Wedding | Patricia & Josh

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Patricia is originally from Atlanta, Georgia, but had been living in London for nearly 10 years when we met. Josh, from the countryside in England, was living about an hour outside London at the time. We met in January 2023 over a first date that was meant to be only 40 minutes. Nearly two years later Josh proposed in the kitchen of our home in London, as it’s where we have spent hundreds of our favourite evenings cooking together over music and wine.

While Josh has introduced Patricia to his love for the outdoors—from hikes to cycling and beyond—Patricia introduced Josh to her lifelong love of all things Italian, from the art to the food to the wine. So it was no surprise that’s where our wedding planning began!

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

When we thought about what we wanted from a venue—scenic natural landscapes, good food and wine, and warmth both in the air and the people—Italy was the obvious choice. Our first trip together was visiting my aunt and uncle in Florence, and after countless other trips around the country, it had become a very special place to us. Patricia’s grandparents lived in Italy for nearly 40 years, and in some ways it had felt more like home than Georgia, thanks to many summer memories spent there.

We must have contacted at least 100 venues across Italy. Because we wanted to get married within the year, many venues had limited availability. Funnily enough, Braccialieri was the first venue we contacted, and ended up being the only venue we visited (despite dozens of zoom calls with others!). We immediately loved the warmth of the two owners—they truly embodied Italian hospitality, and while the venue was still under construction when we visited, we took a leap of faith and pushed our worries of Sicilian heat in August aside. The boldness of the retro tiled pool and simplicity of the old farmhouse main building perfectly embodied the mix of Italian style that we loved. The property also has several olive trees that are 1,500–2,000 years old, one of which we chose to hold our ceremony under. For us, there couldn’t have been a more poignant metaphor under which to make our vows.

During one visit to the island, we visited the small old fishing village of Marzamemi by chance for a quick lunch. We ended up befriending the restaurant manager, and, despite the language barrier, he won over our hearts with his enthusiasm for the area. We held the rehearsal dinner and welcome party here, so our guests could fall in love with the seaside charm and beautiful village square just as we had. Between finding the church in Ortigia for our legal ceremony where Patricia’s Italian uncle could marry us, to the olive trees and retro charm of Braccialieri, and the quiet seaside beauty of Marzamemi, we quickly realised this region of Sicily had every element we wanted to include for our multi-day celebration. And of course, it wouldn’t have been complete without the poolside party the day after to give the red and white tiles their own moment.

How many guests did you have?

104.

What was your budget?

We first had conversations around a microwedding, and using the remainder of the budget for a home in the future—but we both come from large families (Josh is one of 4 children, and Patricia is one of 6), so nothing we did would really be ‘small’. With all of our guests traveling across planes, trains, and cars—from London and Cumbria in the north of England, to the US and even California—it felt natural to go ‘all in’ and make the most of having everyone we love all together on the same beautiful Italian island. We wouldn’t change a thing about it, as the memories and time spent with everyone, and all of our guests being hosted, is worth more than anything else.

Tell us about your outfits.

After trying on what felt like 100 dresses, and even going to dress shops solo in some instances, I finally called my mom to fly to London from Atlanta for emergency help! I came very close to having a custom dress made as nothing I found fit the image I had in mind of a sculptural dress with movement that was also comfortable in August Sicilian heat.

On the final night of my mother’s visit, and the last dress shop, I tried on a Dana Harel dress and it was exactly what I’d been trying to make from every other dress. The silk taffeta was perfect in the heat and had every sculptural element I’d hoped for. The veil had been made that morning by their in-house seamstress, Katie Lewis, and even though I tried it on just to see the dress with a veil, my mother instantly got teary-eyed and we knew this was the ‘lace touch’ necessary for a Sicilian ceremony. My dress for our church ceremony was a skirt and top that I designed and had made alongside my local tailor in London.

Josh’s linen suit for the church ceremony and Rehearsal Dinner is by Percival, which was gifted to us by one of my bridesmaids who is a men’s fashion stylist. She also joined us to his suit fitting, which was so special having her eye for detail. Josh’s tuxedo jacket was always going to be cream after seeing Johannes Huebl’s tuxedo in his and Olivia Palermo’s 2024 celebration! We opted for the Ermenegildo Zegna fabric to pair with the silk taffeta in Patricia’s dress.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

First and foremost, having our families there was the most important. Patricia’s father had a bad health scare less than three months before the wedding, and his determination to learn to walk again and make his trip there made all of the other typical ‘wedding planning stress’ shrink to nothing in comparison. The focus on the day was him getting to walk Patricia down the aisle, and everything else became a bonus.

Alongside having our families there was the photography. We were so fortunate to be working with Jimena from Vovoreta as she truly understood what made Italy so special to us—the nonnos giving you the best bit of their bread, the wet kisses on the cheeks, the village squares that go quiet during lunch because everyone is eating with their families, and the hours and hours spent all sitting around the table together. She also went above and beyond in learning the names and personalities of all of our siblings (Josh is one of 4 and Patricia is one of 6!), and because of this, her photographs truly capture each person’s natural mannerisms and personalities. By using film, the old Italian cinema aesthetic was the perfect palette with which to paint all of our wedding memories.

