For their tenth anniversary, Brett White, CEO and president of the real-estate firm CB Richard Ellis, and his wife, Danielle, returned to the place where they were married. The Malibu couple invited family and friends to join them for three days at the 17th-century RELAIS VILLA ARCENO, part of a sprawling estate east of Siena, in Tuscany. Set in the rolling hills near the town of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the sixteen-bedroom villa was a perfect base for exploring the region, all while feeling at home. "Nothing had changed," says Danielle. "The same man and his daughter were there to greet us, and they even remembered some of our guests from the wedding."
The Guest List "We believe in intimate parties," says Danielle. "A small group also allows for more-special events."
Local Ambience The Whites asked the nearby Capannelle winery to conduct a series of tastings in the villa's garden. They also centered the menu on the Tuscan harvest. "The first evening, we served wild boar and hearty soups," says Danielle. "Everything came from the area, so the party had an authentic feel."
Favorite Touch "After a formal dinner, we decamped for the bar," recalls Danielle. "Around midnight, the owner, Signore Mancini, gave us the keys and said, 'The villa is yours.'"
Making Connections Many of the Whites' forty-nine guests continued on trips around Italy; some even ran into one another at the Hotel Savoy, in Florence, and at the Hassler, in Rome. "We felt like we helped our friends make new friends," says Danielle.
Sound Advice The Whites found that the on-site planning was best left to the villa's staff. "The point of going to another country is to experience the local way of doing things," says Danielle.
Relais Villa Arceno: Rooms from $422. 011-39-0577-359-292.
LOG-IN TO POST A COMMENT
POST A COMMENT