Once we hear the story behind a bride's wedding dress, we love it even more. When Lydia Forte married Dimitri Chandris at a romantic Tuscan ceremony, the bride didn't look to a big designer for her gown. Instead, she wore a custom creation by someone close to her: her mother, Aliai Forte. Lydia's cream-colored dress featured delicate floral embellishments on the bell sleeves and she revealed to Vogue that the entire look was actually created around her veil. The 16-foot veil was made of antique lace, which belonged to her great-great grandmother.
"For the ceremony, we needed something grand enough to hold its own in the cathedral, but not too fussy or over the top. It had to fit the countryside and Tuscan town setting as well," Lydia said.
The couple said their "I dos" inside a rustic church in the town of Massa Marittima before hosting a reception for 400 guests in the medieval cloisters. Though the wedding was grand, it was the small personal touches that made the day romantic and familial. Scroll to see Lydia's Tuscan fairy-tale nuptials, then zoom in closer on her dress and veil. They're one of a kind, after all.