(Tamara and Sherwood Kelly from southern California were married October 21st 1999 in the Sala Rossa, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence)

The task of planning a wedding in a foreign country seems almost insurmountable. Other countries have their laws and regulations; they want you to follow them if you choose to be married there. Italy is no different, and their requirements seem like a perfect "catch-22" in the making from outside of Italy.

In comes Italyweddings and Ben Singleton to save the day! Ben's company specializes in weddings in Florence, certainly one of the most romantic, moving and attractive locales to choose for a wedding. Florence offers a wonderful history filled with romance, a nearly perfect geographic setting and willing, supportive government officials who seem to understand the meaning of the event.

Tamara and I set out on this "voyage" knowing it was not going to be easy. We had both been married previously, and we wanted this experience to be really special. Since we both knew Florence, for us it was the perfect choice. We did our preliminary inquiries at the consulate, got our list of documentation, and immediately became discouraged. At first, it seemed impossible-so many documents, translations, etc. It seemed like a nightmare, and more than once we nearly succumbed to canceling the whole thing and re-scheduling it for the U.S. By sheer chance, we came across the Italyweddings web site - www.italyweddings.com - and began corresponding with Ben Singleton regarding the details of a possible wedding. All this, of course, was not without some concern as to how much we could trust a web site with such an important task. Almost immediately we noted in Ben a level of experience and respect in our communications, as well as the flexibility we needed to organize a truly unique ceremony from afar. Ben was responsive with the information we needed, and gradually we began to put the responsibility of getting things done into Ben's hands. Finally, after E-mail assurances that all was well on his end, and having done our part here in the U.S. with the consulate, etc., we got on a plane with a dozen guests and flew to Italy not knowing if the ceremony was actually going to happen.

What a moving experience! Ben treated the arrangements for our marriage like a business transaction. He met us the next day after arriving in Florence, processed the final part of our paperwork promptly and confirmed everything for the ceremony with the local magistrate. Meanwhile, Tamara and I were off devouring the great city of Florence. Yes, many people do get married every day in Italy, but our ceremony and the warmth and caring by Ben and the government officials was nonetheless gratifying. The Sala Rossa in the Palazzo Vecchio is a perfect locale for a wedding. All arrangements came together smoothly, and we owe Ben Singleton and Italyweddings our sincerest gratitude. Thanks to Ben Singleton and Italyweddings we have made some life memories.

February 2000, Sherwood Kelly

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