Wedding in Italy

Sometimes couples have doubts about having a wedding for two. They worry that it will be inappropriate, or expensive, or that it may hurt their friends and relatives’ feelings. In this article, we talk about those and many other issues using the example of a brilliantly planned wedding for two in Italy that both newlyweds and the hired team were very happy with. We interviewed the bride and found out how she managed to organize such a beautiful and harmonious wedding. And, at the end of the article, you’ll find some words of advice from us.

As an introduction, please tell us about the magic of this day.

- We will remember this day forever. What more can I say? We planned it to be ours and ours only. We had our “official” wedding with relatives and guests in St. Petersburg. And in Italy, we decided to have a day just for us. We wanted to bring our boldest dreams to life, to have the perfect day just for the two of us. I can tell you without hesitation that we succeeded! We shared every emotion of this wonderful day, the same way we’re going to share the rest of our lives with each other. It was very cool :)

- Tell us about your wedding dress and groom’s suit, how you looked for it and how you chose it.

- I’m not very tall, and I love elegant, simple and stylish dresses. I never wanted a traditional dress with a large skirt, rhinestones, and glitter. I started looking for my perfect dress in St. Petersburg about 6 months before the ceremony, but I quickly realized that everything I had been trying on just wasn't right. Maybe, I looked at the wrong places, who knows. But, a month later, I went to Moscow. There I chose one of the Rosa Clara dresses from the 2017 collection. I had this moment of realizing that I found “my” dress; this is inexpressible feeling. But I couldn’t buy it in Moscow, so I found an official Rosa Clara representative in St. Petersburg, and three months later, I got my perfect dress made especially for me, which no one had tried on before (it’s important; anything can happen). I can recommend both the brand and the shop. With the groom’s suit everything was much easier, thankfully :) We wanted to find the perfect suit that wouldn’t shout “I am a wedding suit.” We just wanted to buy a great suit that could be worn to other important events. Hugo Boss is my husband’s favorite brand, and it suited him perfectly. Color, texture, design, quality – the best!

Tell us about your bouquet, floristics, decorations and other elements.

Thinking about my wedding day, I always imagined white and emerald-green colors. And the groom was fully supportive of me. We don’t like bright, strident colors, and we didn’t want any complicated architectural concepts. Just airiness, elegance, and style. Our three pillars. We had something similar for our St. Petersburg ceremony; we decided not to change anything. Because this day should be a reflection of the couple, and both bride and groom should feel at ease.

Floristics were airy and light; there was a lot of greenery and white flowers. It looked natural.

We didn’t have a lot of decorations and other elements, just the arch, bouquet, and boutonniere. We were the main decoration :) We wanted the style of our wedding to be simple; “rustic” style was not allowed under any circumstances. Just minimalism and strict lines – the best representation of us.

You travel a lot, which places do you like most of all and why did you choose Italy for your wedding?

It's true, we try to travel as much as we can. Every place is unique; there are so many fascinating and moving places around the world.

We wanted to go to Italy for a long time. We love their cuisine and wine. Who doesn’t?

Since we decided to spend our honeymoon travelling around Italy for the whole month, there was no discussion about where the ceremony should take place. Besides, you saw the incredible, beautiful architecture of Italian villas, those mesmerizing cypresses... Italy is unbelievably beautiful.

There are many villas, parks, and gardens for all kinds of events in Italy.

We looked for our villa for a long time. Most villas we really liked were too costly. More affordable ones were already booked, or the owners just didn’t respond to our letters. It’s very difficult to find a place for the ceremony without professional help. Our fairies from the Oh Marriage agency helped us with every stage of planning; without a doubt, it wouldn’t have been possible without them.

We specifically looked for a villa with a park or a garden complex. The Cortine villa (http://www.palacehotelvillacortine.com/) had everything we looked for, and we were very happy when we had found it after a month and a half of searching. It is located on shores of Garda Lake. It’s an unbelievably beautiful lake! And the Old Town section not far from the villa with narrow streets and special aura made us realize that we’d made the right choice.

We also marveled at the style of this villa. It was built in 1953, and it seems that every centimeter of this place is saturated with history and style.

Tell us about other members of your team that you’d like to mention.

Oh, actually, all the people who worked with us that day were just wonderful.

