European Weddings: From Tuscany to New England

By Samantha Knight | 2027 Bride, Rental Specialist & Wedding Coordinator

I look at weddings all day long…literally!

I work in event rentals, I coordinate weddings, I’m planning my own wedding, and I spend way too much of my free time looking at other people’s weddings. So naturally, I have opinions!

One style I cannot stop thinking about lately is the European-inspired wedding.

I picture a beautiful old property with manicured gardens. A sailcloth tent on the lawn. Lace and textured linens. Soft colors mixed with natural tones. Classic florals in beautiful vessels. Long farm tables mixed with rounds. Bistro lights, chandeliers, draping, a checkered dance floor and, obviously, a really good bar.

Basically, I want Tuscany brought to New England!

And that’s really what I want to talk about here. Maybe you love the look and feeling of weddings in Italy or the European countryside, but a destination wedding isn’t realistic—or you simply want to get married closer to home. You don’t have to give up that vision! We have so many beautiful historic estates, vineyards, family properties, beautiful farmland and some pretty incredible gardens right here in New England.

I don’t think the goal should be to recreate Italy in Massachusetts. Take the parts you’re drawn to and make them work with the beautiful places we already have here!

What Is a European-Inspired Wedding?

When I say European-inspired wedding, I’m talking about weddings influenced by the old estates, manicured gardens, outdoor dinners, architecture and traditional style we associate with places like the Italian countryside.

For me, it’s romantic, elegant and classic without being stuffy. There are natural textures, beautiful flowers, timeless fashion, good food, candlelight and details that feel special without every single thing needing to be a statement.

Here’s how I’d bring that feeling to a tented wedding in New England.

It Starts With the Property

If I were planning this wedding, the venue would be one of my biggest priorities.

Give me a historic estate, a local vineyard, manicured farmland or even a beautiful family property with enough land for a tent. I want gardens, gravel pathways, mature landscaping, old architecture—something that already has character before we’ve brought in a single rental.

And I don’t think you need to find a venue that looks like an Italian villa. However, the Brimfield House comes pretty close!

New England has its own beautiful architecture and landscapes. Lean into them! Find a property you love and then bring the European influence into everything you add.

SAMANTHA’S TAKE: I wouldn’t try to make a New England property look like Italy. I’d find somewhere that’s already beautiful and focus on what I actually love about those European weddings—the gardens, romance, long dinners, natural textures and traditional details.

Use the Whole Property

This is one of the reasons I love large properties for weddings.

You don’t have to keep everyone in one place all night!

Have your ceremony in the garden. Move somewhere else for cocktails. Let guests walk through the property on their way to the reception. Take portraits around the grounds. Then have everyone end up under the tent for dinner and dancing.

If you chose the venue because you fell in love with the property, use it!

You also don’t need to decorate every corner. A gorgeous garden, fountain, old stone wall or tree-lined pathway doesn’t need much help.

Give Me a Sailcloth Tent

Of course I was going to talk about the tent!

For this look, I LOVE sailcloth. The natural wood poles and soft peaks work so well on a beautiful property, especially when you can leave the sides open and see the gardens and landscape beyond the tent.

Then we can have some fun inside.

Bistro lights. Draping. Greenery. Chandeliers. Farm tables. Beautiful linens. Flowers. Candles.

That’s also why I love tents so much in general. We aren’t trying to design around hotel carpet or a ballroom that already has a very specific look. We get to start pretty much from scratch!

SAMANTHA’S TAKE: If you have a beautiful property, don’t fight it. I want to be able to look out of the tent and still see the reason we chose that location in the first place.

And No, It Doesn’t Have to Be All Neutral

I LOVE a neutral base, but I also love color and personality.

You could do cream and natural tones with soft blush florals and greens. You could bring in butter yellow, dusty blue or terracotta. You could go richer with red. You could add pattern. You could keep almost everything neutral and let the gardens and flowers be your color.

There are so many ways to do this.

I personally love starting softer and then choosing a few places to have more fun. A wedding can be traditional, romantic and elegant without everything being white and beige.

