A Tuscan-Themed Wedding
Tuscany, a hilly region near the middle of Italy, is renowned for its red wines, magnificent scenery, and simply sophisticated cuisine ... not to mention the medieval charm of its walled towns, castles and fortresses.
Then, there are the olive groves, vineyards and rambling farmhouses, and that dreamy blue sky.
If you or your fiancé have Italian ties, a Tuscan theme wedding is a great way to celebrate them. And even if you don't, the Tuscan or Italian country theme is a great way to make the most of any outdoor setting.
The cornerstone of the Tuscan theme is simple elegance. Often, this theme shows up in vineyards, country clubs, and manicured gardens. It's also a good choice for Italian-theme banquet rooms or restaurants (especially those with arches, columns or warmly-colored stucco).
Decorating for your Tuscan-Theme Wedding
Start with the signature colors of Tuscany: gold and a color actually known as Tuscan red, which leans toward brick. Olive makes a great (and traditional) accent. But you can choose any color combination you want.
After that, simply think about what makes a vineyard romantic. Hanging lanterns let your reception linger into the evening. Parasols give your bridal party a graceful, old-world look. Tiered fountains add gallons of ambiance.
How you go about the nuts and bolts from here really depends on your tastes. For a relaxed look, draw on the graphics of vintage Italian wine posters, or old-world maps. Scan in your favorites and use these to turn out one-of-a-kind table cards or invitations. Display your table cards over wine bottles topped with a slotted cork.
You could also create (or buy) rustic cork placecard holders. For whimsical look, light up key tables and focal points with grape cluster string lights.
Ivy (real or faux) will give any glass canister instant vineyard flair. More laid-back ideas for table decorations: pitchers filled with bread sticks in appealing spiral shapes, mason jars filled with miniature sunflowers, Gerber daisies and the occasional rose, or bowls or urns heaped with gilded fruit.
The cake is the biggest focal point of any reception after the bride, so many brides like to take this uptown even if the reception's more relaxed. A Tuscan-themed cake is a wonderful chance to dabble in the forefront of cake artistry, like texture (such as Venetian lace), gold leaf (think elaborate gold medallions), or even a painted-on rendition of a gorgeous Tuscan china pattern. But if you want to keep things simple, three clean tiers banded by gold and red ribbons will look just as beautiful. Set off your cake table with the traditional cake letters, but spell "AMORE" instead of "I DO."
A Taste of Tuscany
Many caterers will have a good idea where to start if you ask for a Tuscan buffet, a Tuscan food station or even an all-over Tuscan menu.
Tuscan cuisine prides itself on presenting simple food that just knocks you out with its excellence. Any Tuscan menu is going to highlight unpretentious but perfectly-done combinations of peasant breads, soft cheeses, tomatoes, beans, olive oils and wine. Typically appearing the menu are starters like antipasto, bread sticks, and Tuscan white bean bean paté on crostini.
You also might find a selection of the finest olives (and tasty derivatives like tapenade), fruit compotes, and delicious cured meats like Tuscan ham and salami. Or in the European tradition, golden pears poached in a flavorful red wine, then knocked over the top with goat cheese and honey. A Tuscan ravioli filled with grilled eggplant, spinach and a variety of cheeses would draw raves as a main course.
For beverages, serve San Pellegrino to whet your guests' whistles, and Prosecco for toasts (its sweeter flavor makes it the perfect pairing for cakes everywhere). When it's time to dish up the cake, make it even more enjoyable by bringing out the barista and offering espresso and cappuccinos.
Also, keep in mind that no theme offers a better excuse to entertain your guests during cocktail hour with a wine tasting. Hire a local expert to help bring out the nuances of your wines and really make things memorable.
The Sweet Sounds of Amore
Music is indispensable to any Italian wedding. But a vineyard wedding calls for intimacy: a classical guitarist or a string quartet, say. Alternately, a small operatic choir will have your guests leaping from their seats (and searching for tissues). As the night goes on, an traditional Italian band will get your guests stamping to the strains of the Tarantella.
