When we heard the phrase ‘wedding in Portofino’, gorgeous images came to mind for sure—stunning views, stylish bride, killer venue—but still, we’d be hard-pressed to dream up a day as incredible as Gilda + Simone’s elopement. They both grew up spending summers in Portofino, and reconnected there six years ago, so the location was an instant fit. With the help of planners Centorose un Tulipano, they coordinated visits to all their fave spots in the area—from Gilda’s childhood church to the boat Simone proposed on—for an intimate, adventurous wedding day.
After peeping these photos by destination wedding photographers Bottega 53, you’ll be dying for an Italian getaway yourself. No way around that one!
First, they tied the knot in a ceremony at the church Gilda and her grandmother used to go to, and afterward they set off for a boat tour near the beach where their love story first began.
Isn’t this shade of beachy aqua blue the dreamiest?
On their decision to elope, Gilda says, We wanted something more familiar and intimate for the ceremony. I am very sensitive and I cry a lot when there are a lot of people, while when we are only the two of us we laugh a lot! I wouldn’t change anything about the decision [to elope] that was the best ever! In Italy the weddings are too big and we wanted something small and intimate for the reception and something fun for the party. Since we both have a lot of friends we decided on a big dance party afterward in a famous club near Portofino, called The Carillon. We danced until morning, then we all went to the beach to see the sunrise. It was amazing!
Pretty fitting that Gilda works in fashion and Simone works for a yachting company, huh? The whole celebration was a perfect representation of their lives together.
Eloping was a tough decision from the beginning because our families wanted a great and traditional Italian wedding… But we had the time to concentrate on ourselves, our family, and later have fun with our friends… We had all the ingredients of a good wedding. We shared intimacy and love with our families and closest friends and then we shared happiness and fun with friends. We had time to dedicate to each of them our love and enthusiasm. So, follow your heart always, even when your family doesn’t support you in all the decisions. The wedding is definitely yours!
Later, they took a swim and Bottega 53 captured some incredible shots of their spontaneous post-nuptial adventure.
Lastly, they went back, got ready, and headed to a cliffside dinner overlooking the sea. Take us here, please!
The entire day was full of so many adventures, be sure to flip through our gallery for the full experience…
The best part? They were still table to spend time with friends + family in a celebration that worked for everyone. Cheers to the happy couple!
Photography: Bottega 53 / Location: Portofino and Santa Margherita on the Ligurian Coast of Italy / Wedding Planner: Centorose un Tulipano / Flowers: Genio e Sregolatezza / Hair & Makeup: Lina Pagano / Catering: Caffe Scala / Music: Simone DJ Homeles / Bride’s Dress: Leila Hafzi / Shoes: Sebastian / Rings: White & Gold / Groom’s Suit: Dolce & Gabbana
