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Let us introduce you to Casey and Doug. Here at The Amalfi Experience, we adored working with this fabulous duo and it was a true pleasure to plan their Amalfi Coast wedding weekend. We welcome you to scroll through their sunshine-filled celebration, from their incredible brunch and boat cruise, right through to the most magical wedding reception under the fairy lights. Without further ado, let us hand you over to the bride to tell us a little bit more about their nuptials…
“A true Italian wedding weekend must start with a pizza party! On Friday night, we welcomed our guests with a pie and a Peroni at Pizzeria Donna Stella in Amalfi. I surprised Doug with a Fiat Jolly transport to take us to the steps of the Amalfi Duomo, where our guests were waiting for us to walk through up the cobblestone streets to carbo-load.
On Saturday, the goal was to host a stylish, local dinner party filled with all of our favorite things- family and closest friends, cliffside beach views, delicious Italian foods, and fabulous live music. On Sunday we hosted a “rosè on the rocks” party at one of our favorite places in the world – the iconic Conca Del Sogno Beach Club. Doug and I were transported by a classic Italian wooden Riva boat, while our guests took a party boat over to our private terrace where we continued the celebration with tons of rosè, the freshest bites, and a rocking DJ.
Our theme for the weekend was Slim Aarons, and capturing the essence of La Dolce Vita – “the good life”. Aside from the obvious bridal/clean white moments, I paid an ode to my future last name “Green”- not only is it my favorite color, but it was another fun way to say “Hi, I’m Mrs. Casey Green!”. My mom and best friend, Doug’s mom, my sister-in-laws and my closest girlfriends wore greens, bright blues, and yellow, in both prints or solids. I asked my lady guests to pack dresses in eye-catching colors and pair them with some statement earrings. The gents were given the directive to grab their finest Italian linen suit and a pair of smoking slippers and finito, let the festa begin!
Doug and my family always joke about how I am a professional researcher. I would venture to guess that I spoke with 15+ wedding planners (stateside to Italy) prior to reaching out to Jacquie. I remember emailing her 1 month after I got engaged with my ideas/vendor choices and a few outstanding items that I really needed direction on. Within 36 hours, she had offered me options, collaborated with me on my choices and shared my vision for the weekend. I was sold via email before we got on the phone to “suss things out” (an Australian term that I stole from her), but after spending an hour chatting, we quickly became friends and I knew I had chosen the best confidant to perfectly execute and bring my wedding weekend to life. She scored extra bonus points when she and her team entertained my outrageous idea of getting late night cheeseburger and fries delivered from the closest McDonalds (in Naples 1.5 hours away). Thanks again, Jacq for talking me out of that one!
I am admittedly awful at doing my hair and makeup, despite my best efforts. Whenever I have the opportunity to have my hair done for me, I always opt for a sleek blowout or what my girlfriends and I refer to as “Victoria Secret’s waves”- pretty self-explanatory. The Beauty Livery team helped me achieve an elevated Hollywood glamour look by leaving my hair down and pulling it behind my one ear to keep it in place to dance the night away and to help showcase my earrings.
Make-up wise, I worked with the wonderful Beauty Livery team who helped me with a minimal, natural look so that I looked like myself, but just the best version for the weekend. I was so thankful to have a team who listened to exactly what I wanted. I’ve never been happier with my hair and makeup than for my wedding weekend and I didn’t even have a trial run with them prior!
The entire weekend filled with one perfect moment was followed by the next. I’d have to say that my favorite part was the ceremony. Doug and I spent a tremendous amount of time making it super personalized and although I was not able to fulfil my dream of having my dad walk me down the aisle, the ceremony was packed with touching moments like the tears rolling down Doug’s face when my brother escorted me down the aisle to him; reciting our own vows to each other; swapping out the signature Catholic readings with our favorite lyrics and a beautiful jazz tribute to my dad played by The Phly Boyz.
Despite the beach cliff-side setting, I was determined to curate a rather formal, glamorous Italian dress code. I knew I wanted something classic, but extremely fashion-forward and the Monique Lhuillier Admire gown brought all the drama to our intimate event. Malafronte and I decided that a bouquet of white calla lilies lended itself to the grace and elegance of the venue but it let my dress and accessories do the talking. I paired the gown with Amina Muaddi PVC party-ready pumps. After searching high and low for earrings that did the dress and shoes justice, I came across a diamond rental boutique in Manhattan, called Verstolo where I rented a pair of diamond wreath earrings featuring over 70 marquise diamonds set in 18K White Gold. My “dogs were barking” for the 45 minutes I wore my embellished stilettos but my ears have never been so happy.
After our first dinner course, Jacquie and a few of my best girlfriends helped me slip into something a little easier to dance in – a Cuccelelli Shaheen tulle mini dress entirely filled with hand-strung fringe and metallic braids that took over 1,200 hours of hand embroidered craftsmanship. I paired the dress with my bare feet, and the outfit was the perfect complement to my all-white gown and allowed me to let loose and dance the night away. The dress even held up for late night cannonballs in the villa pool and the photographs are to die for.
