| 09/11/2009: | Special events: Kirrilly and Luigi
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| | Special wedding in Florence, September 2008. Kirrilly and Luigi wanted a fun, yet elegant event in the heart of the Tuscan capitol. The bride wrote, following the wedding: "I can honestly say that every single one of our friends and family were blown away by our wedding. I can't tell you how many people have said it was far and away the best wedding they have ever been to. The setting was magical, the food delicious, the service impeccable, the table decorations and flowers perfect, and the band - fantastic! I can‚t ever imagine having a wedding of that calibre in the UK..."
Read on... |
| 08/28/2009: | The National Wedding Show, London, 2nd to 4th October
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| | The National Wedding Show, London, 2nd to 4th October.
The show is at Earls Court, and Italyweddings will be present with our full compliment of staff, at stand H30 - read on for more info... |
| 08/03/2009: | Monday Testimonials: Joanne and Paul
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| | "...Paul and I would like you so much for everything that you organized and did to make our wedding day perfect. Once we had decided to get married in Florence you made us feel very confident that we could trust you and everything would run smoothly. We really appreciated being able to e-mail you about all the small details!
(read more about their wedding...) |
| 07/27/2009: | Monday Testimonials - Lyndsey and Nicholas, Sarah and John
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| | Not all weddings are the same. They should all be different, but this wedding was more different than most...
Two brides and four dresses, two grooms and a collection of ties, watches and cuff links, printed black and white runner for the table, black and white vases throughout the buffet and meal. The couples wrote with very clear ideas for the style, with keywords such as glamorous, Hollywood, fun... The brides also gave our floral designer plenty of scope for her own interpretation, and knowledge of the villa, the flowers that would be in season, and that would work for this length of external, summer event.
Lindsey and Nick, and Sarah and Jon were married in the afternoon in the grounds of the villa, with a symbolic pledging, exchanging of vows ceremony, written in part by the couples to reflect their feelings and declaration in front of their families and friends. The blessing was accompanied by a string trio, and then followed with a trio of Tuscan folk music during the buffet. |
| 07/22/2009: | Wonderful New Castello in Florence
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| | Here's information on a wonderful new castello we are pleased to offer in the Florence area. The castle can seat up to 300 inside and out, and is ideal for a wedding party of 80 to 100. Close to Florence, the castle is great for a civil wedding in the Sala Rossa, or a religious wedding at the castle itself - or even a symbolic blessing in the grounds |
| 07/15/2009: | Italian wedding traditions, past and present
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| | Italian wedding traditions, past and present:
In the past, folklore called for the groom to carry a piece of iron in his pocket on his wedding day to ward off the evil eye since his happy situation might provoke envy, and invite supernatural danger. |
| 07/10/2009: | New wedding - Louanne and Edgar
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| | New wedding in Florence: Louanne and Edgar, May 2009.
Louanne and Edgar wanted an elegant wedding, but one that would be fun and relaxing for their guests.
They opted for a whole day rental on a large Florentine castle, and held a symbolic blessing in the gardens. This was followed by long, relaxing cocktails and canapés on the terraces of the castello, and a seated evening meal in the castle courtyard. |
| 05/08/2009: | What's On: Puccini Festival
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| | Puccini Opera Festival - this is the town where the famous composer Giacomo Puccini lived and composed some of his most remarkable works. Born in Lucca in 1858 when the city was still under the control of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, he was considered a musical genius at the young age of 17 for his complex orchestral works that could not even be performed by the Lucca Orchestra because it was not large enough. He then went on to study and compose opera for Milan's Teatro all Scala and Turin's Teatro Regio before composing many world-famous operas such as Madame Butterfly and Turandot. Every year since 1955 the town has celebrated this great man by offering performances of both his most famous and his most obscure pieces. As the event has matured it now features some of the greatest performing talent available. Performances are held in the Open Air Theater and events vary from year to year.
the entire months of July and August
Torre del Lago Puccini |
| 05/06/2009: | Italian Wedding Traditions - Old and New
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| | Italian marriages were arranged by the families of the bride and groom. Often, the brother or another male relative of the groom went to the father or uncle of the young woman to ask for her hand in marriage. In some cases, a matchmaker sent a message (masciata) to the prospective bride's family of the man's intent to marry the bride. Once the two families were in accord, the couple's official engagement was announced. |
| 05/03/2009: | New wedding - Nicole and George
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| | Nicole and George were married with a small group of close friends and family in October 2008.
