Our Amalfi Coast Wedding

20 min Videography by Miguel Garcia Studios
6 min Videography by Miguel Garcia Studios

Our Wedding Week Events

Nick and I were anxious when we started planning our Amalfi Coast wedding! The thought of a large guest list, seating charts, and bad food sent us both into a panic haha! After a lot of consideration, we decided to keep our wedding guests to our 12 immediate family members. We knew we wanted something that our family members would remember for years to come. Nick and I loved the idea of planning a fun-filled week of events + activities for them. We also liked that our wedding would be special since it would be about the events as a whole, rather than just one day. We truly were able to have our wedding week as a joining of our two families, which felt really magical.

Nick and some of his family members had never been to the Amalfi Coast! We had an event at all the important places that we thought were important to see. You can view the blog posts of the other wedding events here:

Pink Moon Boat Ride + Welcome Party

Luncheon on Capri at Paolino Ristorante

Hummingbird-Inspired Dinner at Palazzo Avino

Melon-Inspired Rehearsal Dinner at the Belmond Caruso

Villa Cimbrone

I had fallen in love with a wedding I saw years ago by Jose Villa at Villa Cimbrone. It was my first real wedding that I curated for The Knot Magazine and remember thinking, I” would have my wedding here!”The only difference is that I really wanted to ceremony on the Infinity Terrace!  There are not many weddings on the Infinity Terrace because you can’t fit that many people! Luckily, we had a great team and limited guests so we made it happen! Our florist set up our ceremony in 15 minutes! We also were the first wedding to take place after they had newly renovated the flooring of the terrace. 

Fun fact: Our original venue fell through 6 weeks before the wedding and Villa Cimbrone was a wonderful alternative!

Wedding Pattern

Since I am in the wedding industry and worked at The Knot, I really had seen everything and done everything! I thought that it was going to be very hard for me to design or conceptualize my wedding! Luckily, I had the world of wedding professionals at my fingertips and I couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible community who literally helped me through everything! All my planner friends, photographers, designers, etc. all gave some type of input along the way and it was so wonderful to have their support!

Elements of our story are infused into everything we have designed for our wedding. I am excited to share the different symbolism of each item you will see in all our details, illustrations, pattern and designs created by Cecile’s Paper Co.

Wedding Invitations

I have seen a LOT of wedding invitations through the years- from styling them for magazine features to culling stationery images for an article, paper details were always one of my favorite elements and definitely one of the most important to me for our wedding! This invitation is quite literally the wedding invitation suite of my DREAMS created by Cecile’s Paper Co.

Since we had such a small guest count, we were able to create a highly unique gifting experience for our wedding invitations. Each guest received this linen keepsake box that was tied with our pattern ribbon and a die-cut hummingbird. When guests opened the box they saw a beautiful Pink Phlox paper floral structure created by Summer Space Studio. Nick and I got engaged (and married) on Pink Moon. The Pink Moon was named after the pink phlox flower so we thought it was a very meaningful touch! In the pocket of the box held the guest’s wedding invitation. Courtney with Cecile’s Paper Co. created a custom pattern for us that incorporated all the special elements of our love story.

The illustrations included hummingbirds for my grandmother, moons for the day Nick proposed, melons for Nick’s family, lemons, and Villa Cimbrone statues to represent our wedding venue. There were so many meaningful elements to our invitation that it’s hard to pick a favorite but the one-of-a-kind calligraphy script Haniya Calligraphy created that drew inspiration from our location and historical Italian handwriting is truly spectacular. Also, how gorgeous is the photo backdrop with our pattern? Courtney created so Rebecca Yale could photograph our invite in all its glory!

You can see a video and behind-the-scenes unboxing of the wedding invitations here on my Instagram!

Wedding Design

We had so many details that were thoroughly integrated into the design. Pink is my favorite color so I knew we would be working with this color in our palette but I wanted to make sure that it was soft, romantic, and not overpowering.

We knew we wanted to have moons, pink phlox, feathers, and hummingbirds in our theme as well. The Pink Phlox is what the Pink Moon has been named after. The Pink Phlox illustration was on beautiful floral vases that covered the wedding reception table and the cocktail hour. We had white napkins with white embroidered moons on them for the dinner napkins. We also had our custom pattern painted onto chargers for the wedding dinner! This was definitely one of my favorite design elements. We also had our custom pattern made into a dance floor in the crypt!

You can see a video and behind-the-scenes of our wedding design here on my Instagram!

Wedding Fashion

Feathers are a really big part of the day because hummingbirds are often symbolized as messengers from your guardian angels. My grandmother, K-mom, loved hummingbirds and she pops in to say hello on big occasions. We saw a hummingbird the day Nick proposed, the day we told our parents we were getting married, dress shopping, the day of the wedding birds swarmed above at my bridal portraits and while we were getting ready, a bird flew into our suite. I can’t make this up! My other grandmother, Grandma Marty, had a yellow canary, at engagement photos with Jose Villa I wore a pink dress with yellow canaries.

After working at The Knot for so many years and seeing so many spectacular gowns, I still always envisioned a beautiful lace long sleeve dress as my bridal gown. This was definitely the only thing I knew for certain when I went into planning my wedding! 

