena. Set on a hill overlooking the popular Cinque Terre villages, this historical venue is well secluded and is the perfect setting for a romantic and intimate destination wedding. The venue hosts a few well-designed rooms in rustic style, a courtyard with kitchen and living room access, a swimming pool and even its own olive groves in the lanyard — a little paradise to enjoy the wedding breakfast.

I met our photographer, Marta, a while back at a London networking event, and it was a fabulous coincidence that she was from the area that I had recently fallen in love with. We spoke about creating a styled shoot for London couples who wish to marry in a unique location in Italy. During the planning stage of our photoshoot, we both agreed that we wanted to collaborate with a mix of selected international suppliers and thought about what a real couple’s needs would be when planning a destination wedding in a relatively remote area of Italy based on budget and personal taste.

We chose two dresses from Heart Aflutter Bridal in Hackney, as we believe that a cosmopolitan bride would purchase her destination dress in a capital like London. We gave the bride two looks: Look one oozes romance, and if you look closely, you can spot slight green tones in the tulle skirt which complimented the venue’s greenery surroundings perfectly. The second dress was more fitted and comfortable but with a sexy slit, ideal for an after-dinner look.

The bold olive greens in Ananya Cards were the perfect choice of stationery for this location, which added elegance and luxe to the table setting. Stationery is such an important element in any wedding — especially a destination wedding — as it builds excitement and anticipation for the upcoming nuptials.

I believe a bride who dreams of getting married in Italy wants a venue with real character, and Eremo della Maddalena did not disappoint. 

Vendors: Photographer: Demartini Weddings; Concept creator and planner: Cherelle Joseph; Venue: Eremo della Maddalena; Props & Styling: Lisa Barsotti Wedding Stylist; Catering, tableware & chairs: MSTAFF Catering; Florist: De Silvestri Floral Designer; Dresses: Heart Aflutter; Hair: Stefano De Barbieri at FHS; Makeup: Sabrina Priano; Stationery: Ananya Cards; Table Linen: Silk & Purl; Cake: Giulia Cakes and Cookies; Gelato Bike: Gelateria Golosone Monterosso