As we say Hello Summer, we can't help but 'ooh' and 'aah' over this vibrantly coloured, Italian-inspired shoot photographed by Maria Davis Photography and planned by Koral & Ko. Bright oranges, lemon-y yellow and lush lilac florals filled the tables and overflowing bouquet at Italian-inspired venue Milagro Winery, while the bride simply stole the show in her jaw-dropping Martina Liana gown.
This styled wedding shoot blooms with colourful florals, transforming the setting into a whimsical garden celebration adorned with fruits as decor, a crystal-covered getaway car (more on that later!), and a dazzling champagne tower. Not only is this shoot jaw-droppingly gorge, it also features newlyweds-to-be Cheridan and Justin who are sharing a little insight into planning their destination wedding in Lake Como. If you’re dreaming of a summer destination wedding that combines modern romance with European-inspired elegance, this colourful and fun editorial is sure to inspire.
Milagro Winery provided the ideal backdrop, blending Tuscany's ethereal garden beauty with Southern California's allure. From the ceremony setup to the reception table, every detail was meticulously styled to reflect a fresh, romantic aesthetic.
From photographer Maria Davis..."We embraced the vibrant charm of a colorful garden wedding trend and European chic elegance and brought it to life! Nestled in the heart of Southern California, where sun-kissed hills stretch endlessly, a magical garden blossomed at Milagro Winery-an Italian-inspired venue perfectly suited to our vision. "
The idea was for each element of this warm summer shoot to be a statement in its own right: a show-stopping dress with floral detailing, flowers that encompassed the warm summer months, dewy makeup with a summer glow, and on-trend details such as the flower box wedding sign. When they all came together, they created a dream wedding setting fit for any summer couple.
The colour palette consisted of peach fuzz, violet, yellow, orange, and pink hues. The day unfolded with getting-ready moments in a lake house, where bride-to-be Cheridan popped champagne in her robe, captured with excitement through on-trend direct flash photography.
Whether you’re planning a summer wedding, dreaming of a European-inspired celebration, or looking for small wedding ideas with big impact, this editorial offers endless inspiration.
The outdoor ceremony under an oak tree amidst green fields featured an organically arranged broken arch adorned with California's beloved bougainvillea and garden-inspired chairs. Blooming Fern Co.'s floral artistry cascaded effortlessly, evoking a garden in full bloom.
Real wedding couple Cheridan and Justin are also sharing their process of booking a wedding in Italy, which happened just a few months after their shoot. They've got some helpful tips for anyone else thinking of, or in the process of planning a destination wedding. Take it away Cheridan and Justin..."We waited about 7 months after being engaged to even start thinking about what we wanted for our wedding, and after a few more months of brainstorming, we finally landed on Lake Como. This feels like a literal dream because Italy is our favorite place in the world. Since our wedding is in another country and we don't speak the language, our first step was finding an Italian wedding planner. I did some research and reached out to a few that I liked, and then we chose one!"
"From there, our planner sent us venue options based on our vision + budget. Finding the venue was the hardest part, mostly because we couldn't tour venues in person. I'm sure there will be other parts of the process that will be challenging, but picking a venue is the most important one."
"Over the past few months, we've kept our family in the loop with our plans and mentioned it to some friends, just to get it on people's radar. Since Europe is a far destination for our friends & family, we wanted to get the venue booked ASAP so that everyone could start planning. I'd say a year in advance is an ideal timeframe, but if it's not too far of a destination, maybe 6-9 months. Justin & I quickly realized that a year + a few months of planning wasn't enough time for planning a wedding specifically in Lake Como. It's a sought-after wedding destination and originally we wanted June or September, which are very busy months for weddings."
"The first venue we loved was a hotel, and we wouldn't have even been able to stay there during our wedding time because the rooms were already booked up. With the venue we chose, there was only one date in early September which didn't suit so we decided to do the last week of August."
Finally, when asked what made Lake Como the perfect wedding location for them, Cheridan says, "We wanted to do a destination celebration & Italy is my favorite place, also my family is Italian. It has tons of beautiful venues so it just made sense. Our honeymoon was going to be in Europe regardless of destination, so we chose a place that we wanted to visit so that we could travel to more places for our honeymoon."
"Lake Como is such a romantic place and the vibes are immaculate. it has everything we wanted in a wedding destination: on the water, charming, romantic, timeless- it just feels right!."
Post-ceremony led to a dreamy Italian dining experience, complete with crystal-cut purple glasses, posy flowers, chic silverware, and eclectic taper candles.
Stationery designers Slate and Brush added unique touches with paper goods featuring a cute pup, dried orange escort cards as well as fun tasseled place cards..
The couple changed into their second wedding looks as the evening unfolded, culminating in a magical departure with a crystal-covered getaway car and a rose tower decorated with fruits and flowers.
We ADORE a Champagne tower moment!
Have you ever seen a more glamourous getaway car? We certainly haven't!
Thanks so much to Maria Davis Photo, real couple Cheridan and Justin and the rest of the talented team for sharing this wonderful shoot with us - a gorgeous slice of summer wedding inspiration!
Check out more stunning Wedding Photoshoots and follow One Fab Day on Instagram for more inspiration.
