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Get inspired by Annemarie & Brendan’s love story and see how they crafted their dream wedding in Florence!
Contact usReal Stories: Annemarie & Brendan by La Lista
With their diverse international backgrounds, Annemarie & Brendan – who connected whilst living in Asia – decided to choose Tuscany as the perfect central meeting point for their celebration. It only made sense to celebrate their love by bringing together their friends scattered across the globe in a breathtaking setting. Every detail of their special day was thoughtfully curated to allow guests to fully immerse themselves in the enchanting Tuscan ambiance at Villa Medicea di Lilliano.
“We loved that it felt intimate in its spaces and would allow us to move our guests through the venue on the day with unique features in each. We were married at San Filippo Neri Church in Florence, then bussed the guests to Lilliano for the reception”
Source: La Lista
The Dating
“We grew up living about 15 minutes away from each other in Ohio, but never met despite having friends in common! In 2015, I moved to Singapore for work and sent Brendan a Facebook message at the encouragement of a mutual family friend. He had been living in Shanghai and she thought we would hit it off as friends. Unfortunately, Facebook didn’t work in China, so he missed the message for three years. We were just friends until 2020, when we decided to give long distance dating a try with him in New York City and me in Singapore. Many online game nights, virtual meeting of the parents, and late night Facetimes later, we were finally together again in New York City in 2021!”
The Engagement
“Our first real in-person date in 2021 was at the Empire State Building, so it was fitting Brendan decided to propose there in November 2022.”
Top piece of advice
“Try to plan an intimate moment for just you and your spouse during the event. The day can definitely feel like a happy blur, but we had half an hour to relax after our ceremony while waiting for our photographer to arrive at the reception venue and this not only let us chat with each other, but we also got to try all our appetisers and cocktails we worked so hard on picking out whilst we waited!”
The Venue
“Because we had a smaller head count of around 60 guests, we wanted our reception to feel intimate and like a fun dinner party. Because Lilliano has a lot of different spaces that can be closed off, we felt it allowed us to maximise the venue. Cocktail hour was held in the courtyard and guests really enjoyed the rooftop there as well. There’s a beautiful frescoed hallway which opens into the backyard where our table was.”
Stand out suppliers
“Galateo Ricevimenti – our caterer, really was stellar. They were so professional and the food was incredible. Several months have gone by since our wedding and our guests are still talking about the food! The gelato cart by Vivoli was a big hit and perfect for some extra sweetness at the end of the night! And of course our photographer, Alex Gaidashev and his lovely wife, they were so helpful during the day and captured our wedding perfectly.”
Supplier Team
Wedding Venue: Villa Medicea di Lilliano
Photographer: Alex Gaidashev
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Cavour
Wedding Planner: YourWedding in Florence
Hair: Marina Mardari
Church: Church of Oratorio San Filippo Neri
Live music: Etruria Musica
Florist: Iaia Flowers
Lighting & Fireworks: Alma Project
Caterer: Galateo Ricevimenti
DJ: Remo Giugni
Gelato cart: Vivoli
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