Gifting Your Guests
There's so many possibilities for favors at your Tuscan theme wedding. Let's start with the food: consider bottles of imported, herbed olive oil ... or real balsamic vinegar, or Italian truffles. Also popular are bottles of hearty Tuscan wine, personalized with wine labels bearing the couple's wedding date. The favor market's bursting with appealing wine accessories, such as
wine stopper favors and
wine charms. Of course, Jordan almonds are never out of place at any Italian wedding.
A Final Note
The elegant country theme has universal appeal, whether it's the rustic sophistication of Provence or the old-world simplicity of Tuscany. If you're lucky enough to have some Italian in your background or a beautiful vineyard nearby, the Tuscan theme is a great way to celebrate close to the heart.
Hi all, I am now married (9/1/07) and was also suffering from “wedding planning hell”… Since I just tied the knot, I would like to share a few ideas that were HITS!!! Ok, so my wedding was at a Vineyard in NC and I live in Florida. Many of guests flew from everywhere. My welcome gift was a double wine box, which was lined w/ silver & white foil paper (very sophisticated) and it even came w/ a matching thick ribbon, tissue and bow!! This was a life saver- it was a package-it freed up alot of time & I didn’t have to give it more thought (giftmakers.com) Inside I bought a travel tin candle from “Michaels” for $1 and also purchased some gourmet chocolates from Ross; Marshall’s; TJ Maxx (they sell many yummy gourmet items) I bought alot of Granola, which is baked at “Costco or BJ’s” wholesale. I placed about 2scoops inside velum plastic bags and tied w/ a “straw like tie” and gift tag- The gift tag read-”Just a little something to help you settle in, see you at the meet & greet”. Also, I included a mini bottle of wine (they come 4 to a pack & they are glass) you can purchase at any store, and bought my own lables from “bottle your brand.com” and removed the old labels that read “Turning Leaf” and put mine instead… Boy were my gift boxes loaded w/ all kinds of good stuff- My guests loved IT!!!
Each table had a hand written analogy of wine & love- There’s so many other little things I did that was GREAT. I fid a lot of research & got very creative… I bought the flower girl dresses at “Marshalls” during Easter-perfect- I removed the flowers that were pinned & purshased much nicer ones at a fabric store… The total came out to $30 a dress!!! Their mothers were certainly happy!! I will be posting alot of pictures on my wedding website in a few weeks as I am awaiting them. Feel free to stop by! Good luck and remember, all the hard work & brain storming will PAY OFF!!
Best of luck!!
I’m having a Tuscan themed wedding reception next June. The colors are “clover” or “garden grove green”, “summer day gold” and “peppery” which is a terra-cotta red. I took paint chips to vendors and it made it so much easier to match things. I’m using a lot of greenery in old-world style urns and earthtones. For the centerpieces I’m thinking of doing big wine-glasses with candles them and bronze-colored sunflowers around the bases. Cafe lights will be hung from the rafters in the venue. Let me know if you’ve got a good grower or distributor where I can get bronze sunflowers for next to nothing and keep spreading the tuscan ideas!
I’ve decided that i’m going to 1) make rustic wine coasters as wedding favors, 2) use wine glasses with burgundy candles in them and burgundy grapes all displayed on a rustic trayfor centerpieces, 3) i’m going to make cheap welcome baskets for the hotel guests and fill them with a generic bottle of wine, cheese, crackers, and dollar store wine glasses (cheap is the key word!), and 4) for the bridesmaids and groomsmen we’re thinking a nice wine stopper (but that’s still up in the air). I’m also dropping hints to my bridesmaids that vineyard hopping would be a really fun part of a bachelorette party!!!
I was wondering what others ideas for wedding party gifts were. I feel that I need to give a good gift but im not sure what that should be. For favors im ordering wine and beer glasses (for the men) but they will both have our names and date on them and they are very cheap from discountmugs.com. I thought that I would use some of the wine glasses as centerpieces by making candles out of them, so non drinkers can take home a candle instead of juat a wine glass.
Hi Lynne,
I don’t know were the saying comes from, but I do know that you hold white wine by the stem (so you don’t warm a chilled wine) and that you hold red wine by glass (it is already room temp). This is a very lovely phrase. If only I had heard it sooner!
