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A delicious gourmet wedding at Villa Calchi

A refined celebration of history, music and fine dining

A wedding can be much more than a succession of moments: it can become an experience that engages all the senses and expresses the couple’s personality through the venue, music, design and, above all, cuisine.

This gourmet wedding at Villa Calchi was designed around the pleasure of sharing and the desire to offer approximately 70 guests an original and surprising culinary experience.

Following the religious ceremony at the Church of San Teodoro in Cantù, the celebration continued in the historic setting of Villa Calchi. Here, the aperitif on the terraces and dinner in the frescoed rooms became a true culinary journey created by Michelin-starred chef Cristiano Tomei.

Getting ready and the ceremony in Cantù

The day began with the couple getting ready separately, surrounded by the people closest to them.

The bride prepared in an intimate and familiar atmosphere, amid the final touches to her hair and makeup and the growing excitement of anticipation. The groom also spent the morning preparing before making his way to the church.

The religious ceremony took place in the Church of San Teodoro in Cantù, accompanied by the notes of a violin.

An essential yet striking all-white design was chosen for the floral arrangements. Soft clouds of delicate white flowers decorated the balustrades and every pew, creating a light and ethereal effect.

Outside the church, arrangements of varying heights framed the entrance with an intentionally asymmetrical design. A more understated structure stood on one side, while a taller and more elaborate installation on the other enhanced the architecture of the façade.

The bride’s bouquet, composed entirely of peonies, completed the design with an elegant and timeless touch.

The reception at Villa Calchi

After the ceremony, the guests travelled to Villa Calchi, a historic residence surrounded by greenery and distinguished by panoramic terraces, stone interiors and enchanting frescoed rooms.

The villa provided the perfect setting for a refined reception, where historic surroundings were paired with a contemporary and creative culinary experience that deliberately defied convention.

Guests were welcomed onto the terraces by the live music of a saxophonist, who provided the soundtrack throughout the aperitif.

The couple’s entrance officially opened the celebrations with a spectacular toast accompanied by the notes of Libiamo ne’ lieti calici, immediately creating a lively atmosphere.

An aperitif as a culinary experience

The heart of the aperitif was the journey conceived by Cristiano Tomei, created through theatrical food stations and numerous small bites served to the guests.

This was not a traditional buffet, but a dynamic and surprising experience in which every preparation was presented differently and became part of a story.

An edible garden transformed food into a landscape to be explored, while a brazier was used to prepare grilled oysters. A station known as the “Chicken Coop” offered an unexpected pairing of eggs and shellfish.

The raw fish counter evoked the atmosphere of an authentic fish market, interpreted with an elegant and theatrical approach. Alongside it, a selection of baked and leavened specialities was presented in traditional baskets and containers.

These stations were complemented by a wide variety of small bites served directly to the guests: reinterpretations of lasagna and pizza, miniature fish sandwiches, anchovies in green sauce, potato cake and vegetable creations inspired by the flavours of Italian cuisine.

Each offering played with different textures, memories and styles of presentation. Small boxes, leaves, paper cones and unexpected serving pieces transformed every tasting into a curious and engaging experience.

Cristiano Tomei: instinct, territory and creative freedom

A self-taught chef and one of the most original personalities in contemporary Italian cuisine, Cristiano Tomei is known for his Michelin-starred restaurant L’Imbuto and his deeply personal culinary approach.

His cuisine is rooted in his connection to Tuscany, the Versilia coast and the most authentic flavours of family tradition. However, Tomei does not simply reproduce tradition: he observes it, deconstructs it and reinterprets it through instinct and a creativity unrestricted by rigid rules.

Seemingly simple ingredients become the starting point for surprising dishes capable of evoking memories while creating something entirely new.

His cuisine is direct, playful and, at times, provocative, yet flavour always remains at its heart. Ingredients, memory and territory come together in creations that invite guests to embrace the unexpected.

It was precisely this philosophy that made his culinary concept perfect for a wedding designed not merely as a reception, but as an experience to be lived and remembered.

Dinner in the frescoed rooms

At the end of the aperitif, the guests were invited into the villa’s two frescoed rooms for dinner.

The design continued the white palette chosen for the ceremony, enriched with delicate flowers and an abundance of candles. Along the long imperial tables, soft floral runners alternated with white taper candles and points of light held in textured glass vessels.

The arrangements were neither rigid nor geometric. Instead, they were light and gently irregular, as though the flowers had been placed naturally across the tables. The result was romantic and refined, harmonising beautifully with the frescoes and the historic character of the rooms.

The seating plan also reflected the connection between nature and the chef’s cuisine. A surface covered in real grass and decorated with white flowers introduced guests to the dinner experience from the moment they discovered their table assignments.

A menu personally presented by the chef

Dinner was conceived as a four-course culinary journey, with each dish personally presented by Cristiano Tomei.

Before every course, the chef entered the rooms to explain the inspiration and ingredients behind it, creating a direct dialogue with the guests. This transformed dinner into an even more engaging experience: each dish was not simply served but introduced through the voice and philosophy of its creator.

The menu began with the chef’s swordfish creation, followed by ravioli with olive oil and Parmigiano, finished with black kale powder. Next came a reinterpretation of rice soup with zucchine alla scapece and cultured butter, before the renowned Bistecca Primitiva, presented on tree bark.

The distinctive elements of Tomei’s cuisine could be found throughout the journey: familiar flavours transformed through unexpected combinations, preparations that were simple only in appearance and presentations designed to inspire curiosity.

Dinner was therefore not merely one moment of the wedding, but the true heart of the entire celebration.

Between courses, a pianist and a tenor performed a selection of musical interludes, alternating romantic songs with more spirited interpretations.

Poolside cake cutting

The guests then moved to the pool area for the cake cutting.

The table was framed by floral elements of varying heights, lanterns and candles, creating a warm atmosphere as sunset approached.

The couple made their way to the cake accompanied by the sound of the violin and shared a brief dance before cutting it. The moment was made even more personal by another performance from the tenor, who sang Con Te Partirò.

The wedding cake, a delicious raspberry tart, perfectly reflected the character of the entire menu: elegant, seemingly simple and entirely focused on flavour and the quality of its ingredients.

After the toast, the celebration continued in Sala Sassi with music, desserts and drinks, bringing the day to a close in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere.

This gourmet wedding at Villa Calchi transformed the reception into an authentic journey through flavour. The combination of Cristiano Tomei’s instinctive cuisine, the villa’s historic interiors, live music and a delicate floral design created an original and personal celebration that was truly unforgettable.