Mr. & Mrs. Easter

A Love Story in Lucca

Little did Anne Banks Blackwell and Will Champion Easter know that an ordinary day at a photo shoot would set an extraordinary love story in motion. Anne Banks, originally from Alabama, moved to the scenic shores along Highway 30-A in Florida a few years ago—the very place Will had called home since his high school days. The two met in 2020 after Anne Banks reached out to Will’s sister, Alden, for a local photographer recommendation. Will eventually moved to Denver, and Anne Banks found herself there visiting friends a couple of years later. In a bold move, she decided to ask him out. Their first official date was on January 7, 2022, and immediately, they felt a strong connection. But the distance between Colorado and Florida made things tricky.

Three months later, they crossed paths again during a stroll along 30-A, and Will asked Anne Banks out this time, marking the true start of their love story. Just two weeks later, they made their relationship official, and a mere six months after that, Will orchestrated a magical proposal. Of course, Anne Banks said yes!

Surrounded by family and friends, the couple celebrated their love with a dreamy wedding in the heart of Lucca, Italy. Their special day was nothing short of a fairy tale, and the bride shared the whole love story with VIE so we could experience the enchantment.

The Proposal

Will proposed on November 4 on my parents’ dock in Watersound, Florida! I was told we were going to an early dinner and meeting Alden, who was in town, for drinks afterward. The entire day, I was so thrown off. My brother was sending photos in our family text from Colorado, and I had seen Will’s sister, Jordan, and her kids earlier that day “on their way out of town.” I knew he would not do it unless both families could be there, so I knew it wasn’t happening. Little did I know, everyone was in on the plan! On our way to “dinner,” Will detoured, turned into Watersound Peninsula, and parked the car. We walked down toward what seemed like a million candles on the dock. I can’t even remember a single thing he said or seeing the ring at first—it felt like a dream! Afterward, we had cocktails at my parents’ house and a surprise engagement dinner at Black Bear. Will also worked with Rebecca Pinto to design and custom-make my ring. I had no idea they were working on it together, but it is me in a ring!

Our Venue

We knew from the start we both wanted a destination wedding. Italy has been my favorite place ever since I studied abroad, and I have always dreamed of getting married there. We spent weeks searching several areas and reaching out to different venues. It was the hardest thing! Our wedding theme was “Italian Garden Party.” It all fell into place once we found Villa Grabau in Tuscany via Instagram. It had everything we envisioned! We booked the villa over a “FaceTime tour” and didn’t even see it in person until the day before the wedding—I was dying inside at how perfect it was.

Our Wedding Plans

We could not have done anything without our planners, Bianco Rosa Weddings! They are based in Lucca and made the entire process easy and stress-free. My mom and I also did a lot—it sometimes felt like a full-time job! Logistically, there were stressors shipping items back and forth and carrying a wedding dress on an overseas flight, but watching everything we’d worked on for months come to life was so surreal.

Our Wedding Day

The night before our wedding, Will’s parents, Robert and Lea Easter, planned the most incredible rehearsal dinner. We wanted our guests to have the whole Italian experience, so we had an upscale pizza party with homemade pizzas, cocktails, and late-night gelato. The party was held at Villa Mori in Lucca under hundreds of hanging candles. It was the perfect way to kick off the wedding weekend and for our guests to meet each other! Because we chose to have a smaller, more intimate wedding, by the end of the week, all of our guests were friends and making plans to hang out after the wedding.

We wanted our wedding day to feel like an Italian garden party.

We wanted our wedding day to feel like an Italian garden party. Our primary color was garden green with lemons. We wanted the color to come from the villa itself, and since lemon trees surrounded the property, it was perfect! We used white flowers: garden roses, calla lilies, and peonies, with a few bluebells and touches of yellow and green at the dinner and reception. We had fans and parasols during our ceremony and cocktail hour with Aperol Spritz and Negronis, and all the guests left with a bottle of Limoncello straight from Sorrento.

Our favorite parts of our wedding day were the first look, reading our vows privately to each other, and walking down the aisle. Another favorite moment was my first look with my dad and three brothers, Duncan, Mason, and Chandler. We are all super close, so it was a special moment for me. We left in a vintage Porsche 356—one of Will’s dream cars! It was the happiest and most fun night of our entire lives.

Our Honeymoon

We honeymooned around Amalfi, Lake Como, Paris, and Mallorca over three weeks! Will planned the entire trip as a surprise, and it was a dream come true.

Special Thanks

Our vendors were incredible. We were so grateful to have our pastor from the Seaside Chapel, Andrew Beard, travel with us to marry us. Our videographer, A Little Long Distance (@alittlelongdistance), and photographer, Mary Hannah Harte (@maryhannahharte), also came from the States. Everyone else was local to Italy. They each played a special role in making our Italian wedding dreams a reality!

Planners: Bianco Rosa Weddings (@biancorosaweddings)
Flowers: Flowers Living (@flowersliving)
Venue: Villa Grabau (@villagrabau)
Music: Kaleydo Entertainment (@kaleydo.official)
Catering: Galateo (@galateoricevimenti)
Paper and invitation design: Thistle and Briar Studio (@thistleandbriarstudio)
Jewelry: Rebecca Pinto (@rebeccapintojewelry)

— V —