Antoinette and Edward come from San Diego, California. To get married they chose Puglia and Masseria Grieco, just outside Ostuni, and they didn't want it to be just one day: they turned their wedding into a few days to share with the people they love, in a place where you arrive, you slow down, and you soon feel at home.
I was lucky enough to film those days, and in these lines I'd like to take you inside Masseria Grieco with me: its history, its spaces, and the moments it can give to a couple getting married. And if you're thinking of getting married here, I'd also love to leave you a few tips.
A masseria reborn in the Ostuni countryside
The story of Masseria Grieco is first of all the story of a family. Almost twenty years ago two brothers, two dreamers, bought it, and they spent more than fifteen years restoring it, one difficulty after another. The first ten rooms opened in 2018, with just a few people doing everything, from reception to breakfast. Today there are twenty-five rooms, a restaurant and a poolside bar, and the team has grown together with the masseria.
You can feel it as soon as you arrive. The arches, the terraces, the stone, a flowering garden and an infinity pool that seems to touch the horizon. And then the large outdoor square, with eight trulli and a view that opens onto the Itria Valley: this is where the masseria imagines its receptions. It's a wedding masseria in Puglia that moves at the pace of a home.
A ceremony under the trees
Antoinette and Edward had a civil ceremony at the beginning of autumn, under the trees of the garden. It was officiated by Edward's godfather, and that gave the whole ceremony the tone of a conversation between people who love each other.
The moment I carry with me is Edward being moved during the ceremony. He didn't try to hide it in front of the people he loves, and I believe it's exactly that sincerity that makes a ceremony unforgettable. For me, it's the heart of this film.
A few days, not just one
The story begins the evening before, with the welcome dinner by the pool and the flavours of Puglian cooking. It's the moment when the families get to know each other, friends who have come from far away find each other again, and the wedding stops being a date and becomes a small journey taken together.
The next day, after the ceremony, the guests gathered in the square for the aperitivo, with live music and the countryside all around.
Sunset over the Itria Valley
At the beginning of autumn the light here is warm and spectacular. From the square you can watch the sun go down over the Itria Valley, and Antoinette, Edward and I took a few minutes for a short couple session, on the terrace and among the trulli. It doesn't take long: in a place like this all you need is the right light, and that day we had it.
Dinner in the courtyard
Then dinner in the courtyard, which for me is the most beautiful space at Masseria Grieco. Three long tables with the trulli as a frame: a magical, unique place, especially for those who come from far away, like Antoinette and Edward's families and friends. That's where the family speeches, the cake cutting and the first dance took place.
And then the party, which went on late into the night on the round threshing floor of the masseria, under the Ostuni sky.
Tips for your wedding at Masseria Grieco
From those days I carry a few tips I'd like to share with you.
Think of your wedding as a few days. A welcome dinner the evening before changes everything: on the wedding day your guests already know each other, and it feels like a party among friends. With the masseria's rooms, many of them can stay right there with you.
If you're coming from abroad, make the most of the masseria's services. Masseria Grieco arranges transfers to and from Bari and Brindisi airports on request: one less thing to think about, for you and for those travelling from far away.
Choose carefully who walks you through the ceremony. For Antoinette and Edward it was his godfather, and you could feel it in every word. When the person speaking truly knows you, the ceremony becomes yours.
Have your dinner in the courtyard. It's the space I love most at Masseria Grieco. With the trulli all around it becomes a magical frame, and for guests coming from abroad it's an image of Puglia that stays with them.
Keep a few minutes for yourselves at sunset. From the square the sun goes down over the Itria Valley, and the terrace and the trulli fill with warm light. A few minutes away from everyone is all it takes, and you'll have the most beautiful portraits of the day.
Antoinette & Edward's film
Below is their wedding film. You'll find their story on Antoinette & Edward's film page, and if you're looking for other venues in this land, here are all my Puglia wedding films.
A limited number of stories each year.
Let’s see if yours is one of them.
Credits
Venue: Masseria Grieco
Wedding planner: Italian Wedding Designer
Photography: Giuliana Covella
Flowers: Flower Addicted
Catering: Rotondo Catering
Aperitivo music: Simpatiche Kanaglie