Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki stepped off the court and walked down the aisle in a ceremony worthy of high praise.
The blushing bride shared the first look at the behind the scenes bits and pieces that went into making her big day possible – from dress details to pictures at her wedding venue.
Most impressive was how she custom-created the event to include her sporty personality.
Wozniacki and her now husband, former professional basketball player David Lee, were even named sports’ most romantic couple by Vogue this year – it’s so easy to see why.
She wore an Oscar del la Renta dress that perfectly matched the dreamy setting of the castle ruins at the idyllic Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany. The details of her dress were handsown and it fit her like a glove. The ethereal gown was embellished with cascading floral details and her train was perfectly designed to fit down the 262-foot long aisle.
The bid day was managed by event planner extraordinaire Alex Fitzgibbons of Fait Accompli, the very same company that managed Duke and Duchess of Cambridges’ and the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs’ phenomenal ceremonies.
The aisle was an extravagant show of drama lined with white roses and purple snapdragons, featuring two large urns overflowing with flowers. Fitzgibbons ensured the most dramatic entrance for the bride as the stone pathway that runs along the property was her entry point.
Caroline was escorted down the aisle by her father at exactly 6pm wearing a classic cathedral length tulle veil and diamond earrings and a bracelet by Ruchi New York.
The groom looked dashing in his Tom Ford suit and the pair said their vows in front of 120 close family and friends, including bridesmaids Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian.
As the fiery Tuscan sun started to dip, the couple were pronounced husband and wife.
After the ceremony guests made their way to an unforgettable cocktail bar set up and dinner commenced at 8pm. A sleek long table framed by a canopy of greenery intertwined with lights and candles welcomed guests.
A three-course Italian dinner was served during speeches.
The bridesmaids wore mint green ensembles with designs to suit each one’s personal style.
Wozniacki and Lee took to the floor for the first time as husband and wife to the classic some “Love Someone” and an evening of unforgettable happiness and love ensued.
Pictures: Instagram/Castiglion del Bosco
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Wearing heels for the entire duration of your wedding may seem a little daunting, especially for women who are not used to being in heels for hours on end. Let’s face it, some of us live in sneakers or takkies, so why change who you are on your wedding day? Rocking a pair of sneakers is the perfect shoe to say “I do” in.
With so many customizable options for wedding sneakers, you will be spoilt for choice. We can’t think of a better way to dance the night away.
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Sneakers can be subtle or overstated. The style options and colourways are endless. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can order and customise your own sneakers online. There is literally a pair of sneakers for every fashion sense.
While choosing a pair of shoes for your wedding may be overwhelming, there is one thing that a pair of sneakers has over any other shoe: comfortability.
Rocking a pair of kicks down the aisle will most definitely leave your guests intrigued. Also your lower back, knees and hips will be eternally grateful.
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If you really wanted to add a touch of flair to your outfit, buy a matching pair of sneakers for him and her. Nobody will forget the wedding where the bride and groom wore a matching pair of sneakers, will they?
Image: Pixabay
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Choosing the diamond, making the purchase, popping the question. Three tasks that require a sufficient amount of consideration but once they’ve been accomplished, and before you make the big announcement, there’s something else you should think about: insurance. Not particularly romantic but extremely important nonetheless. This piece of jewellery is far too valuable, in numerous respects, for you to lose or have stolen. Wedding Album gets some pointers on protecting this valuable asset from Mutual & Federal‘s Head of Product Solutions Fourie Grobler.
1 Choose the right insurance policy
All risk insurance is perhaps the most effective insurance coverage for a specified item such as an engagement or wedding ring. The policy ensures that, while you’re away from home, your ring that you wear daily will be covered if lost.
2 Keep all documentation
Hang on to documents such as the jeweller’s valuation certificate, a photo of the ring, and, of course, the receipt. These are crucial in speeding up – and smoothing out – the process of making an insurance claim.
3 Value your ring regularly
‘It’s very important to update the value of your jewellery on a regular basis to make sure that your sum insured is adequate,’ says Fourie. So ensure you have your ring is valued every year so that the insured value is up to date with the replacement value. A jeweller will either offer you a free annual valuation or charge a flat rate for one. The latter option includes an updated valuation certificate.
Photography pixabay.com
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Should you serve a plated dinner or buffet dinner at your wedding? A few things to consider when making this decision: What sort of atmosphere are you trying to create? What is your budget? And how many guests will be attending?
Generally, a buffet dinner is much more casual than a plated dinner as the evening is less structured than a plated dinner. A plated dinner can be structured in the sense than you can plan speeches and toasts and even dancing in between courses. If you want your wedding to be a formal affair, then serving a plated dinner is the best option. Plated dinners ensure that there is no chaos that could come with buffet dinners when everyone goes to get their food.
With a plated dinner, everyone eats at the same time and will be finishing up at the same time and you can move on to the next part of the evening.
In order to control the chaos that comes with buffets, you have to think of ways to control the traffic by setting up lines to get food or setting up two buffet tables with the same food to limit long lines or sometimes even scheduling times for each table to go and get their food. This results in each table eating at different times and can hinder your desired proceedings for after dinner.
Buffet caters for larger groups and a variety of tastes, meaning there is usually something for everyone, which is appreciated by your guests. But being served is also appreciated; and if you offer special meals for people with dietary requirements, everyone will be happy.
Budget-wise, it is tricky to determine which style of dinner service is more cost-effective as there are many factors that will influence the cost of the type of dinner service that is chosen.
Buffet style is generally considered more cost-effective as you do not have to hire as many waitstaff as you would have to if you do plated. However, you cannot determine exactly how much food will be needed and can therefore end up over-catering or have the possibility of running out of food.
Plated dinners are easier to plan as the caterer will know exactly how many portions of each dish are needed and there is no possibility of waste or running out of food. You can also save in this way as you control each persons’s portion size.
At the end of the day, it is your wedding and you will need to decide on the type of atmosphere you are trying to create. If you want a formal wedding, a plated dinner service is the better option as it is much more structured and guests are not expected to stand around and attempt to balance their plates while trying to get their food all the while being in their formal clothing.
If you want a more casual wedding then buffet is the better option because guests have the freedom to structure their own evening by eating when they want and how much they want, just ensure there is enough food.
Image: Unsplash