Earlier this fall I set off for Puglia, Italy to attend the first European Engage Summit, a luxury wedding business conference that takes place in a magical destination around the globe a few times a year. This time it was held at the famous Borgo Egnazia, which was also the wedding location of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. Each conference showcases talents in the region, shares new wedding trends, and teaches us to be better at our businesses for couples going through the wedding planning and destination wedding planning process. And Engage!16: Europe showed us just how incredible a destination wedding in Italy can really be!
With the best talents hand-picked from around the world, the parties were over-the-top, unbelievable, and frankly, down right magical. Beginning with this spectacular opening night party in a piazza of the hotel, it was an open-air market-like party complete with hanging flowers flanking the long tables and candlelight just about everywhere. The look from day to night was simply stunning!
The detail in the decor of this party was unparralleled! The design makes for a perfect destination wedding welcome event but also a fantastic wedding reception. The feeling that you were in a local Italian market surrounded by the best of everything was overwhelming. They did a fantastic job of weaving in the location, something you want to consider when hosting a wedding away from home.
I’ve been to a lot of parties in my almost thirteen years in the wedding business, but this may have topped them all. The pictures show you just how pretty it was, but the feeling we had being at such a special event could never be fully described. Engage and the team left no detail undone, right down to the buckets of twinkling lights on the rooftops surrounding us!
Boardering the dinner tables were oodles of interactive food and drink stations where guests got to engage with chefs who were making fresh mozzarella, tossing pizza, and dishing up gourmet gelato. Talk about fresh! The food was to-die-for!
Then local dancers performed to entertain our audience before a finale of fireworks were set off overhead.
What a way to kick off Engage!16: Europe!! We’ll be sharing more amazing images from the week in Puglia in the coming days so stay tuned for more destination wedding inspiration to come. And thank you to Engage and everyone on their team (vendor credits below) for creating such a special scene and setting for us to celebrate in! This is a party and event I will never forget!
Event: Engage Summits, Photography: Betsi Ewing Studio, Location: Borgo Egnazia, Florist: Giuseppe Armenise, Entertainment: Elan Artists, Audio Visual: Light Tracks Service, Branding, Gifts, Accessories: Gifts for the Good Life, Event Stationery: TPD Design House / Two Paper Dolls, Videography: Elysium Productions, Additional Entertainment: Terraross Entertainment, Marino Rana, Artists: Compagnia Stabile Di Alberobello, Wine: Coppi, Fireworks: Pirosud
