Wedding Party
OFFICIANT
Lino Pertile: Lino and his wife Anna
were the House Masters of Eliot House during our time at Harvard and
are currently leading Harvard's Center for Italian Renaissance Studies in Tuscany. We fell in love at
Eliot, so our time with Lino, Anna, and the Eliot community holds special significance to us as a couple.
Given our fond memories of Eliot house dinners, Stein Clubs, and Agassiz Cup crew races, we're especially
honored and excited that Lino will be officiating our wedding. Floreat domus de Eliot!
BRIDESMAIDS
Sarah Heilbronner:
Sarah was Laura's college roommate and a fellow member of the beloved Eliot House. The summer after graduation, Sarah spent six weeks
backpacking around Europe with Erik & Laura. Now, Sarah lives in Rochester, New York where she is finishing her PhD in neuroscience
from Duke University.
Maura Graul: Maura met Laura through
Harvard Model Congress during their freshman year. After some memorable rides on the Paris metro, the two quickly
became friends and went on to lead HMC together during their senior year. When she's not making Britney megamixes,
Maura now studies at Harvard Business School.
Julie Arkcoll: Julie is a fellow member
of the Madrid ex-pats club. In her free time, Julie enjoys cooking, eating mushrooms out of a can, and traveling back
home to Cape Town. This winter, she and Laura hope to graduate from the bunny slopes.
Erin Stephenson: Erin's known Laura since
her fifth birthday party and the two were inseparable during high school. Like Laura, Erin grew up in Elkmont, Alabama and
later moved to Mobile to attend the Alabama School of Math & Science. Erin graduated from the prestigious Cooper Union
School for Architecture and is passionate about design.
GROOMSMEN
Alex Schultink: Alex is the brother of the
groom. He graduated from Stanford in 2009 and is now pursuing his PhD in plant biology at Berkeley. Alex is looking forward
to showing Erik up on the ski slopes this winter.
Will Morris: Will is the loving brother of
the bride. After spending last summer with Erik & Laura in Madrid, he's excited to head back to Europe. When he's not
cheering on the Crimson Tide, Will is a second year law student at The University of Alabama.
Phil Arkcoll: Phil works with Erik
in Madrid and is bridesmaid Julie's husband. In spite of his South African roots, Phil's an avid skier and can't
wait to hit the slopes with Erik over the holidays. In his free time, Phil enjoys talking about newsfeeds, practicing
his braai-ng skills, and working out at the Reebok gym.
Zaryn Dentzel: Zaryn works with Erik in Madrid.
Originally from California, Zaryn enjoys organizing chili cookoffs, sipping Hierbas, and listening to Enya. Forget the bachelor
party, Zaryn can't wait for the bouquet toss.
USHERS
Ben Pankow: Ben was Erik's best friend in high school,
where they ran track and cross country together. Ben is pursuing his Master's in Sports Management. He enjoys marathons and
demonstrating proper running form.
Mark Spong: Mark was Erik's college roommate for 3 years.
After Harvard, Mark completed his Master's in Education at Stanford and became a Math teacher. Mark enjoys movies and board games.
Calendar of Events
All events will take place on the premises of the Il Borro estate unless otherwise noted.
It's your vacation so feel free to join us for all or only some of the events. Please just note your preferences in the Online RSVP Form.
Thursday, August 30th
Noontime (TBD): Shuttle pick-up
Buses will pick guests up from the airports and/or Florence city center.
From 1pm: Benvenuto!
Check-In to Il Borro
7pm: Welcome Dinner
Come down to the pool to enjoy drinks, eats, and gelato!
Attire: Pool Party Casual
Friday, August 31st
8-10am: Continental Breakfast
10am: Sightseeing Trips Depart (Rank your favorites!)
Options Include:
- Photo Safari Trip to Tuscan Hill Towns
- Shopping in Florence
- Biking & Tasting Tour Along the Wine Road
- Sightseeing in Sienna
6pm: Wine Tasting on the Osteria del Borro roof terrace.
7:30pm: Rehearsal Dinner at Osteria del Borro trattoria.
Attire: Smart Casual
Saturday, September 1st
8-10am: Continental Breakfast
10-5pm: Free Day at Il Borro
Relax by the pool, go horseback riding, or play some tennis.
5pm Onwards: Wedding Ceremony & Reception
Special Guest Officiant: Lino Pertile, Former Eliot House Master
Attire: Cocktail Attire
Sunday, September 2nd
10:30am: Alabama-Michigan Themed Brunch
Enjoy pancakes & mimosas while you swap stories from last night.
Attire: Gameday Casual
12pm: Option 1: Screening of the Alabama-Michigan Football Game at the Villa
12pm: Option 2: Sightseeing Trips Depart
Options Include:
- Afternoon in Arezzo
- Traditional Tuscan Cooking Class
- Shopping at the Prada Outlet in Montevarchi
- Photo Safari Trip to Tuscan Hill Towns
6pm: Farewell Tapas Dinner at the Il Borro Villa
Attire: Casual
Monday, September 3rd (Labor Day)
Early Morning (TBD): Continental Breakfast
6-10am: Arrivederci!
