Today we’ve got a stunning elopement in the Tuscan countryside in Italy from Luno Films and Roy Son Photo to fuel your wanderlust. Chad and Joshlyn chose the September for their elopement and they found some classic Tuscan scenery to create the backdrop for their perfect day.
A Tuscan Elopement - Joshlyn & Chad
Joshlyn / Chad - Elopement in Tuscany from Luno films on Vimeo.
Tell Us About How You Met
Chad and I met two months after graduating college in 2011 at our mutual friend, Roy’s, birthday party. I had met Roy studying abroad in Buenos Aires in 2009 and Chad met him the next semester when we all got back to campus in Minneapolis. We were all in the journalism school together, but Chad and I didn’t meet until July 2011 at Roy’s birthday. We immediately hit it off and exchanged phone numbers. After starting hanging out, broke it off with the people we were currently seeing and started dating.
Tell Us About The Proposal
On our first official date, Chad picked me up on his Vespa-like moped scooter and we drove all the way across the city to the St. Paul Como Zoo + Conservatory where we had our first kiss by the big fountain in the conservatory. Chad re-created our first date for the proposal. We still have the same scooter as our first date, and he casually asked me one Sunday if I’d like to go to the zoo since it was a nice spring day. I agreed and although Chad was acting a bit strange (he was driving the moped oddly slow and kept asking me if I wanted to stop for a snack – which he never does), I didn’t suspect anything because he was so casual about wanting to go. We walked through the zoo for a while and then made our way to the conservatory which was closing down for the day. Since it was shutting down, I told Chad we should head out. He asked me to wait, but I kept insisting we needed to go because I noticed that the staff was ushering people out. Chad was persistent that I wait for a few more minutes (he had secretly reserved the space for the proposal after it closed so he was trying to stall until everyone left). So, I sat on a bench while Chad was texting, and I was cranky and embarrassed because they were closing and I didn’t want to be “those people” who weren’t leaving. Little did I know, Chad was texting our friend, Roy (who we first met through) who was setting up the fountain area in the conservatory for the proposal and was then going to hiding in the bushes to capture the moment (he’s a professional photographer). Chad finally gets off his phone and is like “ok let’s head out” and leads me through the conservatory where I suddenly hear a song we both love from one of our favourite movies, the Parent Trap (“L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole). I immediately start balling. I honestly don’t remember what Chad said because I blacked out but it was a lovely moment and the photos from Roy capture it so well!
How Did You Choose Your Wedding Location?
We love going on adventures and loved the idea of planning a special trip for our wedding instead of doing a big reception. With my family’s Italian heritage and Italy having some of the best food, wine, sites, culture and people in the world (in my opinion), we decided to explore Tuscany and find a spot to get married on one of their romantic vistas. We winged the EXACT spot though because it’s hard to scout locations in Italy when you live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. We scouted locations for two nights during the trip and on the final night at the final hour, we found the spot with Cyprus trees, tall grasses, Tuscan architecture and even a few sheep!
How Did You Find Your Main Vendors?
Our friend Roy (yes the one we met through!), is a professional photographer and we had always talked about having him do our wedding photos someday. Roy actually doesn’t do weddings anymore, he does commercial photography for advertising, but he agreed to “come out of retirement” for us. The three of us hang out all the time and have travelled together as well so it was a very natural decision to have Roy come with us and be our trip and wedding photographer.
I found Marco and Claudia of Luno Films by scouring the internet. I actually found them listed as a vendor on an Italian wedding website. I had reached out to a few different people but I loved the vibes I got from Marco and Claudia and that they were a husband and wife team. Since we were eloping, I liked the idea of having another couple there with us. They felt more like friends than our videographers. They were such a big part of our day and I so appreciate everything they did for us.
I found Consuelo from Your Wedding Beauty Team on an Italian blog site as well. She got back to me right away and so I booked her up quickly!
I found Puscina Flowers on a few different blogs actually and was just blown away by their work on their website and Instagram. They were the florist of my dreams and I’m so happy I could work with them!
What Was The Inspiration Behind Your Wedding Day?
Chad and I have been together for over 8 years and while we were excited to officially get married, we also wanted to do something that felt more authentic to us than the usual big party. Neither of us wanted to do the usual wedding situation, and our parents were understanding of that, so we decided to invest in a special trip instead that would be an unforgettable adventure. While we love our family and they are literally everything to us, we also didn’t want to put a financial burden on them to come all the way to Italy or leave anyone out who wouldn’t be able to afford to come, so we decided to make it an elopement instead. Doing an elopement allowed us for more flexibility too – we could go somewhere more remote and intimate, really make it an adventure. Plus there was less stress! I needed to book a few partners to help us pull it off but we pretty much just showed up, got ready, found a spot and did it. It was super organic and relaxed, exactly the vibe we were going for. Doing an elopement allowed us to really focus on each other, our partnership and what is most important to us. It allowed us to be more present, with plenty of time to meditate on this new chapter together: becoming husband and wife.
What Was Your Favourite Moment From The Day?
Our favourite moment was standing on the hillside with the sunset on our faces sharing our vows and promises. It was such an intimate and special moment where we were 100% present, no distractions.
If You Could Do It All Again, Would You Do Anything Differently?
Honestly, it all went super well and I’d do it all over again. I’d recommend eloping to anyone who’s considering it!
Any Advice For Other Couples?
People have a lot of opinions and expectations about weddings. It can be easy to get distracted with what other people want or think, but you’ll be the happiest if you stick to what you truly want and plan a celebration that’s most authentic to you two. If there are certain traditions that don’t jive with you, don’t do them. The wedding is just one day. Your marriage is for the rest of your life, don’t lose sight of that during the planning process. It’s not about the wedding….it’s about the partnership.
Any Honeymoon Plans?
After our Tuscan nuptials, we went to Puglia for a honeymoon. Elopement + honeymoon all in one trip!