October is a great month for a civil wedding, particularly in one of the larger cities such as Florence. The weather is usually reliable and warm, and there are less tourists than in the preceding months...
Read on for the couple's views...
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| 04/19/2009: | Monday Testimonials: Michelle and Phillip
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| | Monday Testimonials: Michelle and Phillip, San Gimignano.
We can't believe 2 months have passed since the wedding and apologize for the belated but heartfelt thanks. Our day was truly magical. Every little detail from the flowers to the food surpassed our greatest expectations. Marissa did a wonderful job, I loved my bouquet, all the flowers in the church and reception hall...
Read on: |
| 03/30/2009: | Monday Testimonials: Kelly and Kanyun
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| | Monday Testimonials: Kelly and Kanyun
It has been exactly one month since the day. I don't exactly know how to thank you for all you helped make happen. You helped to create an experience that leaves us so enriched with beautiful memories.
Your kindness, calmness, expertise, and ability to be our friend through the process was much appreciated. The whole event was beyond what we hoped for. My only regret is that I couldn't slow down time!...
Read on: |
| 03/24/2009: | What's New: Gift Registry
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| | Invite your family and friends to participate in your dream wedding by making a contribution using our online gift registry. |
| 03/05/2009: | Symbolic blessings: Lisa and Angus
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| | Lisa and Angus arranged a week long event for a group of 80 friends and family members, culminating is a wedding day and reception at a stunning villa near San Gimignano.
Each day there were trips: Visiting Siena and Florence, wine tasting in a Castello in Greve in Chianti, and most importantly, the motif of the week: eating amazing food in the top restaurants Tuscany has to offer... read more |
| 02/23/2009: | Monday Testimonials: Erin and Josh
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| | Monday Testimonials: Erin and Josh. May 2007.
Dear Ben,
I wanted to finally take the time to thank you SO much for everything you and Italyweddings did for us to make our wedding week a truly memorable experience for everyone involved! I still remember the first day we met with you in Florence, when, in hindsight, we had very little clue about planning a wedding in Italy. From your first suggestions (the villa) to the finishing touches, I have to say all of your recommendations were perfect. Many of our guests have told us that this was “the best wedding they had ever been to” and we could never have done it without you guys!... |
| 02/13/2009: | What's On - Easter in Florence
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| | Lo Scoppio del Duomo - The Carousel Blast ceremony dates back to the late 800's and has been repeated, faithfully, every year since. It's said that a famous Florentino, Pazzino de'Pazzi, upon his return home from the early crusades to Jerusalem, presented the townspeople with three flint stones that he had taken from the statue of Santo Sepolcro. He directed them to use these stones to light a simple carousel of primitive fireworks in order to celebrate Easter and spread the message of Christianity to all those who could see the fire. The first carousel was replaced in the 1100s by one much more ornate and powerful, but the original is still in possession of the Pazzi family and brought out for exhibition. During Easter morning, the cart and the symbolic holy fire arrive at the Cathedral square in solemn parade. A copper wire is run from the cart to the Madonna which is perched at the top of the Cathedral and when (during the Mass about 11 O'clock) the Gloria is said, this wire is lighted by the holy fire and a ceremonial pigeon slides down the wire to arrive at the carousel igniting spontaneously all the fireworks inside. It is a spectacular display that attracts observers from all corners of the globe. The square gets so packed that it becomes difficult to see anything from the fringes of the great crowd. For this reason, early reservations and arrival times are recommended. Don't shun the celebration because of it's popularity...it's worth seeing. The vision will last a lifetime! |
| 02/09/2009: | Monday Testimonials: Kim and Joe, September 2007
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| | Monday Testimonials: Kim and Joe, September 2007
Thank you once again - we had the most fabulous day. The photos arrived earlier this week, and we collected them yesterday. They're truly fantastic. Again thank you for helping to organize this and please also extend our thanks to the photographer.
