Like so many passionate travelers, Brooklyn-based couple Jen Lavino and Ryan Allan were itching to see the world while homebound during the pandemic. So once they got engaged in 2022, they started mulling a destination wedding; at first considering Montauk, where they vacation every summer, before realizing how high the pricing there would be. “Ryan’s really into golf, so I [alternatively] looked at golf courses in South Carolina and Georgia,” says Jen, who works for a Danish fashion brand.
But another place that she’s loved her whole life, pulled at her. “I always wanted to get married in Italy, but it felt out of reach,” the bride, whose father’s family originated in a town outside of Naples, explains. She’d grown up living with her Italian grandmother, and a previous job had brought her to Italy several times a year. Ryan, who works in sales and as a model, would often meet her there to explore more of the country, so Italy meant a lot to both of them.
Once the bride-to-be ventured into the research—venues, asking family and friends if they’d be willing and able to go—she was surprised to realize how reasonably priced it could be, and how excited people were to make the trip. Here, the couple share some of that research (and lessons learned) for those who are looking to wed in the land of la dolce vita.
Start with the venue type, not the region…
Although Jen has family ties to Naples, the couple weren’t exclusively focused on getting married there. Their first concern was finding a space that felt intimate: “What we both envisioned was a small enough place that our friends and family could stay with us for multiple days—something we could take over, just us,” says Jen. “We kept saying, ‘Let’s go on vacation with our best friends and family,” agrees Ryan.
From there, they determined other priorities: Since Ryan grew up around farmland in southern Delaware, they were interested in marrying in a farm-like setting, but they also consider themselves “beach people,” and wanted to be near the water. Those qualities led them to consider Sicily and Puglia, and from there they zeroed in on their perfect property.
…and let that venue inspire the whole vibe.
They found their unicorn venue in Masseria Calderisi, a 17th-century working farm with 24 acres of olive, almond, and citrus trees just a few miles from the Adriatic Sea. The estate’s whitewashed, tufa-stone home had been transformed into a 24-room boutique hotel, where a complimentary shuttle ushered guests to the beach.
“I loved that they kept the aesthetic of the original masseria, so it didn’t look too ornate or anything—it’s really simple and beautiful,” Jen says of the minimalist look. “The whole vibe in Puglia is ‘slow living,’ and the masseria was very zen and peaceful.”
“You’d look outside your room to the gardens with oranges and pomegranates,” Ryan recalls. “It blows you away, takes away all your worries and stress.” They carried that atmosphere into many of their style choices, opting for the simple, vintage elegance of white flowers and fruit-topped tables.
Hop on a plane as soon as you can
After falling in love online with the masseria, Jen next flipped for the staff, who were instantly warm and accommodating in their email exchanges. Once she learned a date was available in the deeply desirable first half of September 2023—after July’s heat and August’s Ferragosto holidays that shut down the country—the bride took a leap. “She talked to them on a Friday, and was on a flight going there on Sunday,” Ryan laughs.
