Could a destination Italy micro wedding be the perfect choice for you?

We chat to our beautiful real bride Leah who chose a micro wedding in Sorrento

There is no doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic has made us all think a little differently about the size of our weddings, especially when taking into consideration needing to reduce guest counts to comply with government restrictions. Couples who originally planned larger scale celebrations have been forced into thinking about how a smaller wedding celebration could work to avoid having to wait to say ‘I do’.

Micro weddings (weddings in which couples invite a small number of close friends and family members) offer a special kind of intimacy and have been growing in popularity over the last few years (even before Covid-19 changed our way of life). Combine this intimacy with incredible scenery, sunshine, world renowned food and wine, warm hospitality and a large dose of the Italian ‘dolce vita’ and we’d say this is pretty much a winning combination and a great way to start married life!

We’re thrilled to welcome to the blog our gorgeous bride Leah who was married in Sorrento in 2018 and chose to have a micro wedding with 11 guests.

what made you decide a micro wedding was right for you?

It was at my best friends wedding when I was a bridesmaid that I realised I never wanted a big wedding. I felt so sick with nerves at walking down the aisle in front of so many people and I knew they weren’t even going to be looking at me! The thought of doing that as a bride was so nerve racking, I knew I didn’t want to feel that way on my wedding day. Luckily my husband and I have never been ones who like fuss so a micro wedding was just perfect for us.

how easy was the planning process? did you feel it was less stressful because you weren’t having to consider a larger number of guests?

The planning process from start to finish was so smooth and easy! I’d seen friends get so stressed planning their weddings and again this isn’t something I wanted to happen. Our limited number of guests definitely made things easier, I think sometimes wedding invites can cause some problems so it was nice to be able to avoid this. Everyone actually commented on how calm I’d been throughout the planning process, which is all thanks to Victoria!

do you feel like you compromised anything by having a more intimate celebration?

We definitely don’t feel like we compromised anything by having a small wedding, it was exactly what we wanted and if we could do it again we’d do it exactly the same!

what was the best part of your wedding day in sorrento?

We loved every second of our day but our favourite part was probably wandering the streets of Sorrento with our photographer. It was a wonderful way to see all the sights and we got some amazing photographs. We felt like celebrities, people were congratulating us, clapping and taking photos of us when we were walking round, it felt really special.

Our time at Villa Fondi after the ceremony was also lovely, Victoria arranged a little drinks reception for us and we had some time to take in the amazing views and really appreciate the beauty of the location, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

if you could offer any advice to other couples considering a smaller wedding what would you say?

We did wonder whether we would feel like we missed out on something not having a big wedding but honestly I feel we got more out of our day than we could have if it was a bigger affair. The more intimate wedding allowed us to relax, to really enjoy the company of those we did invite and really take in the day. You hear of some people not really enjoying their wedding because they’re too thinly spread trying to get around to speak to all of their guests, we didn’t feel this at all. We loved having everyone round the one big table for the reception, it was so lovely everyone chatting together and really enjoying the day as a group.
If you’re worried about how the people who aren’t invited will feel, don’t be, if they know you they’ll understand. Our friends and family weren’t surprised at all that we kept it small.

finally are you pleased that you used a wedding planner despite having a smaller wedding?

Although we only had 11 guests the planning of it was still the same as any other wedding, there were so many things that needed organising and there was no way we could have done it without Victoria. We didn’t think twice about having a wedding planner and although it is an extra cost it was 100% worth the money. From the moment I contacted Victoria she went above and beyond for us. It’s a brides prerogative to change her mind and I’m sure I did more than a few times and yet nothing was ever too much trouble! There was a real personal touch with Victoria, we were never just another customer, we built a real relationship through the planning process and we had complete trust in her.

Thank you so much Leah for your incredibly kind words and for taking the time to chat to us on the blog. We enjoyed every minute of planning and coordinating your magical wedding in Sorrento.

Thanks to the following:

Ceremony Location : Villa Fondi // Reception Location : Terrazza delle Sirene

Photography : Francesco Quaglia // Celebrant : Carmela Cesarano // Hair : Ricci e Capricci Sorrento // Make up : Julia Sorrento Make up Artist // Car : Fiat 500 Wedding Sorrento // Floral Design : Giovanni Castellano // Chairs & Prosecco Bar : Wedding Chairs & Co.