An Intimate Amalfi Coast Wedding Fit For Royalty

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We imagine European royalty must have spent a fair amount of time on the Amalfi Coast if they could.

Whether it be the jaw-dropping cliffside views, bride Dasha’s luxurious princess wedding gown or the rather exclusive nature of this intimate soiree, this Amalfi wedding weekend is something regal. Celebrating beside the Mediterranean with seventeen of their closest family and friends, Dasha & Chase show us all that intimate weddings can be just as glorious & glamorous as big ones.

But beyond the breathtaking photos (& Francesco Detito‘s images are absolutely stunning) it’s the love story of this multicultural American couple that tugs at our heartstrings. We know merging families for some doesn’t come quite so easy, but for Dasha & Chase, the welcome party was about as warm as it gets.

Once you’ve ooh’d and ahh’d over this gorgeous wedding, you can take a look at our treasure trove of Amalfi Coast weddings (yes, we’re obsessed).

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Our Love Story

Our love story is so special because we were friends for many years before we started dating. Chase and I are in the same industry, and would frequently see each other at trade shows. Years went by, and the more I would see him, the more I was convinced I wanted to get to know him better. I didn’t know anyone as hard-working as he was. He was completely dedicated to his family’s business and his grandparents. I had to make the first move, and finally asked him out, and the rest is history.

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My parents divorced when I was five years old, and I was raised by my mother and my grandmother. We emigrated from Russia when I was 12, and my mother and I have successfully built a skincare company that was our mutual passion and labor of love. Five years ago, I lost my mother to brain cancer and my grandmother died soon after. That loss was monumental in my life because they were my only family in the United States. I felt a tremendous void in my life, because I loved being a part of a family, and feeling that I had someone to take care of, and someone to take care of me.

Chase’s mom, Joni, who was friends with my mom when she was still alive, took me into their family and made me feel so incredibly loved. On Christmas after we got engaged she wrote in her Christmas card: “I know I will never replace your mom, but I will always be there for you and love you as my daughter.” It made me feel so welcomed and so cherished, I wanted her and my father-in-law to know that our celebration of love will be a celebration of me gaining a new family.

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The Plans

Chase and I agreed that an intimate destination wedding would bring our family and friends closer together. We had seventeen guests attending – more than half were immediate family, and the rest were our closest friends. My cousin Anna came from Russia to be my Maid of Honor, and Chase’s brother was his Best Man. My mom’s best friend Marc walked me down the aisle, as he had promised her before she passed.

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The Destination

I knew that Italy would be the perfect place for our unforgettable day, because of its beautiful views, great food and undeniably rich culture. Chase’s grandparents are from Italy, and his grandmother always says it’s the most beautiful place in the world.

Chase and I knew that we had to find an excellent wedding planner in Italy, who would take care of the planning in its entirety because we would not be able to come and preview the venue or meet with any of the other vendors. We selected WeddItaly because of all the details they have put into making their proposal to plan our wedding. The very first venue Victoria suggested was the venue we ended up choosing after days of looking at every other possible choice.

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The Festivities

I have been to many big weddings before, and it seemed there was never enough time to spend with the bride and groom, and the day passed too quickly. We designed our wedding trip to Amalfi to include activities for four days – we had a nice dinner in the main piazza the first night, a cocktail reception with champagne flowing the night before the wedding, and the whole day after the wedding we rented a private yacht to take us to Capri and back. The water was very choppy, and we got completely soaked on the top deck of the boat, but we still talk about it when we all get together! Marc, Chase and Joni even dived off the top deck into the water. It was too much fun.

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Favorite Moments

Everything was so peaceful and romantic – the harp and violin played beautiful classical music, the food was absolutely incredible, the table setting al fresco was like something out of a fairy tale. And to think – that day could have been completely different because the weather forecast showed rain. We didn’t think twice about it, we still wanted to have our ceremony outdoors, even though the forecast warned of rain.

The flowers, the table setting…it was all too beautiful, and the best part was the view of the sea from the terrace. We made the decision to keep our celebration outdoors, and weather was perfect until we cut our cake. Right as we cut the cake, the rain started to pour down. The hotel staff came out with umbrellas, and we danced our way in the rain into the main lobby where I tossed the bouquet. We had our cake, laughed, danced, said our goodbyes, and in the morning we were on the yacht, sailing to Capri. It was an unbelievable 4 days that has brought our family closer together. Italy will forever be in our hearts.

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The Photography

Our wedding planner had given us a variety of incredible photographers to choose from, and we decided to go with Francesco because of the airiness and brightness of the photos we saw in his portfolio. They all glistened with natural light and gave an incredible energy.

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The Venue & Decor

Originally a 13th-century monastery, the NH Collection Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi is perched on top of an 80-meter cliff and has been converted to a 5-star hotel with spectacular views of the Amalfi coast. We had our ceremony on the top terrace and took our wedding photographs in the original 13th-century cloister.

I wanted the wedding theme to be lemons, and by keeping the palette to mostly white flowers and green fresh olive and eucalyptus leaves, the lemons that were added to all arrangements really stood out. Lemons are everywhere on the Amalfi Coast – they can be seen in every market, they are on pottery, on tiles, in soap, in local fresh limoncello. We made sure to include little bottles of limoncello for our guests on the table, as well. It was a sweet little keepsake.

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Advice to Other Couples

Use an app to keep track of the payments to the vendors, and keep on top of the budget. We actually ended up using three different apps – one for the budget, one for online save the dates, and one for the wedding gift registry.

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The Honeymoon

Even though our wedding took place in the most incredible Amalfi coast, we decided not to stay in Italy for the honeymoon, but head to Bali. It was a long 26-hour flight, but it was well worth it! We stayed at the Kamandalu Resort in the heart of artisan Ubud in a private pool. The highlights of our honeymoon were definitely daily massages, floating breakfast in our pool, and touring the island with our guide. People in Indonesia are some of the nicest we have ever met, Chase and I made many new friends on our trip.