Ciao from Italy!

I am so excited to finally announce a passion project of mine, Storybook Abroad, our destination wedding planning brand.

As I write this, I am sitting in my apartment in Perugia, Italy where I have been spending the past month getting to continue to explore local Italian venues, develop relationships with vendors, enjoy amazing food and wine, and meeting incredible local people. Traveling and enjoying cultural cuisine are my two biggest passions in life, and I have had the opportunity to do so often.

In 2010, I moved to Italy and learned so much about Italian culture, food and language and jump started my love for traveling.  Since my time in Italy, I have returned and explored the country in depth. From skiing in Dobbiaco, to hiking in Cinque Terre and getting lost in the amazing art of Florence and Rome.

In my past I sang with a jazz group which took me to 8 countries and 27 cities in 3 months.  We spent time in Germany, England, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France.  It was an incredible trip, and I was able to see and experience so many different places.

One of my favorite moments was having to opportunity to perform at the world famous Umbria Jazz Festival at which I sang along Sting, Chic Corea, and Stefano Bollani.  It was a once in a lifetime moment and continued to open my eyes to the power of being a world explorer.

After joining the Storybook Team in 2014, my love for wedding planning and traveling intertwined.  I approached Nicole about building our destination weddings, and she supported this passion project.  Through my many connections abroad, places I had seen, and my language abilities in Italy it seemed to be our perfect next step.

After months of planning, I collaborated with over 30 vendors in Europe and the US to put together 5 Destination Wedding Styled shoots. We worked in Bruges, Belgium at one of the most romantic hotels in the world. Paris, France at a historic restaurant 5 minutes from Notre Dame, a gorgeous Chateau in the Loire Valley, a Renaissance castle in the mountains of Italy and the famous Hotel La Badia in Orvieto, Italy.  Through this process, I created working relationships and friendships with many incredible vendors.  We worked together at stunning venues to make picture perfect destination weddings a reality.

A destination wedding can literally be anything you can dream of.  When working with couples abroad, I am able to combine my knowledge of weddings, with my passion to create a dream come true.  I have spent the time to learn how to communicate with people abroad and work with them.  I have learned nuances of culture and what timelines should look like in the planning process for weddings in different countries. 

Storybook Abroad allows you to experience your planning process with a planner in person while having the trust of a planner living abroad. We can’t wait to work together to plan your wedding in Paris, the Greek Islands, a Scottish Castle, a Chateau in Provence, an Italian Villa, or any where else you can imagine.

I am so excited for our launch of Storybook Abroad as it blends together my love of wedding planning, working with amazing couples, my knowledge of travel, and continues to feed my burning desire to continue to explore the world.

Xoxo,

Lisa Jaroscak