Say “I Do” with an Italian Flair
The proposal; I will never forget that night on a beach in Italy sitting on the sand that was now cool to the touch as the sun had set hours ago. The waves crashed lightly and calmly and excited chatter was all around us as people were anticipating the first boom of the midnight fireworks promised to us all by the town’s festival flyer. My now husband turned to me seconds before the first firework lit the sky in colorful hues and whispered in Italian “Mi vuoi sposare?” Will you marry me?
Fast forward a year later back in the states and having attended one too many weddings in Italy (I’m Italian and we have A LOT of cousins) I knew I wanted to get married in Italy; the natural landscape of mountains and oceans already providing the perfect backdrop to any photos, the venues that served once as princess’s summer castle overlooking vineyards of scrumptious grapes sweetly ripening for wine, the floral arrangements made with flowers that grow wild alongside the coastal slopes, the attendants dressed in suits and trained to make sure that every detail is perfected for that momentous day and don’t even get me started on the 7 course meal that arrived AFTER the abundance in appetizers all while listening to the delicate music from a local band playing with eyes closed in the midst of a mid-summer breeze.
Considering a wedding in Italy? Here’s why we say YES!
The backdrop;
As mentioned above the landscape in Italy is one of the most picturesque and romantic backdrops one could dream of having as a part of their wedding. Whether you choose to wed close to an ocean, in the mountains, in a vineyard or in an old church perched above a mountain top there is no denying the majesty of taking in your surroundings with Italy’s rustic architecture elegance……. Its what dreams are made of.
The food;
I mean really, when you think of visiting an Italian family and or friend and you think of what a spread they typically put out can you even imagine the magnitude of an antipasto cocktail hour at an Italian wedding? From the soft prosciutto rolling off the carver in delicate slices to the homemade mini ricottas to the seafood that was caught only hours ago, it would be hard pressed to not excite any and all food enthusiasts with the cuisine at an Italian wedding.
The before and after parties and free entertainment;
The scenery change that is possible by getting married in Italy is close to none. At our wedding we had a guide take us and our out-of-town guests through the streets of an ancient town with tales of history and wine from the vineyard in hand the guests were mesmerized as they visited churches, ruins and castles from a far away time. Afterwards, we all stopped in for a gelato and continued on to a rehearsal dinner at a restaurant tucked into a corner that served some of the best cooked calamari (think tender and lightly breaded you could almost cut through with your fork) After the dinner our plans were “done” however we are in Italy and Italy always has SOMETHING to celebrate. Within minutes we found ourselves in the midst of a Tarantella Festival (Tarantella is a folklore custom dance, to see some of the dancing click here). So there we were, 50 Americans, in the middle of hundreds, maybe thousands of Italians who were all dancing to a stage that had been built in the middle of a piazza. The zest for life and festivities was so palpable that night that even the shyest of uncles was on stage by the end of the evening and when I say night, I mean 3am! So just like that, something so unplanned became a memory for bride, groom and guests that they still (10 years later) can’t stop talking about. Best part? It was free!
The next day the wedding took us on top of a mountain top to a church that from the outside seemed like nothing but inside was straight out of a movie with its cathedral ceilings, gold trimmings and depicted ceilings with art that was of another lifetime. The reception changed our senses again bringing us in a princess’s castle in the middle of a vineyard and the morning after? Brunch on the beach! Every wedding takes planning but a wedding in Italy is flawless in providing plenty to stimulate each and every sense for all guests no matter what they like!
The Traditions;
Another fun reason to celebrate your wedding in Italy is that on top of our wedding traditions we look forward to in our U.S. weddings it is also fun to surprise the guests with some Italian wedding traditions to add yet another layer of “wow”! We had a mix of Italian and American guests and as it was also a military wedding, we did ALL the traditions keeping everyone on their toes the entire night whether they had never seen a bouquet toss or folklore dancers teaching them the tarantella or throwing rice on the bride and groom and even a saber arch to walk under after the wedding ceremony. (This last part was a surprise to me! Read more on the saber arch tradition here to see why I was shocked to have a member of our wedding party swap me with a sword on my bum!) To learn more about Italian wedding traditions hop on over to this article to learn about 14 Italian wedding traditions.
The cost;
Our wedding wasn’t inexpensive by any means, however had we tried to plan the wedding here I would guess the costs would be anywhere between double or even triple what we paid. So much so that when my husband and I were at the reception watching 45 minutes of fireworks we had coordinated we started to question whether or not we had read the price tag correctly on the itemized receipt that said 2k. In fact, 20 minutes in, I looked at him and said hmmm maybe they missed a 0? But no, for 2k we got 45 minutes of SPECTACULAR and mesmerizingly delightful fireworks! Now this WAS 10 years ago and it WAS in the south of Italy because as we move closer to Amalfi Coast and northern Italy we do find the prices start to increase but again the backdrop and unforgettable details make a wedding in Italy…priceless.
My wonderful bosses, the co-founders of LaFinndustries and importers of Baratti & Milano also married in Italy. They fell so deeply in love with not only each other but with all that Italy had to offer that they felt profoundly moved to help save Italy and its dying artistry that they found was an ever-growing problem. They felt compelled to do something and thus started the story of importing Baratti & Milano.
At Baratti & Milano we not only have a deep passion for chocolate and providing a luxury product but we have a love of Italy that is the driving force behind our work ethic and is the WHY of our mission statement. We want to help cultivate Italy’s spectacular craftsmanship that basically makes Italy, Italy. We want to elevate the country to its potential so that it may continue to provide us with a future of products that live up to the standard that we seek.
Baratti & Milano has a way, through its elegant packaging to its actual product, of enriching any special occasion. We are proud of every event we have ever been a part of, from being the Official Chocolatiers of the Royal House of Savoy to being a part of special occasions and events including weddings in Italy and here in the U.S. We now carry a line of amenities for the purpose of welcoming your out-of-town guests to saying thank you to your bridal party to dessert table style tips to decorate your favor table with an added touch of sweetness that gives that touch of luxury element to top off your special day.
