A Luxurious Wedding Weekend Honoring the Bride's Indian Heritage at Castello di Vicarello in Tuscany, Italy
It was truly an international affair for Akriti and Neri during their wedding weekend, with guests from Europe, North America, Asia and even Australia flying out to this Tuscan castle to partake in this special event. Choosing the right venue for this opulent wedding came easily to the happy couple since the groom’s family owned Castello di Vicarello, a 12th-century castle in Tuscany with jaw-dropping views of the mountains and a lush garden, perfect for exchanging vows.
To start the wedding weekend, the couple recounts, “We began our celebration with a welcome dinner Friday night, an Indian party called Sangeet…[It] was very colorful and vibrant––we had henna artists, an Indian drummer, colorful bangles and bindis for all guests, as well as dance performances by friends and family.” This lively prewedding party honored the bride’s heritage while gathering the two families so they could mingle and immerse themselves in traditional Indian customs before the official union on the following day. For this special occasion, the bride and groom wore custom Indian attire, like a gold and green lehenga for Akriti and white sherwani for Neri.
On Saturday, the couple and their families reconvened for the official union at the lush vegetable garden on the Castello di Vicarello grounds. “It was a very personal, light-hearted and loving ceremony. We enjoyed Castello di Vicarello's wines and [shared] some heartfelt speeches,” the couple says. During the wedding, the bride wore an Alexandra Grecco dress and shoes from Alexandre Birman and Jimmy Choo while the groom wore a custom tuxedo from his Naples-based tailor, Paolo Palumbo. The flower-filled ceremony was led by one of the couple’s closest friends, which added a sentimental and personal touch to their day.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds’ guests filled the picturesque courtyard and terrace to toast the happy couple with their favorite drinks like champagne, wine, negronis and Aperol spritzes. The bars served cocktails made with fresh herbs and ingredients from the gardens on-site, creating a truly unique experience. During the cocktail hour, guests dined on tasty local samplings while the band played. Their planner adds, “As an ode to the farm-to-table philosophy of Castello di Vicarello, Akriti and Neri created a food market that included a gourmet panini stand, a fried station serving fresh arancini, a raw bar serving oysters and fish and a charcuterie stand offering bounds of local cheeses and meats.”
During the cocktail hour, the couple snuck away for photos around the estate and shared private moments to bask in their just-married status. The day before, at the castle’s entrance, they did their first look in their traditional Indian attire. The following day, in that same spot, they held each other as husband and wife while overlooking the lush greenery and stunning Tuscan mountains.
The reception was held in the grand field on the castle grounds, with four long banquet-style tables to host their loved ones for a more intimate dinner. “Their tailor-made dinner menu included panzanella salad, pappardelle with wild boar ragu and Fiorentina steak,” the wedding planner says about this special occasion. Once dinner ended, guests toasted the new husband and wife with heartfelt speeches before dancing the night away with the help of their upbeat live band. The entertainment continued into the early morning hours for an unforgettable affair.
Wondering what one of their favorite parts of the wedding weekend is? It was what they describe as their recovery brunch at the Olive Grove pool on-site: “After a full weekend bursting with love, we had…a big selection of Italian comfort food, from fried pizza to vitello tonnato. Guests lounged in the sun and cooled off in the pool––we had about 30 people still with us in the evening, so we organized a sunset dinner on the terrace to say farewell,” the couple recalls. Between the Sangeet, the wedding day and the chill postwedding moment, Akriti and Neri describe it as “an absolutely perfect wedding weekend.”