After first connecting online, it was an act of courage that led Charlie Nucci and Sam Doniger to finally meet up in real life. “We met in Chelsea, New York, on a cold night in February 2017,” the couple shares. “After a few failed message attempts on Bumble, Charlie approached Sam at Barracuda Bar and called him out for not responding! We went on their first date shortly after.”
Since Charlie was “the persistent romantic who courted Sam from the beginning,” he wanted his partner to take that next step and propose. On their annual trip to Italy in August 2022, Sam, a principal at a private equity firm, took charge and surprised Charlie, the cofounder of a real estate investment company, with a proposal in the harbor of Portofino at golden hour. “After Charlie said yes, the village of Italians visiting Portofino erupted in applause and cheers,” remember the couple.
The grooms naturally decided to return to Italy for their nuptials as they both had such a connection to their visits there. “We—especially Charlie—loved the planning process. Charlie often says he became best friends with his wedding planner, Juliana [of Savvy Event Studio],” share the duo. “We went on a 10-day trip through Italy with Charlie’s mother and Juliana, where we toured over 20 properties across the country. On the last day of the trip, we visited Castiglion del Bosco, and instantly fell in love with the property.”
Since the Rosewood hotel in the historic village features a grand castle, ruins, and even a winery, the grooms could take advantage of a number of unique spaces to host a full wedding weekend. “We had a vision for the wedding from the beginning,” they share. “We wanted each of the three nights to have a very different vibe and aesthetic. The first night was a welcome party in the historic borgo, which was wild and whimsical with summer Tuscan colors; the wedding day was a blend of moody and Baroque to pay homage to the historic castle and ruins; the third day was the ‘fruity and fabulous’ pool party and had vibrant flowers to celebrate the [marriage] and the start of summer; and the farewell dinner was in the vineyard, which continued the wild nature of the landscape with muted summer colors.”