Destination Wedding at Masseria Spina in Puglia
There are weddings that feel like a beautiful weekend escape — and then there’s Sam and Dan’s celebration in Puglia, Italy that was a beautiful week long experience. Hosted at Masseria Spina in Monopoli, their wedding wasn’t just a day or two of festivities, but a full week of magic: swimming off hangovers in the Adriatic, mingling on rooftops overlooking the Old Town, long dinners on the cobblestone streets, pasta making classes on family farms lead by lovely nonnas, and an overwhelming feeling of love around every corner.
Sam and Dan brought their closest people — and their sweet dog, Lilac — to the southern coast of Italy for what turned into one of the most emotional, joy-filled, and stylish weddings I’ve ever had the honor of photographing. Most guests stayed in Monopoli’s old town and spent the days before the wedding lounging at the beach, gathering for impromptu “family dinners,” and sharing bottles of wine at whatever tucked-away restaurant felt right that afternoon. You were hard pressed to not run into friendly faces on the footpath streets of Monopoli. It was slow and dreamy in the best way. By the time the wedding day arrived, everyone already felt like family.
The wedding itself took place at Masseria Spina, a rustic, historic estate boasting thousand years old olive groves and a beautiful pink facade that turned orange when it is bathed in golden light. Sam and Dan knew they wanted something that felt grounded in history and its beauty spoke for itself. They also wanted to dance late into the night without any noise restrictions. Masseria Spina checked every box.
The wedding celebration kicked off with a rooftop masquerade welcome party, where a magician (and not just any magician — Mark Gibson, an award-winning mentalist) stunned everyone with a private show. He even recreated a trick from Sam’s childhood she has fond memories of. The couple also gathered fun facts about everyone in attendance and wrote them on cards. Guests were given the cards and encouraged to mingle, getting to know fun trivia and everyone else in attendance at the same time! That moment really set the tone for what the rest of the week would be: intimate, unexpected, unforgettable.
In lieu of a traditional rehearsal dinner, Sam and Dan invited their guests to a pasta-making class in the Puglian countryside. On a family-run farm surrounded by olive groves, everyone learned to hand-roll orecchiette and bake fresh focaccia, guided by the villa’s warm and welcoming hosts. After the pasta was made (and proudly admired), the group went on a farm tour with the owners, learning about the land and the traditions rooted in it. The night wrapped with a multi-course dinner under the stars, paired with flowing wine, traditional Italian music, dancing, and generous pours of limoncello. It was intimate, lively, and so full of joy — the perfect prelude to the celebration to come.
Sam is a bridal stylist, owner and lead stylist of It’s Giving Bridal, so you can imagine — choosing a wedding dress was never going to be a simple task. During her engagement, she tried on more than 700 gowns. For Italy, she ended up wearing four different looks: a vintage Philippa Lepley gown once worn by a countess in the ’90s, a custom ASAR London dress made by her friend Nikeen, a piece from Maison Takarah, and a fashion-forward favorite by Katherine Tash from LoHo Bride in LA. Every outfit was intentional and deeply personal, styled down to the jewelry, which her friend Susie Saltzman curated specifically for her wedding weekend.
On the day of the wedding, she walked down the aisle to a song composed by a friend — a blend of Taylor Swift and Harry Potter (truly iconic). They exchanged vows in the olive grove under the Puglia sun, surrounded by their guests in brightly colored outfits and draped sheer fabric blowing through the trees. At one point during Dan’s vows, a bee flew into Sam’s veil. Dan paused his vows to help get the bee out, then picked up where he left off, saying he also vowed to “protect her from bees.” Sam and Dan also forgot their wedding bands, so their dear friends lent their own wedding bands to the couple for the day. There were happy tears, loud laughter, and so much lightness. It didn’t follow tradition, but it couldn’t have felt more right.
A really special detail that was incorporated into the day was a memorial table for family members that could not be present for this beautiful day. In curated antique and vintage lockets, family members photos were included and placed in a salt bowl where candles could be lit in remembrance.
The reception was built to feel like an elevated dinner party: candlelit tablescapes in juicy monochromatic greens, made entirely of edible fruits, vegetables, and bold florals. It was a playful nod to the monochrome red palette from their Vegas ceremony I hd the joy to photograph as well! Anthuriums made a second appearance — they were the star flower in Vegas and again here, this time green, transformed to match the fresh, summery Italian setting.
As the sun set, their friend Ben Johnson performed “You’re Still the One” for their first dance, and the dance floor stayed packed all night. A millefoglie cake was passed around with bottle sparklers. At one point, the DJ announced the party was technically supposed to be over — but no one was ready. So it wasn’t. They extended it another hour and danced well past 3 a.m.
