Kendall Bixler Ritter and Natan Szymczyk had already been dating for five years—they met on the rowing team at the University of California, Berkeley—when they were separated from each other during the pandemic. Natan, still a rower, was training for the Olympics in his native Poland, then competing in the U.K. when the world shut down.
After eight long months apart, they found a travel loophole and made up for lost time. “We planned to meet in Mexico; if we spent two weeks there, Natan would then be able to enter the United States,” Kendall remembers. “Natan planned a trip to Isla Mujeres, a little island off the coast of Cancun, while we were there. We spent all day driving around in a golf cart, visiting beaches and exploring, and ended up in a beautiful area along the cliffs where he proposed!”
They’d fallen in love by traveling the world, and it was travel that reunited them, so a destination wedding was naturally part of the plan. They looked to one of their favorite places, Italy, and found Il Palagio. “Il Palagio felt like so much more than a venue, but a home where we could be comfortable and a magical place that spoke for itself just as it was,” Kendall says. And that wasn’t the only venue.
Their wedding weekend encompassed four days of events across the region. “We started in Florence, our favorite city in Italy, with all of our closest friends and family at a rehearsal dinner at Sabatini, then shuttled everyone the next day to Il Palagio,” Kendall says. “We hosted a pink-and-white welcome party with the incredible 12-piece horn band Bandakadabra and ate every type of fresh mozzarella and gelato.” The wedding day followed and, the day after that, a pickleball tournament and pool party. Everything was masterfully planned by Over The Moon Editor's Pick Planner Design Anarchy.
A common theme ran throughout the weekend. “I love the 1970s and was inspired by Slim Aarons photography,” Kendall says. “Sally from Stationery Stories made it her own and added such a special touch to the details, invitations, and day-of paper and inspired custom striped chairs, cushions, and bar. We wanted our day to be full of joy, lots of flowers, feel like a party, and have many personal touches. My late mom often had dahlias and colorful flowers on our dining room table, and that was the first thing I imagined at Il Palagio and throughout the wedding.”
Fashion followed suit, with pops of pink and vintage touches. “The first day I went wedding dress shopping, I found an amazing, classic dress by Alexandra Grecco I knew would be perfect for our welcome party,” Kendall says. She paired it with vintage striped pink-and-white Manolo Blahnik heels and a vintage Chanel bag, while Natan wore a linen suit and pink seersucker bowtie.
On the big day, Kendall started in the Giselle gown from Ines Di Santo’s 2017 collection. “I spent hours at Nyanza Bridal with Ashley, who let me try on everything under the sun,” Kendall says. “I knew immediately when I tried this on that it was the one! It was perfectly delicate, with beautiful vintage-like lace and a classic neckline and sheer top. My best friend, brother, and I were in tears!” She found a second dress, too—a party-ready ostrich feather-trimmed stunner by Liz Martinez. “For the wedding day, I wanted to feel like myself with a classic updo and natural glowy makeup,” she adds. Marcela Bantea delivered the look.
On September 16, 2023, Kendall walked down the aisle with her uncles to her late mother’s favorite song, “Close to You” by Carpenters. “The ceremony was out of a dream,” she says. “Dahlias, delphiniums, and colorful flowers lined the aisles, guests were seated in beautiful chairs with custom green-and-white striped cushions, and the magical landscape of Tuscany was in front of us.” The bride’s brother officiated the ceremony—but he almost didn’t get to finish. “We were so happy and excited after we kissed that we immediately started celebrating and walking down the aisle before my brother could pronounce us husband and wife!” Kendall says. “I felt so at peace and bubbling over with joy to marry the love of my life.”
Guests grabbed cocktails from a pink-and-white striped bar and gathered around the pool for cocktail hour. “There was live music from Tess and the Yellow Cabbies and fresh cheese, fresh-cut prosciutto, and other delicious bites,” Kendall describes. “Afterward, guests were led up through the garden to the dining area.” Florist Tuscany Flowers and lighting designer Kayledo had outfitted the reception space to perfection, with vibrant florals and pops of color across the tablescapes, where Galateo RiceVimenti served fresh pasta, filet mignon, and sea bass. “Natan’s father made his famous tincture, a homemade vodka that we had all weekend long.”
“We surprised guests with pastry chefs making a massive Italian millefoglie cake as they entered the dance floor; it was so much fun to see the surprise on everyone’s faces,” Kendall says. “We had our first dance to ‘You Are the Best Thing’ by Ray LaMontagne, a classic song we always play when we make pizza together at our home in San Francisco. After, Natan and his mother and my uncle and I danced to ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ to bring everyone on the dance floor.”
As the night wound to a close, the bride’s best friend ran and jumped into the pool. “Everyone followed, belly-flopping and cheering,” Kendall shares. “There were far too many tuxedos and dresses ruined”—she herself changed into a slip dress to save her Liz Martinez one—“but we had an absolute blast. I remember seeing my uncle fly into the pool in slow motion with his full tuxedo on. It was a memory to last a lifetime.”