Lace, Linen, Wood…Give Me Texture

This is one of the things that makes the look feel a little more special to me.

I love Panama linens because they have that subtle woven texture. I love lace. I love natural wood farm tables mixed in with linen-covered rounds. Add beautiful glassware, candles and florals in vessels that don’t all look exactly the same.

You don’t necessarily need more décor. Sometimes you just need more interesting materials.

SAMANTHA’S TAKE: This is why I love mixing things instead of matching everything perfectly. Farm tables with linen-covered rounds. Lace with natural wood. Soft florals with a checkered dance floor. It makes the whole thing feel more interesting.

I Want Dinner to Feel Like a Dinner Party

This might be one of my favorite parts of the whole European-inspired wedding idea.

I want people sitting around beautiful tables, eating good food, drinking wine, talking and actually enjoying dinner.

Long farm tables are obviously beautiful for this, but I don’t think you need an entire tent of them. I actually love mixing long tables with rounds. It gives you those gorgeous long dinner tables while making the overall layout feel less repetitive.

Add linens, candles, classic florals and great glassware and you’re there.

It can be elegant without feeling overly formal.

But I Still Want a Few WOW Moments

This is where I can’t pretend I’m a minimalist.

I want the checkered dance floor.

I want a really good bar.

I want the draping and chandeliers.

Maybe there’s one incredible floral installation or another detail that’s completely unexpected.

If everything else is romantic and classic, I think you can have a LOT of fun with a few bigger design choices.

SAMANTHA’S TAKE: You don’t need every single thing at your wedding to be a statement. Pick a few things you really care about and go for it. Personally, I’m probably always going to vote for the dance floor, bar and what’s happening above your head!

Keep the Fashion Classic

This style also makes me want a really classic bridal look.

Beautiful lace. Long veils. Traditional silhouettes. Tuxedos. Things that are still going to look beautiful in photos decades from now.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with fashion or make it personal. I just think there’s something about timeless bridal fashion against an old estate and manicured gardens that is really hard to beat.

Samantha’s Picks: What I’d Pull From the Baystate Inventory

Okay, now for the fun part.

If you came to Baystate and told me you wanted a European-inspired wedding in New England, here’s where I’d start:

Sailcloth Tent — This is my first pick. Natural wood poles, beautiful peaks and open sides whenever the weather cooperates.

Panama Linens — One of my favorites for adding texture while still keeping the table soft and classic.

Lace Linens — So pretty for this look. Use them throughout or save them for a head table, cake table or a few special tables.

Bistro Lighting — I don’t think I could design this wedding without it!

Checkered Dance Floor — A little contrast and personality against all of the softer details.

A Statement Bar — Make it part of the design!

Then I’d start bringing in the pieces beyond our inventory: draping, chandeliers, classic florals, interesting vessels, candles, china and beautiful glassware.

And now I want to plan this wedding!!

You Don’t Have to Get Married in Tuscany

That’s probably the whole reason I wanted to write this.

If you’ve saved hundreds of photos from Italian weddings but you know you’re getting married in New England, that’s okay!

Don’t copy Tuscany. Figure out what you love about it.

Maybe it’s the gardens. Maybe it’s the architecture. Maybe it’s dinner outside. Maybe it’s lace, old stone, candlelight and flowers that don’t look overly arranged. Maybe it’s simply the idea of a wedding feeling romantic and traditional while still being relaxed enough that everyone wants to stay at the table a little longer.

Take those pieces and bring them here.

Find an incredible New England property. Put a beautiful tent on it. Bring in the textures, flowers, lighting and details you love. And then add enough of your own personality that it doesn’t look like you were trying to recreate somebody else’s Pinterest board!

European-inspired, but very much your own.

And yes, if you couldn’t tell, this is one of my favorite wedding looks right now.

Love this look? Explore Baystate Tent‘s sailcloth tents, farm tables, linens, dance floors and lighting—or come see us and let’s start pulling together your favorites. Let’s chat all things weddings!