WWW readers Rebecca and Neil decided to marry in Italy in the hope of beautiful weather. They did indeed have a beautiful sun shining day at the romantic villa nestled in a hamlet in the Tuscan countryside.

Their day was set outdoors, their ceremony was held in the gardens with the trees filled with ribbons followed by an open side marquee reception. With a natural colour palette of whites and greens there were lush fresh blooms with pretty hessian and kraft paper touches.

Rebecca wore a stunning tulle Pronovias gown while Neil was suited and booted in Ralph Lauren ... the style!

Thanks goes to Richard Pickavance for providing the lovely imagery.

THE PROPOSAL | We went away for a few days in Scotland, during which Neil took me for a romantic walk and proposed at the top of a hill. It was so magical I didn't even notice it had started raining until we got back to the lodge.

THE VISION | Neil and I quickly figured out what our priorities for the big day. We wanted it to feel like a big family get together, not too formal, just everyone their enjoying good food, weather and good company! Good weather in particular is hard to come by in England. However having spent a lot of time in Italy, we knew that the food and weather there was second to none.

THE PLANNING PROCESS | We soon realized that hiring a large villa where we could have everything in the same place was the way to go. With it being self-catered we had the flexibility to put our own stamp on the day without it costing a fortune. I planned most of the wedding myself with the help of the lovely lady who managed the Villa. Most of the research for the wedding was done via the web.

The villa Odina, was a small Hamlet perched on a natural balcony overlooking a view that encompasses the entire Chianti Valley in the natural countryside of Tuscany. It had a lovely relaxed vibe with the outdoor pool and croquet. The pizza oven was also perfect for the night before.

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | I wanted something traditional but not huge! I liked the idea of my dress being elegantly and simple but with a tiny bit of classy detail. I did a lot of research on blogs to help me collect some examples of the sort of thing I was looking for. From there I visited our local bridal shop Mirror Mirror who where great and new just what I wanted.

Again with the jewellery and shoes I was simply looking to find something that was elegant and simple with a bit of detail. This is easier said than done, when trying to work to a budget. I spent a lot of time on the internet! I did my hair myself and our friend Ghurbask did a fabulous job on my make-up.

GROOM'S ATTIRE | Neil wanted a nice suit that he could where again after the wedding. So he took a visit to Ralph Lauren where he got everything apart from his Tag Heur watch. The lightweight fabric on the suit worked nicely in the weather and hung well. The light grey also helped keep the natural colour scheme simple.

THE READINGS & MUSIC | My mum wrote a lovely poem that was placed on the seats, so guests could read it whilst they waited for the ceremony to begin. My Uncle and sister read a personal reading during the ceremony which where difficult not to get emotional about.

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | My bridesmaid / sister isn't a girly girl but even she loved her bridesmaid dress. The pastel green worked perfectly with the colour scheme.

With Neils groomsmen we didn't see the point in them hiring suits when they all had owned nice grey ones that worked well. They also had white shirts and grey ties to help pull them together. We did however let Chris (the best man) wear his kilt, being Scottish!

THE FLOWERS | I tracked down a local florists on the web and went to visit them on a pre wedding visit a few months before the big day. We where keen on keeping the colour scheme simple and elegant, so we went for natural feel with greens, white and silvery grey. I also wanted some nice textures in the flowers to help give them depth. I gave them examples to help explain.

THE CAKE | The award winning caterers (who had served food to the pope and princess Diana in the past) where outstanding. Everything was amazing from the aperitif spread to the wedding cake that was made by the chef whilst the speeches were taking place. It was a real spectacle! They also sourced the marquee. We had a friend provide us with the wine from a vineyard in northern Italy run by his company.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | Our photographer Richard was recommended by a friend. He was so great on the day and was really relaxing and made it such a fun day.

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR | I trained as an illustrator so designed the invitations, table names and table plans. I would have done more but it was difficult to do when planning from abroad.

THE HONEYMOON | With the wedding being in Tuscany we already felt like we where on a sort of honeymoon and with so many amazing places near by we decided to make our way down to another villa in Sicily for our honeymoon. It was so magically peaceful.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS | It's difficult to pin down any particular moment it was all such a fantastic day, having said that the wedding cake was yummy!

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | Planning a destination wedding requires a lot of organising, try keep things simple and delegate as much you can.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |

Photography | Richard Pickavance

Brides Dress | Pronovias provided by bridal shop Mirror Mirror, Islington London

Brides Jewellery | Swarovski

Brides Shoes | Freya Rose, Islington, London

Florist | Stiatti Fiori

Venue | Odina Agriturismo

Caterers | Preludio

Bridesmaids Dress | Coast

Grooms Attire | Ralph Lauren

Band | Guty and Simone (local Italian 80's band)

Well wasn't that an utter delight?

Thanks so much Rebecca and Neil for sharing your wonderful story with us today xo Lou