For those who have known and appreciated the beauty of Lucca for a lifetime, a wedding at Villa Grabau is nothing more than crowning a dream. Because Villa Grabau is the most prestigious example of Lucca and its luxuriant countryside in the world. And it is no coincidence that more and more lovebirds choose this venue for their destination wedding in Tuscany, as this couple from Texas has done in the past September. The bride’s family is of British origin and, like many others, has spent some of the past summer holidays in Italy. Lucca has kept a special place in the bride’s heart, and although she now lives and works in LA, she didn’t think twice when it comes to finding a location for the celebration.
Villa Grabau rises in lush green grounds peppered with majestic villas and magnificent gardens, many of them in a state of decay. Villa Grabau is a great exception. Once through the large gate, the villa revealed itself in all its glory, surrounded by acres of manicured lawns, fountains with croaking frogs and profound tranquillity. It’s like being in the Garden of Eden. The villa is one of the smaller ones in comparison to the others but is still inhabited by the Grabau family. And speaking of families, this marriage has shown everyone the love of the bride and groom for their families. The groom’s best man was his father, who accompanied him to the civil ceremony; the unofficial bridesmaids were her mother and sister, with whom the bride got ready and who helped her do slip into her pretty dress.
The symbolic ceremony took place inside the villa, due to the risk of rain, thankfully averted. The talented wedding planner Sandra and Sara have been fantastic at making last-minute changes while still ensuring cocktail hour in the lovely garden. Here the guests relaxed, sipping Italian wines and enjoying tasty canapes, while I was taking some family and couple photos in the surroundings. There is so much diversity for the backdrop within the grounds of Villa Grabau that capturing their photos wasn’t difficult at all. A few steps through the monumental garden, and a few intimate portraits, while they, still excited, were chatting and laughing. The reception took place in the conservatory, which houses a large ficus hanging from the ceilings. A dream setting was the frame for the family members’ speeches before the bakers made the cake live and left the guest open-mouthed. Here are some photos!