My mom and I went dress shopping in Los Angeles with my best friend and wedding photographer, Rebecca Yale. We popped into Oscar de la Renta after Gabrielle Hurwitz suggested I take a look. I didn’t think much of it as I had my heart set on a different dress! Well, my mom saw this gown and suggested I try it on, after all feathers + hummingbirds were such a big part of our inspiration! Once I slipped into this breathtaking feather gown and started walking toward the mirror,  I hysterically started crying!

I saw myself walking onto the terrace of Cimbrone, looking at Nick, feathers blowing in the wind and just knew this was it! Rebecca captured some beautiful moments of my mom and I hugging and crying together in the store that I will forever look back on with a happy heart. Since it was a lot less traditional than I originally anticipated, I waited a few days to make the decision.

Fate stepped in! I called my sister to ask which dress to go with- lace or feathers…and my sister said, “Feathers!” At that moment, I kid you not, a hummingbird flew by! SOLD.

For my getting-ready look, I wore pink slides that Nick had gifted me for Christmas. I worked with Gilda and Pearl to create a custom blush feathered robe and slip. My mom and sister wore these amazing melon-inspired pajama sets in the same blush color!

Why yes, I wore 5 feathered outfits for the week of the wedding! The last number was a feathered shades of pink Pucci dress for dancing!

You can see a video and behind-the-scenes of our wedding design here on my Instagram and shop the looks below in my post!

