Photo: Pasquale Paradiso1/37My cousin Hugo Guinness made us a print for our service sheets. It is the Duomo in Florence with our names and the date worked into the structure. Hugo is so brilliant, and the Duomo is so immediately recognizable, so it perfectly summed up where we all were.
Photo: Vanessa Garwood2/37Chatting with my friend Vanessa Garwood on the terrace of my hotel room off Piazza Santo Spirito after having my hair done. I loved swanning around in my kimono and wedding jewelry. It was the perfect morning activity.
Photo: Caterina de Renzis3/37Still swanning around in the kimono. Doing my own makeup was a very therapeutic way to tackle the nerves. My friend Sarah Reygate gave me a lesson before I left England, so I felt well equipped for the day.
Photo: Caterina de Renzis4/37So wonderful to have handmaidens for the day! Alexandra Lindesay-Bethune helped with the buttons on my amazing Jane Bourvis wedding dress. The lace she used for the arms is over 100 years old.
Photo: Caterina de Renzis5/37Something old and something borrowed. My mother's earrings and necklace which she lent to me on the day I became Amber Bell
Photo: Caterina de Renzis6/37With my sister, Claudia. She was my maid of honor who would later bring down the house with her moving and funny speech about our childhood in Italy—particularly about our late father, Jasper.
Photo: Caterina de Renzis7/37My mother has this thing for veils. I knew when I got engaged that I wouldn’t get away with one any shorter than two meters.
Photo: Caterina de Renzis8/37With my stylist and mother, Camilla. The mastermind behind my dress, crown, veil, and . . . everything really. She knows how to throw a party, and the whole day was her incredible design. It helps to have an interior designer for a mother. Here, she was checking the positioning of my crown as I unhelpfully chat away with my 6-year-old goddaughter and bridesmaid, Stella Lambton.
Photo: Caterina de Renzis9/37My goddaughter Stella helping with my veil. My mother sewed the silver lace onto the bridesmaids’ dresses to match the lace on the cuffs of my dress.
Photo: Caterina de Renzis10/37See what I meant about the veil?
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso11/37With my uncle Valentine Guinness, who stepped in for my dad. For some reason, we left for the church inexplicably early and had to go around the block a couple of times.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso12/37Two of our wonderful page boys. My cousin Solo, who had hurt his foot, almost couldn't come to the wedding, but he gallantly learned to walk on crutches so he wouldn’t miss it. Naturally, the plaster cast had to be in matching fluoro pink.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso13/37Beloved girlies. My goddaughter Stella, my cousin Honor Fanshawe, and Matthew’s niece Alice Curry. They looked unbelievably sweet.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso14/37Arriving at the church, still slightly early.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso15/37Laaadies—Alexandra, Claudia, Grace, and Georgina. The most beautiful bridesmaids, who kept me laughing all day.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso16/37Walking down the aisle to the most amazing cacophony. My friend Peter Roper-Curzon was playing the march of the Prince of Denmark so vigorously on the organ that there was no hearing the choir! If there is ever a need for a grand entrance, he’s your man.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso17/37Valentine giving me away to the dreamboat in the blue suit.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso18/37Matthew’s best man, Owen Curry, had been very averse to the blueness of his suit, which was made by the tailor Dominic Mullen of Mullen & Mullen in York, but I think he looked great. Matthew, being a man, left the making of the suit to the month before the wedding. Dominic kindly held an emergency summit with his tailors, and they managed to get it made in time.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso19/37Unable to stop smiling. Again, the grand exit was greatly helped along by the blaring organ. Peter played the very uplifting Widor Toccata.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso20/37Confetti!
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso21/37Mama and Claudia listening to the new man of the family--Matthew's speech. Which seems to be making them laugh, but Rita Konig in the background shed a tear.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso22/37I miss wearing a crown.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso23/37The first moment we had to chat all day.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso24/37The reception outside the Villa Corsini. We drank prosecco and Bellinis. I had never been somewhere with so many people I wanted to talk to!
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso25/37The stunning Villa Corsini a Mezzomonte. We had thought that we would like to have the wedding dinner outside, but then we saw this room . . .
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso26/37Stella, Honor, and my cousin Harper Heyman looking very sophisticated.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso27/37This was Matthew’s and my table in the center of the room. The greenery was cut from the woods at Arniano the day before the wedding by our brilliant florists at Isle of You and brought to Florence by Daniele, our gardener. We only wanted greenery punctuated with single pink peonies.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso28/37The bridesmaids and page boys looking so sweet. My cousin and godson, Walter Moores, climbings up the cart as Honor tries to be the voice of reason.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso29/37There were 18 tables of ten for dinner, plus ours which had fifteen people. How I wished there were 19 of Matthew and I that evening. Each table was a dream dinner party.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso30/37My mother collectss these little bottles which looked so pretty with the flowers. We also had peonies in some of Matthew’s car rallying trophies.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso31/37So many wonderful people to chat with! Here, I had spotted my great friends Elle, Hermione, Allegra, and Ruby and made a beeline for them, prosecco in hand.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso32/37I made all the table numbers based on images that had to do with Italy. Table four’s was based on the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria in Florence. We also had a David and the Duomo of Florence.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso33/37Again, my mother’s vision. The tall candelabras made the room. As did it being filled with lots of our favorite people.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso34/37Having so much fun at dinner chatting across the table with my beloved aunt Georgie Fanshawe and uncle Sebastian Guinness.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso35/37Taking a selfie with my aunt Catherine Hesketh and Philip Naylor-Leyland. We had a selfie stick on each table which was brilliant because it encouraged people to take photos. I had never used one before, but I am now a convert! In ten years, we’ll look back and think how dated they are, but for now, they are the next best thing to disposables.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso36/37The midnight outfit change into another lovely Jane Bourvis number, which I had spotted during one of my dress fittings. It saw a good five hours of dancing. My wreath was made for me that morning by my friend Violet Naylor-Leyland with olive branches she obtained by sneaking into a garden in the foothills of Florence the night before.
Photo: Pasquale Paradiso37/37We love dancing, so this was always going to be a big part of the night. My friend Alex Sheridan, cousin Mary Charteris, and Mary’s husband, Robbie Furze, played wonderful music which had people on the dance floor until five.
