An Italian Wedding

If you get an invitation to an Italian wedding, don’t waffle about how you’re going to pay for airfare or take time off work. Go for a once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable event. Prepare yourself for an extravaganza of delicious food and dancing until the wee hours.

It’ll be a rare invitation. These days Italians say it’s not practical to get married, so most are shacking up together for years, and the statistics for Italian marriages are at a historic low. Along with that, there’s the trend of “mammoni” or mamma’s boys, that is, men living at home and having their mothers cook for them and do their laundry until they’re well into their thirties. It’s inspired the government to step in to get things moving, and beginning in 2008 tax breaks will be offered to those earning low incomes who leave home to live on their own.

Still, if you’re in Italy, especially in June (thanks to Juno, Goddess of Marriage), you’ll run into Italian weddings in churches. I spent a week in Palermo one June where almost every church I peeked into had a marriage ceremony going on, with wonderful music and stunning get-ups from the bride on down. You’ll never see a real Italian wedding on a Tuesday or Friday, as that’s considered not a good day to begin any venture. Which is why when I was last visiting Ravello’s Villa Cimbrone on a Friday, the wedding party posing for pictures were Americans from Massachusetts.

Speaking of which, you may be considering getting married in Italy. It’s naturally a great place for a wedding, completely romantic, with locations from castles to vineyards to cliffs overlooking the sea that can satisfy every fairytale fantasy.

A major advantage to getting married in Italy is that you can cut your guest list down to a core group of dearest family and friends, who’ll be thrilled to be in on the adventure. Plus, what
better place is there for a jumping off point for a honeymoon?

As far as the nitty-gritty, it’s better to have a symbolic wedding in Italy rather than an official one, as the paperwork to make things official is complex and time consuming. To help get things set up, here are some companies that specialize in Italian weddings:

Doorways, Ltd.
One of this company’s top “I Do” spots is a sixteenth century villa on the outskirts of Lucca, which sits on 300 acres of vineyards, olive groves, and woodlands. A special perk is a pre-wedding cocktail party exclusively for the bridal couple and all the service people involved in the festivities. Here, according to Doorway’s President Kit Burns, “Everyone becomes a family and the bride’s pre-wedding anxiety vanishes when she’s met everybody who’ll be doing
the work.”

There’s a fantastic frescoed bridal suite at the villa, an arts and crafts workshop area for younger guests, and it’s perfectly located for day trips before the big event, such as a boat ride to the Cinque Terre.

Italy 4 Real
Intimate country weddings in Tuscan and Umbrian agriturismos, are Italy 4 Real’s specialty. The company’s philosophy is for clients to fully experience the environment they’re in, so they bring in local expert chefs and musicians and it’s all very traditional. Marriage ceremonies feature stunning backdrops of vineyards and olive groves. Brides and grooms are whisked off to nearby picturesque hill towns such as San Gimignano or Assisi for photo shoots. The company is owned by Rem Malloy and his Roman-American mother, Deborah de Maio, who Rem made a point of telling me he does not live with.

The Italy Specialists
Silvia Giardin, company founder and Veneto native, has been planning Italian weddings for thirty-three years. “Nothing is impossible” is her motto. I would love to have been invited to just one of the weddings she told me her company put together: a sunrise ceremony on a Venetian dock where the bridal couple wore pajamas and the party continued with a palazzo brunch…an extravagant affair at the Lake Como estate now owned by George Clooney…a wedding in Taoromina, Sicily where the ceremony took place at the Greek amphitheater and was followed by a reception at The Grand Hotel Timeo.

RECOMMENDED READING
Italy, a Love Story edited by Camille Cusumano
In Love in Italy by Monica Larner

“An Italian Wedding” has such excellent tips for a destination wedding in Italy. But it is only one chapter in a book chock full of fun Italy travel suggestions for women. Van Allen also pays homage to must-see works of art, tiny villages, spas, shopping, family-friendly places, and other sights and activities that have either a feminine bent or that hold certain appeal for the female traveler. I especially love that Van Allen has included a calendar of Madonna Holidays and Female Saints’ Feast Days.

If you haven’t figured it out already, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go is a fantastic gift for the Italy-loving woman in your life.

(Thanks to everyone who participated in the iPhone app giveway! The contest is now closed.)

