Sasha and Robert are well known among their friends for putting on a great party and this was the party that no one in attendance will ever forget. Three days in a classically beautiful Tuscan villa in the Chianti countryside.
Sasha and Robert got married deep in the heart of the Chianti countryside. So deep that the only roads leading there are dirt roads which is typical of Chianti. This isolation produces pristine countryside scenery like above and is worth the bumps in the road.
The villa is an important Chianti wine producer and they have several vineyards in other parts of Tuscany as well. Since Robert is a big wine enthusiast having good wine was an important part of the weekend and a bottle of Chianti Classico was included in each welcome bag.
They had exquisite, classic invitations from East Six in NYC. Formally elegant and letter pressed on the highest quality paper stock topped off with their own red wax seal insignia.
Sasha was so excited to find shoes for her flower girl in the same design of her Valentino Rock Stud heels and it was a charming detail.
The ceremony took place at the villa on a lawn with sweeping views of the olive groves, cypress trees and Chianti countryside all around. The spectacular city of Siena is just beyond the cypress trees.
The Swedes certainly do know how to have fun! Robert is Swedish and Canadian and Sasha is American and Russian and there were lots of traditions taking place while seated for dinner and between the speeches.
Sasha’s family is originally from Minsk, Belarussia and so she chose the Minsk Mule, identical twin of the Moscow Mule, as her signature drink. Robert chose the Vargtass with vodka and lingonberry in a nod to Sweden.
WELCOME DINNER BBQ
Sasha and Robert’s wedding weekend began with a typical Tuscan meal of grilled meats, assorted local antipasti and gelato, of course! It was a fun and relaxed evening which gave everyone a chance to meet one another in a fun and informal setting with great food.
Russians, Swedes, Canadians and Americans…sounds like hockey and in fact it was! The groom, his father, the bride’s father as well as many of the guests are or were professional hockey players. Throughout the dinner they alternated between Swedish and Russian wedding traditions. The dinner lasted for almost five hours. Robert told me that it would ahead of time but I didn’t really believe him until I saw it for myself. It was such a fun group of people and everyone knew how to let loose and have a good time. The dancing and revelry didn’t end until the sun came up the following morning with many of the guests staying up the whole night. I have been hearing that all the couples in attendance said that this is how they want to get married when their time comes. There are few hosts as gracious as Tuscany.