Praiano is a few turns off the main drag of the Amalfi Coast, and is what I would consider the best-kept secret in Italy. Between the rustic-mid-century style of the villa, with sprawling terraces and an idyllic lawn looking over the rocky seaside cliff, I absolutely fell in love with the discreet, local vibe. Ca’ P’a is only reachable by foot, ~150 steps down steps or by boat, ~150 straight up and is tucked in the mountains between the hustle and bustle of Positano and the gorgeous gardens of Ravello. Entering the exquisite villa through an unassuming wooden door it exudes unpretentious sophistication and it allowed for us and my guests to feel at home while having the time of their lives.
When we chose Casa Privata for our venue, I knew that my minimalistic style for flowers and decor would pair perfectly. For the ceremony, I wanted to frame the aisle and the altar without taking away from the stunning cliffside backdrop. We worked with Ravello-based floral designer Armando Malafronte to create an organic, natural arch of mixed greenery, olive branches, and white English roses throughout. When it came to our reception, I wanted to keep things relaxed and simple. Malafronte helped to create a big dinner party feel with tons of candles in mismatched high and low glass votives for an intimate feel, blue and white decorative porcelain vases, and we stuck to our color palette/theme of green, white, and yellow local florals, creating a clean and crisp look.
The motto of the weekend was no carb left behind. We committed to making the event one big dinner party in the best “backyard” imaginable. Without bias, the food was the best I’ve ever had at a wedding or event. Our guests enjoyed the classics- Peroni, Aperol Spritz, and local vinos with Italian canapés during aperitif. For dinner, we served super fresh, summery dishes like crunchy provolone cheese and aubergines, basil, raw ham and San Marzano tomatoes, handmade spaghetti “alla chitarra” (with clams), cherry tomatoes and zucchini flowers, a choice between local amberjack with a garden of sweet & sour vegetables or seared lamb chops with mushrooms and potatoes. We washed everything down with a local staple, the mille-feuille of puff pastry with chantilly cream and wild strawberries before hitting the bar and dancing the night away under the stars.
During my crazy deep dive of research, I stumbled upon this band from the south of France called The Phly Boyz. They consider themselves the “ultimate roaming band” and are 4 buddies who met at college and their speciality is performing entirely acoustic. I was love-struck and booked them immediately after locking in our venue. We booked them to play for both the ceremony and the dinner portion of the evening. They were the absolute perfect addition and they made my idea of an intimate dinner party to the ultimate dinner PARTY.
They really stole my heart after their instruments and luggage didn’t make it with them to Naples and they showed up at the ceremony sans shoes. For anyone who knows me, I am always known to be the girl at the event/party who kicks off her 4 inch heels and is the first on the dance floor. Funny how a wedding mishap and some extra anxiety for the band and my planner turned into something that so perfectly fit the vibe of the evening. I have since promised myself that wouldn’t be the last time that The Phly Boyz will be playing for an event we host – as I will relently beg Doug to have them. After the dinner commenced, The Boyz turned the mic and table over to DJ Warner who turned the night into a sweaty dance party evening to remember.
Savor every moment, it goes too quickly. Don’t overthink things, you’re the only one who notices every little detail and if something isn’t “perfect”. Don’t measure yourself or your event up to others and feel like you need to do what is “traditional”. There is no such thing anymore- incorporate whatever you feel speaks to you and your partners’ style and personalities the most. Choose vendors that you trust, get along with, and that are just innately good people. You spend A LOT of time with them, and pour a lot of time, energy, and money into executing your day/weekend and at the end of the day- it’s all about working with people who appreciated your vision and worked with you to be flexible and accommodating.
The Amalfi Experience- PLANNER instagram- @theamalfiexperience
Photographer: Bottega53 effortlessly captured the perfect and imperfect moments and the personalities of both myself, Doug, and our guests. I have loved reliving the weekend through my photos, and even guests who were unable to attend have told me that they felt like they were there and could even hear what was happening by looking at the pictures. To boot, Piermarco and Danilo were lovely humans and even let me snap a few photos of them.
Stationery/Branding- Hudson Ink – Alyssa. All of our printed materials for the wedding were done by Alyssa with Hudson Ink out of Brooklyn, NY. We wanted to speak to both the elegant and playful moods of the weekend, and artfully conjured up an invite suite that felt both fun and formal at the same time. My favorite part of the suite was the handwritten letter styled invitation, as I am a sucker for the art of a handwritten note and wanted our guests to know how special it would be for us to host them and what a commitment we knew it was to travel across the world to celebrate with us. The suite was packed with tons of colors and local vibes and included a watercolor painting of Casa Privata, Conca Del Sogno, and the menu had a colorful border with all of the delicious items that went into every dish that was being served.”