Want to know another great gift? The ’100 Places’ iPhone App! Publisher Travelers’ Tales has created a lightweight app that you can use as a reference on your trip to Italy or when you simply want to do a little armchair travel while standing in line or sitting in the waiting room. And, I’m offering Italofile readers the chance to win a copy of the iPhone app:

100 Places iPhone App Giveaway
To win the 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go iPhone app, simply comment on the post below or re-tweet this post using the hashtag #100places. Deadline for entering the contest is 11:59pm EDT on June 3, 2010.

Related posts

• The Ultimate Italian Driving Adventure
• Be a Renaissance Man (or Woman)
• ‘Angels and Demons’ Tourism
• What’s Old Is New Again: Rome’s Via Appia Antica
• Walk for a Cause in Italy

Lovers on Lake Como

I like to do a romance-themed post every year around Valentine’s Day for obvious reasons. So given the popularity of crowd-sourcing (and the positive response I received from friends for last month’s crowd-sourced article on Rome When It Rains), I decided to give the power of the people on LinkedIn, Twitter, and elsewhere another try. Here was my query:

If you live in Italy, where is the most romantic spot in your area?

Not surprisingly, people had strong opinions about this topic. One commenter even said, “Melanie, we cannot tell you this otherwise in no time it will be full of tourists and not romantic anymore!” (-M.G.) My response was “Ha! You got me there, M.G. What if we promise to be really quiet?? ”

Luckily, my little bit of pleading worked. In fact, I received about two dozen comments from various sources which I will share with you after the jump. Some listings are plugs for (worthy) hotels, restaurants, and tours while others are just beautiful places – known and lesser-known – that Italy insiders and Italophiles wanted to share with the world*.

So, if you visit any of the places listed below promise me one thing: please be a nice, respectful tourist so  I can continue to get Italians and expats living in Italy to share their travel secrets!

1) OK! I am Costiera Amalfitana fan!!!

• Positano ( dinner: Ristorante Bar Bruno. Owner: Ornella/ Mario A magic panoramic view! Via Cristoforo Colombo, N° 83; TEL: 089 87 53 92 )
• Ravello: Romantic day to spend in the beautiful gardens!!
• Cetara: a very small village on the coast! Too small maybe! Ristorante Acqua Pazza – good seafood! -P.S.

2) Our farmhouse offers a romantic package – Amore in Le Marche – 3 nights accommodations in a romantic rustic farmhouse apartment with breakfast daily, a custom couples cooking class, five-course feast by candlelight with local wine, a bottle of prosecco upon arrival and a horseback riding trip into the hills for only €600 a COUPLE! La Tavola Marche Agriturismo & Cooking School, Sant’Angelo in Vado, Le Marche, Italy. -A.B.

3) I would definitly say Bergamo Alta, 30 miles outside Milan. -A.A.

4) Melanie, here are a couple of very special and intriguing places:

• Il Parco di Bomarzo
• The ancient town of Calcata -M.G. (yes, the same M.G.! She came around…:-) )

5) In Rome, Villa Borghese is the most romantic place IMHO -A.P.

6) I live outside of Rome, in the Sabina. This is a completely different world from Rome, yet it’s only 30 km. I think there are quite a few romantic places here; not really in the traditional sense, maybe a bit old-fashioned, but for those who enjoy medieval-looking villages, green hills and forests, traditionally prepared food and places uncrowded by tourists, it may be just right. Though I really recommend visiting in the summer; right now it is too cold!

Here are a few places that come to mind:

• The village of Toffia: a small, medieval village with narrow twisted streets. They have one of those village festivals in the summer where everyone participates and private houses transform into boutiques, galleries and restaurants.
• Rocca Sinibalda: similar kind of village, but with a castle, situated above a lake.
• Then there is this farm house which I have been wanting to stay in, but I really live way too close to justify spending money to stay the night. I can vouch for the food and the surroundings.

Like I said, these are quite different, not for everybody kinds of places. But I’m sure everyone already knows the major ones in Rome, Florence, etc., so I thought I’d add something different. -L.V.

7) Polignano a Mare (Puglia), about 25-30 km from Bari on the Adriatic Sea. It is a magical town built on cliffs, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Eat the best luscious and decadent ice cream in the whole Italy at Il Mago del Gelato – Mamma Mia, che delizia!

La Grotta Palazzese and Il Covo Dei Saraceni are two different hotels/restaurants: really magical places, to die for. The views are breathtaking but you might not like their prices. Fish, the freshest of the Adriatic, is their specialty, but you might leave the wallet there. It is all how you measure pleasure: in money or in memories and experiences. -V.C.

