ROMANTIC ITALIAN WEDDING AND HONEYMOON SETTINGS
by Judy Allen
Italy, with its stunning scenery and captivating charm, offers picture perfect settings for a romantic destination wedding or an enchanting honeymoon that is steeped in beauty, history and of course what Italy is most known for, amore.
Venice
For couples planning a small or intimate – just for two wedding – Venice offers many unique options such as having your wedding ceremony take place on a gondola. The gondoliere and the officiant pick up the couple that is to be married in a private gondola to ride them along the Grand Canal. As the bridal couple pass the magical site of San Marco Square, their gondoliere will chose an intimate spot to stop. Once the perfect location has been found, their wedding ceremony will be conducted right onboard the gondola. Musicians, photographers and wedding guests would travel by accompanying motorboats, which would stay right by the gondola’s side as the wedding couple travel down the canal and while the wedding ceremony is taking place. Following the ceremony, the gondola can take the newlywed couple to an exclusive restaurant or back to their hotel for their reception celebration. The Cipriani Hotel, one of the most esteemed honeymoon addresses in Venice, has two wonderful settings in which to host celebratory receptions: the Antique Gardens – offering a panoramic view of the lagoons and the islands -- or the Casanova Gazebo – a charming enclave with a wooden bridge and tinkling fountain (wonderful wedding photograph backdrops).
Couples preferring to get married in a church may wish to consider holding their ceremony at Scuola Grande dei Carmini. Located in the Dorsoduro section of Venice,
there are two lovely churches and two beautiful rooms that couples can choose from. This location was finished being constructed in the year 1670 and has many important works of art inside, including one on the ceiling of the first floor room- a masterpiece by Tiepolo: La Vergine in Gloria.
And for the honeymoon stay? What could be more perfect than the Cipriani Hotel’s Palladio Suite -- glass capsule, suspended mid-air above the lagoon -- with the addition of made to order loving touches (favorite flowers etc.). This suite comes complete with a 180-degree view of the Venetian lagoon, floor to ceiling windows in the bedrooms, living room and dining area, personal butler service 24 hours a day, the chance to luxuriate on a private wooden terrace – surrounded by the heady scent of jasmine – in an outdoor heated Jacuzzi or whisk your beloved away in a deluxe motor launch that departs from the exclusive dock at the end of your garden path. Imagine a tour “for just you two of you” to enjoy to every cove, island and islet of the lagoon that can be capped off with a dazzling fireworks display.
Rome
Roma! The city of eternal love has wonderful wedding ceremony and reception site possibilities and is a wonderful honeymoon destination. Brides who have always wanted to feel like a princess on their wedding day (or couples who want to feel like royalty at their wedding) can be married in an exclusive palace located in downtown Rome named Palazzo Brancaccio. Palazzo Brancaccio is the last Roman Patrician Palace and was built in 1880. Once inside, you would never even realize you were in the heart of the city. There is an amazing park on the property complete with Roman ruins, centuries old vegetation and fountains. There is also a lake, gazebo and beautiful rooms located inside the palace where couples can hold their reception dinner. The options here are limitless for wedding couples as there are a multitude of choice wedding ceremony and reception locations to be found in this hidden gem.
Another popular destination wedding locale in Rome, close to the downtown area, is Casina di Macchia Madama. Situated on the green slopes of Monte Mario, the natural beauty of this venue and wondrous views make it truly a special and intimate setting for a wedding and reception. The garden is ideal for the ceremony and/or cocktail hour, while their glassed in room for the reception dinner overlooks the spectacular views of the ancient and magical city of Rome.
Couples can also travel to and from their Roman wedding ceremony and reception site in high style. Wedding transportation choices in Italy range from vintage Mercedes to antique Rolls Royce’s and horse drawn Italian coaches.
For couples looking for an intimate garden wedding, the terraced gardens found in Hotel de Russie, Rome may be the perfect setting for their wedding and hotel for their honeymoon stay. Hotel de Russie is located in the center of the city between the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo. Russian princes, Picasso, Cocteau, George Clooney and other well known celebs have all been guests at this well situated five star hotel that is close to popular sights, fashion house and Via Condotti. Here newlywed couples can enjoy elegant dinners for two in a wonderful garden setting, relax in a suite with a wraparound terrace, be pampered in the spa after a day of sightseeing and shopping with a private car and driver and go for an evening stroll to savor espresso and dessert while soaking up the local culture in a nearby sidewalk cafés.
Florence
Getting married in Florence means choosing the heart of the Renaissance culture, where you will find magnificent works of art and architecture on every corner. You can just feel the greats like Michelangelo and Leonardo breathing all around you.
While Venice affords couples the experience of being married in a gondola in Florence where they can get married while flying high above Florence in a hot air balloon (or on the ground in the balloon before taking off). From high above, newlyweds spend their first moments as a couple enjoying each other and Florence’s beautiful surrounding countryside, filled with rolling hills of olive trees and vineyards.
