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 co-founder of a real estate investment company, with a proposal in the harbour of Portofino at golden hour. “After Charlie said yes, the village of Italians visiting Portofino erupted in applause and cheers,” remembers 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 colours; 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 colours.
” Fashion was a key part of the equation for the to-be-weds. They even made multiple dresscode moodboards for all the guests to follow. “We wanted each night to have a very different outfit,” they note.
At the welcome event, the grooms both donned custom double-breasted linen suits from Brunello Cuccinelli with matching loafers, while Charlie accessorised with a gold A. Lange & Söhne watch. For the wedding ceremony and reception, Charlie wore a double-breasted Brioni tuxedo with patent leather Zegna shoes, while Sam also went custom with a double-breasted tuxedo from Savile Row.
The morning after, the newlyweds donned Dolce and Gabbana speedos and Jacquemus and Marni shirts to fit their “fruity and fabulous” pool party’s theme. To finish off their wedding wardrobes, the couple each wore linen over shirts from Brioni to dine in the vineyard. Music was an equally important consideration for the grooms’ wedding plans.
The duo hired Nick Noorlind to DJ throughout the weekend, but also had multiple live performances to bring extra energy to the celebrations. Boys4Road was an Italian roaming band that joined the welcome party, while The Ellingtons band and electric violinist Andrea Casta got guests on the dancefloor on the wedding night. The grooms even had Norwegian pop star Dagny give a special show at the reception: “Dagny has since reached out saying it was the most beautiful wedding she’s performed at,” the couple shares.
The weekend closed out on a classical note with a string quartet by ALR Music and opera singers Three Tenors. The grooms spent the morning of their ceremony together with their wedding party – complete with matching pyjama sets and Chappell Roan dance parties. After photos with photographer David Bastianoni , it was time to tie the knot.
“The ceremony took place during golden hour as the yellow light pierced through the trees on the castle ruins as the warm breeze cooled the space,” remembers the couple. After a procession of their wedding party, the grooms each walked down the aisle arm-in-arm with their parents. Sam walked down the aisle as a string quartet played Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” while Charlie walked down to Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted”.
Charlie shares, “I had never seen Sam cry so much in our almost eight years of dating. I was nervous and overwhelmed with emotion as I awaited saying yes to my sunshine!” After a cocktail hour complete with mozzarella and prosciutto stations, guests headed to the greenhouse-style structure filled with long reception tables adorned with whimsical branches and wild floral arrangements in shades of red, green and white. The night was filled with a three-course dinner, speeches from the wedding party and Charlie’s father, and plenty of moments on the dancefloor.
Guests who could make it after hours then headed to Charlie and Sam’s villa for late-night snacks. The newlyweds share that many of their guests tell them their Italian wedding “changed their lives” as it was filled with so much love. “Sam and I have been on cloud nine since the weekend,” shares Charlie.
“We are thrilled to begin our next chapter as husbands.”.
