Wanting to host an intimate and meaningful celebration, Alyssa and Pat held their wedding in picturesque Positano. With only their immediate families in attendance, they spent a week at a beautiful villa then ended the trip with their marriage. The backdrop is breaktaking, Alyssa’s Yaki Ravid is gorgeous and sensual, and their wedding was exactly as they envisioned. If you’re planning a destination wedding, this inspiration is not to be missed.
Alyssa + Pat | August 10, 2015 | Positano, Italy
The Ceremony
It was really important for us that our wedding was small and intimate. Too often, I feel weddings become about the guests, about a party, and less about the couple and a celebration of the marriage. Therefore our ceremony and reception only had 9 people, including us! Our families flew out to Positano, Italy for the week to stay at Villa Oliviero, which is also where the wedding was held. The villa has three balconies that overlook the beach and the town of Positano. The ceremony took place on the highest balcony at dusk. We wanted to just focus on the natural beauty and not detract with lots of décor, so we had flower petals on the ground, candles, and a small table with more flowers. The ceremony was non denominational and we exchanged our own vows. My husband’s vows were incredible, and left me wiping away tears!
The Reception
The reception started with drinks and a table of cheese and meat platters. We then moved to one long dinner table, where we had a formal sit down dinner. My favorite flower is orchids, so we used orchids, hydrangeas, roses, candles, and mirrors to decorate the dining space. Unfortunately, it started to rain so we had to cover the terrace, otherwise the terrace had a lovely ivy overgrowth. After that we moved to another lounge area with more candles and flowers to have some drinks, and cut the cake! The cake was a limoncello cake filled with limoncello and marscapone cream and jam, topped with berries. The Campania area of Italy is known for their limoncello, so we wanted to use ingredients and flavors that were local. It was delicious!
Alyssa’s Wedding Dress Search
I only tried on 5 dresses! I first started off at a bridal boutique in Philadelphia that only sells Berta dresses. I wanted to try a few more, so I went to New York. When I saw my Yaki Ravid dress, I knew it was perfect! For me, the dress should not be a huge departure from your style or something you would normally wear. I love this dress because the lace and the beading is exquisite, the sleeves make it have a timeless and classic look, yet the sheer overlay and the plunging neckline make it just sexy enough. There were some changes I did make to the dress, including adding lace to the hips to make the dress have more of a flowy and curvy feel, as well as taking the dress in under the butt to add more curves.
How She Felt In Her Yaki Ravid Wedding Dress
Classy, beautiful, happy
Why She’s Selling Her Wedding Dress
I LOVE this dress. Honestly, it is so beautiful in pictures and in person, but I will never wear it again. The dress is in perfect condition, and it’s very expensive new. Hopefully, someone else can get a beautiful day with this dress, but with the lower price tag!
