Last Summer, we were commissioned by the team at AquaPetra Hotel & Spa to design a series of styled shoots to showcase this charming Italian wedding venue to the U.K. destination wedding market.

AquaPetra resort & spa is conveniently located less than an hour from Naples airport, in the heart of Campania. It is a hidden treasure that oozes romantic charm and hospitality - it reminds me of a quaint little Italian village, with 42 air-conditioned rooms dotted around cobbled streets. It boasts an indoor and outdoor door swimming pool, a Michelin starred restaurant and the best homemade Limoncello that Italy has to offer!

We first visited AquaPetra, the home of First Dates Hotel, for Katie & Shaun’s wedding a couple of years ago, when we booked the hotel exclusively for their destination wedding weekend for 40 of their closest family and friends.

Following the latest filming of First Dates Hotel, we enjoyed a wonderful weekend in Italy with our chosen team of fabulous U.K. & Italian wedding suppliers, creating the following three gorgeous shoots:

Limoncello Inspired Wedding in Italy

The Amalfi Coast has an abundance of lemon trees and olive groves, so we paired the two, to create a vibrant shoot which epitomises Italy and its chic, sophisticated culture.

With illustrated stationery, greenery from the olive groves located in the grounds of the venue and zesty lemons sourced locally, we set up a poolside ceremony and dressed the Winter garden with cascading olive branches dotted with lemons, to create the most beautiful limoncello inspired wedding which was featured on Five Star Wedding Directory.

La Dolca Vita

La dolce vita translates from Italian to English as “the good life” or “the sweet life” and as the Italian way of life is all about romance, beauty, and chic sophistication, we wanted to create a bright and colourful shoot that epitomised the vibrant lifestyle.

Taking inspiration from the colourful hand painted Italian tiles and the flamboyant designs found in the pretty hand-painted ceramic prints in the Majolica Collection by Dolce & Gabbana, we incorporated textured linens, designer stationery and beautiful tableware for a beautiful poolside table scape.

The vibrant outdoor wedding design incorporated candles, hanging floral arrangements and stunning individual place settings, which was featured on Strictly Weddings.

Olive Grove Elopement

Many couples from around the world search for their idyllic destination wedding location in Europe and, whilst many choose to fly their family and friends with them for a delightful Italian escape, some plan a secret elopement or an intimate wedding to celebrate their marriage.

Where better for a private celebration than under a canopy of olive trees in Italy... So very romantic, uncomplicated and beautiful!

We made the most of the natural surroundings, teaming the foliage and greenery picked from the gardens with pale pink flower palette for a pretty and intimate outdoor dining experience.

This eco friendly outdoor wedding was featured on Green Union Wedding Blog.