Tuscan Dreams.
Hannah Uhlin and Tom Sword's real wedding celebrates the beauty of planning a wedding while staying true to themselves. The couple sidestepped the differing expectations from their families by choosing to wed in an intimate wedding at a dreamy Tuscan villa. Exquisitely designed by the bride and filled with candles and an unexpected rainstorm, this love story is layered with lovely details and enduring romance.
Hanna and Tom tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Italy, almost ten years to the date after meeting on the first day at University. Tom’s attraction to Hanna, who is from Sweden, was instant. “Tom played it cool and declared his love within a few days,” says Tom. She played it Swedish and responded, “Thank you.” Soon enough Hanna found herself equally smitten.
Nine years and one engagement ring later, Hanna and Tom found themselves caught in the middle of differing wedding expectations from their families, from decor and traditions to the country that would host the celebration. The duo found a simple solution: they decided to wed exactly the way they wanted. Italy was their destination of choice based upon their shared love for the country after a recent trip. “And then we chose Tuscany based purely on the wine, pizza and pasta,” says Hanna. Unfortunately, tying the knot in Italy isn’t the easiest as most venues are booked years in advance. With just a year before their wedding date, Hanna and Tom went on a whirlwind Italian journey and visited five venues in three days. Outside Siena they found the perfect location, Casa Carnacchi, a rustic and romantic country house overlooking Tuscany’s golden hills and verdant vineyards.
With their dream venue booked, Hanna took control with the design decisions, as Tom wholeheartedly agrees she is the one with good taste, and opted for lush greens including olive branches and an abundance of candlelight. Adhering to the plan to do it their own way, Hanna and Tom asked one of their best friends to officiate the ceremony and another close friend sang while they walked down the aisle. Their last and perhaps most fraught decision was the song for their first dance. Though they had been together for almost a decade, Hanna and Tom had never had “their song.” They embarked on a search to find something that would feel special--Hanna voted for Abba (naturally). They finally landed on “something” by Elton John, without actually choosing a specific song. Finally, they went to see Passenger live and found “their song” after nine years, “The Way that I love You.” Jade, a singer from the band Good Vibes, sang a beautiful acoustic arrangement and the once-dreaded first dance became one of their most special moments of the night.
