Monochromatic doesn’t have to be minimalist and this wedding is proof

Designed and planned by Bella Sposa Events, Christian and Lauren's wedding was a timeless black-and-white celebration with romantic Italian villa charm, blending soft baby’s breath and roses by The Floral Way with the rustic elegance of Bella Collina’s stone architecture.

The tablescapes were inspired by Pinterest. I had probably 50 similar tablescapes saved of the same thing. I wanted sexy/moody with long and short candles with flowers poking out. A little whimsical but also classic. We did move the aisle markers to the tables to complete the look. They were everything I wanted, modern and elegant.

We crossed paths a few times in college, nothing besides passing by each other and being in the same place at the same time, but it wasn’t until Christian finally sent me a DM that things really began. Our tagline on our wedding website was “when in doubt, slide in the DMs” lol. One message turned into a dinner date, and two weeks later, we made things official. From the start, the relationship felt steady and effortless. There was no overthinking, no second-guessing, just a calm certainty. Everything aligned so naturally that it was hard not to feel like we were meant to end up together. And from that moment on, we never really were apart.

The venue was a DREAM. I saw the venue via YouTube video and instantly fell in love with it. I showed Christian and he equally loved it. We did a site visit and booked it. We never went and toured another venue. No venue in Orlando compared to Bella Collina in our eyes. It was the perfect Tuscan getaway 30 minutes from our home.

My dress was definitely a dream dress for me. I actually saved it on Pinterest a year prior to getting engaged because I instantly loved it. It would have been the first dress I tried on when I went to the Bridal Finery for my dress fitting. Tali, the shop owner, had me try on a similar dress first, but the second I put on my dream dress I never wanted to take it off. The designer is Ines Di Santo, and it’s the Chiara dress. I tried on three other dresses for fun, but my dress shopping experience was pretty quick. I couldn’t picture the day without that dress. When you know, you know!

The cake was a last-minute add. I went back and forth because we never really “cared” about cake. I didn't want to miss out on the traditional parts of the wedding, so we did a three-tier cake. I do think we picked different flavors than what we got on the day, but either way, it was good! I had requested to add some of our florals to it, and it was simple and timeless. Our real kicker was our cake-cutting song. We had to throw in something fun and unexpected, and played the song "Cut It" by O.T Genasis. So funny!