Film , TV executive and producer, Heather, married MBA student Will on 13th June 2025 at the beautiful Masseria Salamina, Pezze Di Greco, in Puglia, Italy. The Masseria sits between the coast and the olive groves, and the couple shaped their weekend around the pace and atmosphere of this part of Italy.
Heather wore a Lihi Hod gown that travelled with her from Los Angeles. The plan for the day was kept straightforward, taking cues from classic Italian design and letting the setting do most of the work.
Their photographer, Stefano Santucci – a Love My Dress recommended vendor, documented everything with his beautifully honest mix of observation and care.
Vendors For Italian Weddings
Each of these talented vendors are highly experienced at working with couples getting married in Italy.
The Venue & Inspiration
Will has close ties to friends and family in Italy and we loved that Puglia has the perfect blend of historic Italian charm, stunning coastlines, and incredible food.
Masseria Salamina is family owned, which made the experience more intimate and personal, and we immediately fell in love with the historic architecture and setting.
When it came to the style of our day, we were inspired by classic Italian design, and we really wanted to lean into the natural beauty of the Masseria so we pared back the design elements to complement the space. We wanted to differentiate between the various events so we had red flowers for antipasti and yellow for the ceremony and dinner.
The Dress
Lihi Hod
My dress was by Lihi Hod, from the NWLA boutique in Los Angeles.
I had the boutique customise the corset top – this was because the dress came with a straight cut across the chest but they worked with Lihi Hod to design a sweetheart neckline for me instead.
The experience went very smoothly and I would recommend them to another bride!
I wanted a classic gown that felt true to the historical and romantic setting of Masseria Salamina.
I loved the structure of the corset paired with the clean, timeless lines of the dress – elegant without being fussy. And, as a bonus, it was easy to travel with all the way from LA.
I wore a veil with a blusher from Australian brand, Amelie George Bridal.
Will and I went to Strange Invisible Perfumes on Abbott Kinney (a shopping street in LA). They specialise in organic scents and we liked that it was local. I chose the scent ‘Verona‘ for myself, Will chose ‘Atlantic‘.
I wore statement earrings from Self Portrait. Since my dress was fairly simple, I thought a large, romantic earring would bring the drama.
The Ceremony
My parents accompanied me to the ceremony, and my processional song was ‘Cowboy Take Me Away’, by the Dixie Chicks. This was a record that I would listen to in the car with my family on road trips, always imagining who would be the cowboy in my love story.
Will’s best friend, Zach, officiated our ceremony.
He was the first friend to meet us as a couple and because he speaks Hebrew he was able to incorporate all of the Jewish elements of the ceremony
Our planner, Giusy, had a chuppah custom built for our ceremony space because the ancient stone grounds and strong coastal winds required a stable structure. The area itself was fairly intimate, and many of the pre-made chuppahs we found were either too large or felt overwhelming for the setting.
Will’s sister read Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières during the ceremony. We wrote personal vows and read them to each other alone over breakfast the morning of the wedding before reading them later on during the ceremony.
This was to have an intimate and present moment reading our vows, and it helped with our nerves.
Our florist, Nunzia, did an incredible job draping the chuppah in a way that complemented the space rather than competing with it. We wanted the design to feel special and meaningful without overpowering the ceremony.
The soft draping and the addition of yellow roses struck exactly the right balance of elegant, romantic, and perfectly in harmony with the surroundings.
My ring was designed by EF Collection, a local designer in LA. @efcollection. I chose a teal sapphire in a “floating” east-west setting. My wedding band fits around the floating engagement ring and includes a diamond from Will’s great-grandmother.
Photography
We chose Stefano Santucci as our photographer, because of the emotion his work evokes. His photographs are not only beautiful, but they also feel alive. You can sense the story behind each frame.
We were especially drawn to his use of film, which gives the images a timeless quality in both color and composition. Beyond the artistry, what mattered most to us is that he captures moments as they truly unfold: natural, unposed, and authentic. Stefano has an incredible eye for the small, fleeting details that together create a narrative of the day.
How They Met
We met on the dating app Hinge, during the pandemic, and our first date was a picnic near the beach in LA.
We got engaged on a trip to Puerto Rico after three years of dating and we had a two year engagement.
The Reception
We chose Nunzia Guerino for our flowers, because of her incredible eye for creating designs that feel both timeless and natural. She has a modern yet romantic aesthetic that perfectly suited the historic setting of Masseria Salamina. We wanted our flowers to feel abundant but not overpowering, and in harmony with the space.
For antipasti she placed poppy red arrangements and a gorgeous display for our seating chart.
For our ceremony, she draped our custom chuppah with soft ivory fabric and touches of yellow roses. For the reception, she created long table arrangements of buttery yellow roses with airy sprigs that added lightness and movement.
Nunzia was also a dream to work with: thoughtful, intuitive, and able to translate our vision into florals that felt personal and exactly what we wanted.
All of the catering was done by Masseria Salamina’s kitchen. They have an in house pastry chef and we had an incredible assortment of pastries plus a millefoglie with assorted berries on top.
Puglia is known for having incredible pastries and we wanted to honour that heritage by offering our guests many different dessert options.
Words of Wedded Wisdom
Remember that you are not the host, you are the guest of honour!
We loved everything and would choose Masseria Salamina and our vendors 100 times over.
One thing that would’ve been helpful was to have Google translate readily available in the bridal suite. Nearly all of our vendors were Italian and with varying levels of English. Since I speak hardly any Italian this could’ve helped me communicate.
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