First meeting during their senior year at Stanford University, Allison Rath and Daniel Espinel knew they had found something special in one another. As they both pursued MBAs and careers, their relationship remained strong, even spanning three moves across the country – from the Bay Area to New York to Chicago, where Daniel proposed – before finally settling in Pittsburgh. 

While planning, Allison and Daniel had no doubts they would host a destination wedding. “I always told my mother I wanted to be married abroad; it was the only detail of my wedding that I was certain about,” shares the bride, who has spent a large portion of her life studying other cultures and languages, including studying abroad in Florence and spending a summer at an artists’ residency in Chianti. “I am fluent in Italian and have a special love for the culture, cuisine, and art.” Thus, a charming villa in Maremma, Tuscany, provided the perfect site that allowed them to spend the better part of a week with their dearest loved ones in a private setting. 

With the help of Kaylen Davidson of Sara Judith Events, a joyous wedding celebration spanning four wonderful days was planned in just six months. “The length of the event allowed us time to interact deeply with all of our guests, and we never felt rushed or worried we wouldn’t have enough time to enjoy everyone’s presence,” the bride notes. An artist by training, she designed the invitations, place cards, and menus herself and even worked closely with their floral designer to ensure the design fit their vision of an elegant, natural alfresco soirée under the Tuscan sun. 

The ceremony décor highlighted the warm, enchanting atmosphere of La Pescaia, the 16th-century villa lovingly restored by two Italian sisters and their husbands. “I wanted bright, summery pastels with a cottage-wildflower feeling to play up the ethereal feel of the Tuscan grass and beautiful acacia and cypress trees,” explains the bride of the romantic setting adorned with colorful roses, snapdragons, wildflowers, and more, all grown at the onsite organic flower farm. To honor the joining of two very close families, the ceremony was officiated by the bride’s uncle. 

“I always told my mother I wanted to be married abroad; it was the only detail of my wedding that I was certain about.”

A wine-bottle seating chart led loved ones to tables surrounded by cane-back chairs and decorated with organic floral arrangements in terracotta urns. “We took the same colors for the ceremony and muted them for the dinner,” describes the bride of the soft dusty pinks and blues that complemented the blue-and-white china at each guest’s place setting. 

To give the dinner space an ethereal, magical garden-party feel, candles were scattered across tables and suspended from the trees above. “Arriving to dinner as the sun was setting was magical,” remembers the groom of the stunning ambience. 

A roaming acoustic band was hired to perform during cocktails and dinner, which became one of the pair’s favorite decisions. “They were so full of life and really got our guests out of their shells,” Allison confirms. The rest of the night was spent dancing to the sounds of a DJ trio complete with a live singer and saxophone player – another highlight. However, “The most magical part of the day was spending so much time with our friends and family in such a beautiful setting,” she muses. 

The newlyweds celebrated their “I dos” with a Mediterranean sailboat cruise before discovering Scandinavia for the first time, and they loved that their guests planned extended summer trips before and after the wedding. “Everyone was excited and grateful to have a reason to travel internationally post-Covid,” Allison shares. “It was very special to see all my friends and family making memories across Italy, a place that is very dear to my heart.”

This real wedding was originally published in the Spring 2024 issue of Inside Weddings magazine. 

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