Susanna + Rocco: A Dream on the Italian Riviera

2 hours ago

5 min read

Some couples start as clients. Susanna and Rocco became friends somewhere along the way, and by the time the last song played in Italy, they were family. A true match made in heaven, with a crew that knows exactly how to throw a party.

When Susanna and Rocco told me they wanted to celebrate abroad, we didn't just throw a dart at a map. We weighed it all: travel time for guests, hotel options, walkability, the venues, the vibe. The non-negotiables were clear from the start. It had to be on the water, with plenty of beautiful hotels close together so no one was stuck in a shuttle. Every option we looked at kept bringing us back to Santa Margherita Ligure. It's a little seaside town on the Italian Riviera, just around the bend from Portofino, with pastel buildings stacked up the hills and yachts bobbing in the harbour. Guests could stroll from their hotel to the church, the villa and the welcome party. For a couple who wanted days, not hours, with their favourite people, it checked every box and then some. On September 2, 2026, 112 of those favourite people made the trip.

The Invitations

A quick confession. Rocco was very happy with the idea of evites, and honestly, they're efficient. But when you're asking people to fly across the world, the invitation is the first taste of the experience, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. So I gently pushed for paper. Susanna and I sat down together, and Polka Dot Paper Shop pulled through all the way. They designed a sage green envelope lined with a watercolour of Villa Durazzo, a vintage map of the coast, a passport, and boarding passes from "Sellitto-Galati Airlines." Guests opened them and basically RSVP'd on the spot. Point proven, very politely.

Travel inspired invitation suite with boarding passes and passport

Setting Sail

With a destination wedding, the days around the wedding matter just as much as the day itself, since that's when everyone settles in and becomes one group. The day before the welcome party, the whole crew headed out on the boats, cruising past the cypress covered hills and villas of the Portofino coastline. A little sun, a little salt water, a lot of laughing. By the time they came back to shore, they were a crew.

Welcome to the Riviera

That evening everyone gathered at the Imperiale Palace Hotel, high above the bay. Susanna wore Valiant, and every guest found a welcome bag waiting, assembled by Victoria and me. Those bags travelled across the ocean, so they had to arrive perfect. The sunset over the bay took care of the rest.

The Morning Of

Wedding day started at the Imperiale with Jen Hathaway on hair and makeup, on a schedule we built down to the minute. That way the bride was finished early and had nothing left to rush. Rocco's details got a photo shoot of their own, styled on a garden cherub who looked very cool in sunglasses. Before slipping into her YELLOW by Sahar gown, Susanna shared a first look with her dad, a quiet moment we always protect in the timeline because it's often the one people remember most. Rocco, in Canali from Harry Rosen, was giving full James Bond.

Arrival in Style

In a town of winding cobblestone streets, a vintage cream Porsche Speedster from Italian Wedding Cars was the only way to arrive. Susanna pulled up to Villa Durazzo with the harbour glittering below. It made for some unforgettable photos too, and those were very much part of the plan.

The First Look

We chose a first look at the villa so the couple had real time together before the ceremony, and so the portraits were done in the best afternoon light instead of squeezed in later. Rocco waited at the bottom of the villa's ivy covered staircase as Susanna came down, bouquet in hand, and his face said everything. Then we let them wander the villa for portraits, including Susanna on the balcony of that famous pink facade with the green shutters. Villa Durazzo was an absolute dream, and it photographs like one.

I Do at San Giacomo di Corte

The ceremony was at San Giacomo di Corte, a church that is all gold and crystal chandeliers, with violin and organ filling every corner. The church sits right beside Villa Durazzo, which is exactly why this pairing works so well. When they walked out as husband and wife, Sax Addicted was waiting to lead everyone from the church to the villa. Instead of a shuttle, guests got a parade. Picture a whole wedding party strolling through an Italian town to live sax.

Golden Hour in the Gardens

We timed cocktail hour for the gardens right as the sun dropped over the harbour, with sax and drums keeping the energy up while the couple took a few portraits. Guests found their seats on tall white pillars swallowed by La Rosa Canina florals: white roses, hydrangea, green viburnum, cymbidium orchids, anthurium and trailing amaranthus. Same purpose as any seating chart, but this one became a photo moment of its own.

Dinner Under the Palms

Long tables stretched across the terrace in white linen, layered with white and green hydrangeas, tall glass hurricanes and bentwood cane chairs, with the town glowing on the hillside behind. We went with long family style tables on purpose. With 112 guests who already felt like one big group by then, nobody wanted to be split across round tables. Capurro Ricevimenti served pasta and then the main course. Elliott Park kept the speeches and dances flowing between courses so the night never lost momentum. From above, it looked like a painting. At the table, it felt like one big family dinner, and that balance is always the goal.

And Then, the Party

After cake Susanna slipped into a lace mini by Rosie Etienne Bridal for her second grand entrance. A dress change is the easiest way to tell a room the party starts now. Inside, Noire Event Solutions turned the villa's arches hot pink, DJ Matteo took over, and the dance floor didn't stop until 2am. Around 11 we sent out heart shaped margherita pizzas, because a wedding in Italy without late night pizza is just a very long dinner.

To Susanna and Rocco, thank you for trusting us with your Riviera dream. We'd do it all again tomorrow.