Amalfi Coastline
Amalfi Coast wedding stationary
Sarah Kay Love wedding headshot
pink feathers and melon-inspired pajamas by Gilda and Pearl.
I spy with my little eyes…. pink feathers and melon-inspired pajamas by Gilda and Pearl. The morning of the wedding was actually extremely relaxing since it was just the three of us!  We were really able to have a lot of uninterrupted time which helped us all feel very at ease and calm going into the rest of the day! I remember telling my mom and sister, “I cried a lot already today, I am done crying for the day.” We all laughed knowing that there were still many tears of joy that were yet to come!
White wedding dress with white feathers hanging in a window
Wedding and engagement rings on a floral tablecloth
Mother helping bride with her white wedding dress
My mom was such an integral part of choosing my wedding gown so the fact that she was there to help me put it on for the wedding day was very meaningful! I always call her “the Queen of Fashion” and have looked to her my entire life as my style inspiration. This photo will always remind me of our fun times together choosing the “perfect outfit” and how lucky I am to have her pick the perfect dress for my wedding day!
Amalfi Coast Wedding candid photo of a groom
Bride wearing a white feathered wedding dress with the Amalfi Coast in the background
I loved this portrait session at the Belmond Infinity Pool for a few reasons. The first is that I got to spend the day with my best friends, who also happen to be wedding professionals and my vendors! Rebecca Yale knows exactly what to say when I am nervous or how to make me smile. Miguel Garcia is a master of his craft and he always seems to capture motion so artistically. I literally forgot that it was my wedding day because we were having so much fun dancing by the pool, laughing and teasing that I was trying to art direct the shot! The second reason I love this moment is that as we were shooting these photos, birds started swirling around me! Earlier in the morning, a bird tried to get into our hotel room! We all felt a little connection that K-mom was there to say hello and wish me luck before the ceremony! 😉
Amalfi Coast first look wedding photo
Groom smiling at his Bride in the Amalfi Coast
Bride and groom reading vows in a garden of lemons and olives
Since just our families were attending the wedding, I didn’t think having a first look was necessary. However, after a lot of discussions, Nick and I decided it would be nice to have some additional time together to get any nerves out. The first look actually turned out to be my favorite moment of the entire day! Nick still thought I was wearing lace, even with my unsubtle hints of feather fashion all week, so the look on his face was priceless! We had spent the day before writing our vows. We decided to read them at our first look and then do more traditional vows at the ceremony. Nick and I played a round of Rock Paper Scissors to see who would go first reading our vows. For those of you wondering, I lost the round so I read my vows first. The intimate and raw emotion that came from sharing our love story, our faith, and our commitment to each other was truly overpowering and spiritual. It’s a memory and a feeling I will never forget.
Bride reading vows to husband
Bride and groom kissing in Itlay
Bride and groom posing for their Amalfi Coast wedding
After we were done balling our eyes out from reading our vows at the First Look, we were all smiles 😉
Bride wedding dress reveal in the streets of Italy
We had the big wedding dress reveal with our family!
Family reacting to bride's wedding dress reveal
It went well 😉
Bride and groom strolling outside the Belmond Caruso
We then took a stroll from the Belmond Caruso to Villa Cimbrone with the entire family and our band. Nick says he loved this part of the day because there was so much excitement in the air!
Statue at the Villa Cimbrone in Italy
Bride at the Villa Cimbrone in Italy overlooking the Amalfi Coast
Villa Cimbrone wedding in Italy overlooking the Amalfi Coast
Our family wore shades of pink!
bride and bridesmaids in Italy overlooking the Amalfi Coast
My beautiful sister and sisters-in-law!
Villa Cimbrone wedding ceremony on the Infinity terrace
With the Easter Holiday coming to a close, tourist season on the Amalfi Coast was in full swing. We were very lucky Villa Cimbrone was able to accommodate our ceremony on the Infinity terrace but we had limited time to set up! Malafronte Flowers worked magic and had our ceremony space come together in under 20 minutes! From the pink chair cushions, and whimsical blush floral arrangements to the breathtaking views, it was a stunning site to see!
father of the bride walking his daughter down the aisle at the Villa Cimbrone wedding
One of the most magical memories was the walk down the aisle with my dad. The walk from the crypt to the terrace was about 5 minutes so we had a lot of time together.
Father of the bride hugging his daughter's fiancee at the Villa Cimbrone wedding
Villa Cimbrone wedding ceremony on the Infinity terrace
 In my sister’s maid of honor speech, she wrote about how we used to drive her to school in high school and how I lost my cool when Love Story by Taylor Swift was released… it started a long love affair with Tay Tay. I knew that I wanted Love Story for the bridal processional ever since I heard an instrumental version but the Piano Guys. I remember turning the corner with my dad, feathers blowing in the mind, looking at the love of my life and starting to walk down the aisle on the terrace balcony. At that moment, the melody came on that says in the song, “I close my eyes and the flashback starts, I’m standing there, on a balcony, in summer air…” It was so serendipitous and magical and I will definitely  have flashbacks to that moment forever!
husband kissing his wife at their Villa Cimbrone wedding ceremony on the Infinity terrace
Villa Cimbrone wedding ceremony on the Infinity terrace
Villa Cimbrone wedding reception on the Infinity terrace
Callista and Co. and Malafronte Florals decorated wedding reception dining table
 Callista and Co. and Malafronte Florals executed our vision for our wedding reception perfectly. I loved the climbing roses that scaled the walls of the crypt and the hanging pink ceramic vases from the Rehearsal Dinner were painted white to remind us of our evening the night before. The color combination of blush, white and green was perfect and not too overpowering in one tone. As we were choosing table linens, Callista suggested this wonderful green patterned tablecloth that was subtle enough to remain timeless but gave some texture and depth to spice things up! Cecile’s Paper Co. worked with Pascal, a local ceramist to create pink phlox illustrated vases that spanned the table along with cream tapered spiral candles from Floral Society.
Villa Cimbrone wedding reception table adorned with flowers and tall candlesticks
Villa Cimbrone wedding reception place setting with custom chargers
We continued to infuse personal details in the wedding day place setting by creating custom chargers in our wedding pattern. This is by far my favorite detail because we are able to use our wedding china again and again in the years to come. If you look closely, you will also see a moon embroidered napkin to give reference to the night Nick and I exchanged, “I Love You’s” as well as an elegant cloche with single hellebore and calligraphed place card by Cecile’s Paper Co. and Kei Han Goodman Calligraphy. Our menus were crafted on the same beautiful celadon linen our wedding invitation boxes came in along with a spectacular gold embossed butterfly on the back.
hummingbirds and feathers wedding cake
As a way to continue to bring hummingbirds + feathers into the wedding day, Mode in Cake centered the wedding cake theme around hummingbirds. The intricacy of bird’s feathers and the attention to detail Catherine created is truly a work of art! We chose carrot cake as our flavor since my mom makes it on every birthday, holiday, and special occasion. We thought it would be a perfect way to continue her tradition!
Wedding party toasting at the Villa Cimbrone wedding reception
 Nick and I call each other LOML, an acronym for Love of My Life. Our families ended the speeches and cheersed to the “LOMLs!”  All of our favorite people together celebrating our love, life doesn’t get much better than this!
Bride and groom smiling at their Villa Cimbrone wedding reception
Bride and groom kissing at their Villa Cimbrone wedding reception
Bride and groom kissing at their Villa Cimbrone wedding reception
Bride and groom's first dance at their Villa Cimbrone wedding reception
Our First Dance was to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.”
Bride in her pink Pucci dress at her Italian wedding reception
I had a hard time changing out of my dress but to dance the night away I swapped the white feathers for this pink Pucci ensemble!
Villa Cimbrone wedding reception dancing
With full hearts, we congregated on the dance floor and danced until Villa Cimbrone kicked us out! One of my favorite design details from the reception was the dance floor with our wedding pattern. Our first dance to “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young felt like we were dancing on top of all the moon!
Wedding party dancing the night away at the Villa Cimbrone wedding reception

Here’s to Love, to Laughter and our Happily Ever After!

VENDOR CREDITS:

Photography: Rebecca Yale

Fashion Styling: Gabrielle Hurwitz

Videography: Miguel Garcia Studios

Planner: Callista and Co.

Invitations: Cecile’s Paper Co.

Venue: Villa Cimbrone

Flowers: Malafronte

Cake: Made in Cake

Wedding Dress: Oscar de la Renta

Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Earrings: My grandmother’s something borrowed (similar)

Getting Ready Robe: Gilda and Pearl (similar)

Dancing Dress: Pucci

Coat: Proenza Schouler

xo, Sarah

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