We may need to plan to organize something else through you!! We held regular conversations for such a long time it now seems strange not to have to check for messages from Italy!! I guess we're trying to say that we miss chatting with you ...! |
| 02/03/2009: | Details update
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| | Details are the elements that make the difference between a wonderful wedding and an unforgettable event. At Italyweddings, we are often asked to arrange a wedding that is simple, yet elegant, and we know the fine line between pure elegance, and excessive display in one direction, and dull simplicity in the other. Our staff are comprised of creative professionals - top local florists, photographers known throughout Europe, and caterers accustomed to working with Italian and international society events.... |
| 01/31/2009: | New Wedding: Tamara and Timothy
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| | New Wedding: Tamara and Timothy, October 2008. Pienza
Tamara and Timothy are into cheese. Big time. They probably would admit to living for cheese, the consume it, and they produce it - so what better place for their wedding than Pienza, the undisputed home of one of Italy's best loved sheep's cheeses - Pecorino. |
| 01/26/2009: | Monday Testimonial - Karen and Jon, August 2007
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| | Monday Testimonial - Karen and Jon, August 2007
"... We have just returned back from our fantastic trip away and are feeling completely depressed the whole thing is over. Everyone has been looking at the piccis and saying how fantastic it all looked..."
Read more... |
| 01/19/2009: | New weddings on-line: Denise and Nizar
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| | New weddings on-line: Denise and Nizar
July 2008
Denise and Nizar held a civil wedding in a small town just a few miles from the villa, and then returned to the gardens for an outside, symbolic blessing. This was followed by aperitifs under the trees, then a seated formal meal in the courtyard.... |
| 01/13/2009: | Monday Testimonial: Kimberly and Alex
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| | Monday Testimonial: Kimberly and Alex, May 2008
It is difficult to put into words just how lucky we feel to have found you. When we decided to get married in Italy, Kim and I were a bit apprehensive about how we would manage the details of a wedding from so far away. Transporting 60 friends and family from the United States to Italy, getting them all to a villa in the Italian countryside, and then organizing two separate events for the entire group - our welcome dinner and the wedding itself - seemed completely overwhelming.... |
| 01/09/2009: | Italian Wedding Traditions - Old and New
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| | Italian Wedding Traditions - Old and New
The wedding feast.
Symbolic foods for good luck include twists of fried dough, powdered with sugar, called bow ties, and Italian wedding candy. The candy-covered almonds (confetti) tied in mesh bags to toss at the couple is based on a tradition to avoid childlessness. In the past, instead of wedding cake, ornamental bags or boxes were filled with the sugared almonds and sent to friends and guests to signify the matrimony or the "union of bitter and sweet." |
| 01/05/2009: | Monday Testimonial: Myra and Ian
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| | Dear Ben,
It's been a month now since our wedding. We are now back here in Vancouver and as usual back to work, but our hearts and minds are still in Tuscany. A place that we have always dreamt of and will never forget. We cannot thank you enough for what your whole team did for us to have the most unforgettable and perfect wedding. Our wedding day has been what we have envisioned. It is our atmost appreciation for making our vision come true.... |
| 01/02/2009: | Symbolic blessings: Erin and Geoff
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| | Symbolic blessings: Erin and Geoff
October 2004
The couple held a blessing in the formal gardens of one of the most important villas in the Florence area, overlooking the city. the couple write:
"Dear Ben, We would like to thank you for making our wedding day in Florence into a true fairy tale. Our wedding was what people all dream their weddings can be like! It was spectacular and more than we ever could have hoped for...." |
| 12/29/2008: | Monday Testimonial: Nina and David
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| | Monday Testimonial: Nina and David, September 2007
...We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you - our Wedding Day was the best day of both our lives. We absolutely loved every minute of it and it couldn't have been more perfect. We have just got our photo album and have been reliving the day - the photos show everything so beautifully - even the details we missed on the day because we were so overwhelmed by it all!... |
| 12/22/2008: | Monday Testimonial: Dawn and Michael
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| | Monday Testimonial: Dawn and Michael
We are finally home after being in Italy for three weeks and making the adjustment back to our local time zone and traditions. How we will miss our wine lunches, five course meals and afternoon naps.
I wanted to take some time and express our sincere appreciation for all that you did for us during the past year and a half to assist us with the most extraordinary wedding we could have ever imagined.... |
| 12/19/2008: | Italian Wedding Traditions - Old and New. The wedding cake
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| | The wedding cake has been part of the bridal feast since Roman times, and it symbolizes fertility and good fortune. By tradition, this foodstuff should be crafted of the best ingredients and made from as rich a mix as possible, to indicate abundance and thus through sympathetic magic attract more of the same to the happy couple... |
| 12/17/2008: | Winter weddings: Denise and Scott
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| | Winter Weddings: Denise and Scott.