Shuttle buses depart for Florence city center and/or airports from the Il Borro Spa.
Additional activities offered at Il Borro
Looking for even more to do? Here's a sampling of activities offered at the Il Borro estate.Cooking Courses
L'Osterria del Borro - 3hr course approx 87€ includes lunch. 09.30am - 12.30pm. Booking recommended.
Tel: +39 055 977115
Archery Lessons
Borro Archery - Thursday. 3pm - 6pm. 12euros per person/per hour.
Contact Reception: +39 055 977053
Jewelery Making
Oro del Borro - 2hr lessons upon request (max 1 person). Price 50€. Closed on Saturdays.
Tel: +39 055 977153. Web: www.orodelborro.com.
Wood Turning
Mancini Tornitore del Borro. Lessons available Friday evenings 6pm - 8pm.
Tel: +39 338 990 5903 or +39 055 9199203
Ceramics/Pottery Course
Vetro e Ceramica del Borro. Creative 3hr course for 5 - 20 people. 50€ per person. Weekdays only.
Wine/Olive Oil Tasting
Il Borro winery. Thursday/Friday 9.30am - 5pm excluding lunchtime. 15€ per person.
Wine tasting office: +39 055 9772921
Horseback Riding
25€ per person/per hour.
Contact Alison: +39 348 2490603 or reception +39 055 977053
Mountain Biking
10€ per bike per half day or 20€ per bike full day.
Contact reception: 0039 055 977053
Fishing
Head to the Il Borro pond for a relaxing fishing trip.
Contact reception: 0039 055 977053
Driving Range
Practice on the 250yd driving range on the estate. Clubs available at reception. Clubs 10€, ball dispenser 1€ per basket.
Tennis
2 courts available, racquets available from reception. Price - daylight 13€ per hr. Night (from 8pm) 16€ per hr.
Massages & Spa Services
Thai/Regenerating/Antistress/Reflexology massages in the privacy of your room. 40 - 75€ per hr. Tel Roberta: +39 333 8629248 or reception: +39 055 977053. Also consider a visit to the "Le Corte" spa located in the center of the Il Borro property for additional spa services.
Travel Information
Accommodations: Il Borro
All of the events for our wedding weekend will take place on the grounds of Il Borro, a 1000+ acre estate located in the Tuscan countryside (about 1 hour from Florence).
The estate includes an English-country style villa, a medieval "borgo" (or village) with apartment-style rooms, and several classic Tuscan farmhouses. We've created a map of the area.
We have allocated rooms for all of our guests on the grounds of Il Borro. We strongly recommend staying on the estate.
Please contact Laura to reserve your room at lmorris at post.harvard.edu.
We have rooms blocked from Thursday until Monday (a total of 4 nights). If you'd like to extend your stay, please let Laura know as soon as possible, since it will be high season in Tuscany.
Flights & Transportation
If you're flying from the US, we strongly encourage you to let us know your preferred travel dates as soon as possible so that our travel agent can help you locate a reduced airfare rate. Click here to submit your preferred flight dates and departure cities.
The closest airport to Il Borro is Florence, Italy.
If you're only coming to Italy for the wedding, we'd recommend that you fly into and out of Florence (our travel agent has found some great rates!) to minimize your travel time.
If you'd like to extend your stay in Italy, flying into and out of Florence probably doesn't make sense for you. Consider booking an "open jaw" ticket (flying into one city and out of another) to minimize your time in transit within Italy.
Other Airport Options (in order of proximity):- Pisa, Italy (2 hour drive from Il Borro)
RyanAir flies non-stop from Madrid to Pisa. - Bologna, Italy (2 hour drive from Il Borro)
Iberia & RyanAir fly non-stop from Madrid to Bologna.
Iberia also flies non-stop from Barcelona to Bologna. - Rome, Italy (2.5 hour drive from Il Borro)
A solid option for those flying from the USA or those looking to extend their trip.
We will be organizing shuttle bus service from the airports and/or Florence city center to/from Il Borro. Exact pickup and departure times TBD.
If you're reaching Il Borro by car, be sure to enter through the main gate rather than proceeding to the center of the village on Google Maps. The closest town is San Giustino Valdarno. You can look at directions published by Il Borro, or the Google Map below. On the map below, you want to get to the yellow placemarker - the "Main Gate".
View Erik & Laura Wedding Transport in a larger map
The closest train station to Il Borro is Montevarchi-Terranuova - about a 20-25 min drive from the estate. It's served from Florence by train every 30 minutes; we'd recommend you check schedules and book your trains in advance from the TrenItalia website. There appear to be several taxi companies in the town. We haven't researched prices or their willingness to take you to Il Borro, but we assume it's close enough to be reasonable. We'd recommend you call in advance to discuss times and prices with them, and then plan to call them again when you're en route to ensure they meet your train.
