Kate Upton

F 4 5 H U N · December 11, 2017

Inside Kate Upton and Justin Verlander’s Whirlwind Wedding Weekend in Tuscany

Sanni · December 11, 2017

^ 20/31 below:

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Actress and model Kate Upton and Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander came close to missing their own wedding. It’s safe to say at this point that when they started the planning process, the baseball player never anticipated going to Game 7 of the World Series, so he and his then-fiancée decided they would get married in Tuscany. They set a date for the first weekend in November. But, on November 2, instead of being en route to Italy for his November 4 wedding, Justin was on the mound—pitching a 5–1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game that’s often thought of as one of the rarest treats in sports. (The series has only gone to Game 7 39 times in baseball’s 178-year history.) Of course, ever the supportive fiancée, Kate was in the stands cheering him on. Meanwhile, all of their friends and family had already made the trip abroad for their upcoming big day.

When the two appeared on The Tonight Show shortly after returning to the States, they recounted to host Jimmy Fallon the whole wild ordeal to rounds of laughter. “Everybody is in Italy! Everyone is at the venue! We had an event that night and everyone’s texting us, saying your wedding is so pretty. Wish you were here!” Kate joked. “We got taken around our wedding via FaceTime!” Justin added, grinning.

But how could they ever get mad at America’s favorite pastime? It’s the reason the two got together in the first place, after all. “We met filming a commercial for Major League Baseball,” explains Kate. “After that, we were friends.” The two became official in 2014 and then dated for about a year and a half before he proposed. “Justin is very romantic and asked me to marry him in Turks and Caicos at sunset on a boat after a fun day of exploring and Jet Skiing.”

One of the first places they vacationed together was Italy, so when it came time to choose a venue with their wedding planner, Lisa Vorce, Tuscany was at the top of their list. “We fell in love with the Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco resort because of its amazing history and incredible scenery,” Kate says. In addition to boasting breathtaking views, all of the couple’s friends and family were able to stay on the same property, which only added to the fun.

“It was really important to Justin and me that it feel like we were on vacation with our closest friends and family,” Kate explains. “We set up an entire afternoon dedicated to interactive games, which we called the Uplander Olympics. Each guest received game-day rules, and everyone was divided into teams with custom Under Armour jerseys. The games included a ping-pong tournament, cornhole, a football toss, relay races, and an epic water balloon fight!”

For the rehearsal dinner that night, Kate and Justin asked their guests to dress in red. Kate wore a red Valentino gown and Justin sported a custom-made red tuxedo jacket. “Our mothers created a slideshow of our childhoods that went all the way up until the present day, and they showed it at the red party,” says Kate. “Then, we had an open mic for toasts, and it kept everyone laughing all night.”

The next day, the ceremony took place above the garden at the Rosewood resort. “We found a beautiful corner of paradise that Tuscany Flowers helped transform into our ‘secret garden,’” says Kate. “It was the first time the property had ever held a ceremony in this location.”

Kate took inspiration from the location for her wardrobe. “I had such a great time creating the fashion story for my wedding weekend!” the model admits. “For my ceremony dress, I had the pleasure of collaborating with the fantastic team at Valentino. They are the best at creating delicate, beautiful lace and details, and their Italian heritage kept the fashion and feel authentic to our venue. The design process was extremely collaborative, so I was able to really include my personal style and create my dream dress.” The bride had longtime friends John Ruggiero and Tracy Murphy do her hair and makeup. “We wanted to keep the beauty classic and simple for the ceremony, and then went bolder for the reception,” says Kate. “John is the best at creating a special twist on a simple updo, and Tracy is great at accentuating your favorite features without it being overdone.” Justin had collaborated with Anita Ko to create Kate’s eight-carat round diamond engagement ring, and he worked with her on the wedding rings as well. “My elderly grandmother was unable to attend the wedding due to the travel distance, so I was honored she let me borrow her sapphire ring—it became my something old, borrowed, and blue,” says Kate. Justin’s creative tuxedo was made by Cicchini Custom Clothier. “He had the idea to add a cute detail on the inside of the jacket that read: ‘Just Married’ when he held it open,” says Kate. Meanwhile, the bride’s sisters were co–maid of honors and wore Christy Rilling Studio custom-made gowns. “Needle & Thread then matched my sisters’ dresses for the rest of the bridesmaids,” says Kate. “I loved the mixture of silk and lace in the dusty rose color—it really enhanced the romantic theme.” After the ceremony, guests followed candlelit steps to historic medieval castle ruins. “Justin and I didn’t want to take away from the natural beauty of the location, so Michelangelo Greenhouse constructed an actual greenhouse for our reception,” Kate explains. “The romance theme continued with lots of chandeliers, candles, and flowers. My favorite touch was the blue and white plates, which gave it the pop of color.”

