How did you meet  We met on the plane, on a business trip to Asia. We sat next to each other on that flight, and then found out we work in the same company and only 100ft apart from each other’s office. It was “almost” love at first sight, we knew we found the one shortly after we started dating.

The proposal  He proposed to me on our first vacation together. It was in Maui Hawaii. It was a big surprise for me, it was only a few months after we fell in love with each other.

Why you chose Italy and Portovenere for you wedding  Italy is my favorite country. We both like Italy very much. I discovered Chiesa di St. Pietro in PortoVenere in my summer vacation in Cinque Terre a couple years ago. Felt in love with the place immediately. And I said to myself this is the place I want to get married at in the future. Then a year later, we got married there.

The wedding day  It was a beautiful day. Storm just passed by the town the day before the wedding.  Sunny but windy. That’s how some of the pictures turned out to be very nice in the wind. We stayed at the Royal Sporting hotel, 15mins walk from the Church…

The dress It’s a grecian, romantic style. I thought it matched well with a seaside town like PortoVenere. Our color theme is purple. We had purple tulips as my bouquet.

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My bridesmaid and I were 45mins late to the wedding, we walked and almost “ran” to the church. Along the way, people were cheering and telling us auguri, very sweet.

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During the ceremony our priest forgot to say “now you may kiss the bride”. My husband had been waiting for that moment, and he stopped him in the last prayer and reminded him…

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During our dance I stepped on my husbands’ feet when we dance. And then my mother-in-law thought we were so cute together and couldn’t stop crying.

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Your love song  We have two.  1) Shostakovich’s waltz #2  2) Bruno Mar’s “Just the way you are”

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Everything just seem to go by so fast, the ceremony, the reception and the boat ride. Yet, the memory is still clear and vivid in my mind. It felt like it was just yesterday. Beautiful, romantic, love.

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There was a rainbow by the end of the day, when we were on the boat ride. It’s in Angelo’s picture.

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Where did you go on your honeymoon We went to Athens, Santorini, and then Istanbul. We also had a pre-wedding honeymoon in Firenze.

Love is…   Love to me is eternity, unconditional, unchanged, deep from the heart.

Getting married in a Tuscan villa is an increasingly sought after experience to make a wedding truly unique and memorable. The many splendid settings that Tuscany offers are the perfect backdrop to a fairytale wedding ceremony and reception. There are many accommodations rising in some of the most wonderful spots of the region offering all you need to accommodate the ceremony, party celebrations, and host the groom, bride and their guests. Choosing the right accommodation depends on several factors, such as the size of your party, the time of the year, and other criteria to look further.

Number of Guests

Celebrating your wedding with more than just a close group of friends and relatives requires careful planning to make sure the wedding villa you choose has enough space to accommodate everyone comfortably. This does not only mean that beds have to be a good sleep; you must also take into consideration that not everyone is close with one another, therefore your should also worry that each guest has the right temporary roommate to get along with. After all, table configuration is not the only matching you will need to go through. Accommodation providers will be more than happy to help you out as much as possible, providing a different bed arrangement to suit your needs. In case your party size is very large, you might find it difficult to host each one in a single property, no matter how large it is. It may be therefore necessary to look for other villas, farmhouses or apartments in the vicinities that can fit all your friends. One word of advice: keep the closest friends and family members at the central villa, they might get touchy otherwise!

Period of the Year

In Italy and Tuscany, weddings are most celebrated during the time frame going from April until the beginning of October. Spring and early summer months are definitely the peak season to get married in Tuscany, and as a consequence the entire planning process becomes more difficult. You are less likely to find available venues and accommodations, catering services and wedding bands are also less available, while prices get definitely higher. On the other side, this is the best time of the year to enjoy the oh-so-celebrated Tuscan landscapes and be blessed with warm and sunny days. If good weather is your priority, then you should definitely choose your wedding date between the beginning of June and the end of August. Just remember to book very early, such as two or more years in advance. This will give you enough time to choose your wedding villa in Tuscany accurately and make sure any accommodation nearby is available for your guests. Another task requiring you to have time on your side is paperwork. Getting all the necessary documents from the Italian consulate can take months and is not a trivial task.

Do it yourself or Wedding Planner?

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, one question that wraps everything up: do you wish to organize your wedding all by yourself, or would like to hire a wedding planner, either in your country or in Tuscany, to carry out all the dues for you and give you a stress free wedding in Italy? Rely on a professional planner which may be based in Tuscany with a good track record experience in organizing successful weddings. Some villa owners also provide their in-house wedding planning services. A wedding planner will definitely help you select the most appropriate villa, coordinate the catering company, find the music for the event, prepare the paperwork for you, contact the florist, hairdresser, beautician and even a wedding rehearsal restaurant. Although this will end up costing you some extra money, it will surely relieve you and your partner from a lot of stress prior to and during the wedding; a well coordinated event is sure to run smooth and live you with anything but the enjoyment of a day to remember for the rest of your life.