My daughter is using the wine/Tuscan theme for her wedding and I am trying to locate a saying related to wine which reads something like; ” Hold red wine by the stem White wine by the glass and each other very close.” Iam unsure this is correct and was wondering if anyone knows this verse and who to credit for it Iwould be very grateful for info. Thanks to all
i am getting married in oct my bridesmaids dresses are cinnamon because i was going to go with the fall theme but i thought it wasnt elegant enough. can you give me some ideas? we are getting married outdoors and our reception is inside a mansion.
I am also having a tuscan/wine themed wedding. For our favors, my fiance is making his own wine (which everyone always loves!). We are going to bottle it and then label it with our Names and wedding date. My colors are sage, burgandy and gold.
I am doing a Tuscan style wedding and was moving in the direction of long wooden farm style tables. Has anyone donethis, does it make it more difficult to communicate? Are round tables more conducive for people to chat?
Well, my husband is Italian and my daughter shares in that claim, so she wants an Italian reception at least! Simple, simple, simple. Remember you have to do something with all of this stuff and …clean up afterwards. Her ceremony will be white, red and gold, military! Everything changes for the reception. Paper tablecloths and skirts are beige from Party City. I’m using beige, twin, flat sheets from Walmart @$2.95 and putting them in the washer with used tea bags to give them that Tuscan look, and then semi bunching them across the food tables. Walmart has 6ft. grapevine garlands and swags for $5.00 a piece! I will use these straight across the tables or cut to length needed to go around hurricane lamps. We will have tea pitchers so I will cut a piece of vine to wrap aroung the handles, of everything! We will use clear plastic plates, forks, cups. Remember, who’s washing, unless you are having it catered! Clear glass serving platters, etc. I’ve bought a soft gold and burgandy napkins, which is in the grapevine, but can’t decide yet on which one. I do need a color to pull from for the candles in the lamps. Our favorite Italian restuarant does a “catering to go” service, so we are ordering that and my friends, I hope, are going to serve it up! Originally I was going to fix alot of things myself, but…..some. Ours is not a sit down anyway, just heavy fingerfoods. They are supposed to come to see the Bride and Groom anyway!!! This place makes a 36″stomboli. I can get 8/$120. that’s at least 250 pieces. I’m getting olives and penne from Sams. At Michaels we found an Italian music CD for $1.00. The cake will be a square, three tier, beige. They have the pans at Michaels for $40. Good luck out there! Remember, the ceremony is over with so fast!
I am having my wedding at a new venue called Bella Sera. The theme is a Tuscan evening. My centerpieces are plaster urns from Joanns that I filled with a myriad of silk flowers and hanging grapes. I have photos I can share. They turned out great and total cost was less than 30 bucks a piece. My favor is a Mikasa grapevine wine stopper. For more detail check out my bio on the KNOT: psychgalbride.
A friend of mine is planning a tuscan themed wedding and is on a very thin budget.
FOR THE RECEPTION:
Our current plan is to find usedwine bottles w/taper candles, white wicker baskets (from garage sales etc.), and use italian cheeses, bruschetta, olive oil and balsamic vinegar as part of the centerpeice. Also we plan to make garland of queen anns lace and grapevine accented with roses. The colors are red and white..AS WELL AS topiaries. I am overwhlemed myself w/ all of the possiblities and not sureif i am visualizing this accurately – perhaps too much, not enough? If anyone has any photos of their ITALIAN theme – tuscan venetian roman, whatever—- wedding decor PLEASE email me. I would be delighted to hear ANYTHING about it. :D))
I promise I will reply and to help w/ anything I can for you as well.
alandesm @ iusb. edu
NO SPACES.
CiaO BELLAS
if you can’t have open flames, i found these led water activated diamond lights that sink to the bottom of vases in water and look beautiful and will give your event a touch of candle light w/out the open flame. i found them on weddingstar.com. http://us.weddingstar.com/search/?keyword=led&result=53&
“We hope to find chianti bottles to burn as candles holders.”
I am also looking for these bottles for my brother’s rehearsal dinner–has anyone been able to find them?
