Michelle and Raffaele's Wedding at Relais Appia Antica: A Celebration of Romance and Beauty in Rome

Author: Natali Grace Levine
Wedding date: 06/13/2025
City: Rome

Love Story

Four summers ago in Calabria, Michelle and Raffaele met through a mutual friend. She was visiting a friend, he was there seeing family. Neither was looking for love - they were both in other relationships - but something clicked immediately. "Over time, we realized we just couldn't stay apart, even though we lived in different cities."

The proposal happened on Raffaele's birthday during a storm in Rome. He had a fever but insisted they keep their dinner reservation despite Michelle suggesting they cancel. After dinner, still in the pouring rain, he suggested they walk to Piazza di Spagna - where they'd shared their first kiss. "Once we got there, the atmosphere was incredibly romantic—it had stopped raining, and the square was completely empty. When we reached the top of the stairs, he proposed."

About Your Wedding

After a year of dreaming and planning, Michelle and Raffaele created their perfect love story finale with 100 of their dearest souls at Rome's breathtaking Relais Appia Antica on June 13th, 2025. When asked about her vision, Michelle's answer is beautifully simple: "Exactly how it was."

Their wedding style whispered elegance in every detail - "elegant, understated, and fun." Michelle, a dental hygienist who's now embraced full-time motherhood, spent countless hours scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest, collecting inspiration like love letters. Raffaele, whose days are spent on football pitches, wanted something that felt like them - sophisticated but warm, romantic but real. Together, they crafted a celebration that felt like the most beautiful chapter of their already incredible love story.

Morning Details

Every detail had meaning. Michelle worked closely with a designer on their invitations, painting her vision in words until it became reality. "I explained exactly how I wanted them, and a girl who does this kind of work made them," she shares. Barbara Faggion brought their wedding stationery to life with artistry that matched their hearts
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Their wedding rings came from the most modern kind of inspiration - Instagram love. "I had seen the exact same ones on a couple's Instagram. They are wedding bands with a diamond in the center and our names and the date engraved inside," Michelle explains. These weren't just rings - they were promises written in gold and diamond, their names and wedding date forever intertwined.

Michelle also gathered a treasure trove of special jewelry pieces, each one chosen to add sparkle to the most important day of her life.

Bride Getting Ready

In the soft morning light at Relais Appia Antica, Michelle transformed into a bride surrounded by her most cherished women. The air was filled with quiet excitement as her mother and witnesses shared these sacred pre-ceremony moments, their love wrapping around her like the finest silk.

Her gown was pure poetry in fabric. "The dress of my dreams. A tailor-made gown by Maison Signore, created and customized exactly as I wanted, down to the tiniest details. It took over six months of work to make it just right. But the moment I saw it, I fell in love instantly," she adds.

Every detail of her bridal ensemble told their love story. "A very long lace veil, Jimmy Choo shoes, Aquamarine earrings and my proposal ring" - each piece a treasure, each one carrying the weight of their journey from that rainy proposal to this perfect morning. Her hands held a bouquet of soft pink peonies from Ceccotti flowers, their delicate petals seeming to blush with the same joy that radiated from her face.

Ceremony

Love filled every stone of their chosen sanctuary. The ceremony unfolded within the enchanting embrace of their venue, where ancient Roman history witnessed their modern love story. Michelle paints the dreamy picture: "Relais Appia Antica, an elegant and romantic villa surrounded by nature along the historic Appian Way in Rome. With refined interiors, a garden with a pool, and high-quality cuisine, it offers an exclusive space for intimate and unforgettable weddings, ensuring comfort and attention to every detail."

As the first ethereal notes of Canon in D Major floated through the air, played on violin, Michelle's heart soared. The timeless melody carried her steps toward her soulmate, each note a promise of their future together.

The ceremony bloomed with family love as Michelle's daughter played the sweetest double role - both flower girl and ring bearer - while her little cousins scattered petals like confetti from heaven. When we ask about their most treasured moment, their voices unite: "The first look." In that instant, two hearts became one forever.

Photoshoot After The Ceremony

As newlyweds, they stole away for intimate moments against Rome's most romantic canvas. The couple captured their first portraits as husband and wife at "The terraces of the Capitoline Hill in Rome and Via Appia Antica," where the eternal city spread before them like a love letter written in stone and sunset.

Wedding Venue & Decor

Pure white elegance painted their wedding in strokes of ethereal beauty. "Everything white," Michelle describes their breathtaking palette - a choice that transformed their celebration into a dreamscape where love was the only color that mattered.

Personal touches bloomed throughout like secret love notes: "Of course. The mass booklets, the handkerchiefs in the church, the tambourines." Each detail whispered their story, giving every guest a piece of their hearts to treasure forever.

Reception

As twilight kissed the Roman sky, Michelle and Raffaele melted into their first dance as husband and wife. The opening notes of "It's you - Ali Gatie" wrapped around them like silk, their chosen song painting their love story in melody while 100 of their dearest souls watched two hearts dance as one.

The evening flowed like champagne, with the venue crafting culinary magic and their wedding cake, while wedding planner Cinzia Ciani orchestrated every detail with invisible perfection. This allowed Michelle and Raffaele to float through their celebration, lost in the joy of finally being husband and wife.