“…Can I stay a little longer?

Stay forever” ✨⁠

Notting Hill ⁠

Such a romantic quote encapsulates the essence of these two newlyweds and this winter wedding. Happened into each other’s lives at the right time. Because life is like that, it surprises you when you least expect it.

And Daniela and Marcello landed in our lives suddenly, when we least expected it, that is, at the end of an extremely full and tiring 2022 season, when we were just breathing a (well-deserved) sigh of relief. That moment when – after running for months and hiding some of the tribulations like sand under the rug – I was coming to real terms with some very important decisions for my company: enlarge or downgrade, a renewal of positions and responsibilities, better defining my own role within our increasingly articulated Elisa Mocci Events universe.

Let’s say we were all projected to the next season (and a few weeks of winter break).

And then they came along, saying “are we in time to get married in December?”, and if everything inside me screamed “oh my God, the Team is going to kill me if I put them back on track now, moreover on a last-minute,” as I talked to them their eyes, their enthusiasm, the photos already saved in Daniela’s smartphone (an entire Gallery, I dare say), the dreamy atmosphere as they described the enchanted setting they imagined themselves living in… made me pronounce – to my own surprise – a very convinced YES.

It was a crazy two months of racing against time, but one that brought us so far, to this winter wedding fairytale.

There are times in life when it is the choices we make, as well as our abilities, that show what we truly are

(I think this is broadly a quote from Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter.)

and at a time of great inner turmoil, this winter wedding could not have brought me more happiness. And it is amazing, because it was one of the fastest, most logistically complex, and one that took us to the limit of our physical and mental faculties (in the five days of production, for reasons that only those who experience production off-season and on a weather alert day can understand) ever.

But Daniela and Marcello’s unconditional trust in our abilities, in immediately understanding the dynamics of a Team as large as ours (Eli Congiu at Planning, Silvia at Design, Chiara at directing financial and suppliers, myself at Artistic Direction) and relating to each of us in a direct, fast, kind and always enthusiastic way, was the real driving force of this winter wedding.

We went from postseason sluggishness to the turbocharged “we have to make this dream come true, and even if we don’t have all the means to do it in Sardinia, we will make it up.” Antonio has been a splinter on the website, Adriana word-d-order-opulence, Jessica was putting vendors on the run and gathering staff marveling at a wedding in Porto Cervo on December 10? And how do we dress?

I will tell you, after so many years and so many events, Porto Cervo has never shined so brightly.

Because the second strongest power of this event was them. Daniela and Marcello taught us that dreams are worth chasing, whether they are a mirrored catwalk or a gold logo on red velvet. That family matters more than anything. And we got excited with them, every step of the way, starting with their first look.

Peaceful to have entrusted the bride and groom to the care of my most trusted Planner, I strongly wanted to take care of the artistic direction of this winter wedding. One of the first wishes expressed by the bride and groom at our first meeting, was to integrate different artists, have as much entertainment as possible but elegant and fun at the same time, have the guests be involved, amazed but not in awe. Sounds easy, huh? But as the good former thespian that I am, I pulled out all the contacts and searched dozens of joints until I found the square that could create what I had in mind and in budget.

Mho Events were invaluable and patient fellow travelers (and we were in such a rush that many performances were “good the first!”), declining art and costumes to our specific design choices – and musical themes. The Effe Quartet and opera singer added the class we needed for an enchanted forest atmosphere, full of pathos from the first note of Morricone’s “Once upon a time in the West.” We welcomed guests by opening the curtain to a magical world, ferrying them to a ceremony full of emotion.

” […] You promise to share your dreams and support each other in realizing them;

promise to be moved by listening to the notes of the same music and looking at the same starry sky;

do you promise to love each other, as equals, for the duration of your lives and, if possible, beyond?

Say, “I promise.””

M. “I promise.”

D. “I promise.”

“And so the bond is established.”

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The party continued amid awe and wonder, alternating between the courses of Chef Luigi Pomata’s signature dinner and performances of opera, dance and violins, in a hall lit by enchanted trees and flowers in Christmas hues to create a warm Gala atmosphere.

And we, too, got a surprise at the end, and we usually are the people who create surprises! Marcello, the groom, put his thoughts into rhyme, dedicating a few lines of his personal poetry to us. I had said from the beginning of this post, that it would be tears, right…?

But let’s get ready for the grand finale, because under a giant moon (scroll through the photos to believe), the Production team led by Silvia Mocci made real magic! In just two hours, the tent was completely transformed, making way for the bandstand, dance floor and a new setup ready to host a wild all night loooooong // all night // all night looooong // all night!

“When the sun goes down
And the band won’t play
I’ll always remember us this way”

To Daniela and Marcello, to their gracious and discreet hosts, to the privilege of having realized for them a dream whose memory-we hope-will last forever.

To us, to my whole Team, for living this adventure in the fifth grade as a true team, being there for each other, with the knowledge that everyone is part of something bigger and that when there is to get wet or to make night, we do not back down.

And to all of you, with the wish that this beauty may have warmed your hearts in these days that is Christmas.

Happy holidays and see you next year,

Elisa

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Plan & Design @elisa_mocci_events⁠

Thanks to the incredible team: Ph @giannidinatale_photographers⁠ | Video @albertodaria⁠ | Floral @antonella_flore⁠ | Rent @_sofi_design⁠ | Chef @luigipomata⁠ | Cake @pasticceria_eden⁠ | Tech @centromusicaolbia | Tent @eventsardiniasrl | Stationery @eyderdesign⁠ | Entertainment @mhoevents⁠ @quartetto_effe @lauragroggia⁠ | Makeup @valeriamakeupsardegna | Hair @robertaportocervo | Bridal dress @atelierviadonizetti by @antonella_lepriero | Venue Gianni Pedrinelli Porto Cervo