Nothing was more romantic than San Marco’s square in Venezia with the lights and the music playing at night. @PRluna

9) Sardegna! The Coral Coast (north east) is one of the most wonderful (and romantic) places in earth….absolutely no exaggeration! -A.C.

10) Check this portal from Salerno (Campania). -V.A.

11) Romance and adventure… Da Vinci Capers ~ A Personal Renaissance Journey in Ravello… A private boat trip to Positano, a swim in the caves, a dinner at the Caruso (or, for a quarter of the price – at Bruno’s), sip wine on Villa Maria’s terrace, a cooking class at Villa Eva. My Fav… -B.H.

12) My most romantic spot is on Sardinia, in the North of the island, next to where I have the privilege to live! Castelsardo and also Costa Paradiso – just breathtaking! -S.T.

13) Alice Relais and Chateaux, just outside Treviso, mmmm -M.G.

14) Melanie, if you’re writing an article, please write something different than every article for every Valentine’s Day. There are so many beautiful places in Italy from north to south for fine dining, fantastic wines and sex. (i.e., see G. Podesta’s book, A Romantic’s Guide to Italy) – from farmhouses to the Hassler. But, I like the idea of more personal effort made (not just flashing the Visa); cooking or choosing the food together for a picnic in the gardens of Villa Cimbrone (Ravello); a personally-written poem read while on a boat around Capri; taking a painting class together (my husband & I do this each year) – could be of a nude model (fantastic!) and giving each other your painting; stating ones aspirations in life while taking a walk up the Valley of the Mills (from Amalfi); make the paper first (same place) and write a love letter… you’re getting my drift. This is more from the heart and becomes meaningful and is totally fun! Barb -B.H.

15) In Sicily, the Eolie (Aeolian) Islands ( by sail boat ) and another city like Castelmola – don’t miss it!! -P.S.

16) Italy is not only the traditional crowded cites (like Venice,Rome, Florence…) or famous spots on the coasts (like Amalfi, Positano,the Emerald coast in Sardinia , Capri and many others)…..there are also the Alps! Check places like Ortisei or Cortina in the Dolomites and you will discover romantic and sweet places to stay as well. -G.P.

17) Sorrento! And I personally recommend this family-managed hotel with a fantastic view on the Naples bay. @ChiaraCosenza

18) In my area, Friuli Venezia Giulia, I’d have to say on the coast, at Duino at the Restaurant Dama Bianca in the evening looking out over the north end of the Adriatic Sea to watch the sunset in the summer

If I expand the area, I’d also say Venice in a not so touristy area, let say Nuova Fondamenta, Murano, or anywhere where you can be with your loved one

I’d suggest Alta Badia in Trentino Alto Adige rather than Cortina as it is all too crowded. The Dolomites are wonderful! I’ve really only discovered them this year through ski mountaineering trips almost every other weekend there A lovely place is between Merano and Bolzano in Trentino Alto Adige, it’s called the Vigilius Mountain Resort. Just stayed there two weekends ago: very nice and very romantic! There are so many other places to stay in lovely locations; really it’s just finding the kind of location and accomodations that fit your style (and budget!!!) and enjoy!
Thomas -T.K.

19) Sardegna, Costiera Amalfitana… all well and good, but obvious.

For me the most romantic place in Italy is dead-center of Piazza Santo Stefano in Bologna, one of the few triangle-shaped “squares” in Italy. It is also a very spiritual place, once home to a temple dedicated to Isis, now to a complex of seven churches (not all visible). It’s a mysterious and ancient place… -L.M.G.

20) As beautiful as they might be, Tuscany, Sardinia,etc are full of tourists and are an easy cliché. Polignano a Mare, the Cathedral Square of Trani… Those are really romantic and still uncontaminated by the global tourism…
Puglia in general. -C.R.

21) Venice, of course! For example Punta della Dogana, Venezia.

For a change, you could consider some places in the north of Italy, for example on the lakes:

• Santa Caterina del Sasso and Isole Borromee on Lago Maggiore
• Sirmione with Grotte di Catullo and Castello di Malcesine on Lago Garda
• Bellagio, Lago Como -P.F.

22) In Liguria: Portofino, Vernazza in the Cinque Terre, and Tellaro. -N.C.

23) Aperitivi at Villa San Michele in Fiesole sitting in their gardens overlooking breathtaking views of Florence. The roof top bar at Hotel Continental overlooking the southern side of Florence including Piazzale Michelangelo. -L.S.