Our photographers – Lucy took fantastically beautiful photos; we are very grateful to them. And our wedding agency “Oh Marriage” had been helping us all the way through. They organized both the ceremony in St. Petersburg and the one in Italy. I will never get tired of thanking them for having nothing to worry about during those important and wonderful days.

And, of course, Michael N from Dreamwood. The best video. The most masterful capturing of moments and emotions.

Close your eyes... which moments, impressions, emotions come to your mind?

The most exciting part of that day for me was the ceremony with an Italian minister. When he pronounced the speech in Italian, and we gave our answers (also in Italian) looking at each other’s eyes. That was the moment when I felt that I’m marrying the best man in the world, even though we already had a wedding in St. Petersburg.

I also have great memories of shooting with our photographers and the videographer. We laughed a lot; it was so much fun. And, I think, this is the most important thing. Just to have fun and enjoy this day.

Tips from Dreamwood:

As recipes of any good Italian dish differ from family to family, the “recipes” of a great wedding for two differ from couple to couple. Let us give you some useful tips on planning a wedding for two.

First of all, it should be said that a couple’s and the team members’ attitude to this event is very important. It shows in everything, even in small details. It is very convenient if a couple and managers are able to plan additional shooting days so that photographers and videographers could capture even more sincere and moving moments in the most beautiful natural landscapes available. Actually, you may turn your wedding for two into an exciting trip and enjoy the magic and beauty of the celebration for two or three days. The day before the wedding is a great time for a love story photoshoot. It will be especially romantic since it will take place on the last day you get to be groom and bride. It doesn't have to be too complicated; you may just go for a walk along old streets of Italian cities, go to a cafe for an ice-cream, and plan a dinner for the evening. The next shooting day will be dedicated to morning preparations, the ceremony, to the shooting of the couple in wedding garments, to the yacht tour and, of course, to the celebratory dinner. And on the third day you may go to some beautiful place to make more beautiful shots. The shooting itself usually doesn’t take longer than two hours, but this day will definitely add more beautiful moments both to your memories and to your wedding photos and videos. And, of course, you will have a chance to see more of the country you chose for your wedding. For this kind of wedding, it’s vital to find a good team that will help you make this day perfect. Get in touch with the people you are considering, try to understand if you like them or not. Listen to your heart; remember, on this day you should feel at home.

A wedding for two gives you many creative opportunities when it comes to choosing venues and many other things. You can choose any place on the planet without thinking about prices of plane tickets for the guests!

Be bold! Surprise and delight yourself. Look at the ordinary things and ideas from a different angle. You could get married on a cliff in Iceland or on a glacier in the North Pole, on a warm Indian Ocean beach or in deep jungle, on a Hawaiian black sand beach, or on a ship sailing the open sea. You have as many options as our magnificent world has to offer. If you prefer a wedding in Europe, there are many wonderful places you will never forget. A wedding for two gives you opportunity to show all your imagination and creativity.

Be communicative, not only the manager but also to photographers, videographers, florists and make-up artists. Your team may suggest unusual and beautiful places for your wedding. Ask for their advice. Discuss the time and the place of the ceremony and other parts of the celebration with your photographer and videographer; the result of their work often depends on lighting. Every detail should be thought through: where the couple will stand during the ceremony, from which side the sunlight will fall, etc.

Be welcoming. If you are planning a wedding abroad, whether it’s a wedding for two or a wedding with guests, invite your team in advance: they should rest, prepare, and find inspiration before the wedding. Those days will give your team an opportunity to prepare and plan everything with pleasure and without any rush. Invite everyone at least two days before the wedding; managers may be invited even earlier. Gather your team at dinner; let them get to know each other and discuss the details of the upcoming celebration. Ask your shooting team what you should do to get the perfect photos and videos. They will be happy to give you some useful words of advice.

How much does a wedding for two cost? Of course, it depends on many things. In every country you may have both a very expensive wedding and quite inexpensive one. Both big villas and smaller houses are available, and you may choose shoes and dresses by famous brands without leaving Russia. But whatever you choose, a wedding for two will cost much less than a big wedding with guests. A wedding for two may also become the beginning of your honeymoon. However you decide to plan your wedding for two, you will definitely remember it as one of the best days of your life.