I too am playing with a wine theme. I’m going to make my own invitations by using rubber stamps to print grapes on dark cardstock and then the transparent paper laid on top of that with all of the info., tied together with a ribbon on the top. For favors I have a mother from my class (i’m a teacher) who is teaching me how to make my own wine coasters. She said they’re super easy…you just buy charming old tiles in mass quantities, stamp the grape decoration, spray with a special clear primer, heat, and then wrap with a ribbon and cute tag. Viola! (Only problem is I have 200 to make!!!). For center pieces, I too am playing with wine glasses filled with candles….anyone know a good site that has a picture of it or experimented and can send me a pix? As for other decor…i’m looking for wine barrels, cheap grape lights, and i’m making cork wreathes in the shape of a heart. Hope this helps a bit! Keep the ideas rollin’!
I am getting married at a winery and for those of you who need ideas i can share mine, but i too needs ides. im having trouble for centerpeices.
My colors are soft gold, sage and merlot with pewter. very rich.
i bought corks from a wine making shop and slit the botoms to make name card holders out of them. for centerpeices i have had a few ideas. my main one is to get rustic lanterns and put a pilar candle inside and surround the base of the lantern with hydrangeas and greenery, but i want to stay low cost. any ideas for centerpeices, i cant have any open flames. I was also thinking of doing a small ceramic garden urn, rustic paint it and fill with hydrangeas. what you guys think?
ciao Ashley
What would appropriate dress code be for guests attending a Tuscany wedding at 12 noon in June in city square then reception around the pool at the villa for the afternoon/evening?
Thank You very much
I also am in great need of some ideas for our wedding reception. We would love to go with the italian/wine theme…however, we would like to put more of an Old World Italian feel into it…almost reniassance. I have purchased TALL glass pitchers which are about 24 inches tall….now I just need an idea of what to put in them! Any ideas?? I want something really impressive since our budget is limited…
hi all! we’re also doing wine themed wedding. As for centerpieces, Walmart, (in the fabric/flower section) has wreaths made up of ivy and grapes (for about 8.99), we’ll be setting those down flat on tables with a
vase centered in middle, filled with artificial grapes, lemons and mini
apples (these were purchased at Target)-
I loved the idea of this theme so much that I went to Tuscany to get married!!!
It was amazing!!!!!
Hey guys,
I’m in “center piece Hell” and need help! I would love to see some of your pictures!! I heard of the wineglasses & bottles etc… as centerpieces but haven’t seen them pictured. I like to see pictures. I was thinking of a distressed clay pot (Michaels;$9.99; 2/3 colors) stuffing some of it w/foam and filling it w/ beaded fruit. I also thought of simple glassware filled w/ candles and ??? I don’t know how to put any of my ideas together-that’s where you ALL come in (hopefully) I heard that Big Lots has beaded fruit but not until the holidays. My wedding is at a vineyard, it’s inside and starts at 6:00pm. I have an idea for table cards: Get one vintage/tuscan picture frame-vertical-and inside place the list of guests that will be sitting at that table. This idea is great when not wanting to croud each table. Get even more creative-glue glass grapes to the side and place a sticker on the bottom. Since the seats weren’t assigned, just the tables were, place a sticker on (1) chair; whoever sits in the marked chair keeps the picture frame!
Hope that helps. How can I see pictures??
Hello ladies.. I live in a gorgeous tuscan villa style home in los gatos , california… I am planning a wedding for a client and we will be using old wine barrels as the bases for our tables, bars, cake displays etc. we also using olive tree branches instead of roses! We are using sunflowers that we have grown in the gardens!! (for your info Ace Hardware sells animal feed sunflower seeds at like $20 for a 50 pound bag, , these grow beautiful and are extremely impressive when you throw them on a hillside)
hello, my daughter is having her wdding in a vineyard. we are having a grape stomp as part of the wedding rehearsal. then the grapes from that stomp will be made into their own wine with a label they help them design. now this wine will not be ready to give as wedding favors, but we will enjoy it our selves as the family. we are having a buffet of italian foods and a fruit and olive bar. and cheese cake as the wedding cake. i believe we will incorporate mainly golds, sages and tuscan red as the colors. the table will be set banquet style. and we hope to find chianti bottles to burn as candles holders. with the breads,cheeses,brichetta,olives, olive/galric olive and grapes as the table center pieces. they will be useful and decorative at the same time.
