Apparently there’s an app that will summarize a podcast 🙃

Introduction and Wedding Overview - The wedding took place in Italy, three weeks after attending a friend’s wedding

Pre-Wedding Preparations and Packing - The couple had to travel to Europe four weeks before the wedding, which required extensive packing - A packing list PDF is available for purchase on Etsy, which helped with organizing the packing process - The couple had a lot of luggage, which caused some embarrassment and discomfort during the trip

Traveling to Europe and Wedding Planning - The couple took a month off work before the wedding and another month off during the wedding to focus on planning and mental well-being - The bride took care of many details herself, including hand-cutting 75 menus with a natural edge using a cutting and ripping method - The couple chose their wedding date to coincide with the bride’s parents’ European cruise, so they would already be in Europe and adjusted to the time zone - The bride’s parents were initially worried about attending the wedding after their 15-day cruise, but they assured their daughter they were “born to party”

Emotional Moments and Wedding Stress - The wedding was an emotional experience, with the couple feeling overwhelmed by the number of guests and the stress of planning the event - The couple had to bring a lot of cash to pay vendors, as many Italian vendors preferred cash payments - The couple’s planners, Valen and Danielle, were helpful in communicating with vendors and executing the couple’s vision

Wedding Planning and Stress - The couple planned most of the wedding themselves, but eventually realized they needed help with the details - They hired a day-of coordinator, Valen and Danielle, who worked at the venue and were able to help with last-minute tasks

Welcome Party and Unexpected Challenges - The welcome party was planned instead of a rehearsal dinner due to a smaller guest list of 64 people and to avoid having two sit-down dinners in a row - The night before the welcome party, a panic attack occurred, similar to a previous experience in Greenville, despite not consuming any Celsius drinks or excessive caffeine - James helped calm down the situation by reminding that the body was reacting to built-up stress and suggesting to focus on the present moment by naming five things in the room

The Morning After and Wedding Preparations - The next morning, the panic attack had passed, and the day’s activities, including a video shoot, proceeded as planned - The videographers were a splurge, but the investment was justified due to the importance of capturing memories and the artistic value of the wedding video

Welcome Party and Final Preparations - A huge weather-related issue occurred with the welcome party, but the weather cleared up in time. - The original plan for the welcome party involved renting a large ferry to transport guests, but it was damaged in bad weather two weeks prior. The backup plan involved renting 14 minivans, but the bride rejected this idea, opting for seven individual wooden boats instead.

The Welcome Party - The welcome party was held at IL pirata, a beach club in Postano, and was considered perfect in every way. - The party featured a saxophone player who brought the house down, but his social media manager was overly aggressive in taking videos and photos of the guests. - The bride wishes she had announced that there would be multiple courses of food, as guests filled up on appetizers and were surprised by the pasta and main courses.

A Surprise Special Guest and Details - A surprise singer, Ryan Troy from Nashville, was flown in to perform at the welcome party in Italy, thanks to the bride’s parents - Ryan’s performance was a huge hit, with the crowd singing along to his songs and enjoying his relaxed demeanor - The welcome party also featured a DJ and sax player, who played house music that got everyone dancing

Authentic Italian Dancers - The planners had suggested hiring authentic Italian dancers to perform at the welcome party, but they were unable to attend due to a terrible accident - One of the dancers was seriously injured, but fortunately, no one died

Welcome Baskets - The bride had custom welcome baskets made for each guest, which included items such as hats with their names on them, cigars, and custom stationery - The baskets were designed to be useful and easy to take back home, with items that could be used during the guests’ stay in Italy

Getting Ready for the Wedding - The bride didn’t want to get ready early, as her ceremony was at 4:00 and she didn’t have scheduled photos with photographers. - She asked her friend Beck to do her makeup as a wedding gift, and Nicholas did her hair after being contacted just two days before the wedding. - The bride got ready with her mom and Taylor in her parents’ suite, and described the atmosphere as calm and relaxed.

The Wedding Day - The bride had the sleeves of her dress removed after the ceremony due to the heat, but later regretted not wearing them during the dinner. - She had a low-energy and low-stress morning while getting ready, with her mom trying to feed her ham despite her not being hungry.

