Vibrant Summer Wedding Inspiration on the Tuscan Coast


A splash of bright colours, the fresh scent of citrus, the sun shining brightly with an Aperol Spritz in your hand to cool you down, and the romance of the Tuscan Coast at sunset - a perfect combination for an intimate wedding in Tuscany. With the help of Michelle at Hitched in Italy Coast and some other amazing wedding vendors in Italy, we put together a photo shoot as inspiration for how bright and fun a small intimate wedding, or even an elopement in Tuscany, could be.


We knew we wanted to go for bright colours; think the warm hues of Tuscan houses, the lemons and citrus fruits which are abundant at this time of year here in Italy, and of course those most delicious summer Italian drinks, limoncello and the refreshing Aperol Spritz. I'm pretty sure the last may have been a big part of the inspiration! The fresh and bold colours work perfectly for a summer wedding.


Small weddings and elopements are about creating a personal event to celebrate your love and can really be tailored to your personality. With a smaller, more intimate wedding, you have a greater opportunity to choose the location and type of wedding you'd like. You can focus on what's really important to you. This shoot was to provide inspiration for a smaller destination wedding on the coast of Tuscany, close friends and family coming together in a fun and relaxed setting.



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The Planning

by Michelle from Hitched in Italy Coast


Starting out as a wedding planner in Tuscany, and with no weddings to plan this year due to COVID, I wondered how I would be able to target potential future clients with little material to share and entice. Then Elizabeth came along, also having recently moved to Tuscany, and during the time it took to enjoy a magnificent lunch in Lucca, we came up with the idea to organise a styled shoot at one of my favourite venues along the Versilian coast.


We set ourselves a 10 day deadline and, by some miracle, we managed to pull it off! The pressure felt invigorating and although my stomach was still full from lunch, I set about researching the best local wedding suppliers. One of the things I love most about Italy is people’s willingness to help, and it felt good to be out and about again, trying my best to explain myself in some very broken Italian! Pasticceria taste-testing was indeed a chore but someone had to do it.


With the venue, flowers, models, hair & makeup, and (most importantly, in my view) cakes all in hand, Elizabeth and I discussed “stationery” and how we could use it to tie in a table setting with our bright, citrusy, summery theme. As a wedding planner and in life, I am a perfectionist. I believe it’s all in the detail. I have always been a creative person and although I am a wedding planner first and foremost, I would love to be able to offer my clients a stationery design service as well. So even though our deadline was fast approaching, I decided to turn my hand towards designing some menu cards and wedding favours and I loved every minute. On went the oven, in went the grapefruits, and through the laminator went my gold foiled menu cards and place names.


Planning a wedding can be hard, even if you invite only your closest family and friends or decide to elope. Regardless of who is there to share it with you, your wedding day will always be special and it should reflect you as a couple. It should also be fun and using a wedding planner with trusted local suppliers can reduce so much unneeded stress, particularly when organising a destination wedding. If you are considering a wedding in Tuscany, Hitched in Italy has you covered. We are a small business supporting other small businesses, and what better way is there to emerge from this difficult year than planning your wedding under the warm Tuscan sun? (With an obligatory Aperol Spritz in hand, of course!)

Le Cinéma Versilia wedding venue in Marina di Pietrasanta Tuscany on the coast

The Wedding Venue


The space we used for the inspiration shoot was perfect for an outdoor wedding in Tuscany. The converted outdoor cinema (yep - how cool is that!) is set in the beautiful grounds of Hotel Villa Tiziana in Marina di Pietrasanta. The hotel has 27 rooms and also a swimming pool, perfect for dips in on the hot summer days here in Tuscany. The converted cinema space, now a restaurant, Le Cinéma Versilia, can accommodate 50-250 guests. You can hire it exclusively for your event, and it's only 300m from the beach (see our sunsets shots below - there surely isn't a more romantic place you can be at sunset!) In this case, and if you were having a smaller wedding, you can have a portion of the restaurant blocked off for your exclusive use. Imagine you've just come back from having those romantic wedding photographs on the Italian beach and now you can wine and dine the evening away with your nearest and dearest in this chic Italian outdoor venue.

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Hair and Make-up


Adrienne from Tuscany Bridal Beauty Stylists created soft waves for a very natural hair style on Leila. Leila said she preferred wearing her hair down and I'm all for making sure you feel like you on your wedding day. The make-up was also kept low-key with neutral tones. A relaxed, but still ever so romantic, look for an intimate wedding on the coast in Tuscany or anywhere in Italy!

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Bouquet & Centrepiece


Greenday Fiori in Viareggio created the elegant centrepiece and bouquet for our wedding inspiration shoot. Combining bright pink Gerbera flowers with soft peach and whites, the flowers balanced a softer romantic feel while still being vibrant. The centrepiece was supplied in a tall martini glass vase, perfect on a round table as the height means you can easily still see guests on the other side of the table.

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Let them eat cake!


And lots of tiny beautifully crafted cakes! These mignons were not only so pretty to look at, but also so SO tasty. With an elopement or small intimate wedding, there is no reason you can't break tradition, and these skilfully crafted cakes by Pasticceria Patalani in Viareggio are just the thing! The head chef, Riccardo, is an expert cake maker and can make any sort of cake you could imagine!

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Romance at Sunset on the Tuscan Coast


With the hotel being only a 5 minute walk to the beach, we knew we had to head down to the sea to watch the sun set and capture that most beautiful golden light that Tuscany has to offer. Our models, Leila and Nikola, were all sorts of sweet as they walked along the beach, hand and hand. Nikola and Leila met at a barbecue in the summer of 2016 shortly after Leila moved to Florence, Italy from New York City. After some cheeky back and forth banter, numbers were exchanged and a first date took place the very next day with a picnic in Piazza Santa Croce complete with pizza and a little liquid courage. Four years, three apartments, two cities and one very happy rescue dog, Sonny, later, Nikola proposed to Leila in Fiesole overlooking the city they first called home together.

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romantic elopement photography on the coast of Tuscany

Tuscany Elopement and Intimate Wedding Photographer

Elizabeth Armitage Photography


As an experienced wedding photographer now based in Tuscany, I know the importance of blending in on a wedding day, and this is even more important with a small wedding. You need someone with you who you feel comfortable with, who feels like one of the guests, but who can still capture all those precious moments beautifully, naturally, and unobtrusively. I work in a way that is in harmony with your day, following your lead, listening to your vision for your wedding day. This way I can produce images unique to you and your wedding. If you are considering a small intimate wedding or an elopement in Tuscany, Italy, I'd love to hear your plans, and see if I can be part of your day. (Contact Me)

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chic but relaxed elopement at Villa Hotel Tiziana in  Marina de Pietrasanta Tuscany
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