Beautiful Weddings

Italy is the perfect place for a dream wedding and is becoming a popular choice with destination weddings. The reason for this is simple. The country caters to almost everyone’s tastes. Finding beautiful wedding locations in Italy is not a very difficult thing to do. You will find plenty of options on various websites with detailed descriptions and pictures. If you are hiring wedding planners, they would have a few suggestions as well. However, this article should give you a head start on what you can look forward too.

Options, options and more options…

Beauty and more beauty is all you will find in Italy – a perfect destination for a wedding. Beautiful wedding locations in Italy are a very common sight. Here are a few of the locations that you might want to consider:

Lake District: As the name suggests, plan your big day in what could possibly be the most relaxing and romantic atmosphere in Italy, on the edge of a lake.

Friuli and Veneto Regions: Venues that are tucked away and intimate is what you will find in this region made up of old towns that still retain their charm, dreamy castles and gorgeous villas.

Tuscany: Ancient towns on the top of hills, enchanting landscapes, mouth watering food and some of the best is wines is what defines this region.

The Italian Riviera: Quaint fishing villages and vineyards dotting a gorgeous coastline define this area. It is the perfect place for an outdoor wedding.

Lazio, Rome and Florence: The beauty of these cities is timeless and that is what ranks them amongst some of the most exhilarating venues for a wedding in Europe.

Amongst other venues are Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Sorrento and the Southern regions.

Weddings in Venice

Venice is considered the most romantic city in the world. With the unique experiences and its atmosphere of magic, who wouldn’t want to get married here? Venues for weddings in Venice are easily available. Civil ceremonies take place at the Palazzo Cavalli which dates back to the 17th century, while blessings can take place at the Anglican chapel. Lovely Venetian restaurants, villas and luxury 5 star hotels are available for receptions.

Everyone wants their wedding to be unique and memorable, but finding the best way to accomplish this is not always easy. While many people will look for elaborate ways to make sure that guests remember their wedding for years to come, there are actually a number of small things that you can do to help ensure that memories of your wedding will always bring joy. Best of all, quite a few of these basic methods of making your wedding stand out will cost quite a bit less than all of the work that will go into coming up with an elaborate wedding plan.

Much of the work of making your wedding memorable can be accomplished simply by making sure that every part of your wedding is well-presented. This includes choosing the right invitations and the perfect color scheme, but also involves planning out the reception and any other after-ceremony activities so that decorating for the entire wedding can fall within an overall design plan. Here are some things to think about when planning your wedding so that you will be able to make it stand out easily in the memories of your guests.

Invitations

The first thing your guests are going to see in regards to your wedding will be the invitations that you send out. Make sure you choose invitations that not only are pleasant to look at but that also fit in well with your wedding’s overall theme. Whether you choose a “Garden of Love” design on your invitations for an outdoor wedding or choose a “Bible by Candlelight” option because you are having a deeply religious ceremony, try to keep the wedding plan in mind and match it to the invites that you send out. If you can match the invitation colors to those colors that you plan on using in the wedding party then your guests will already be accustomed to the wedding colors before they arrive at the event.

Color Considerations

Many people forget that color is a great way to tie a wedding together, instead coordinating bridesmaid dresses and then choosing unrelated color schemes for other parts of the wedding. Try and establish an overall theme in regards to the colors that you use in your wedding, letting accents of your colors appear in everything from the invitations to the wedding party’s clothes.

You might even choose to have the wedding’s colors appear as accents on the wedding cake to really tie everything together with a colorful splash. Remember that the use of color does not have to be overpowering, and that a central theme of colors can be used to great effect as small accents against a white or neutral background.

Place Settings

If you are going to have assigned seating at your reception or wedding dinner, don’t forget to take the time to make personalized place settings for each of your guests. Not only will this make finding assigned seats much easier, but it can add a very professional touch to your wedding even if you have planned everything at home by yourself. Do not forget to incorporate the wedding’s colors into the place settings, and if possible use the same fonts and designs from the invitation to better tie everything together and create a more distinct theme for the post-ceremony activities.

Wedding Favors

Having matching wedding favors can not only provide guests with yet another connection to the wedding’s central theme and chosen colors, but it can also give them a physical reminder that will bring to mind memories of your wedding whenever they see it. Wedding favors do not have to be either elaborate or expensive; they can include everything from small soaps and candles in wedding colors to individual-sized bubble mixes or birdseed sachets to allow the bride and groom to make a grand entrance or exit from the reception hall. By using tasteful wedding favors you may even give others ideas for small things that they could do to help their own wedding have a much larger impact on their guests.

Other Decoration Concerns

Unless you are going for an over-the-top decoration scheme, it is generally best to keep your wedding and reception decorations minimal enough that your guests are not going to feel overpowered by how much work went into getting the decorations ready. Remember that the goal is to impress your guests and to give them a night to remember, but you want to make sure that they remember more than just how complex some of the decoration items were. Incorporate any colors and themes that were included in the rest of your wedding planning, making sure that you remember the small connections that can make a big difference in how your wedding is taken in as a whole by those you invite.