24) Sirmione on Lago Garda -S.C.

Photos © canvascafe

Note: Comments and tips have been edited for grammar, syntax, or clarity at Italofile’s discretion.

Thinking about popping the question in Rome this Valentine’s Day (or any other day)? Rome is certainly the place to do it; indeed, you couldn’t have “romance” without Roma. So, I thought I would share some of my favorite spots for lovers in the Eternal City. Of course, this is a highly subjective and non-exhaustive list. I chose 9 for 2009, and they are in no particular order. There are surely hundreds of others…

9. The Spanish Steps. An obvious engagement locale for tourists for sure, as it’s at the heart of the city and abuzz with people from all walks of life (providing a bit of a din for you nervous proposers). The Steps are lovely in the springtime when they are decorated with giant pots of flowers whose pinkish hue echoes the colors of the buildings around them. I also like the Steps in the early morning, when fewer are there to disturb a romantic moment.

8. The Pincio Hill. This area is only a few steps away from the Spanish Steps, but has one of the most evocative views of St. Peter’s and other churches’ domes that make up the Roman cityscape. The Pincio is a balcony for the Villa Borghese park and also looks over Piazza del Popolo. The Pincio is popular with lovers, but for a very good reason: the view from there is Rome in a nutshell.

7. The Aventine Hill. Not the most conventional of romantic spots in Rome, the Aventino is home to tourist attractions like the Circus Maximus and the keyhole view of St. Peter’s from the Order of the Knights of Malta (Piazza dei Cavallieri) and the not-so-touristy Roseto Comunale, Rome’s public rose garden. What could be more romantic than roses and a quiet neighborhood in which to enjoy them?

6. Villa Celimontana. Another site that is absent of tourists, Villa Celimontana and its surrounding park are where many locals go for lunchtime smooch breaks and picnics. A jazz concert series is held here every summer. What’s more, this oasis of calm is only a few blocks from the Colosseum (take Via Claudia).

5. Via Appia amid Roman ruins. I imagine Goethe and his ilk made the most of Rome’s countryside, where they sat for portraits, had movable feasts, and no doubt spent time with their loved ones. Nature and/or architecture lovers could not find a more romantic spot in the Eternal City.

4. Via Conciliazione, in front of St. Peter’s. There’s something about having the whole hulk of St. Peter’s and Bernini’s piazza colonnade that make for a stunning setting for a proposal. I’m sure this is even more true for practicing Catholics, who can vow to exchange vows in front of this very iconic backdrop.

3. Via Giulia. Few streets in Rome are lovelier than the Via Giulia, as we’ve mentioned before. This Renaissance-era lane has a slower pace, a sumptuous energy, and goes well with new (or heirloom) diamonds.

2. Piazza Navona. If you’re going to make your love official, why not go where the rest of Rome goes: to Piazza Navona. You’ll never have been privy to so many public displays of affection. And, if you want to hug and kiss your significant other while you take in the view, including Bernini’s fountains and Borromini’s chuch, no one will bat an eye.

1. Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. Bohemians-in-love may prefer the slow pace and artisan shops of Trastevere, whose main square, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, is usually rife with sketching art students. Sit for a cappucino at one of the sidewalk cafes, holding hands while you take in the relative quiet.

Photo by ~nebe~

Related posts

• What’s On in Italy: October 2008
• What’s On in Italy: November 2008
• What’s On in Italy: June 2008
• What’s On in Italy: December 2008
• What’s On in Italy: August 2008

The Times UK’s Stephen Bleach had a fun article about romantic getaways in Europe this weekend titled “The Dirty Weekend Guide to Europe.” Bleach argues that a “place of [one's] own” makes or breaks a romantic holiday and highlights a “dozen of the slushiest, smoochiest and downright sexiest hideaways on the Continent.” No surprise to us, four out of the 12 are in Italy:

• In Puglia, Trullo Zingaro (booking through Long Travel)
• On Lake Como, Casa Dell’Architetto
• In Sorrento, on the Amalfi Coast, Perla (booking through Wimco Villas)
• In Umbria, Castello di Reschio (booking through Abercrombie & Kent)

And, not a Tuscan villa among any of them. Be aware, however, that romance this luxurious comes at a price!

Related posts

• The Top 25 Hotels in Italy
• Italy Summer Article Round-Up 2008
• October 2008 Article Round-Up
• Luxury Lodging Links
• Italian Fashion Designers and Their Hotels