Each balloon can fly 3 passengers plus the pilot. A retrieve car, with a qualified crew, follows the flight and assists with landing operations. The environs of Florence (Chianti, Mugello valley) or Siena (Crete Senesi, Pienza, San Gimignano, Montepulciano)
Volterra and the north of Maremma (etruscan archeological sites) represent some possible areas for an unforgettable wedding flight. Additional balloons can be arranged for extra guests. Hot air balloons fly early in the morning or two hours before sunset, when winds are calm and gentle. Flight duration can last from 45 minutes to 1 hour or an hour and a half, depending on the speed and direction of the wind. After the flight, in the best tradition of ballooning, pilot, crew and wedding guests will offer a "champagne cheers" to the wedding couple. A champagne continental wedding breakfast or cocktail reception can be hosted after landing to celebrate the newlywed’s wedding adventure. A personalized memento of the wedding flight is presented to each couple. Transfers to and from the launch site can be done by private limousine.
For couples wanting to experience Florence with both feet firmly planted on the ground
the gardens of the "Erta Canina" may be their dream wedding site. This garden is located in one of the most beautiful spots in Florence. Standing here, couples feel as though they can reach out and touch the city's greatest sites and monuments. One of Florence’s most respected photographers chose this garden setting as a home for himself after realizing that it was the best spot in all of Florence from which to admire the city's stunning beauty.
The 15th Century private Villa di Maiano is another extremely exclusive wedding and reception location near Florence. Located in the magical countryside on the hills of Fiesole, this villa overlooks Florence in all her glory. The views from the villa's terrace
(an ideal ceremony and cocktail hour spot) are absolutely breathtaking. The indoor room for dinner is beautiful and filled with large, elaborate tapestries and antique furnishings.
Castello di Vincigliata is another sought after wedding location in the Florence area. This castle is located in the hills above Florence and is the ideal setting for a very special, grand wedding. The garden is perfect for a small or large ceremony, while the terrace
is ideal for the cocktail hour with spectacular views overlooking the Florentine countryside. The open-air courtyard for dinner lit with torches all around, is just sensational. They also have a small, intimate upper terrace with breathtaking views
overlooking the city of Florence.
For couples desiring to be married and honeymoon at the illustrious five star Grand Hotel Villa Cora -- originally Villa Oppenheim during the period when Florence was the capital of Italy (1865-1870) and often proclaimed as one of the most beautiful villas in Florence today -- a very special wedding ceremony location to consider is the famous Catholic church of Santa Trinità, one of the most important churches in the world. The interior of the church is filled with several works of art done by famous artists from the Renaissance period. This church has a magical atmosphere and is located on one of the most beautiful streets of downtown Florence near the Arno River. A Renaissance theme wedding reception, held in the magnificent country estate gardens of Grand Hotel Villa Cora following a wedding ceremony held at Santa Trinita, would be a truly “Grand” wedding affair, one where you will be transported back into time. During your stay enjoy chauffeured trips around town and relaxing by the hotel’s wonderful swimming pool. The Grand Hotel Villa Cora is situated in Florence’s most exclusive and elegant areas.
Lungarno Suites, a luxury pied-à-terre with a fully fitted kitchen, state-of-the-art in-house entertainment and all the facilities of a luxury hotel, is another popular choice for visitors to Florence – perfect for wedding guests who may want to enjoy some of their meals in the comfort of their room. Staff are available to shop for your groceries and attend to any of their guests other needs.
Amalfi Coast
Palazzo Sasso, a 5 star luxury hotel, in the village of Ravello on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, is the perfect setting for a romantic destination wedding and honeymoon. This 12th century Italian villa has been rated as one of finest hotels and restaurants in the world. Most of their 43 rooms and suites have breathtaking sea views. Their onsite amenities include a swimming pool, spa, solarium with plunge pools, and an American Bar featuring live music to enjoy pre and post wedding.
The village of Ravello is itself unique. Ravello is a medieval town situated 1000 feet above sea level with an amazing view over the Amalfi Coast. Many couples that choose to get married in Ravello do so in the Church or at their charming City Hall, literally just steps away from the hotel in a pedestrian area of town (the only mode of transportation to the Church or City Hall is walking). Following the wedding ceremony, a wedding reception can be held at Palazzo Sasso for 2 to seventy guests, elsewhere in Ravello or for larger weddings (with up to one hundred guests) at Villa Cimbrone, a twenty-minute stroll from the Church or City Hall in their beautiful gardens. For smaller weddings (wedding parties of ten to twelve) both the wedding ceremony and reception can be held at Palazzo Sasso. Palazzo Sasso’s gastronomic restaurant Rossellinis -- which has been awarded with two Michelin Stars – and can be booked for private luncheon wedding ceremonies and receptions that can be held on their terrace – ideal for wedding photographs with the Mediterranean providing a sparking backdrop -- or inside the restaurant.
Day trips from Ravello that can be customized and take your honeymoon from ordinary to extraordinary include jaunts to the island of Capri, excursions to Pompeii (escavation), and Positano, Amalfi and a boat trip, done at night, beautiful and romantically appealing.
Planning Your Destination Wedding Ceremony, Reception and Customized Honeymoon Registry Options
Weddings Italy (www.weddingsitaly.com) which is part of Regency San Marino, handles most of the weddings and special arrangements that are organized at the Grand Hotel Villa Cora and can help Distinctive Honeymoons registry couples design a custom wedding and honeymoon activities at the Distinctive Honeymoons Italian hotels mentioned above and arrange religious weddings with legal validity. This means that couples do not have to marry legally first at home or at a town hall in Italy. The one wedding ceremony couples have, at any of these venues, is legally recognized as long as all of the necessary paperwork has been completed. Weddings Italy – working with you through your selected registry hotel -- will assist couples with all their legal wedding requirements. |