Extending Your Stay in Italy
If you're able to extend your trip, do it! There's so much to do & see in Italy, but below we've shared some of our favorite itineraries. These itineraries are editable Google Docs, so please add your ideas if you've got hotel tips, restaurant recommendations, or sightseeing suggestions for any of these cities.
- Central Italy: Rome-Florence-Venice
- Northern Italy: Milan & The Lake District
- Southern Italy: Naples & The Amalfi Coast
Registry Information
Hi Everyone,
First off, we know this is said often, but it's how we truly feel: Your presence at our wedding is the greatest gift we could ask for. The time, effort and expense of traveling to be with us in Italy is something that we deeply appreciate. We are so happy to be celebrating this special occasion with you!
We are blessed to have a lot of the "essential" home items that a newly engaged couple needs. And, since we're currently living in Europe, we're trying not to accumulate too many "extras" while we're overseas.
Instead of a traditional wedding registry, we've opted to register for some truly memorable experiences -- a bit of adventure to kickstart our new life as husband & wife. One experience that we're looking forward to is running a half marathon in London this fall in support of our local public high schools. We're excited (well..Laura's excited-slash-nervous) to be lacing up in support of the Elkmont & Williamston High School Foundations.
We greatly appreciate and will fondly remember these gifts for years to come. And, we promise to post plenty of photos on Facebook & Tuenti!
Love,
Erik & Laura
Latest News
6 September, 2026
The polaroids are back
Hi All,
Vibe-coded out all the old Flash, upgraded to latest Python runtime; here's to posterity and 14 years!
Love,
Laura & Erik
20 March, 2017
Almost Five Years!
Hi All,
Can you believe it's almost been five years!? As Google's phasing out Python 2.5, we ported this - hence the update. Not sure what our future plans for this site will be, but in the meantime, we're leaving it around for the fond memories. We hope you all had even a fraction of the joy we did.
Love,
Laura & Erik
25 July, 2012
Transport Details
Currently, we'll have two shuttles from Florence center to Il Borro:
- 30 August - 2 pm (14:00)
- 30 August - 5 pm (17:00)
- 2 Sept - 1 pm (13:00)
- 3 Sept - 4 am (04:00)
If you're not coming by shuttle, we've updated the Google Map with some more transport options. A possibility for those who wish to try it is connecting by train all the way to Montevarchi-Terranuova, the closest station to Il Borro. It's a 20-25 minute drive from Il Borro, so probably you can convince someone to come pick you up. We also assume you'll be able to get a taxi there, but you should call and check availability/prices in advance.
Please book your train tickets in advance. While booking online before you arrive in Italy is best, at the very latest you should get to the first train station you can upon arrival in Italy and book all the tickets you need for the duration of your trip. The fastest, most convenient trains to/from the major cities and tourist destinations will certainly sell out in August/September. And even if not, you can usually save a lot of money and hassle by booking discounted tickets (check restrictions) and/or those with reserved seating in advance.
Love,
Laura & Erik
4 June, 2012
Invitations in the Mail!
Hope everyone's summer is off to a great start! Laura & I have spent the past several weeks deep in "wedding planning" mode -- we made a return visit to Il Borro, firmed up the menus with the caterers, booked the band, and now just mailed out the invitations. The weekend is really shaping up!
We're incredibly happy that so many of you are able to join us in Tuscany. If you haven't RSVPed yet, we ask that you please let us know by July 1st. You can RSVP online by clicking the button on the left sidebar.
We look forward to celebrating with you soon!
Love,
Laura & Erik
A Note on Accommodations
For those of you that already know your travel plans, feel free to RSVP (using the online form at the bottom of the website) at any time. For those of you that aren't quite sure yet, please just stay in touch -- drop us an email to let us know what you're thinking so that we can be sure to hold enough rooms for the group.
Love,
Laura & Erik
Welcome to our wedding website!
A lot has happened since we got engaged at the end of August... We chose a date (Labor Day weekend!), booked a venue (Il Borro in Tuscany!), and asked our officiant (Lino from Eliot House!) Our friends in Madrid threw us a fantastic engagement party here on this side of the pond. And we had a great time celebrating with our families at an engagement tailgate in Alabama. While it's been a bit of a whirlwind, we've enjoyed every minute!
We're also really enjoying the wedding planning process. (Crazy, we know.) While our paper Save the Dates are still in production, we'll use the wedding website to keep you in the loop about our wedding plans. In the meantime, if you've got questions, feel free to shoot us a note.
We really appreciate the love and support that each of you has shown us over the years, and we can't wait to celebrate with you in Italy!
Love,
Laura & Erik