The morning after the wedding, everyone made their way to the beach — a sleepy, sun-soaked reunion of partygoers wrapped in towels and sunglasses. There were inner tubes drifting in the surf, rainbow umbrellas dotting the sand, grapes passed around, and iced coffees clutched like lifelines. It was slow, salty, and soft — the perfect way to recover, laugh about the night before, and soak in one last moment together on the coast.
Before all of this, I’d also joined Sam for her bachelorette celebration in the Puglian countryside, where her wedding party stayed at a villa in the hills. We spent days drinking spritzes by the pool and exploring the neighboring towns along the Italian coastline. Even then, it was clear how loved she is and how much Sam loves her girls right back — how much joy and connection was building toward this day. I remember a morning waking up early to find Sam awake before everyone else, handwriting each of her bridesmaids a letter sharing how she appreciated them, which she gave to them all the morning of her wedding.
There’s no way to describe this wedding without saying it was felt. Deeply. I’ll never forget this one.
Sam and I’s friendship began around the same time I also became her wedding photographer. Whether I would’ve photographed her wedding or attended as a guest I will never know, but I know in the time we got to know one another before her wedding, she became such a beautiful friendship in my life. So much so I gave a speech at their welcome party in honor of the couple. Entering Sam’s life after she had already been engaged and with Dan for so many years, I have only ever known her to be with him. As I said in my speech, I have never not known one to be without the other, and to me, that is because this is how it was always supposed to be - Sam and Dan belong together.
Sam and Dan, I am always rooting for you and sending you my love wherever you travel to in this world. Congratulations on your wedding and thank you for giving me the divine honor of being your witness to your celebration.
If you’d like to see their Vegas wedding celebration, click here
Planning, Design, and Production: Italian Boutique Weddings
Photography: Vanessa Todd
Videography: Weddings By Heston
Fashion Styling: It’s Giving Bridal
Wedding Venue: Masseria Spina
Ceremony Dress: Vintage Phillipa Lepley Couture via StillWhite
Second Wedding Dress: Maison Takarah
Third Wedding Dress: ASAR London
Fourth Wedding Dress: Katherine Tash via Loho Bride
Welcome Party Venue: Portavecchia Terrazza
Welcome Party Dress: Ma Corsetiere
Invitation Design: Vanessa Todd
Catering: Le Cucine de Spina
Tuktuk: @flcett
Alterations: Sara Rothan
Hair: Roma 2.0 Salon
Makeup Artist: Luciana
Now Featured on Over The Moon
The Wedding at Masseria Spina | Monopoli, Puglia, Italy
Hosted at Masseria Spina, a family owned and run masseria with an olive grove that is over 1,000 years old - some trees dating back as far back as 2,000 years. The theme was “Italian Summer Black Tie” encouraging bright colors and fun prints for attire. From day to night, every side of the Masseria was used, loved, and celebrated within, from the on-suite suites, to the olive groves, courtyard, and more!
The Welcome Party Masquerade
To welcome everyone into the city, Sam and Dan hosted a masquerade themed welcome party on a restaurant rooftop overlooking the Old Town of Monopoli. The venue was draped with black linens and candlsticks, tied together with black satin bows. Guests wore masks and costume inspired outfits for a night of mingling, magic, trivia, wine, speeches, and music.
Cooking Class in the Italian Countryside
In lieu of a rehearsal dinner, Sam and Dan gave their guests the option to join them for a traditional cooking class in the countryside with a family owned and run farm. The nonnas taught everyone how to make pasta, and then while it was being prepared, family and friends were lead through the grounds, grapevines, and farm to see how and where everything grew at sunset. After sunset, a multi-course meal with wine was enjoyed - including the pasta everyone made. The evening ended with spontaneous music and dancing that made it’s way into the courtyard. Everyone took a shot of limoncello before heading back at the end of the night.
Time Shared in Monopoli
As friends and family trickled both in and out of Monopoli for the wedding week, informal gatherings took place, including family style dinners on the street, wine by the ocean, day after the wedding beach swims, and day trips to the surrounding sights like Materra and Abarobella. As Old Town Monopoli is a walking town only with small city centers and footpaths, you couldn’t leave your apartment without coming across friends on the road. Casual encounters turned into long lunches and memories made. Here are just a few of those treasured moments.
The Bachelorette
A week before the wedding, as friends began to trickle into the Italian countryside, Sam’s closest girlfriends snuck away to the countryside for a few days at a private villa to celebration Sam. This destination bachelorette trip was perfectly planned for the days leading up to the wedding for everyone to be together in a special place. Each day included day trips to some of the surrounding coastal cities mixed with pool time at the villa. Espresso martinis paired with vintage red Christian Dior kitten heels on cobblestone streets for nights out and Apperol Spritz and bikinis paired for afternoons in by the pool.
