“Gossip Girl'”s Ed Westwick Marries “Supergirl'”s Amy Jackson in Italy: 'Limoncello, Dancing and Organized Chaos' (Exclusive)
Guests at the three-day destination celebration included Westwick's former 'Gossip Girl' costar Kelly Rutherford and model and actress Daisy Lowe
Ed Westwick and Amy Jackson are married.
After tying the knot during a small civil ceremony at The Connaught Hotel in London on Aug. 9, the Gossip Girl alum, 37, and the actress, 32, said "I do" for a second time on Saturday, Aug. 24, in a destination wedding in Italy.
The couple invited 220 guests, who traveled from the U.S., India and various parts of Europe, to join them for a three-day-long celebration on the Amalfi Coast. Jackson tells PEOPLE the picturesque region was "the perfect place" to host their nuptials, citing its "timeless romance and vintage charm."
"We wanted a wedding spot that was not only naturally beautiful, surrounded by the ocean, hills and vineyards, but also unique, and we found just that," the Supergirl star adds.
Guests included Westwick's former Gossip Girl costar Kelly Rutherford, model and actress Daisy Lowe, comedian and actor Jack Whitehall and his partner Roxy Horner, film producer Mohammed Al Turki and cosmetics mogul Dr. Barbara Sturm.
The festivities kicked off on Friday, Aug. 23, with a sunset cruise on the Motonave Patrizia. "We sailed along the coastline of Ravello, Positano and Sorrento and then anchored at Capri for a dip [in the sea] as the sun set behind the Faraglioni rocks," says Jackson.
Looking to capture the nostalgic glamour of Capri's golden era, the cruise featured blue-and-white décor and live Italian music. The couple and their guests sipped on Bellinis and enjoyed a menu of Neapolitan-inspired cuisine — overseen by Michelin-starred chef Salvatore Iazzetta of Ristorante Rear in Naples — along with sushi prepared fresh onboard by Vero Omakase.
Iazzetta's menu featured starters such as zucchine alla scapece (zucchini with mint) and melanzane a funghetto (eggplant, tomato and basil); street food including pasta fritters and deep-fried arancini; citrus risotto and raviolo with cacio ricotta cheese as entrées; and desserts such as fresh fruit and delizia al limone (lemon sponge cake).
On Saturday, the couple — who worked with wedding planning firm Bianco Bouquet, as well as concierge service Elite Villas — held their ceremony at the historic Castello di Rocca, nestled in the hills and offering sweeping views of the sea. "It was the perfect setting, offering old-world charm and the ideal backdrop for the classic styles of our Italian designers Giorgio Armani and Alberta Ferretti," says Jackson.
To infuse a sense of home into their special day, they filled the 16th-century venue with flower arrangements and other flora, with help from Federica Sottili of The Blonde Flower.
"We recently moved into our new home in the British countryside, and our garden brings us so much happiness and peace. We wanted to recreate that enchanted garden feel for our ceremony," Jackson notes.
Sottili lined the aisle with white cherry trees surrounded by white roses, making the pathway "feel like a secret garden," Jackson says, noting, "Walking down the aisle felt like stepping into an enchanted world."
Jackson's 4-year-old son, Andreas — whom she shares with ex Andreas Panayiotou — served as Westwick's best man, along with the actor's friend Mike. The trio made their walk to the James Brown hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)," performed by a string quartet.
"We both wanted [Andreas] to be an integral part of this special moment," Westwick — who wore an Armani tuxedo with a white jacket and black pants — tells PEOPLE. "He walked down the aisle with me, carried the rings and waited for his mother with me."
Adds Jackson, "I think it’s a really beautiful way to honor their bond and make sure he feels part of our celebration."
The bride — who made her way down the aisle accompanied by flower girls to her favorite song, "Nuvole Bianche" by Ludovico Einaudi — wore a custom-made gown by Italian designer Alberta Ferretti, with whom Jackson has collaborated for years. The gown was made from a light and airy mikado fabric, ideal for the Italian summer heat.
"The dress Alberta created made me feel like the best version of myself, indulging my hopeless romantic side for the day," Jackson says, before sharing a favorite detail of her bridal look. "The 15-foot hand-embroidered veil brought me to tears when I first saw it."
For the reception, Jackson donned a second look by Pronovias Atelier, inspired by her love for the French couturier Madame Grès' draped, sculptural designs. "By combining a modern embellished corset and diamond rain-like gloves with vintage elements, [it's] the perfect fusion of past and present," Jackson says of the dress.
Since she and Westwick did traditional vows at their London ceremony, they took this occasion to recite handwritten vows to each other. "It felt like the perfect way to share our love story," Jackson explains. "Using our own words allowed us to make personal promises for our future, and also look back on our journey together so far."
