The Night Before & After The Wedding

The Night Before

 

The night before the best wedding pre wedding party.

Lucky to get a photo with Jess and James as there were than many people and they were busy doing a photos, mingling and doing speeches. The photographer took this on my phone not great and she only took the one photo.

When we arrived from Pisa we had a bit of time to walk around and have a look at the supermarket that was across the road. We got ready for 6pm as the shuttle bus was picking us up at 6:15pm.

The venue was so nice and the perfect setting for the sunset which I forgot to take photos of!

Mushroom and Ham Pizza

Veggie Pizza

Nutella and Banana Pizza

I ate so much pizza think I must have had about 1.5 pizzas. There was more selection than this think there was about 5 different pizzas then 1 sweet but didn't get the chance to get a photo before someone had taken a slice. They were really good. Back home I get really thirsty after eating out and having pizza but was fine after this as it wasn't salty and they don't put that much cheese on it and it's a lot lighter. Definitely prefer authentic Italian pizza.

It was such a nice chilled night to just mingle with people. There was some speeches by Jess and James, James' dad and her MC mate for the wedding. There was an bar that had champagne, prosecco, wine and beer. There was also an aperol van that was very popular. Then towards the end of the night they opened the floor for people to dance.

The shuttle back was at 11pm and by the time we got back and showered etc it was about 1am when we went to sleep.

Post Wedding - Pool Party

The night after the best wedding was the pool party which was very chill. We didn't get up till 10am as it was such a late night. We went for a walk then got back and got ready to be picked up at 1:45pm.

We just dipped our feet in the pool. The water was salty and wasn't that warm. It was really sunny this was while the sun was setting why it looks cloudy.

It was meant to finish at 5:30pm but Jess and James paid for an extra hour so we got to stay till 6:30pm then got picked up to go back to the hotel.

When we got back we got a quick shower then walked into Empoli to get dinner. On Jess' invite she'd put a recommendation restaurant we liked which Holly booked but they had to cancel it as the chef had a fall so the place was shut. So we wandered around for a bit and Googled to try and find somewhere else.

We found this place called Ohana that only had 2 tables when we got there but then when we started eating the place was full and just the 1 girl waiting on.

We got Pici - which was nice.

I got the veggie pizza

Holly got ham, artichoke and olives.

The food was nice. I wanted the pasta as a meal and not as a starter but it was only a small starter which is mad.

The best 3 days pre wedding, wedding and the pool party. Only my cousin Jess could pull this off for the best wedding ever.

Up next - Florence..

Twitter || Instagram || Facebook || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Pinterest || Last.fm

Jess and James' Wedding

Saturday 23 August 2025 - Tenuta Corbinaia

Empoli, Tuscany, Italy

The big day!

We got up at 9am and Holly ironed her stuff as the wedding wasn't till the evening we had time to go for a wander and to get ready. She got a shower so I ironed my stuff I was going to wear to go out. Turned the iron off but then remembered I needed to iron my dress I was going to wear to the wedding. Don't think I'd let the iron cool down and me just being a general idiot...

Burnt my dress! I didn't even cry or have a breakdown.. I just went Shit! I've burnt my dress. Holly came out the bathroom and though I'd just burnt a little bit but nope this big massive hole right in the front of it. I think I was just like it's happened and there's nothing I can do which was why I was so calm over it. But Holly being the life saver sewed it. She was more stressed about it than me. I found out the day after as well another girl who was staying in our hotel also burnt her dress with the iron and had to borrow one off someone else. 

Hotels have vanity kits which I don't think are for big emergencies like this but definitely the best and most important thing a hotel can provide as I had one from a previous stay with me which came into use and we asked the maid if they have any and she left us some while we went out for breakfast.

As we walked to find a cafe to get some breakfast we seen a corgi! I currently have a really big obsession with corgis and don't believe they're real as I've not seen one in real life and only see them online so this was a bit mad seeing one in real life in all of the places. A small Italian town. It was walking towards on the zebra crossing but then it stopped half way and walked back the way it came from and went into a car! It made the morning better after the dress nightmare.

The corgi came from a cafe but the cornettos in there looked burnt and not great so we walked further into the town to see if we could find another one but turns out there isn't. We ended up finding one in the square and got a pistachio cornetto and a custard cronut. The cornetto was good with a good generous amount of filling. We went to the supermarket and got a gelato on the way back to the hotel since there was nothing to see or do in Empoli.

We got back for 2:30pm to get ready for the wedding. I was going to wear the dress backwards but it wouldn't work the way the waist goes so ended up wearing it the right way and Holly safety pinned it to my bra, wore a chunky necklace and had my hair down so it just looked like a keyhole. Could have cut it into a better shape but it was just panic mode struck for Holly and just sewed around it.

We got picked up at 4:45pm. 

The ceremony stated at 5:30pm. We weren't allowed to take photos during it which was fine as they had photographers and wanted everyone to enjoy the moment. Jess looked amazing walking down the aisle like some model/celeb. Her best mate James officiated the ceremony which only last half an hour as they'd officially got married 3 weeks earlier in Stockport.4

After the ceremony we were just mingling around the pool while Jess and James got their photos. There were canapes which were Asian inspired and drinks. There was also a magician who was so good. Jess loves magic so hired a magician she had from her 30th birthday over. Speechless the tricks he was doing.

The most amazing setting - straight out of vogue magazine. What you would imagine for an Italian wedding!

These pictures aren't great as the photographer came to take our photo and Holly took these on my phone. I don't know what setting she must have had on her camera or editing to make these work since the sun is behind us.

Maya the cutest flower girl

Dinner was at 8pm. It was the perfect setting as the sun was going down

Sindy, James and Maya

Realised all the tables were named after places they've travelled to together!

Holly's dairy free pasta

Cacio E Pepe

This was really peppery and Holly's pasta was actually nicer

Holly's dairy free risotto

Artichoke crunchy bacon & parmesan risotto

Mine was nicer than Holly's

Beef Fillet & Chianti Sauce

This wasn't great was very rare. For Maya's meal she got a burger fillet and that was nicer than this. The kids were meant to have chicken but they ran for some reason so got a burger.

Holly's fruit for dessert

Millefoglie

This was nice a custard pastry thing. I ended up eating Caitlin's as well cos she didn't want it.

The meal went on for a while as there was loads of speeches. It was scheduled to finish at 10:30pm but don't think it finished till about 11pm.

There was a photobooth which meant I was in my element...

So annoying there was a really good picture that had me, Holly, Sindy, James and Thomas but the machine crashed after the second photo and didn't save!

The photos of my and Holly aren't gifs either as I don't think it was turned on. Only the photos nearer the end of the night have gifs.

There were doughnuts at the end of the night as well which randomly appeared. We got the shuttle back at 2am and got to bed at around 3am. Was a long day especially after my dress drama but that didn't spoil the day luckily.

I don't even think I took that many photos as I was enjoying the moment and taking it all in.

It was such a good wedding. I said before that it will be the best wedding I will ever go to and it was. It was just like something out of vogue magazine - model/celeb. They full splashed out, no expenses spared which if it's going to be a celebration and your big day that you will never do again then go for it! Treat your guests to the best day ever with a free bar that was fully wasted on me but everyone else fully took advantage of and made the most of!

So much love to Jess and James for the best wedding ever and giving me the best excuse to be in Italy for my birthday! Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness and more adventures!

Twitter || Instagram || Facebook || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Pinterest || Last.fm