I am having this theme for my backyard wedding in October. We are going to have fresh round tuscan bread on the tables with balsamic vinegar and olive oil mixed with garlic and spices. There will also be bottles of wine on the tables and edible centerpieces made of grapes and pears and apples surrounding a candle.
We are also having an “antipasto table” with olives and salami and cheeses and more breads and poached pears with goat cheese and honey (as the article suggested). We’re also serving a very simple dinner with Caeser salad (with some tomatoes from our garden), barbecue chicken and tri-tip, a cold pasta salad dish of some kind and we’re having a wedding cake with raspberry cream and some marzipan pears and apples and grapes.
We’ll be using a lot of grape vines to decorate and grape leaves and even olive branches and stuff. Since it’s in our backyard we’re going to string up lanterns and lights to make a sort of tent shape above the backyard. And we’ll light up the trees with lights too, and some citronella tiki torches to keep away mosquitos. Also, those grape cluster lights are so cute! If anybody has any ideas to add on to what I’ve got going I’d love to hear!
Hi guys,
Although my partner and I aren’t actually doing a wine theme we have decided on a favour I think you could use. We Purchased wine glasses (from Target while on sale) and will be etching a bunch of grapes on them (you can get the supplies from a craft store and it is easy to do). We will then use a gold pen to write our names and the date on the base of the glasses. I’m thinking of filling them with wine flavoured jelly beans (available where I live but anything could work). A bit of colour co-ordinated organza and ribbon and we are set. It will cost about $2.50 per favour.
I’m also using large purple wine glasses (also from Target) set on a mirror with a tea-light inside surrounded by small tealights and purple crystal grape bunches to add a bit of ambiance around the reception site. The same crystal grape bunches will make an appearance on the wedding cake. We are having a cocktail reception in a Victorian mansion but the purple and grapes tie in everything for the event.
OK, here are my ideas. Neomi, I am also doing wine bottles as my center pieces. But I am putting small 10 strand, battery operated lights in them, surrounded by Ivy and Grapes. Also, on some of the other tables I am doing (fake) fruit baskets. We can’t decide whether or not to do wicker baskets or to just use something else. And then table level flowers. We might stick them in foam and just cover the foam completely in moss and wild like flowers.
I am having a wine tasting table that a friend of the family will be “directing” the guest as to which wine is best. My cake is EXTREMLY simple with sugar grapes lightly placed on top! But as a perk, we are having tons of different cheesecakes! My main color is Champagne. Everyone in the wedding party is wearing that color. And my flowers are all wild flowers with subtle colors and different wild berries and greenery. (Nothing to bright or vibrant!)
And my favors are undecided as of right now. I want wine bottle toppers but they can be SO pricey! I guess that would be the only thing that I needed some ideas for!! When I was thinking up of ideas for this I just looked at a TON of Italy pictures and vineyard pictures! And also read up on traditions and things. Even though I’m not Italian! I hope this helped!!!!
I thought I was the only person trying to work with this theme! I guess I’m not alone. Cherith and Amy, I’m very interested in knowing what you come up for ideas for favors, decorations and colors. I personally am going to use wine bottles with personalized labels as centerpieces. They will be surrounded by ivy and maybe even a few wine glasses filled with water and floating candles. I’m still debating whether to include traditional flowers or not. I’d love to hear other people’s ideas.
Cherith: I also want a Tuscan (wine) themed wedding. I’d be interested to hear what you are doing for decorations. What are your colors?
Cherith, welcome. Please share some of your great ideas as they come to you, because I know they’ll inspire someone else. Best of luck!
I LOVE this wedding theme!!!! I am doing this for my firday night wedding and I can not begin to tell yo uhow EASY it is to come up with ideas for this theme!! My mom is a “wine-o” so when she heard that I wanted to do this our brains started working over time!! I’m very excited about this and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Karen,
* check this out