High School Sweethearts, a Tarantella and a Bride Who Raps: Guinevere & Gianluca’s Wedding at Villa Zagara
- Author: Natali Grace Levine
- Wedding date: 07/10/2026
- City: Sorrento
Love Story
“I was 16, and Gianluca was 17 when we started dating,” Guinevere says. “We have been together ever since.” The introduction came courtesy of her brother, who was Gianluca’s best friend all through high school and remains so today, which means the groom’s closest friend and the bride’s brother have always been the same person. More than eight years later, the couple has grown from teenagers into a teacher and an engineer, building a life in New York while never losing the ease of those early days. Marriage had been part of their conversations for some time, and when Guinevere finished her master’s degree, the timing finally felt right. In July 2025, on a trip to Puglia, Gianluca proposed.
Guinevere teaches kindergarten in Manhattan and loves it, genuinely looking forward to every school day with her students. Gianluca, a civil engineering graduate, works in construction management, overseeing large-scale residential projects across the city. Away from work, they are happiest discovering new restaurants, traveling, spending time outdoors, and making the most of New York with the people they love.
About Your Wedding
Getting everyone to Sorrento was a feat in itself. Guinevere grew up in England, where her family made friendships that have lasted a lifetime, while Gianluca comes from a large Italian-American family with deep roots, some of whom live just outside Naples. On July 10, 2026, 150 guests from those different chapters of their lives gathered on the Sorrento coast, creating a celebration that the couple describes as “a beautiful blend of the people, places, and cultures that shaped our lives and brought us together.”
Italy carried meaning on every level. It honored Gianluca’s heritage, reflected Guinevere’s childhood abroad, and celebrated the couple's shared love of travel, shaped by parents who taught their children to embrace other cultures. Eleven months of planning followed, guided by the Amalfi Coast's effortless beauty and a vision that was both classic and heartfelt. “We wanted the celebration to feel romantic, timeless, and distinctly Italian.” Their hope for the guests was simple: a truly magical night. Looking back, they would not change a single thing.
Morning Details
On her wedding morning, Guinevere wore the same earrings her mother wore on her wedding day. It was a small detail with enormous meaning, a tribute to a woman she has always admired and to the marriage her parents have built, and it set the tone for a day rooted in family.
The other details were just as personal. Guinevere designed the wedding invitations herself with Gianluca's help, and the couple chose the rest of their stationery together, working with a designer their planner recommended. Their rings came from a family friend of Gianluca’s, a diamond jeweler who created both wedding bands and Guinevere’s engagement ring, so every ring they wear connects them to people close to them.
Bride Getting Ready
Hydrangeas have been Guinevere’s favorite flower since she was five, so it is no surprise they took center stage in her bouquet. Titi, the florist at Villa Zagara, paired blue and white hydrangeas with pale yellow roses, white lilies, and delphiniums, creating an arrangement as fresh as the Sorrento coastline.
Her Pnina Tornai gown came from Kleinfeld in New York City, and it was the first one she tried on. She did not need to see another. For the ceremony, she added a delicate lace jacket, also from Kleinfeld, along with a long veil and white lace heels by Tony Bianco, a romantic, polished look perfectly suited to a church wedding in southern Italy.
The bridal suite at Villa Zagara was full of the women who matter most to her. Ten bridesmaids, dressed by the Palermo designer Vali Boutique, joined her younger sister and maid of honor, her mother, both of her grandmothers, and Gianluca’s mother. With three generations gathered together and portraits taken both inside the suite and in the villa’s gardens, the morning felt less like preparation and more like a family celebration in its own right.
Groom Getting Ready
Gianluca chose an Armani tuxedo, sharp, classic, and a fitting nod to the country hosting the celebration. His mother spent the morning alongside the bride, a sweet sign of how closely the two families had already come together. His brother, serving as best man, had one important job: keeping the rings safe until the ceremony. For a groom whom Guinevere happily describes as the shyer half of the couple, the hours before the church were calm and full of anticipation, ahead of a day that would bring more emotion than either of them expected.
Ceremony
Gianluca was already in tears when Guinevere appeared at the end of the aisle of the Chiesa di San Francesco. She walked toward him to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, and throughout the ceremony she kept turning back to look at him. The flower girls were two girls Guinevere had taught as an associate teacher, a choice that reflected how much her students mean to her, while Gianluca’s brother stood beside him with the rings. Set inside a historic church in the heart of Sorrento, the ceremony was simple, sincere, and shaped entirely by the people they love.
Photoshoot After The Ceremony
The portraits started where the marriage did. The couple photographed at the church, “as that is important to us,” then moved to a vintage car parked by the water before finishing on the villa’s balcony overlooking the coast. Each setting captured a different side of the day: the sacred, the playful, and the romantic. D2 Photography has a rare talent for letting a place speak without overpowering the people in it, and their images of Guinevere and Gianluca are full of Sorrento’s light and sea air while staying focused on the couple’s easy, unguarded affection.
Wedding Venue & Decor
White, royal blue, and pale yellow: the palette read like an Amalfi Coast postcard, echoing the sea, the sky, and the lemons the region is famous for. Titi of Villa Zagara carried those colors through the florals, so the gardens, tables, and bridal bouquet all spoke the same language.
A colleague of Guinevere’s father, who had married there, recommended the venue, and one look was enough to convince the couple. What sealed it? “We thought Villa Zagara’s beauty with all of the flowers and nature was perfect.” With its lush gardens and breathtaking views, the villa delivered the elegant, natural setting they imagined. It gave them the freedom to choose from several beautiful spaces for each part of the evening.
Couple's Advice
“We would advise them to go see it in person to understand their options for where to hold cocktail hour and dinner. Both options are beautiful, and we loved being able to choose. Also, if you are international, a wedding planner is practically a necessity!”
Reception
Guinevere has loved rapping since she was five, so when she took the mic for a karaoke version of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady,” it was pure, joyful self-expression. The real surprise came when Gianluca, far shyer than his bride, joined in on the chorus, a moment she calls monumental. For Gianluca, the evening’s defining memory was the Tarantella, the traditional Italian dance that pulled every guest onto the floor and brought the two families together in one circle. DJs Sonny and Nick of Next Generation Event Group kept that energy going all night.
The quieter moments were just as meaningful. The couple’s first dance was set to “Perfect Symphony” by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli, a song about two people who fall in love young and grow up together, which could hardly be more fitting. Villa Zagara’s Italian appetizers amazed guests, dinner offered a choice of lamb or sea bass, and the villa also made the wedding cake, decorated with blue hydrangeas and lemons.
“We were blown away by the hard work and beautiful outcome from each vendor,” the couple says, before adding the line that sums up the entire day: “They all came together and made our dream a reality.” They credit Villa Zagara with elevating the celebration with beauty and authenticity, and their planner, Simona of Happy Brides, with guiding them every step of the way with warmth, positivity, and expert knowledge of Sorrento. Studio Dessai captured the celebration on film, while D2 Photography ensured every glance, tear, and dance step would be remembered just as it felt.
Wedding Team
- Photography D2
- Planning & Design @happy_brides_weddings
- Videography @studiodessai
- Venue @villazagarasorrento
- Groom Preparation Venue @hoteltramontano
- Makeup & Hair @beautylivery @antonioraucci.hairstylist @giorgia.maquillage
- Flowers @labflor.aiello
- String Quartet @viola_stringquartet
- DJ @nextgenerationdjentertainment
- Bridal Car @spiderlifestyle
- Lighting @theemmanuelsound
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