Andrea & Jessica – A City Elopement in Italy

Lesbian two bride elopement in Venice Italy captured by Rita Foldi from AmorVincitOmnia (1)

We have been together officially for nine years. However, we have known each other for a little over thirteen years and actually went to high school together in the U.S. But did not meet until years later through a mutual friend.

We met at a New Year’s Eve party and got dared to kiss each other during a game.

Tell us about the two proposals.

We had two proposals. Jessica proposed to Andrea first in 2020 in an intimate garden lit with the most romantic string lights in Savannah, Georgia. Andrea then proposed to Jessica a year later in a beautiful botanical garden under a vine-covered walkway next to a mini-waterfall in St. Petersburg, Florida. Each proposal was perfect in every way. Just the two of us being vulnerable and passionate about our desires to love each other and grow our family together.

Talk us through the decision to elope.

Andrea was actually the one that came up with the idea to elope in Italy. I had mentioned the idea of eloping a few times as we had pushed off any plans of a wedding anytime soon because of COVID and our large families. It seemed like the perfect time to do it as we were planning a vacation to Italy. It was intimate with just the two of us. There is no pressure from anyone to do what they want on our wedding day or the stress of trying to make it perfect. It was perfect because it was just about us. Plus, we saved a bunch of money by going the non-traditional route.

Tell us about telling your loved ones that you’re now married.

We told them right before we left for Italy and knew they were a little sad that they couldn’t be there but understood our decision to do what was best for us. We had a celebratory dinner with just our most intimate family and friends when we returned home.

Talk us through the actual elopement.

Paola from Love Gracefully planned everything for us, including the schedule. She was a lifesaver because we didn’t have to worry about finding vendors across the world in another country where we didn’t speak the language. We hired Rita, our photographer, separately because we absolutely fell in love with her photos. You could look at her pictures and feel the love and passion between each couple. So we knew we had to hire her to capture our day.

The actual day was very relaxing, with Letizia completing our hair and makeup together. We wanted to get ready together and just experience everything as a couple, as we usually do. Serena performed our beautiful ceremony as local Italians and tourists surrounded the square to watch and cheer us on into wedding bliss.

What does the future hold for you both?

We are actually starting to plan for a baby. In the U.S., LGBTQ+ couples have more unique challenges in having a child and growing their family. We have been exploring all of our options and saving money to put towards our dream of expanding from 2 furbabies to 2 furbabies and 1 human baby. Our dogs don’t quite get the sounds of a crying baby yet, but they hopefully will soon.