Lauren and Jasmine’s Intimate Destination Wedding at Casa Cornacchi, Tuscany 

Under the amber glow of the October sun, Lauren Thomas and Jasmine Shimerda married in a destination wedding at Casa Cornacchi, a historic 16th-century private estate nestled in Tuscany’s Val d’Ambra outside Arezzo. Their outdoor ceremony unfolded against a panoramic backdrop of sun-drenched vineyards, rolling silver-green olive groves and dense autumn forests. For the Kansas City–based couple, the day was the culmination of two years of long-distance planning, resulting in a celebration where the two brides prioritized an intentional, highly personal design.

Two Proposals, One New House

Lauren proposed first. She had been quietly coordinating with Jasmine’s brother and sister-in-law for weeks before taking Jasmine to Loose Park, a Kansas City green space where the two had picnicked often when they first started dating. The park has a rose garden, and Lauren had chosen a corner of it as the spot. What she had not planned for was running directly into another couple mid-proposal, a young man in a tuxedo on one knee for a woman in a formal dress, right in their path. Lauren pivoted without alerting Jasmine. “I wasn’t in the mood to compete with a much younger and very dapper looking couple,” Lauren says. “We were sweaty and still cute, but glad she didn’t see it.” Jasmine, it turns out, had not noticed a thing. They made their way to the corner where the family was waiting and Lauren popped the question on Father’s Day.

Jasmine’s proposal came later, during the final walkthrough of the house the two were purchasing together. She had coordinated with their realtor in advance. Champagne was waiting. Lauren was in a polo shirt on top and sweat shorts on the bottom, a concession to her work-from-home afternoon, and had no idea what was coming. The realtor captured it on video. “I was definitely caught off guard,” Lauren says. Two proposals, two completely different registers of surprise, and one engagement that lasted two years before Italy.

Planning a Destination Wedding in Italy

Organizing a wedding in Tuscany from Missouri requires a particular kind of resolve. The couple worked with Eleonora Gobbo of Peach Perfect Weddings, who coordinated the day on the ground at Casa Cornacchi. Photographers Viviana and Andrea and videographers Wedding Film Italy documented the celebration. Hair and makeup came from the Your Wedding Beauty Team, with additional photography from Eleonora Grasso.

The florals, arranged by La Fioreria di Mario Berti, leaned into the estate’s agricultural character: pink roses and hydrangeas for the ceremony, and at the reception, pots of fresh herbs placed among the tables. The color palette of pinks and greens carried through the day, soft enough to sit naturally against the Tuscan stone.

Music was managed by DJ Chiara Trallori. The first dance was to Brandi Carlile’s “Pride and Joy.”

The Violinist and the Ask

One of the sharper memories from the day involves a request the brides almost didn’t make. Casa Cornacchi had a violinist on the program, but the piece the couple wanted was outside her prepared repertoire. The venue had not planned to offer it. The brides asked anyway. She learned it. She played it.

“I think sometimes people can be intimidated to ask for fear of rejection,” Jasmine says. That willingness to ask, whether of a violinist, a realtor or a florist in Cortona, became something of a through line for how the couple approached every decision in the planning process. “Don’t be afraid to ask for what you believe in or need that will make your day special to you and your partner,” Lauren says. “Feel confident in what you want out of the day and don’t settle for anything less than perfect.”

A Moment for Those Not There

Among the most personal decisions the couple made was how to hold space for the people missing from the room. Photographs of parents and grandparents who had died were displayed, and a candle was lit in their honor. Jasmine also spoke vows directly to their two daughters during the ceremony. The brides got ready separately and shared a first look before the ceremony began.

On Representation and Finding Your Way

Planning this wedding surfaced something both brides felt clearly. “Representation matters so much and there is not a ton of that out there for queer weddings,” Lauren says. “Sometimes we had to get creative and think outside the box, but in the end I think we really had a perfect day without a ton of strife or challenge that a heterosexual couple wouldn’t have faced.”

Their advice to vendors is equally direct. “Listening intently and not making assumptions can be key,” Jasmine says. “Allowing the couple to tell their dream and work to support that as a vendor or venue is so important.” Casa Cornacchi, she notes, did exactly that. “It was such a beautiful place that worked hard to make our day special.”

Lauren puts it plainly for couples in the early stages of planning: “We were dreamers and had a vision, and we found wonderful people who attributed to making that vision come to life.”

The Day Itself

“The Casa was spectacular, and everything went off without a hitch,” Jasmine says. “The wedding planners were there running all things and so kind and helpful.” The photos and video from Viviana and Andrea and Wedding Film Italy are, for both brides, among the most treasured things they brought home from Italy.

That is perhaps the quietest measure of a day that worked: two women who flew from Kansas City to Tuscany with a vision specific enough to include a song a violinist had never played, and returned home with everything they had asked for. “We cherish our photos and the videos from the day,” Jasmine says. ❤️

FEATURED LGBTQ+ INCLUSIVE AND QUEER AFFIRMING WEDDING VENDORS

Photographer: Viviana and Andrea

Wedding Venue: Casa Cornacchi

Florist: La Fioreria di Mario Berti

Planner/Coordinator: Eleonora Gobbo for Peach Perfect Weddings

DJ: Chiara Trallori

Videographer: Wedding Film Italy

Hair and Makeup: Your Wedding Beauty Team

Additional Photographer: Eleonora Grasso