9:00 am
Spend the long weekend 10/9-10/12 with us in Florence BEFORE the wedding festivities begin. With so many sights, shopping, and delicious foods, we'll spend the weekend in and around Florence before heading to Lucca. A great place to start is Santa Maria Novella square and walk through the center experiencing the history and breathing in the Renaissance atmosphere. Admire the ancient Baptistery and the great Cathedral, walk down streets of shopping and eating from the wealth of panini shops and markets, explore custom made fabrics and leather good, rub the snout of the boar statue, Il Porcellino, and let a coin fall from its mouth through the underlying grating for good luck. In the Piazza della Signoria discover the history of Palazzo Vecchio and visit the Uffizi Museum. From Florence, access the bus to The Mall Luxury Outlets for shopping the finest Italian designers for last minute wedding necessities. Gino will need a chaperone to ensure he makes it back on time!
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Plan on joining us for a week long celebration of love, fun and of course activities for the grooms, family and friends as we explore and taste our way through Tuscany before the main event as we start the next chapter in our lives and get MARRIED! *MONDAY 10/11 IS COLUMBUS DAY.*
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Relax and breathe in the Tuscan air after your travels to arrive at Villa Grabau. We invite you to take your first wedding week wine sip with us as Sommelier Daniele and his colleague Riccardo provide an exceptional wine tasting. During the 2 hours we will be presented with three wines of the most important areas, a Chianti Classico, a Nobile di Montepulciano (which happens to be Nick's favorite and a special addition to the wedding reception dinner) and a Brunello di Montalcino.
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Bus departs 9AM to Porta Sant’Anna; Returns 3:30pm 10AM meet Federico for a 3 hr tour of Lucca starting at the famous walls (built in the 16th and 17th century were designed by Leonardo Da Vinci) and once we are at the Dome, we'll go inside to explore it and see other important places in the historical center. Spend the rest of the day how you like: off on your own or tag along as we wander and explore all this city has to offer. Palazzo Pfanner is another must see we will be going to! Lunch is planned at the many restaurants in the Piazza dell' Anfiteatro as we stroll through hidden corners and off the beaten path. Experience the sights, by admiring the outstanding architecture, the gorgeous nature and the energetic lifestyle of Lucca and the sounds, by experiencing the interesting history of town, the elegant art and the deep tradition of music. Experience the taste smell and touch of Lucca stopping in local shops savoring food specialties and traditional foods.
6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Informal buffet style gathering provided by Bocco e Buccia for everyone to mingle, share stories of the day's exploration, enjoy Villa Arancera with food and beverages.
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Come on our 2nd adventure discovering Pisa! Bus leaves 9AM stopping at 'Parking of Via Pietrasantina' and returns at 6pm. Embrace this wonderful city how you like it best, either off on your own or with us as we explore the city. Discover the monuments of the Piazza dei Miracoli. Enter the Cathedral and see the Pisa Romanesque architecture. Admire the celebrated Leaning Tower, the round-shaped Baptistery and its Camposanto, originally a cemetery, an extraordinary quadrangular cloister. You can also choose private tours if you desire to enter the Leaning Tower and see the interior visit of the magnificent Leaning Tower. Wander the Old Town, admiring the Church of San Sisto, one of Pisa’s oldest churches, and explore the medieval Piazza dei Cavalieri. Visit Dante Square and admire the Sapienza of Pisa, one of the most ancient university in Italy. See Garibaldi Square located near the Lungarni, go through Borgo Stretto, one of the most popular street of the town.
8:30 pm - 10:30 pm
This is an amazing and authentic Tuscany restaurant that the grooms and families will be eating at on Thursday 10/14. If this looks appetizing and of interest please make a separate reservation! The restaurant is doing max of 6 people per table with COVID rules still in place in Italy. Make reservations here: http://www.anticalocandadisesto.it. They speak English or Italian so shouldn’t have issues. There are many other great restaurants in Lucca near the Villa so you can pick any other place as well if this one does not seem of interest. Everyone is also welcome to cook at the villa as every apartment has it own kitchen and enjoying a private intimate meal on the gorgeous grounds of Villa Grabau can’t be beat!
Thu, Oct 14, 2021, 10:00 pm - Fri, Oct 15, 2021, 1:00 am
The night before the big day! This will be a relaxed laid back night listening to the sounds of your lovely voices, watching your best dance moves and drinking down enough wine to fill the fountain. Leave your classiness in your room for the Ceremony this is strictly laughs and debauchery to remember ! The night will involve: - Guest Selection Wine tasting: During the proceeding days of exploring Tuscan cities, find at least 1 bottle to bring with you to this event to share and mix and match with what everyone else finds. With as eclectic of a bunch as we are I am sure there will be some great wines found !! - Karaoke (Melissa you know we are dying to see what Italian style Proud Mary sounds like!!) - Embarassing/Memorable story telling
12:00 am
The Wedding reception party must come to a close at 2am but if the drinks are still flowing and the good times are continuing then celebrate the newly wed couple at L'Arancera!
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Ladies get those Fascinators ready!
Please arrive around 4pm -4:15. Ceremony will start promptly at 4:30.
Fri, Oct 15, 2021, 5:00 pm - Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 12:00 am
Pre-Reception cocktail hour following Ceremony 5p - 6p Reception dinner start at 6 Drinks and Dancing to follow dinner, same location.
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Come out on the last adventure in the fabulous town of Florence. We know we're having a wild night beforehand so we will not plan to head out too early! Departure of bus to FLORENCE at 12:00, the bus will stop at Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia. You will have the whole day to explore and enjoy all of Florence. We will be traveling through our favorites stops so join along or explore on your own all that Florence has to offer. The bus returns at 11pm from Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia. Of note, there is a separate wedding that will be taking place at the main villa Saturday night, so there will be other guests around the main grounds. Be mindful if staying on the main property there will be some fresh faces on Saturday. Everyone is invited for final drinks and socializing at L'Arancera and reminiscing of an awesome wedding.
12:00 pm
Today is the final day! (sad face) A day of self recovery and time to say farewell to all you fabulous friends a family who are going to scatter back around the world. With such a gorgeous villa and wonderful surrounding towns, partake in a day nursing the hang overs poolside with some prosecco or off exploring the hills and towns of Tuscany. Today is your free day to use as you desire. We still have the villa until Monday night so we will be hanging out with anyone checking out with us on Monday and if you have a later flight Sunday you will not have to leave too early!