Kelli & Steele's Romantic Tuscan Castle Wedding at Castello del Trebbio
- Author: Natali Grace Levine
- Wedding date: 10/04/2024
- City: Florence
Love Story
College athletics brought them together, but friendship kept them close. "Steele and I met in college at California State University San Marcos. We were both student athletes, me playing volleyball and him playing basketball," Kelli tells us. "We were friends in college for about a year before we started dating."
Their post-graduation reality check involved moving back to Orange County, then settling together in Long Beach, California. The timeline? Refreshingly honest and real. "Since we were so young when we got together, neither of us were ready to get married for a long time," Kelli admits. "8 years later he proposed and we got married around our 10 year anniversary." A love that took ten years to bloom into marriage.
When the proposal finally came, Steele's planning skills rivaled those of a secret agent. "I was completely surprised! We had recently discussed marriage and decided we were ready to make it official but I had no idea he already had a ring and was planning the proposal, coordinating with both of our families." The setup was genius in its simplicity – a supposed work event for his father at Santa Luz Golf Club in Del Mar became the stage for the big moment. "When we arrived, we walked into the courtyard patio and our families were all sitting together. As soon as I spotted them, he got down on one knee and proposed. It was absolutely perfect."
About Your Wedding
Italy called, and they answered enthusiastically. "We both really wanted to have a destination wedding with our closest family and friends. Steele and I had traveled to Italy together years prior and it was a place that meant a lot to us, plus most of our family had never been there," Kelli explains their destination choice.
The logistics of planning across continents demanded professional intervention. "I knew we would need help since we live in California and wanted to get married in Tuscany so I pretty quickly started contacting wedding planners in Italy. We found Sonja Kjekstad from Tuscania Events and worked with her to find the venue and all of our vendors. She was wonderful and helped us with all the coordination and planning so I didn't have to do much other than make the final decisions!"
Their wishlist was specific yet flexible: "We knew all of our guests would love Florence and really wanted to find an intimate venue outside the city. We've been going wine tasting with my family for years so a vineyard was the perfect option. I really wanted the wedding to be simple, romantic and focus on the beautiful landscape and castle at the venue."
Morning Details
Wedding day mornings often buzz with controlled chaos, and Kelli and Steele's Tuscan beginning embraced exactly that energy. The couple chose simplicity over elaborate preparations, understanding that their stunning venue would provide all the drama they needed.
Bride Getting Ready
Authenticity trumped perfection in Kelli's morning routine. "The getting ready was a bit chaotic and very simple," she laughs about her pre-ceremony preparations. The bride and her friends claimed the apartment next to the castle as their base camp, creating an atmosphere that felt more like a girls' weekend than a formal bridal suite experience.
Kelli looked absolutely luminous in her gown, her blonde hair styled in soft waves that perfectly framed her glowing complexion. The dress seemed made for the castello setting – sophisticated enough for the ancient stone walls, yet ethereal enough to float through the Italian gardens like something from a fairytale.
Groom Getting Ready
Steele got ready alone with his mother, "trying to keep an intimate tone" as Kelli describes it. This quiet bonding time before the ceremony speaks to the couple's priority on meaningful moments over elaborate traditions.
First Look
Location, location, location – and Castello del Trebbio delivered spectacularly. "Outside the castle, in the front garden, there is a beautiful view of the valley!" Kelli describes the breathtaking setting for their first look moment. Ten years of shared history culminated in this single, perfect moment against the backdrop of rolling Tuscan hills.
Photoshoot Before The Ceremony
Instead of elaborate photo sessions, this couple chose emotional preparation. "Before the ceremony, we focused solely on each other during our first look and the reading of our vows," Kelli shares about their pre-ceremony photography approach.
This decision reveals their wedding day priorities perfectly – connection over perfection, emotion over elaborate staging. By dedicating this time to each other rather than extensive photo shoots, they ensured their ceremony would feel grounded in genuine love rather than performance anxiety.
Ceremony
Medieval romance became modern reality as their ceremony took place "inside the castle, in the central square." The ancient stone walls of Castello del Trebbio created an atmosphere that no modern venue could replicate. With just 41 guests witness to their vows, every person present held deep significance in their decade-long journey.
Photoshoot After The Ceremony
Fresh from saying "I do," the newlyweds explored their castello playground for post-ceremony portraits. The venue's multiple stunning locations meant endless backdrop possibilities – from ancient architecture to vineyard vistas, each corner offered new romantic potential.
Wedding Venue & Decor
Castello del Trebbio exceeded every expectation. "Our venue, Castello del Trebbio, was even better than imagined. We could not have asked for more," Kelli raves. "All of our guests stayed there with us for 3 nights. The staff was outstanding and Alberto provided a great tour of the property and helped us with anything we needed."
Their "smooth green" color palette complemented rather than competed with the natural Tuscan beauty. Smart couples know when to let their venue shine, and this castello needed no embellishment beyond thoughtful, subtle touches.
"We were able to utilize multiple spaces at the venue, one even prettier than the other," Kelli notes. This versatility transformed their celebration into a flowing experience rather than a static event – ceremony in the castle courtyard, cocktails overlooking the valley, dinner under the Tuscan stars.
Reception
The party that followed felt like the natural conclusion to an extraordinary week. Dancing, dining, and celebrating within medieval walls while "All of You" provided the soundtrack for their first dance as married couple – pure magic.
"Our guests and us were blown away and enjoyed the night eating, drinking and dancing!" Kelli recalls the infectious joy that filled the castello that evening.
But this reception represented more than a single night of celebration. "We really looked at our wedding as this entire week-long experience with our closest family and friends with it ending at our perfect ceremony and reception," Kelli explains their holistic approach. Rome sightseeing, Florence welcome dinners at La Buschetta Restaurant, private wine tastings at Fattoria Selvapiana, four-course lunches at Ristorante Artemide – every element was carefully orchestrated by Todd Bolton at Tuscan Trails to create a complete Italian immersion.
Kelli and Steele proved that the most memorable weddings happen when you prioritize experience over expectation, connection over perfection, and adventure over tradition. Their Tuscan castello wedding wasn't just a destination – it was a journey that brought two families together across continents to celebrate a love worth waiting ten years to make official.
Wedding Team
- Photographer Fedepan
- Venue @castello_del_trebbio
- Planner @tuscaniaweddingevents
- Flowers Fleur & Decor Anna Galli
- DJ Just Magic
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