An exclusive wedding in the ancient Tenuta La Chiusa Estate
A lawn eases elegantly toward a wild beach in a bucolic atmosphere, fabrics that embrace the ‘tired’ branches of a secular tree are ruffled by the wind, the scent of the sea inebriates bouquets and bowls of flowers that announce a day of festivity. A spellbinding place… for centuries, it has glanced with a watchful eye at the ancient Cosmopolis, the safe harbor of the Mediterranean, and has lived side by side with the nearby village of Magazzini where, in a family atmosphere, a small marina, inhabited by boats and dinghies, is home to playful “waddling” ducklings. Fiery sunsets color the evening and invite peace and a “starry” silence. This Dream is called La Chiusa. An ancient gate, supported by mighty walls, imperiously guards a long driveway that leads to a paradise where nature and history live in perfect harmony. Leda and Nico chose Elba, even though they were not familiar with it, because they are fascinated by the Island and Tuscany.
Elba represented the perfect place geographically to gather friends and relatives from around the world: America, France, Belgium, Italy. Both are physicians, she is a “guardian angel” in the Intensive Care Unit of a Brussels hospital, and he, a Parisian, is a well-known anesthetist with typical French savoir faire. From their first encounter, it was love at first sight. Not just in life, but also when the extraordinary beauty of the Estate swept them away along with its most intimate and fascinating corners. They marveled at its great wonder: the Italian garden, the woods, the ancient Villa embellished by a regal stairway, the small chapel, the boulevard guarded by two majestic cypresses that, along with the oleanders, reach all the way to the sea, the sentimental place where their ceremony was held.
The romantic notes of a violin and a cello emphasized Leda’s arrival in a romantic empire waist dress accompanied by her two “fathers”. A suggestive and emotional ceremony that took everyone back to a scene from other times where, beyond the music, the instruments of nature were played. Equally engaging was the aperitif on the lawn and in the pine grove with an agrarian setting: small wooden benches, and corners set up with lacey embroidered cushions, an old bicycle with a basket filled with olive branches and pomegranate flowers, an old armchair in the shade of a tall pine tree next to a vintage wooden rocking horse, old casks and vats, all to recreate a magical and familiar atmosphere.
An unusual and floral tableau de mariage gave a touch of color to olive green fronds, indicating the names of the guest tables: white and purple lisianthus, burgundy carnations, orange cockscombs, sunflowers, Peruvian lilies streaked with white and salmon, powder colored roses, white and pink peonies, red gerberas, yellow and purple freesias, lime and lilac colored sea-lavender, and the pretty berries of hypericum. The flowers were, along with Leda and Nico, the absolute protagonists of a day of celebration, coloring an elegant mise en place lit by candles and enriched by themed details. And to “warm up the evening”, besides the music, were artfully packaged comfortable throws, gracefully arranged on a table made with old wooden boxes and vats. At the foot of the ancient staircase of the Villa, Leda and Nico toasted one another after the traditional cutting of the cake ‘filled’ with flowers. “The wedding was perfect! Everything was magnificent! Our guests said it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended. Thank you so much! Everything was magical.” We could not have hoped for a better conclusion: “Living the Dream…” through a “Sentimental Journey” in a place enchanted by an ancient flair.