Suggestions and tips by Matt writing for ThriftyTuscany.com, where you can find the wedding villa in Tuscany to make your dream come true in Italy.

Angelo  

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Matrimonio a Montecito, California

Abbiamo pubblicato le foto del servizio fatto da Carlo e Michela quest’estate per un matrimonio vip a Montecito in California. Si è unito a noi in questa impresa il nostro amico e collaboratore Gianluca ed è stata un’esperienza fantastica.  Per saperne di più…

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The groomsmen photo is generally the least reverent shot of the entire wedding photography package, and so it should be. This is the time when the boys get to be boys and the bride is expected to stand aside, shake her head in bewilderment while forcing an understanding (or completely confused) grin.

Here are a couple of classic, and not so classic, ideas to make your groomsman picture one for the ages—or at least the wedding album.

Mimic Your Favorite Album Cover

From Motley Crue to the Rat Pack, there have been a host of classic and famous album and CD covers over the ages. Depending upon the number of groomsmen, it is possible to mimic the cover and poses in such a way that the homage is unmistakable. This is a fun way to incorporate a bit of “male bonding” history into a photo that will mark a very special rite of passage.

A Little Bit of Boxers Can Go a Long Way

One classic shot that has been a favorite over the years is the “boxers or brief” photograph. The trick to making this one a success is the facial expressions and poses of the groomsmen. Everything in the shot should be posed as though the photograph is a formal picture; except that the groomsmen as dressed in full tuxedo from the waist up, and boxers and socks from the waist down. A little irreverence goes a long way, so be sure all boxers are appropriate, and appropriately closed.

Use Props and Locations to Set the Mood

Is there a theme for the wedding? Using props that include the theme can make the photograph fun and timely. For instance, a medieval themed wedding might include a number of swords, while a science fiction fantasy wedding screams for the ever-present light saber.

Using location as a prop can also make for less boring, formal shots. A formal staircase with the groomsmen placed at different levels in casual poses can often show off each individual man’s personality better than six guys standing in a line. Be sure to look around the reception and wedding venue for interesting ideas.

Timing is Everything

There is a marked difference in the attitude of the groomsman before and after the actual wedding ceremony. Before the ceremony, they are the “guys”. After the ceremony, their “mate” has a new priority, bound in the eyes of the law, in his new wife. Try taking some shots before the ceremony, and several more afterwards, then compare the two for a great “before and after” moment for the formal album.

Olivia Nicholas has been writing for the wedding industry over 10 years and is always happy to share her passion for life and experiences through her work at Storkie.

Michela

Matrimonio alla Bandita, Pienza

A fine estate Carlo ed io abbiamo realizzato questo servizio alla Bandita, un incantevole piccolo hotel nello spettacolare scenario della Val D’Orcia, vicino a Pienza. Con la complicità della la più bella luce dell’anno, di bambini meravigliosi e del paesaggio della Val D’Orcia il lavoro che ne è venuto fuori ci rende orgogliosi di presentarvelo.

Michela

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Whilst weddings in Italy are beautiful and magical, every couple is different.

We hear Guests often talk about just how difficult it is to ind the right wedding gift – as difficult as buying birthday or Christmas presents; in fact more so, as you are having to cater for the tastes of two people, rather than one! Traditional wedding gifts such as toasters and blenders are becoming outdated, as the majority of couples cohabit before getting hitched, and have already bought all the things they need for their house. I also think home electricals can be quite mundane presents, and find they often lack the personality that I really want my gifts to have. I want the happy new couple, my friends or siblings or cousins, to know how happy I am for them, and I want to give them something that will truly signal the beginning of a wonderful life together.

The idea that the wedding is tied into a long, happy marriage is always a nice one to illustrate, and how better to do this than by giving them a way of keeping and sharing the precious moments they’ve captured on camera? Whilst a pretty photo frame can make a nice, simple gift, a luxury leather photo album is much more tangible. Memories can be triggered by looking at a framed photo, but leafing through a luxury album doesn’t just trigger memories. It triggers emotions.

Personalised photo albums are always extra-special. Choose a colour that matches the wedding or the couple; an elegant lavender, mint green or ivory are perfect for a traditional wedding feel. Some retailers will even add messages or images to the front of the album; perhaps consider including the couple’s names, and the date of their wedding or a heartfelt message wishing them well on the next stage of their journey? Online retailer Under Cover stock handmade, luxury leather stationery and accessories, including photo albums, which can also be personalised with text and images. A bespoke leather photo album is a thoughtful wedding gift that will look and feel luxurious, as well as protecting precious memories. It is something the couple can share with each other, with their friends and with their children and grandchildren in years to come.

Occasionally Guests approach us with this idea and we suggest a small but significant extra touch: starting the photo album for them, by placing some pictures of their wedding day (shots we take especially for this album) as well as some of the couple from earlier in their relationship.

Simple ideas for an ever lasting wedding gift!

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