Following dinner, toasts, and a first dance to Michael Bublé’s “Everything,” Kate switched into a look with a plunging back that was the total opposite of her ceremony gown. “I wanted a dress that I could have fun in, but that still brought the glamour,” she says of the gown she created with Christy Rilling Studio.

Later on in the evening, Kate surprised Justin with a fireworks display that lit up the Tuscan sky while they cut their cake. Then two bands—the Soul Brothers and The Kitts—kept the dance floor packed all night long. Later, those still looking to party moved on to a villa for late-night karaoke. The next day, the newly minted Mr. and Mrs. Verlander took off for their honeymoon in Puglia—the perfect way to cap off a whirlwind wedding week that all started with taking home a World Series title. #Winning all around.

Wiley Valentine designed the couple’s invitation suite.

“One of the first places we vacationed together was Italy,” says Kate. “It’s extremely romantic and will always be a special place for us. We fell in love with the Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco resort [as a venue] because of its amazing history and incredible scenery.”

“It was really important to Justin and me that it feel like we were on vacation with our closest friends and family,” Kate explains. “We set up an entire afternoon dedicated to interactive games, which we called the Uplander Olympics.”

Each guest received game-day rules, and everyone was divided into teams with custom Under Armour jerseys.

The games included a ping-pong tournament, cornhole, a football toss, relay races, and an epic water balloon fight. Here, Justin and Kate share a sweet moment on the field.

The theme for the rehearsal dinner was the red, and Justin and Kate asked all of the guests to dress in the vibrant color.

Kate wore a red Valentino gown and Justin sported a custom-made red tuxedo jacket.

“Our mothers created a slideshow of our childhoods that went all the way up until the present day, and they showed it at the red party,” says Kate. “Then, we had an open mic for toasts, and it kept everyone laughing all night.”

The bride had longtime friends John Ruggiero and Tracy Murphy do her hair and makeup. “We wanted to keep the beauty classic and simple for the ceremony, and then went bolder for the reception,” explains Kate.

Justin had collaborated with Anita Ko to create Kate’s eight-carat round diamond engagement ring, and he worked with her on the wedding rings as well.

Kate’s glittery Manolo Blahnik wedding shoes.

“For my ceremony dress, I had the pleasure of collaborating with the fantastic team at Valentino,” says Kate. “They are the best at creating delicate, beautiful lace and details, and their Italian heritage kept the fashion and feel authentic to our venue. The design process was extremely collaborative, so I was able to really include my personal style and create my dream dress.”

Kate’s sisters were co–maid of honors and wore Christy Rilling Studio custom-made gowns. “Needle & Thread then matched my sisters’ dresses for the rest of the bridesmaids,” explains the bride. “I loved the mixture of silk and lace in the dusty rose color—it really enhanced the romantic theme.”

Justin’s creative tuxedo was made by Cicchini Custom Clothier. “He had the idea to add a cute detail on the inside of the jacket that read: ‘Just Married’ when he held it open,” says Kate.

A pre-ceremony portrait of the groomsmen.

The ceremony took place above the garden at the Rosewood resort. “We found a beautiful corner of paradise that Tuscany Flowers helped transform into our ‘secret garden,’” says Kate.

This was the first time the property had ever held a ceremony in this location.

Kate and Justin exchanging their vows.

The kiss!

Mr. and Mrs. Verlander!

Sanni · December 12, 2017

Completed set below. I love her veil!

Posing for post-ceremony pictures.

Kate and Justin with their bridal party post-ceremony.

After the ceremony, guests followed candlelit steps to historic medieval castle ruins for the reception.

The romance theme continued with lots of chandeliers, candles, and flowers.

“My favorite [decor] touch was the blue and white plates, which gave it the pop of color,” says Kate.

Kate and Justin didn’t want to take away from the natural beauty of the location, so Michelangelo Greenhouse constructed an actual greenhouse for the reception.

The couple’s first dance was to Michael Bublé’s “Everything.”

Taking that first spin on the dance floor.

Kate ultimately switched into a look that was the total opposite of her ceremony gown for the reception. “I wanted a dress that I could have fun in, but that still brought the glamour,” she says. “I worked with Christy Rilling Studio to create exactly what I’d envisioned.”

Kate surprised Justin with a fireworks display that lit up the Tuscany sky while they cut their cake.

The next day, the newlyweds took off for their honeymoon in Puglia.

VS19 · December 19, 2017

Sanni · December 19, 2017

She actually played for real!!! Instead of doing the whole “how can I pose in such a way as to make an association to sex positions while pretending to work out.” I love her final pose!