For Sarah Trott, travel has always been about more than simply arriving somewhere beautiful. As the host of From Here to Where, she has built a career around discovering destinations through the experiences, details, and moments that make a place truly memorable. So when it came to planning her own wedding to Grant Fisher, she approached it with much the same philosophy.
Rather than centering the celebration around a single day, the couple invited 50 of their closest friends and family to Ravello for five days on the Amalfi Coast. Villa Cimbrone became the heart of the celebration, with its different corners unfolding throughout the week — from a welcome dinner in the Crypt and a ceremony overlooking the coast from the Infinity Terrace to a farewell dinner in the garden.
But behind the cinematic setting was an experience carefully considered down to the smallest detail. Drawing on her background in travel and luxury hospitality, Trott thought about the wedding much like a thoughtfully planned journey — its pace, sense of discovery, and, above all, how it would make her guests feel.
In an exclusive conversation, Sarah Trott tells us why Ravello became the destination, how The Parent Trap inspired her bridal vision, the meaningful nod to her Ukrainian heritage, and what planning five days in Italy taught her about creating a destination wedding that feels effortless.
You’ve built a career around discovering exceptional destinations. What made Ravello feel like the right place for your own wedding?
Grant and I fell in love through travel, so we wanted to get married somewhere that felt like an experience in itself. Ravello has this rare combination of history, beauty, intimacy, and a sense of discovery that immediately felt like us.
We took all the favorite parts of exceptional travel and hospitality we`ve experienced, and wrapped that into the guest experience for the people we love the most.
What made Villa Cimbrone stand out, and how did its history and atmosphere shape the celebration you envisioned?
Villa Cimbrone feels almost suspended in time with centuries of history, incredible gardens, and views that hardly feel real. We loved that every corner already had so much character, so our goal was never to transform it, but to let the settings unfold naturally.
We used almost every corner of the property, from the welcome dinner in the Crypt, to the Infinity Terrace for the ceremony, and even the vegetable garden for the farewell dinner. Not one place didn`t go undiscovered for our guests. Since we made the extra effort to have a full property buyout, we wanted to make the most of every space and keep it intimate for our guests.
What did you want your guests to discover about the Amalfi Coast through the five day celebration?
For many of our guests, it was their first time in Italy, and we wanted them to understand why this part of the world means so much to us. When you arrive, it`s easy to see! But we wanted them to experience more than the beauty, but also the Italian hospitality and charm. We wanted our guests to slow down, stay up late over dinner, swim in the Mediterranean, and experience that effortless Italian rhythm of life.
Why was it important to turn the wedding into a five day experience rather than focus on a single day?
Our friends and family have shaped so much of who we are, and we wanted more than a few hours with them. Creating five days gave everyone time to actually connect, explore and make memories together beyond the wedding itself. A lot of our family and friends already knew each other, but some were meeting for the first time. After the week, everyone was family.
From The Crypt and Tortuga to Conca del Sogno, the Infinity Terrace, and Lemon Grove, how did you choose the setting for each part of the celebration?
We treated every event almost like its own chapter, choosing spaces based on how we wanted people to feel in that moment. Some were romantic and intimate, others playful and relaxed, but each revealed a different side of Ravello and the Amalfi Coast.
Which details were most important to making the experience feel effortless for your guests from the moment they arrived?
Hospitality is our love language and throughout the week, so we focused heavily on what guests would need before they ever had to ask. A dedicated travel concierge, personalized welcome materials, guest directories, room details, and thoughtful transportation made everything feel seamless.
.jpg)
How did your experience with From Here to Where influence the way you planned the wedding?
From Here to Where has taught me that the most memorable travel experiences are never just about where you stay, but how a place makes you feel. I approached the wedding the same way, thinking about pacing, discovery, storytelling, and the small moments guests would remember. I took little things I loved from brand trips or luxury hotel stays, like personalized notes, monogrammed gifts, surprises and delights, and incorporated those for our guests. The newspaper delivery on wedding day, the custom sails, the guest directory with everyone`s photo and bio just to name a few. It was really fun to create and even more fun to see our guests appreciate them.
You and Grant are also developing VAI Resort together. What did your work in luxury hospitality bring to the way you approached hosting your own wedding?
Working in hospitality has made us both incredibly aware of the details guests notice and, maybe more importantly, the ones they should never have to notice. We wanted everything behind the scenes to feel highly considered so that our guests could simply be present. We made an extra effort to get the arrival details rights, using a travel concierge to manage all inbound transportation details, from the moment they get on the plane to the moment they land in Italy, to check into the hotel.
What surprised or challenged you most about planning a destination experience for 50 people?
