A romantic wedding table setting on the Amalfi Coast

An authentic Italian wedding table setting

 

It therefore got us thinking and in June, members of our Ambience Head Office team went across to the Amalfi Coast and stayed in the beautiful town of Furore with talented photographer, Jane Beadnell. We wanted to capture the romance and beauty of Italy in a truly authentic table setting with ingredients sourced straight from the heart of Amalfi itself.

The streets of Amalfi are lined with quaint ceramic and textile shops and we went in search of crockery and table linen that would best represent our idea for the photoshoot. The concept of the design was to draw on the summer time vibes of Italy with a fresh colour palette of blue, green and lemon. We wanted to incorporate a layered look with an Italian feel to the patterns and to add lots of lush olive branches.

 

The romance of the Mediterranean

 

Set amongst a beautiful garden on the cliffside overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, we staged our table setting. With temperatures soaring to 33 degrees during the day, we opted to shoot at dusk when the natural light was falling and there’s something about this time of the day that just feels calming and super romantic! Boats were sailing below us as the sun cast its last rays across the waves.

 

Freshly cut lemons and olive branches

 

A gorgeous Italian made linen table runner was positioned down the length of the table over the top of a patterned blue and white cloth to really offer a feeling of authenticity. We picked lemons fresh from the lemon groves and created a focal low level bowl arrangement of olive branches and cut lemons which gave off an amazing zesty and citrus aroma. This table centrepiece offers a really impactful and effective look and would work on both rectangular tables as well as round tables.

We styled out an olive foliage table runner with ceramic candle holders and taper candles to bring candlelight to the table that would then burn into the evening. It was important to us not to make the design overly fussy and to instead let each element at the table have its own place and recognition. Even the ceramic bowls we sourced in Amalfi were handpainted with a light blue inside and featured the iconic lemon artwork on the outside which brought the whole look together!

 

A bespoke stationery suite with all the details

 

Jane from @jbcweddingstationery created a bespoke Italian stationery suite that featured a pressed line drawing of the Amalfi Coast, the attention to detail was second to none! No destination wedding dinner is complete without paper fans, again handcrafted and designed by Jane. Everything from the place names to the menu cards were all carefully thought out to compliment the table and were impeccably presented. More and more couples are opting for bespoke stationery pieces that pull personalisation from aspects of the day to give it a really unique feel.

 

Complete your place settings with edible favours that match your decor

 

To take the place settings to the next level we then added these stunning biscuit wedding favours made by Folia Cake Design and travelled with us from the UK. The sugar iced petals were made with such intricate detail and sat alongside the stationery perfectly. They also tasted amazing when we ate them as our reward for finishing the shoot! If you’re ever thinking about whether to have favours at your wedding reception then edible options are a great choice as they’re guaranteed not to get left and be a waste! Speak to your wedding cake supplier about adding favours that would best suit your tables and make them part of your place settings for a superior welcome to your guests as they sit down.

 

Wedding styling in Italy

 

Italy truly is such an incredible country for so many reasons, we had the best time here! It was brilliant to work on a Mediterranean concept and to really get creative with products sourced directly from the country. If you’re currently thinking about whether or not to have an overseas wedding but you’re worried about how you can style your tables effectively without having to take everything from your home country with you, this could be an option! Get a clear plan of what you want to achieve in terms of the overall look and feel and then make a list of the items that can be provided by your venue or on site.

 

Credits:

 

Photography @janebeadnellphotography
Styling @ambiencevenuestylinguk⁠
Stationery @jbcweddingstationery⁠
Biscuit Favours/Cake @foliacakedesign