A Slight Mishap - The wedding took place at Hotel Contono, which has a beautiful Terrace that was set up for the event - The florist was difficult to communicate with due to a language barrier, causing some concerns about the wedding decorations - The wedding decorations were customized, with the bride bringing in outside vendors to create a unique look

Wedding Details - The bride wanted a reflective, mirrored aisle, which was a challenge to execute due to the language barrier and the need to bring in outside vendors - The bride had seen a similar aisle at another wedding and wanted to replicate the look - The florist claimed to have experience with mirrored aisles, but the bride was unsure if her vision would be executed correctly

The Big Day - The bride sent her matron of honor, Taylor, to check on the aisle before walking down, to ensure that her vision had been executed correctly - Taylor gave the bride a thumbs up, indicating that everything looked great - The weather on the wedding day was perfect, with 77° temperatures and sunshine

Walking Down the Aisle - The walk down the aisle was delayed because the father of the bride had to tie his shoe, which was unexpected and caused a brief pause. - The bride had specifically chosen a song to walk down the aisle to, but the moment was somewhat ruined by the delay. - The aisle was decorated with fans that had the couple’s names on them, but they ended up being used by the guests to cool themselves down due to the heat.

The Italian Air Fryer Aisle - The bride had designed a reflective aisle, but it ended up reflecting the sun’s heat and making the guests hot. - The bride compared the aisle to an air fryer, saying it was like putting all her guests into a hot oven. - Despite the heat, the ceremony was still beautiful, and the flowers were especially stunning.

Lucio the Officiant - The wedding planners had initially considered having a random Italian person officiate the ceremony, but then decided to ask Lucho, who had officiated four weddings before and was also Italian - Lucio was asked to officiate the wedding after the planners saw that he had experience with officiating weddings and was also Italian - Lucio accepted the request and came to Nashville to get to know the couple on a personal level before the wedding - Lucio’s officiation of the wedding was well-received, and he added a fun and lighthearted element to the ceremony

Cocktail Hour and Photo Strategy - The decision was made to only take a few photos before cocktail hour to enjoy the moment with guests, friends, and family - A plan was devised to post a photo of the wedding dress on social media during cocktail hour to avoid others posting it first - The photographer was instructed to take a few photos, pick the best ones, and post one immediately with a pre-prepared caption

Wedding Details - Cocktail hour was followed by a walk down many stairs to the dinner location, which was a concern but ultimately not an issue - The dinner was romantic and lovely, with great photos, amazing food, and wonderful speeches

Fireworks and Club Reception - The fireworks display at the wedding was a surprise to most guests, and it was timed to start when the cake was cut - The fireworks were set off on the beach below the venue and lasted for around 10 minutes - After the fireworks, the wedding party and guests went to a club called Music on the Rocks, which is located in a cave - The club was rented exclusively for three hours, from 9 pm to midnight, for the wedding party to have their first dance, father-daughter dance, and party - The bride changed into a short dress and rejoined the party, which was a fun and lively event with a playlist made by the groom’s brother

Club Party and After-Party - The wedding party had a private area in the club with a big bottle of champagne and a smaller bottle - At midnight, the public was let into the club, and the wedding party continued to party with an open bar for those with wristbands - The bride had ordered light-up cowboy hats for the party, which were a fun touch and added to the lively atmosphere - The club stayed open until 4 am, but the bride and groom left at around 2:30 am

Wedding Budget Insights - The wedding budget was not disclosed, but it was mentioned that some things were cheaper in Italy, such as fireworks, which cost $2,000 for a 10-minute show - The guest list was limited to 64 people, which made it easier to manage costs - Some prices in Italy were the same as in America, but others were significantly cheaper

Bridesmaids and Dress Drama - The bridesmaids did not have any specific duties, and their role was more of an honorary title - The decision was made not to give the bridesmaids any tasks or responsibilities, and instead, they were just asked to be present at the wedding - The focus was on making sure the bridesmaids felt special and appreciated, rather than giving them specific duties

Wedding Planning and Budget - The budget for the boats and booze was not a concern, and the focus was on making sure guests had a good time - The decision was made to offer top-shelf liquor and to make sure guests had access to whatever they wanted - Despite initial concerns about the cost, it was found that guests actually drank less than expected

Destination Wedding Tips - Destination weddings should allow guests to enjoy their vacation, not just attend wedding events - Don’t plan too many activities, give guests time to relax and enjoy themselves - Provide recommendations for places to stay, things to do, and activities, but let guests plan their own time

Wedding Details - James’s friends didn’t attend the post-wedding boat trip due to work commitments and previous vacations - James’s butterfly pin was a nod to his late brother, a vintage brooch given as a gift - The bride’s workout routine before the wedding was normal, without stressing about weight loss - The bride’s corseted wedding dress was designed to be tight, but she didn’t change her body for the wedding

Final Reflections and Gratitude - The wedding was amazing, wonderful, and special, with the bride feeling present and fully engaged throughout the event - The bride attributes the success of the wedding to the smaller guest list, which allowed her to have genuine conversations with every guest - The wedding had many personalized details that the guests appreciated, and the bride feels proud of how she executed the planning - The bride and groom wrote special vows to each other that they will cherish forever - Despite some minor issues, the bride considers the wedding to be perfect and is extremely happy