It is indeed magical when you find love and friendship in the same person. In a serendipitous twist of fate, Rachelle and Xavier’s love story began amidst the clinks of weights and the hum of treadmills in a New York City gym. Of all the gyms in New York, they both found themselves training in the same building! At the time, Xavier was playing for the Knicks and Rachelle was working for Wall Street. They remained good friends for a few years and reconnected four years ago in Los Angeles. That’s when their friendship transformed into something more magical and beautiful. They fell grandly in love with each other. Their love story went through an unexpected twist when Xavier was signed to the NBL in Australia in 2021 where Rachelle is originally from. And on his visit to Australia, Xavier loved it so much, that they both decided to settle there and make it their home.
And so, on 8th August, 2023 their love reached its pinnacle. Planned and organized by Mrs Smith Weddings, the wedding took place in Ravello, Italy, at the iconic Villa Cimbrone with a breathtaking view of the Amalfi Coast. In January 2023, they both approached the wedding planner and allowed them great freedom to plan a romantic wedding. Georgia and her team had adequate time in hand to plan this breathtaking, dreamy ceremony. From the country to the vendor, the wedding venue, and all the items of the day, they had complete freedom to paint Xavier and Rachelle’s wedding canvas to create something extraordinarily magical!
The venue dates back to the 11th century, adding a perfect vintage touch and timeless elegance to the decor and the ceremony as a whole. The ceremony was held in the Garden of Two Fountains. It featured bold and bright colors, contrasting the beautiful green gardens with Rachelle and Xavier atop an acrylic white platform and surrounded by florals. They also opted for a runway-style seating arrangement with multi-colored ottomans and florals perfectly intertwining between each seat to create a dramatic feature. Our gorgeous bride and groom were photographed at the iconic Terrazza dell’Infinito (Terrace of Infinity).
The reception was held in the Crypt. Unlike the ceremony which featured some bright hues of purple, pink, and white, the planners now opted for an all-white floral concept working between the arches featuring beautiful floral installations climbing the walls and creating two custom, hand-made orchid chandeliers as the dramatic feature in the center of the two arches put together by Malafronte Florals.
The wedding was further elevated by the inclusion of an exceptionally elegant table decor arrangement, meticulously curated to harmonize with the chosen all-white theme. The exquisite table decor adorned with delicate floral centerpieces breathed life into the decor and added a timeless and vintage elegance to it. Consisting of cute, little white place cards, they played a major role in directing the guests to their designated seats where they were treated to some of the most delicious meals that were prepared by the catering team at the venue, with some of the finest and selection of food and beverages in place.
Talking about her inspiration, Georgia, founder of Mrs Smith Weddings, said, “We wanted to create two different, but two very powerful styling concepts that worked seamlessly in the grounds of Villa Cimbrone. With such an iconic venue, we wanted Rachelle, Xavier, and their guests to be transported from one vision to the other as their events flowed throughout the property.”
Vendors List:
Bride- Rachelle Mayes
Groom- Xavier Rathan Mayes
Planner + Stylist- Mrs Smith Weddings
Wedding Venue- Villa Cimbrone
Photographer- Lost In Love Photography
Cinematographer- Soda Films
Dress- Palas Couture
Suit- Belance World
Florals- Armando Malafronte
Make Up- Alex Perrin
Hair- Beauty Livery
Rentals- G & G Party Service
Stationery- Mazii Collection
Lighting- LK Wedding
