On an enchanting property near Frascati, Italy, Caroline Meyer, Kyle Saldana, and 42 of their closest family and friends convened to celebrate a marriage eight years in the making. But before we catapult you across the pond to revisit this four-day Italian wedding extravaganza, we need to talk about Phish.
Caroline and Kyle arrived separately at Virginia’s Lockn’ Music Festival in 2016 to see their favorite band, Phish. Their overlapping friend groups meant they spent the whole weekend together, budding a long-distance love until Caroline moved from Atlanta to join Kyle in Nashville in 2018.
In late 2022, Caroline and Kyle were visiting Europe to see another shared favorite musician, Billy Strings. On their second stop in Florence, Kyle proposed. “Phish has a song written in Florence, so Kyle proposed on the Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset with a surprise photographer. No one knew — not even our families,” Caroline recalls.
It seemed a no-brainer to begin their year-and-a-half engagement by dreaming of an Italian destination wedding. “It was important that we could house most of the guests so they didn’t have to pay for hotels in addition to flights,” Caroline adds. She felt Rome would be the easiest hub.
Caroline and Kyle didn’t see their venue until they pulled up for the first day of their wedding weekend. The well-reviewed venue planner, Giulio, told Caroline Tenuta 4 Pini is for brave brides willing to trust that it is as beautiful as he says it is. He didn’t lie. Giulio helped traverse language barriers, offer a few vendor options, and coordinate the events themselves, but Caroline and her crew planned everything else.
Caroline and Kyle took advantage of the fact that all their friends and family were in Italy. “We started the trip with a week-long trip in the French Riviera with friends,” she says. Then, the festivities on and around the property began. Throughout the villa, Caroline hung door hangers on each room with the guests’ names so everyone could find their rooms.
When it came to the aesthetic, Caroline wanted each day to look and feel different since each day offered a different itinerary. “I didn’t really want to wear white all weekend,” she says, “so we went with white flowers and green accents for the rehearsal dinner so I could wear a colorful dress.” On Friday, they chartered a bus into Rome for everyone to explore the city and then headed back to the rehearsal dinner.
As guests enjoyed the property, a kaleidoscope of flowers came together for the ceremony setup. “We went with pinks, oranges, whites, and soft, colorful tones. The napkins were colorful florals, and the flowers were abundant. The groom shockingly had a lot of opinions,” Caroline laughs.
Caroline was admittedly nervous about picking her wedding dress but felt immediately at ease at Ila Bridal as she perused with her mom and future mother-in-law. She found an understated, classic Savannah Miller gown that matched the European festivities.
After a leisurely day hanging out, eating, and playing throughout the villa, guests didn’t have to go far to claim their seats at the ceremony. With rattan chairs lined up on either side of a stunning flower petal aisle, the setup among the trees was complete. Showtime.
The couple’s friend Meredith officiated their ceremony, peppering her speech with tender anecdotes before leading her friends through simple vows that mixed personal and traditional elements.
After “I do” s, a cocktail hour kicked off a revelrous evening of indulgent delicacies, lively tunes, and nonstop dancing — just like they found at Lockn’ all those years ago. Caroline designed unique cocktail napkins for each event, including one with their dog’s face and several with subtle Phish lyrics.
The dinner party-style seated meal started with cacio e pepe followed by pasta all’amatriciana. Then came a tender beef filet, salmon for the pescatarians, roasted potatoes, and mixed green salad. Two long tables outfitted with candelabras, floral arrangements, and Italian dishes painted a scene from a storybook.
Caroline and Kyle had so much fun dancing that they stayed with their guests until 2 a.m. since everyone was staying at the villa. They spent the night laughing, drinking, and recapping over wood-fired pizza. “The closest thing I had to a traditional departure was the break I took to change into a sweatsuit,” Caroline recalls.
“If you’re thinking about an international wedding and can make it work, do it!” Caroline urges. “The beauty is that it takes a lot of the day-to-day constant planning out of the picture because you’re not there for tastings, site visits, etcetera. They definitely don’t move as quickly overseas, so embrace the slowness,” Caroline adds.
After the wedding, Caroline and Kyle spent two days in Lake Garda before joining family in Verona and Venice to finish out the trip. They plan to honeymoon in Spain and Morocco.
Saluti, Caroline and Kyle! Thanks for taking us back through your Italian adventure.
RESOURCES
Ceremony and Reception: Tenuta 4 Pini
Planner: Bride and groom + Giulio at Tenuta 4 Pini
Day-of coordinator: Giulio at Tenuta 4 Pini
Photography + Videography: Tozzi Studio
Flowers: Elena Mainoldi Floral Designer
Stationery: Serendipity Beyond Design
Hair and Makeup: Ruslana Regi
Bride’s Gown: Savannah Miller from Ila Bridal
Groom: Hugo Boss
Catering and Cakes: Tenuta 4 Pini
Gelato Cup Favors: Sigrid Ceramics
Custom Tote Bags: Spoot’s Bodyshop
Rehearsal Dinner Band: The Kickers
Wedding DJ & Saxophone: DJ Leo
Rentals, Glassware, Linens: Tenuta 4 Pini
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