How many tiny logistical decisions sit behind something that ultimately needs to feel effortless. When you are moving 50 people through a foreign country for five days, everything from luggage to transportation to timing suddenly becomes part of the guest experience. I couldn`t have done this without our wedding planning team, Level Events. Taylor Gunnin and Jenny Thomas deserve trophies for the level of work and detail they put into this event.
The Parent Trap became a major creative reference for the wedding. What has the film and Elizabeth James in particular always represented to you?
The fictious character, Elizabeth James, played by Natasha Richardson was always the ultimate version of chic: elegant, entrepreneurial, independent, and exuded whimsical and romantic femininity.
How did you take the romantic nostalgia of The Parent Trap and reinterpret it to reflect who you are today?
The Parent Trap was one of the first films I watched as a little girl that allowed me to daydream about what love and a wedding could look like. It is a cult classic ’90s movie that grows with us over time. As young girls, we relate to the twins; as women, we begin to see ourselves in their mother. But the film’s themes of romance, family, and nostalgia are timeless.
It was never about recreating the movie literally, but about capturing the feeling I remembered from it. We took that timeless romance and polished femininity and made it feel more modern, personal, and rooted in the life Grant and I have built together.
The iconic scene with Lindsay Lohan in the bridal shop showed me how playful and fun a wedding day could be. It was a childhood dream to one day put on my own wedding dress, so bringing that nostalgia into my own wedding and seeing it all come full circle felt incredibly special.
The little girl in me who was obsessed with that movie would have been in awe to see the woman I’ve become on my wedding day, especially wearing the custom handmade hat with attached veil. (A custom piece from Ukrainian designer Wona.) The soundtrack from The Parent Trap also became a defining thread throughout the bridal week.
You created several distinct bridal looks across the five days. What story did you want your wedding wardrobe to tell from one event to the next?
I wanted my outfits to reflect the setting: chic, flowy, ethereal, and effortless, while capturing the romance and grandeur of Villa Cimbrone. On the wedding day, I went from a lace ball gown to a mini version of the dress, complete with sparkling chandelier shoes and beaded tassel details that sparkled with every dance move. I loved the transformation from an elegant ball gown into a flirty, more playful version of my wedding look. I also loved the handmade lace chokers I wore throughout the celebration.
What did it mean to incorporate your Ukrainian heritage through the custom Woná top hat and veil?
Having a Ukrainian designer create such a personal piece made the look feel even more meaningful. I wanted to honor the strong Ukrainian women on my mother’s side who came before me, my late Baba and Aunt Roxinne, who couldn’t be there in person to celebrate with me but shaped so much of my confidence and spirit as a little girl.
Working with a Ukrainian designer like Woná, and with Ukrainian professional dancers on the choreography for our first dance, was a subtle way to celebrate the heritage they passed down.
My mom’s Ukrainian side of the family has always loved dancing, putting on performances at family functions, and hosting larger-than-life celebrations. As a child, I remember my Ukrainian aunts and uncles were always the loudest in the room, full of laughter and life. Connecting with that spirit through such a glamorous, fashion-forward piece felt incredibly special and made the look completely my own.
Which part of the celebration ultimately felt most personal to you and Grant as a couple?
The boat day felt incredibly "us" because travel, the ocean, music, and bringing people together are such a big part of our relationship. Seeing everyone we love dancing on the Mediterranean beneath sails with our new family name on them was surreal.
The last day at S&G Cabana Club also felt incredibly “us” because at home we love hosting big pool parties in our backyard with friends. With the main events and photos behind us, it was the perfect opportunity to kick back and enjoy an epic pool day with everyone we love. We’ll definitely be bringing G&S Cabana Club home with us!
What do you think brides most often underestimate when planning a destination wedding, and what advice would you give them now?
I think people underestimate how much the guest journey matters beyond the wedding day itself. Think like a traveler first: What would make or break the experience? We considered every touchpoint, from arrival to departure. Grant and I asked ourselves what questions or concerns we might have if we had never been to Italy or Ravello before. We communicated as much as possible through a comprehensive wedding website, photo mood boards with attire recommendations for each day, packing lists, and pre-arrival emails. We wanted the celebration to feel like the ultimate hosted trip, anticipating every detail so our guests never had to.
What is the one moment from those five days that you hope will instantly take you back to Ravello decades from now?
Standing on the Infinity Terrace after we were married, looking out over the Amalfi Coast with Grant and everyone we love around us. After a surprise rain storm that stopped just in time for the ceremony, the sunset and sky turned into a marvelous combination of pink, purple and blue, with the moon large and glowing behind us. The photos were insane. That sunset was definitely a wedding gift from my dad in Heaven. I remember thinking that somehow real life had turned out even better than the version I had imagined as a little girl.
