Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander won Major League Baseball’s World Series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles during the same week he married supermodel and actress Kate Upton in a dreamy setting under the Tuscan sun.
“Can you imagine when winning a World Series ring is not the highlight of your week?” remarked United States Congressman Fred Upton, who attended the wedding in Italy after finishing up voting on tax-reduction legislation in Washington D.C. Upton, a Republican from Michigan, is the bride’s uncle.
Upton was among the dearly beloved gathered to witness the wedding, including major league players Justin Upton (no relation) of the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tiger Jordan Zimmermanm, both of whom were teammates of Verlander when he pitched in Motown.
“There were really good people there. It was a big family gathering and a heck of a lot of fun,” said the Congressman. “They had games. They had beer pong. They had corn hole. They had the ‘throw the football into the little holes’ game. I felt like I was there for a week because nobody wanted to sleep.”
Why sleep when you’re living a dream? The celebrity destination wedding was staged at the Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco in Central Italy overlooking the Montalcino vineyards in the valley.
“It’s where Brunello and other famous red wines are produced in the warmest and driest region of Tuscany,” said Andrea Grisdale, director of IC Bellagio, a high-end, custom tour company based in Italy. “With 5,000 acres, there is room for everybody. And with rolling hills of different colors, the Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco estate is stunning. It’s truly of the most photographed corners of Tuscany.”
Photographers – paparazzi, to be specific - found their way into the wedding, according to Upton. “We thought we were the only people there but it turned out there were paparazzi dressed as wedding guests. Typically when you go to a wedding you know about half of the people because you don’t know the other side as well, right? Well there were three paparazzi,” he revealed. “One of the shots they put online - on TMZ - has my daughter’s shoulder in it, so we know they were sitting immediately behind us because there were only four chairs on each side of the aisle. They snuck in somehow and some of those pictures got out, but I got better pictures.”
Those photographs will likely now draw vacationers and those also planning weddings to the same resort.
“The hotel is one of the top places in Italy to consider for a special event such as a wedding. It’s the perfect place to take all of your friends on a holiday and get married at the same time,” said Grisdale, who helps arrange destination weddings in Italy for international and domestic travelers. “The Amalfi Coast and Lake Como are also popular spots for weddings in Italy. Actor George Clooney, who has a home in Lake Como and has been an amazing ambassador for that area, got married in Venice, with events at both the Aman Hotel and Hotel Cipriani, now operated by Belmond. The Rosewood Hotel group, which now operates Castiglion del Bosco, is fantastic.”
Grisdale says the Castiglion del Bosco is located in an area very suitable for sightseeing, as well.
“Rome is three hours away; Florence two; and Sienna is less than an hour away. Cortona, where they filmed the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun,” is nearby, as is Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis.”
Upton agreed the resort was a destination in itself. “It was like having our own little village…but all private. There were deer and wild boar and even a golf course.”
The bride and groom, at Castiglion del Bosco, had their choice of exclusive wedding venues on the property, including the historic church of San Michele Arcangelo featuring frescoes by Pietro Lorenzetti.
According to Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, the property, founded by Massimo Ferragamo, is on a UNESCO World Heritage Site: an 800-year-old estate comprised of castle ruins and the Borgo, a village once a social hub for farmers. The village is now the heart of the resort with 23 suites created inside the buildings. 10 modern villas, with antique furniture and artisanal pieces, have been built inside restored farmhouses.
The wedding guests and vacationers can enjoy a cooking school, picnic in the vineyards, or winery tours, and there is an organic kitchen garden serving two restaurants on property. There is a spa, infinity pool, archery, tennis, and a fitness center in addition to the golf course (Italy’s only private club) designed by American star and British Open champion Tom Weiskopf. Grisdale says the area is great for bicycling and mountain biking.
Kate Upton tweeted “I feel so lucky that I got to marry my best friend. Thank you to our family.” She’s appeared in Sports Illustrated magazine’s annual swimsuit edition on a number of years, and was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair’s 100th Anniversary issue. A native of St. Joseph, Michigan, Upton appeared in the movies “Tower Heist” with Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda and Matthew Broderick in 2011; and in “The Other Women” with Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann in 2014.
Verlander tweeted: “Happy wife – happy life. What an amazing beginning to our journey together.” He made his Major League debut in 2005 and pitched 13 seasons for the Tigers before being traded to Houston. In 2011 he achieved a pitching “triple crown” by winning the Cy Young Award; the American League Most Valuable Player nod; and was named the Sporting News Player of the Year.
Visit https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/castiglion-del-bosco for a tour of their wedding venue.