"Even among the 220 guests, it felt like it was just us two in the room," she adds.
After sealing things with a kiss, the newlyweds exited the ceremony to Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," with their loved ones dancing down the aisle behind them.
After the ceremony, everyone put on slippers and paraded around the castle walls, led by flag bearers and musicians. "There was limoncello, dancing, singing and total organized chaos," the actress jokes.
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The reception kicked off with an apertivo featuring a series of live cooking stations — everything from an oyster bar and a vegetarian corner to a friggitoria section serving up fried pizzas with tomato, basil and parmesan. Jackson and Westwick locally sourced the wine from the Villa Matilde Avallone winery in Cellole. Non-alcoholic champagne from Johnson Reserve was also served.
"Great food and drink was a biggie for us — we wanted our guests to leave full and happy," Westwick notes, adding, "We also wanted to embrace the seasonal produce of the Amalfi Coast and have a unique menu typical of the region."
A seated dinner followed, starting with a pasta primi course of gnocchetti with asparagus and a guanciale, date and caciocavallo fondue, as well as Neapolitan-style escarole with restricted anchovy sauce and black truffle. For the main course, guests enjoyed snapper with scampi and clam guazzetto sauce.
"It was a feast that truly celebrated the rich flavors of Italian cuisine," says Westwick.
Related: Kelly Rutherford Says She's 'So Excited' to Attend Gossip Girl Costar Ed Westwick's Wedding
In addition to an array of desserts, pastry chef Damiano Carrara made the couple's decadent, five-tier wedding cake layer featuring a layer of white chocolate and candied roses, followed by a vanilla Bavarian cream layer. The base was a pate à choux biscuit, topped with a lychee mousse and finished with a raspberry gelée.
In a special touch to honor Westwick's late mother and father, Carole and Peter, Carrara also created an assortment of strawberry and meringue-inspired chocolates, their favorite treat. The confections were nestled into boxes engraved with Carole and Peter's names and given to each guest as a favor.
"I know they’re up there looking down on us and I wanted to have them involved in some way," Westwick says of his parents.
After dinner, the bride and groom took to the dance floor for their first dance, set to the Frank Sinatra classic "Fly Me to the Moon" — but it was very short-lived. "The bridesmaids were briefed to crash our first dance after 60 seconds. We managed to get our moves in during that time — anything longer would have been entertaining for all the wrong reasons!" Jackson recounts.
Westwick's friend and For You band member Hans Kristian Nordin then remixed the Sinatra song and segued the music to "Dancing in the Moonlight" so everyone could join in and dance along.
The wedding weekend capped off on Sunday, Aug. 25, with a farewell brunch at the Giardini del Fuenti beach club in the town of Vietri sul Mare. The occasion was all about "kicking back and relaxing," Amy says, sharing that the group enjoyed a family-style Italian meal "under the lemon trees followed by an afternoon of sunbathing and taking in the beautiful view."
Chef Ciro Oliva of the famous Naples pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi prepared an assortment of pizzas and other local fare. The meal finished on a sweet note: "To top it all off, we had the most insane freshly made donut. A perfect treat prepared right in front of us," Jackson says.
During the brunch, the club's pool area was decked out with "Westwick wedding" floats, and a group of performers strolled the gardens and sang, danced and played musical instruments.
All in all, Jackson says the event was "the perfect farewell" to their loved ones following an unforgettable weekend spent celebrating together. "We laughed and ate all afternoon until the sun set," she reminisces.
As they reflect on their Italian wedding, the couple — who first met in 2021 and got engaged in Gstaad, Switzerland, in January 2024 — tells PEOPLE they are looking forward to married life and experiencing even more adventures together.
"For me, [marrying Westwick] means having a life partner to adventure with, to share love and support, to create a beautiful family and to have each other's backs throughout all of life's moments," Jackson says. "It's about building a future together and creating endless memories, knowing that we are a team through it all."
"This all represents a new level of energy for a new adventure — the best one you can possibly have," Westwick says, adding of his new wife: "I spent my life wondering who she would be, and then I found her."
The pair also hopes to grow "their little family" sometime in the future.
Says Jackson, "I adore how Ed is with my son Andreas, and I can't wait to see him as a father one day too."
The two had planned to whisk away on a honeymoon to Kenya, but they had to put those plans on the back burner as Westwick begins filming his new show, Sandokan, immediately after the wedding.
"When we do go, the trip will be so amazing," the actor says. "We adore nature and wildlife, and to witness this incredible location we haven’t been to before will be sensational. A real bucket list trip for us."
Jackson jokingly promises, "I won’t be letting the honeymoon slide. Having Ed to myself for a week is my first request as Mrs, Westwick."
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