1. Real Weddings

A Glamorous, Romantic Wedding at Villa Miani in Rome, Italy

Silje Glenne (26 and a wedding planner and designer) and Tommy Szabo (31 and a director of sales and retention) planned an intimate Italian affair wit

Silje Glenne (26 and a wedding planner and designer) and Tommy Szabo (31 and a director of sales and retention) planned an intimate Italian affair with plenty of glitz and glamour for their early-September wedding in Rome. With their friends and families scattered across Europe, travel was inevitable. Instead of gathering everyone together in the couple's Norwegian home, Silje and Tommy gathered guests in Rome's historic hills, where they could take in the sights and celebrate alongside the couple. “As a wedding planner and designer, I work with plenty of themed weddings," Silje says. "Since I was the bride, I could finally do exactly what I had always dreamed of: a luxurious and sparkling destination wedding." The day of the nuptials, guests were led into Villa Miani’s perfectly groomed garden for the ceremony. Taking cues from the setting’s elegant aesthetics, Silje and Tommy adorned the ceremony site with bountiful bouquets of white- and cream-colored orchids, ranunculus, roses and peonies, as well as a striking floral wedding arch that framed the couple as they exchanged vows. Gold chiavari chairs gave the serene setting a hint of glitz, while a gospel choir filled the air with renditions of the couple’s favorite songs. “When we finally said our ‘I dos’ and shared our first kiss, the choir started singing ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ by Aretha Franklin as we walked up the aisle," Silje says. Postceremony, the reception unfolded in the Villa’s grand ballroom. Silje and Tommy transformed the space into a romantic, dreamlike scene with luxe, oversize arrangements of ivory orchids and roses punctuated with cascading tulips. Panels of ivory silk adorned each gold chiavari chair and the warm glow of dozens of votive candles brought the tables to life. Gilded bars served some of the couple’s favorite libations, and a Cohiba cigar bar was available after the four-course meal. Sparklers and a selfie station complete with funky props provided endless entertainment when guests needed a break from the dance floor. "It sounds cliche, but we’re so happy we just enjoyed each other and the whole atmosphere instead of stressing about everything. We look back at the wedding as the best time in our lives because we enjoyed it to the fullest.” —Libby MacCarthy

Silje and Tommy left no detail overlooked, even for the preceremony events. While Silje and her bridesmaids got ready, they sipped on Moet champagne. The bottles fit in perfectly with the day’s theme and palette, bearing sleek white and gold labels.
While Silje and her girls primped and pampered themselves before the day’s festivities unfolded, they sipped on petite bottles of champagne. Silje customized the bottles with small ribbon-tied notes that thanked her crew for being by her side on her wedding day.
To make her mother, maids of honor and bridesmaids feel special, Silje gave them bottles of champagne with warm, heartfelt notes and Glennewedding bridal robes, which they wore as they prepped for the day’s celebrations. “For my mother, who means the world to me, I also gave a handkerchief with a personalized note for her to use on the wedding day,” Silje says.
Designing wedding stationery for her clients was common practice for Silje, so creating a custom set for her own nuptials was a no-brainer. Inspired by the theme and Villa Miani’s timeless vibe, the couple chose elegant ivory card stock, which they decorated with gold script, a personalized monogram and a custom map. “I always think it’s important to feel inspired by something when you design the wedding of your dreams," Silje says. "Then it’s much easier to create a signature look for all the wedding details.”
Designing wedding stationery for her clients was common practice for Silje, so creating a custom set for her own nuptials was a no-brainer. Inspired by the theme and Villa Miani’s timeless vibe, the couple chose elegant ivory card stock, which they decorated with gold script, a personalized monogram and a custom map. “I always think it’s important to feel inspired by something when you design the wedding of your dreams," Silje says. "Then it’s much easier to create a signature look for all the wedding details.”
To make her mother, maids of honor and bridesmaids feel special, Silje gave them bottles of champagne with warm, heartfelt notes and Glennewedding bridal robes, which they wore as they prepped for the day’s celebrations. “For my mother, who means the world to me, I also gave a handkerchief with a personalized note for her to use on the wedding day,” Silje says.
When it came to the ceremony decor, Silje and Tommy opted for a handful of elegant yet striking floral arrangements. In addition to the floral wedding arch that stood at the foot of the aisle, modern white pillars were placed at the entrance to the ceremony and bore bountiful bundles of ranunculus, roses, orchids and peonies and soft shades of ivory and white.
The couple shared a first kiss under a white flower arch made from bunches of fresh orchids and roses.
After doing her research to find the perfect dress, Silje decided to take the custom route. “Norway’s most talented wedding dress designer, Leila Hafzi, offered to custom-make the wedding dress of my dreams—and hats off to her—she definitely made my vision come to life,” Silje says. Silk fabric made the gown light as a feather, while an off-the-shoulder silhouette and handcrafted lace appliques gave Silje’s look a one-of-a-kind flair.
To complement the wedding’s white and gold palette and glamorous theme, Silje had her three maids of honor and three bridesmaids don floor-length sequin gowns in a luxe gold hue. “I loved the open back on the dresses, and in the front, we made some adjustments to make the dresses unique for our wedding," Silje says. "I wanted the girls to feel pretty and fabulous on the wedding day, like they deserve.”
The ceremony unfolded outdoors in Villa Miani’s beautifully manicured English garden. “We have always wanted a ceremony outside, and this spot fit us perfectly,” Silje says. “To complement the gorgeous white villa, we wanted all the flowers to be white and the rest of the decor to be gold.”
After the reception, Silje and Tommy and their guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the terrace at Villa Miani in Rome, Italy. Decadent hors d’oeuvres were served alongside a lengthy list of signature libations baring silly names, much to the amusement of guests. Among the ranks were the “Sexy and I Know It” (a Cuba Libre), “Team Bride” (a Caipiroska Strawberry) and the “Groom’s Water” (a gin and tonic).
After doing her research to find the perfect dress, Silje decided to take the custom route. “Norway’s most talented wedding dress designer, Leila Hafzi, offered to custom-make the wedding dress of my dreams—and hats off to her—she definitely made my vision come to life,” Silje says. Silk fabric made the gown light as a feather, while an off-the-shoulder silhouette and handcrafted lace appliques gave Silje’s look a one-of-a-kind flair.
Silje and Tommy spotted Villa Miani online while looking for venues for their destination affair in Rome, Italy. While visiting the spot during a trip to Rome, the couple were blown away. Between the elegant neoclassical architecture, acres of manicured English gardens and lawns and spectacular views of the city below, the pair knew immediately that this was where they would say their “I dos.”
While Silje and Tommy originally hoped for an alfresco reception, unpredictable fall weather led the pair to host the postceremony festivities indoors. This proved to be no compromise, however; its elegant old-world feel provided a striking spot for dinner and dancing. To achieve their luxe, glamorous vision, the couple filled the charming space with panels of ivory silk, gold-rimmed dinnerware, ornate arrangements of white roses and orchids, and plenty of romantic candlelight.
After indulging in a mouthwatering four-course meal, the newlyweds ushered their guests up onto Villa Miani’s terrace. With the twinkling lights of Rome as their backdrop, the couple cut their colossal nine-layer cake as sparklers lit up the sky with sparkling light.
With Silje and Tommy's friends and family scattered across Europe, travel was unavoidable. Instead of gathering everyone together in their Norwegian home, the pair took the opportunity to gather everyone together in the historic hills of Rome, where guests could take in the sights as well as celebrate with the couple.