Intimate Elopement in Tuscany, Italy: Sasha + Blake

“Oh yeah, and what’s your story?” was the charming line that won Blake over. He’d walked up to Sasha at his aunt’s retirement party during cocktails and introduced himself. She wasn’t very interested at the time so her response wasn’t as flirtatious as one would expect. He laughed at her witty retort which prompted her to give him her name. “Throughout the evening we made eye contact and he asked me to dance. We chatted and laughed for a bit before he left. As he was leaving, he said that he would not ask for my number but that he would be in touch,” Sasha shares. He followed through and emailed her at work the Monday after the party, starting their love story.

Having both been married before, the couple didn’t want a huge wedding. “Over the years, we often talked about our how our wedding would be and played with different ideas which included our immediate family and friends. That became a difficult task, so we decided to elope,” Sasha says. It was up to Blake to plan the affair, leaving Sasha completely in the dark about where they’d be getting hitched. Tuscany, Italy was the location that he’d chosen to whisk his bride away and it was a beautiful choice. Read the rest of their love story and look at their intimate elopement in Tuscany below.

Bride: Sasha Zuill
Groom: E. Blake Lambert
Wedding date: 05/07/2015
Wedding location: Tuscany, Italy

How was your dress shopping experience?
We decided to announce our nuptials to our family and friends on social media and email, so a photo shoot seemed perfect! I wanted a dress that expressed my personality. Fun and sassy! Not knowing exactly where I was going was a bit tough because I wanted to be comfortable. I had to rely on bits of information from Blake about the weather and region. Men!!! We decided that I needed help to allow me to prepare so we shared our secret plans with my best friend, Joanne, and she agreed to fly to New York to help me find the perfect dress. Finally, I had an outlet! Lol! The process didn’t take long and it ended up being the second dress that I tried on. She said “That’s the one!”

What are your favorite memories from your wedding day?
Blake says his best memory was seeing my face when it all came together. He actually planned the entire trip on his own and kept the destination a secret from me for almost a year! (He won again!)

My best memory was definitely how I felt. Our journey is a testimony! To ultimately see it unfold in a place where I’ve always wanted to go and with my soulmate was perfect!

Together, we agree that our best memory was announcing it to our family and friends. It was around 1:00am in Italy and we were busted from the photoshoot and celebrating our nuptials with hotel guests. We didn’t anticipate the response and were up until 3:00am answering phone calls, reading comments on social media and laughing uncontrollably. It was as though everyone was there to share this moment. Absolutely priceless!

How did the Italian culture play a role in your wedding?
We talked about Italy for years and Blake knew that was somewhere that I always wanted to visit. Being in this region, we wanted to capture the true essence of Italy and Tuscany epitomizes its rustic culture that we both love. Our photos incorporated the vineyards, olive groves, Cypress trees and renowned rolling hills. Rochelle did an AWESOME job!!

What advice do you have for engaged couples?
Our best advice would be to take your journey together with God leading the way. You may find that family and friends will offer advice or provide their opinion which can even be helpful at times, but ultimately the journey is yours. Together, you will decide what is best for you. Focus on God, walk in faith, do everything in love, talk through the difficult times and forgive.

Vendor
Bride’s dress – David’s Bridal
Bride’s shoes – Lord & Taylor
Bride’s Accessories – A.S. Cooper Bermuda
Bride’s Hair and Makeup – Silvia Gerzali
Groom’s Suit and Shoes – Banana Republic
Groom’s Shirt and Tie – English Sports Shop Bermuda
Wedding Rings – Liori Diamonds
Photographer – Rochelle Cheever
Location and Bride’s Bouquet – Castello di Casole