And while we were beyond thrilled to share a place (and its food!) we had grown to love so much with our family and friends, it was very important to us to have an intimate ceremony in the church for our legal wedding, where we could process a lot of the emotion and excitement without the intensity that comes with hosting 104 guests, the speeches, etc. Because Patricia’s uncle is an Italian Baptist minister, he was able to help us with the paperwork requirements, and we were able to get married in a church in Ortigia where he used to preach. What made it even more special was that Patricia’s grandparents had also visited this church during their time in Italy. So, two days before our ‘big wedding’, we got married in a small, unassuming church in Ortigia, with the front doors wide open to the streets, amongst only our parents (and a handful of Italian members of the church who heard there was to be a wedding there, and they wanted to support!). It ended up being the best decision we made, as it allowed us to be fully present for our vows in the church, and gave us a very special time with just our parents afterwards over lunch. This also helped us be fully present for our wider family and friends on the day of the wedding (and a lot less ugly-crying from Patricia as she’d got that over with in the church!).

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

As cliché as it sounds, we were just so excited to have all of our friends and family from the US and UK all together in one place, so we really wanted everyone to have a good time. For most guests, it was their first time in Sicily, so we wanted to share with them what we had grown to love so much about this special place. From our very first visit to Sicily, we loved the vibrancy of the area—everything seemed almost as if it was in technicolour; the most red tomatoes in the food markets, the sun-bleached blue skies, the fields of orange and lemon groves along the sides of the roads, and the intricate decorations in the carretto. We wanted our wedding to be a celebration—full of colour, joy, music, and texture—just like Sicily. We wanted the design to be festive, touching on the Italian retro style, and give our guests a relaxed and comfortable environment to let loose—where no one would feel things were too stiff to really enjoy the party.

There were many things I would have loved to do myself for the wedding as we wanted the details of the wedding to be extremely personal, but it just wasn’t practical being based in London. So, I settled on one detail, and I hand-painted 104 tambourines for our guests. They were a core feature of the dinner and dancefloor, and worth every minute of effort to ensure our guests knew how much it meant to us to have them there. Alessia from My Sicilian Wedding, our wedding planner, also encouraged us to keep the large speakers set up and have a DJ (Denis Conti) for the pool party, and this was a real game-changer! The vibe really felt like a continuation of the party and wedding, rather than a drop-in event people attend on their way out of town. Most guests stayed until sunset, just as we’d hoped, with disco-funk vinyl blasting on the speakers, and Aperol’s in hand. It was the perfect way to end the weekend, spending quality time with guests and a huge exhale having finished all of the speeches, dances, etc., of the actual wedding day.

Any tips for couples getting married?

I will pass on what I felt was the best advice given to us as we were planning: pick a few things to really care about, and then let the rest fall into place and trust your wedding planner and suppliers. Send your designs and preferences, and then trust the professionals with the execution and enjoy the rest of the planning process! It’s your first wedding, but the suppliers do it every week, so trust in their expertise.

The other best advice we were given, was to expect things to not go to plan—this way, you’re not upset when they don’t (because some things won’t!). Noto, where our venue was, hadn’t had rain in weeks, and after a full week without a single cloud, a rainstorm blew in a few hours before our wedding. After pouring for nearly 3 hours, it cleared up just as guests were arriving (we chose not to have a contingency plan), and a rainbow appeared as the ceremony began. Sometimes, when things ‘go wrong’ it gives you outcomes better than you could have hoped for.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Volvoreta – Our photographer, Jimena and Dalibora, felt like family from the moment we (finally!) met face to face. We had several calls to discuss creative vision for the week, and it was invaluable to have this connection with people who were going to be joining us for some of the most intimate and special moments of our lives. Jimena put so much of herself into ensuring we were on the same page creatively, and I’ve truly never seen two people be in so many places at the same time as these two to capture every moment!

Alessia, of My Sicilian Wedding, was truly a game-changer throughout the planning process. She went above and beyond in so many ways. Her organisational skills are only matched by her eye for detail, and it allowed us to really enjoy the fun aspects of wedding planning, as we trusted her with the execution of the details, rather than feel stressed about them.

Seby Sorbello – we heard from so many guests who had travelled from New York, to London, that the food was some of the best they’ve ever had. The cocktail hour spread and the wedding dinner were truly memorable!

The venues (Il Principino for rehearsal dinner and Braccialieri for ceremony) were truly outstanding in their hospitality and willingness to accommodate us so we could make the space our own. Braccialieri is a special place, and the management truly care about their guests.

Photographer: Volvoreta @volvoreta | Planning & Styling: My Sicilian Wedding @my_sicilian_wedding | | Flora: Helga and Lorenzo @noiduewedding | Videographer: Saturn Films @wearesaturnfilms | Ceremony Location: Ortigia church (legal); Braccialieri @braccialieri | Reception Location: Braccialieri @braccialieri | Celebrant: Rafaele (Lello) Volpe | Rehearsal Dinner: Il Principino @principinomarzamemi | HMUA: Tannaz Beauty Bar @tannaz_beautybar @paolocostarelli.weddinghair | Catering & Beverages: Seby Sorbello | Cake: Seby Sorbello | Stationery: Officina di Carta @officinedicarta | Entertainment: Truly Medley Deeply @tmd_band; Denis Conti @denis_conti_ | Dress: Dana Harel (from Browns Bride in London) | Suits: Percival & Ermenegildo Zegna | Veil: Katie Lewis @katielewis.bridal | Rehearsal Dinner Dress: Rotate Birger Christensen | Church Ceremony Outfit: Custom Etsy @etsy corset and lace skirt (local London tailor) | Engagement Ring: Raphael Fine Jewellery @raphaelfinejewellery designed by couple | Wedding Rings: Raphael Fine Jewellery (Bride); (Groom) bride’s late father’s wedding ring @raphaelfinejewellery | Shoes: Amina Muaddi @aminamuaddi (wedding); Gianvito Rossi @gianvitorossi (Rehearsal Dinner); Lucchese @lucchese (Afterparty) | Afterparty Dress: Retrofete @retrofete