A wedding in December? why not! A wedding on New Years Eve? Of course! The weather in December in central Italy can be wonderful, crisp and clear (and it does occasionally rain!). But for Denise and Scott, the weather was not as important as making an intimate, personal, and unique experience for themselves and their close friends and family. |
| 12/15/2008: | Monday Testimonial: Madeleine and Scott
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| | Madeleine and Scott
San Gimignano, September 2005
...What an amazing day you organized for us. It far exceeded any expectations we had or could imagine. Every detail was everything we could have hoped for and we don't know where to begin to start thanking you. We are just so glad we found Italyweddings and the most stunning villa and location... |
| 12/11/2008: | Italian Wedding Traditions - Old and New
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| | The custom of buste where the bride carried a satin bag (la borsa) in which guests placed envelopes containing money is still maintained in some of today's Italian weddings. The money helps toward the expenses of the very traditional, lavish wedding which was paid by the bride's family. Today, the high cost of such a large wedding may cause a break in tradition. The groom's family may aid the bride's family in bearing the expenses of the wedding. |
| 12/10/2008: | Symbolic blessing - Missy and Christopher
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| | Missy and Christopher were married in a blessing ceremony at a private villa just outside of the medieval village of San Gimignano.... |
| 12/09/2008: | Monday testimonial
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| | Monday Testimonial - Adam and Vicki:
...It's just over a week since we returned from Tuscany and we're just beginning to come down ... but only just! |
| 12/06/2008: | Featured wedding - Jenny and Richard
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| | Jenny and Richard - Certaldo, July 2006
...We cannot thank you enough for organising a wedding beyond our dreams. The whole week was just fantastic. The days leading up to the wedding were so relaxed and our friends and families absolutely loved spending time by the pool and around the villa. It was so special having this time together unlike a normal weddng... |
| 12/05/2008: | Winter weddings
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| | Getting married in the winter months can mean a good saving in terms of costs for accommodation, and a much wider selection of availability for all locations. Winter in Italy is not particularly harsh, and there are days of clear blue skies and moderate temperatures. See Alison and Cliff... |
| 12/04/2008: | Italian Wedding Traditions - Old and New
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| | At some weddings, primarily in Northern Italy, the best man would cut the groom's tie into little pieces. The pieces were put onto a tray and sold to the guests. The proceeds were given to the couple to help pay for the band. (the groom always brought a cheap tie with him in his pocket in anticipation of this custom). |
| 12/03/2008: | Villa blessings: Leila and Steve
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| | Leila and Steve
Chianti, August 2006
The couple were married with a Protestant blessing ceremony at the little chapel 200 yards from the main villa. The quiet and charming little chapel was an ideal backdrop, and the couple chose to celebrate their wedding in the courtyard area in front of the chapel, using the arched facade as a backdrop... |
| 12/02/2008: | What's On: March
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| | What's on in Italy: March
Festa della Donne - This is a day in which all men bring bunches of Mimosa flowers to any special women in their lives (wives, mothers, secretaries, daughters and so on). |
| 12/01/2008: | Monday Testimonials: Jennie and Richard
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| | Jennie and Richard
San Gimignano, August 2006
The couple write:
Dear Ben,
We cannot thank you enough for organizing a wedding beyond our dreams. The whole week was just fantastic. The days leading up to the wedding were so relaxed and our friends and families absolutely loved... |
| 11/30/2008: | New Videos - Sara and Ben
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| | Three new videos of this wonderful villa blessing in Southern Tuscany |
| 11/29/2008: | New couple(s) - Lindsey and Nicholas, Sarah and Jon
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| | Not all weddings are the same. They should all be different, but this wedding was more different than most... |
| 11/29/2008: | Recent testimonial
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| | Testimonial from Nicola and Christopher, married in central Tuscany, a symbolic blessing at one of our favorite villas |
| 11/29/2008: | A new wedding channel
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| | Welcome to the feed for Italyweddings - a new channel for information and news about weddings in Italy, and Italyweddings |
