When a couple picture their dream destination wedding, I have a feeling that Angela and Tom's three day bash in Tuscany is almost exactly what they have in mind. Pool parties, barbecues, flowing Aperol, dancing through vineyards and dining under the stars. The Irish pair live in Sydney, so decided their wedding called for as much quality time with their family and friends as possible. Their stunning celebration at Castello Di Meleto, was all planned from afar with with relaxed vibes and great food a priority - along with some epic pre and post-wedding festivities too. Aspect Photography flew over from Ireland to document the merriment, and the results are all kinds of gorgeous! 

Angela and Tom met while on a J1 summer abroad in Hawaii,“That summer there were about 60 Irish students staying in the small town of Kihei, on the island of Maui. It was such a great summer full of laughter and fun memories,” recalls Angela. “We both worked as waiters in different restaurants and while we became friends that summer, the romance didn’t start until our return to Ireland. We finally got together at a house party for one of our fellow Hawaiian J1er's 21st birthday party and the rest is history!”

We all need the friend who's so excited for you, she's jumping on the bed!

Clearly fans of island life, the pair got engaged on Christmas Day while on holidays in Fiji, as Angel tells us, “Tom suggested that we go for a hike around the island. He packed a picnic and we set off. During the hike Tom directed us over to a secluded beach so we could go for a swim as it was hot. Little did I know he was looking for a private spot so he could propose!”

When they reached the beach, Angela dipped her feet in the water, “When I turned around Tom was down on one knee presenting me with a ring and asking a very important question! I was stunned and shocked, so it took me awhile to answer! We celebrated with some champagne Tom had packed for our picnic, on the beach.”

The couple tell us their thoughtful reasoning behind getting married in Tuscany, “As we live in Sydney and don’t get to spend as much time as we like with our family and friends, a destination wedding made sense to us. We knew that by choosing to have our wedding abroad we would get to spend more quality time with our guests and create some wonderful memories.”

The bride and groom wanted the whole experience to be fun and relaxing for their guests, “To do this we chose a venue that could hold all our guests on site and that we could have to ourselves for a few days. We planned a three-day event, with a welcome barbecue at the venue the night before the wedding and a pool party for the day after to help with the recovery.” Sounds like the dream destination wedding to us!

The bride opted to have both parents walk her up the aisle.

The couple's nephew Cillian played a blinder as pageboy, while Clodagh, their niece, and Aoife, their friend's daughter did their roles as flower girls perfectly! 

Looks like there were lots of laughs throughout the ceremony.

As spending quality time with friends and family was their main focus, the couple needed to find the right venue that would allow them maximise their time, “We needed a venue that could accommodate all our guests on site and allow us to have events either side of the wedding day. We found Castello Di Meleto through our wedding planners Debora and Simoonetta. As we live in Sydney, we were unable to visit Tuscany so we picked the venue from pictures and their recommendations.”

Angela's bridesmaids looked gorgeous in sage green dresses with a tough of sparkle, the perfect shade for the setting, don't you think?

The couple planned the itinerary for the day itself to allow for maximum relaxation, “Our guests were able to chill by the pool for the best part of the day (which I think they enjoyed!) before joining us at the ceremony area at 4.30pm. The ceremony was held at the top of a small hill overlooking the venue from where the band led us back down the hill to the herb garden for canapés and drinks.” This looks like so much fun! 

The catering was a major priority for Angela and Tom, and fortunately they were in the right place for it! “It was really important for us to have good food, lots of wine and entertaining music and on all three fronts the caterers and bands delivered. The caterers were amazing, our friends have referred to the wedding as ‘a food festival’, while the wine (made by the castle winery) was also a big hit. Special shout out to our bands too, the Vintage Jazz Swing Band and the Italian Wedding Band as they helped create a really fun and memorable atmosphere throughout the day.”

This pair wisely advise other couples to enjoy every minute of their day, “Stay true to who you both are. Plan the wedding you want and don’t worry about tradition. This is the best way to have a wedding that is unique and personal.”

Angela looked stunning in her gown by Australian designer Tanya Anic, the lace bodice is so elegant paired with the light, flowing skirt and full length veil. 

The pair caught some seriously glowy golden hour shots near their venue with Aspect Photography before heading back to spend the evening with their guests.

The speeches were among the highlights for the couple, “Our best man sang a rap for his speech.”

To get themselves acclimatised, these two enjoyed a few days in Florence ahead of the wedding with family and a few friends, “This was amazing as everyone got into the holiday vibe very quickly,” says Angela.

The long tables, festoon lights and foliage table runners; what a picture perfect set-up for an al fresco dinner.

After the wedding the pair wanted the party to continue! “Our friends Sarah and Katie organised a buddymoon which entailed sailing three boats and 33 of our guests from the Italian coast out to Corsica and around the north of the island for a week. It was an incredible experience and the perfect way to unwind after the wedding and spend quality time with our friends.”

After all the fun with their friends, the newlyweds took time out for two (we are loving their jet set style!), “We flew to Paris for three days by ourselves. Paris was beautiful. We were shattered after the wedding so Paris gave us time to catch our breath and recharge the batteries. We then flew to Greece for two weeks and visited Mykonos, Santorini and Kefalonia. Kefalonia was our favourite island as it was much quieter than the other two. We booked into a yoga retreat in Kefalonia for the last five days of the honeymoon which was the perfect way to end our trip. We were able to exercise, eat healthy and delicious food and relax by the pool. 

Thank you so much to Angela and Tom for letting us in on their day, and to Aspect Photography for documenting it so beautifully - make sure you visit the gallery below for a closer look.