A Chic and Timeless Wedding at Real Collegio in Lucca, Italy

Stephanie Modlin and Steven Fyfe first met in Mallorca, where they were briefly introduced through mutual friends. Two years later, they happened to bump into each other in Glasgow, where they both lived – and the rest is history.

I had actually already planned to move to London a few months later,” explains Stephanie, “and I decided it would be crazy not to go, so we spent the next few years travelling back and forth until we couldn’t take it anymore. I left my job and moved back to Glasgow for love!”

The proposal took place in northern Scotland. “A few weeks earlier, I had lost my nonna’s ring – something very special to me that I wore every day,” Stephanie recalls. “While we were watching the sunset, Steven told me that he had found the ring and went inside to get it. When I looked round, he was on one knee with my ring. He had stolen it secretly to have a diamond setting added. He always knew I would want something sentimental, and the ring means the world to me.”

The couple decided to have a destination wedding in Italy, as Stephanie’s family is from Lucca. As an avid cycler, Steven started off his wedding day with a ‘piccolo Giro’ with his best friends in the Tuscan hills. Meanwhile, Stephanie spent her morning relaxing by the pool with friends and family. “It wasn’t until the hair and makeup artists arrived that I felt the nerves,” she shares. “I spent the whole build up to the wedding worrying that I might cry or fall when walking down the aisle – but in the end, that was the best part of the day.

We both agreed that in that moment, even though we were surrounded by people, it felt very intimate and like it was just us. I think we both felt overwhelmed with love and gratitude – so many of our friends and family travelled to Italy to celebrate with us, and the most special feeling of all was being able to share our day with them.”

The bride and groom wanted their wedding to feel quintessentially Italian, classic, and timeless, “like a Dolce & Gabbana campaign.” In lieu of a floral-filled décor scheme, they opted for romantic lighting and candles. A wonderful swing band provided entertainment, and even though dinner was only supposed to last for two hours, everyone stayed at the dinner tables for more than four. With such a relaxed atmosphere, the newlyweds and their guests were able to enjoy the day without feeling like they had to be somewhere specific at any given time.

After the wedding, Stephanie and Steven took a train to Santa Margherita and spent a week by the sea. “It’s such a beautiful place; and after an indelible week of parties with our closest friends, it was lovely to enjoy being just the two of us,” Stephanie says. “On our first night, we opened a bottle of champagne on our balcony and opened all of our wedding cards. Reading the messages from our friends and family was so unforgettable. But the honeymoon isn’t over yet. We decided to hold off on a bigger celebration until later in the year. In November, we’ll be travelling around Mexico on our maximoon!”