The couple contacted me a year prior to the date. Their major goal was to find a venue with a remarkable place for a symbolic ceremony with an aristocratic, but at the same time rustic vibe, and organize a 3-day wedding around it.
Lynn Kelly is an ex-Miss Universe of Ireland, celebrity, and current model engaged with different modeling agencies, so some strict conditions had to be respected during the planning and the wedding itself:
Absolute privacy during the stages of planning and for some period of time after it. Suppliers were not allowed to publish any pictures or videos representing the model without her permission.
Following strict guidelines about the best lighting: the bride wanted the wedding dinner to start with good light in the beginning of September.
A budget priority for the venue, music, best photo, videography services, and food.
A fireworks show synchronized with their proposal song: “Nessun Dorma” by Pavarotti.
A pre-wedding party in a nice restaurant with a view near the venue and an after-wedding party in the villa with a swimming pool, DJ, and saxophonist.
Preparations:
After rigorous preselection of dozens of venues and personal site inspections with the couple of about 10 venues, their choice fell on the Castello Solacium, only 15 minutes’ drive from the center of Syracuse. This location offered very nice options both for the getting ready and party villa and for the pre-wedding party restaurant with an amazing seaside view and private, exclusive terraces in the heart of Syracuse.
A very important selection was concerning the catering, as it should not only have fully English-speaking staff (which is common for only a number of suppliers in Sicily), but also represent the best of Sicilian cuisine together with a strong orientation on destination weddings’ peculiarities.
There were no particular difficulties with photographer and videographer selection as the couple, having excellent taste, immediately chose one of the best masters on the island: Rosita Lipari as photographer and Giulio Cantarella as videographer.
All the suppliers, from the catering to the music staff, were strictly advised not to publish any photo or video material without the couple’s permission, and this was stipulated in the contracts. This portfolio is published under the gentle permission of Lynn 1.5 years after the wedding.
One of the most challenging parts was the timing of the whole event, as the couple wanted to sit down at the tables during the sunlight, which was not common for this period of the year and challenging for the caterer due to the high temperatures and the absolute necessity to keep the food fresh and safe. Despite this, with minor modifications to the wedding menu, which suited both parties, we were able to achieve the target.
Results:
On the wedding day (08.09.2022), the weather was hot, about 40 degrees Celsius at midday. The ceremony place in the castle’s garden was partially sunlit during the ritual, which created some discomfort initially, but this was relieved by an excellent performance from Richard Brown, the celebrant. The catering by Banqueto was perfectly organized with refreshing drinks before and after the ceremony.
After the ceremony, the couple and the guests proceeded to the internal part of the castle (Baglio dei Ricordi), where they enjoyed a typical Sicilian buffet featuring fish, meat, and vegetarian options, along with a few cooking shows. The groom, Robert, opened the buffet with a typical Sicilian sciabolata (sabrage). After the buffet opening, the couple had enough time for a private photo shoot around the castle during the golden hour.
Three imperial tables for 80 guests were placed in the gorgeous frame of the central courtyard area of the castle. These were hidden from the guests’ view by the teamwork of the caterers, wedding planners, and decorators until the very last moment, creating a “wow” effect when the guests were invited to enter. The wedding day continued with a three-course dinner under the magic of a starry sky, accompanied by a live band.
Thanks to the private apartments on the castle grounds, Lynn could change from her breathtaking Galia Lahav ceremony dress to a sparkling Pronovias party dress, surprising the guests once again.
The wedding cake cutting was planned in the inner part of the castle where the buffet had previously been, accompanied by sparkling fountains. Following common sustainability trends, we reused the flowers and greenery from the ceremony to reduce floral waste and optimize the wedding budget.
The wedding day concluded with an awe-inspiring experience of synchronized fireworks set to the timeless “Nessun Dorma,” creating a truly singular experience for everyone (see the video).