Wedding Solutions’ Top Ideas to Go Green with Your Wedding

 

The eco-chic wedding has grown in popularity over the past few years. Couples are looking to protect the environment by choosing organic and recyclable options, as well as offsetting the impact guests’ travel will have on the earth.

Whereas weddings often mean “the more extravagant the better,” having a green wedding can make a statement to your guests about the importance of protecting the earth from wear and tear.

The easiest way to keep emissions and effects on the environment low is to have a small wedding – 20 guests instead of 200. Obviously, this isn’t always possible. The goal is to have a beautiful wedding that is as least wasteful as it can be.

Many facilities are now catering to eco-chic weddings. However, be aware that a green wedding can cost up to 20 percent more than a traditional wedding.  For instance, having an organic menu can raise costs by 10 percent. But if the environment is your main priority, there are plenty of great ways to plan a beautiful green wedding and keep the environmental impact low.

Here are Wedding Solution’s favorite tips for a green wedding:

 

Invitations: Use organic or soy ink on recycled paper  Choose paper not made from trees. Paper alternatives include bamboo, hemp, banana stalks, and even cotton.

c.       Save paper by skipping the multi-envelope invitations and using a postcard for your Save the Date

d.       Use online invitations or create a wedding website to give guests details of events such as the bachelor/bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, and bridal shower

 

Location: Have your wedding and reception in the same place to avoid wasting energy and natural resources on transportation Have the wedding outside, instead of in an energy-inefficient reception hall. If you have an outdoor wedding, you can utilize the natural beauty of the site to have fewer wasteful decorations You can also locate an LEED-certified space to have an indoor wedding. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” and means the space is sustainable and conserves water, energy, and electricity using solar power, insulation panels, and other state-of-the-art technology. Visit the U.S. Green Building Council’s website to search a list of LEED-certified locations by city or state — www.usgbc.org

 

Flowers: Use potted plants — then have your guests take them home as favors and reuse them. Or have them donated to a local hospice or elderly care center. If you do want flowers, get organically grown flowers – meaning they are grown without pesticides or insecticides. Consider organic roses, which are a beautiful option and have an amazing – and real – fragrance. Non-organic roses are actually sprayed with perfume. Have your guests toss the organic rose petals as you walk down the aisle. (Be aware that organic flowers won’t last as long, however, so make sure your florist considers timing.) Get flowers from a local nursery to avoid using up natural resources during shipping.

 

On the table: Choose an organic menu, with seasonal or locally grown products (to avoid shipping costs). You will be hard-pressed to find an all-organic caterer, so simply instruct your caterer to shop at local farmer’s markets and choose fresh, season ingredients, such as heirloom tomatoes and fresh herbs in the summer. Be aware that with a seasonal menu, you should find a caterer you really trust, because it’s not likely you’ll be able to taste the menu ahead of time. Donate any extra food to a homeless shelter! Choose organic wine or beer selections. Make sure they are registered with the USDA National Organic Program Use recycled napkins and table linens Use natural products for placecards – one couple used a pressed tree leaf with each guest’s name on it as a placemarker. Or writing guests’ names on a smooth river with a paint pen is an eco-friendly option. Choose beeswax or soy-based candles over those made with petroleum, a non-earth friendly product. Best of all, beeswax candles smell amazing, like honey!

g.       For the serious eco-friendly couple, request biodegradable utensils and plates – made out of potatoes, cornstarch, or sugarcane. Then have them composted after the wedding.

 

Gown & tux: Purchase a secondhand or vintage gown. Have it altered to look more modern and to fit your body perfectly. Donate your gown after the ceremony

c.       The groom can wear a hemp tux

d.       Buy a dress – and have your bridesmaids buy dresses – that you will wear again or can have altered

 

Rings: Buy a conflict-free diamond. The Blood Diamond controversy is very hot right now – this means diamonds mined in war-torn African countries that help fund rebel armies, and finance arms purchases and other illegal activities in those countries. Be sure to ask for certified conflict-free diamonds. Opt for a vintage piece. Or you can have an old piece of jewelry melted down and made into a new ring.

c.       A lot of eco-friendly couples are opting for wooden rings. They’re custom-made and inexpensive (a few hundred dollars). Touch Wood rings are gaining popularity … www touchwood.com

 

Gifts: Create a registry where guests donate to a favorite charity instead of buying you gifts. Avoid something political that guests might take issue with … stick to organizations that benefit international aid, nature, animals, disease prevention, or relief efforts. Their contributions will be tax-deductible, and you won’t end up with a bunch of crystal glassware that you use once a year. Register for a home-delivery service that delivers organic food products Ask for national park passes

 

Honeymoon:

a.       Instead of a lavish honeymoon, go on a volunteer trip! Build houses for Habitat for Humanity or help hurricane victims.

b.       Take an eco-friendly or low-impact honeymoon. Stay in a green resort, go camping.

 

Travel and Carbon Credits: Carbon dioxide emissions from guest travel are the single biggest environmental impact from your wedding. The energy needed for lighting, catering, DJs, etc. always plays a role. Use an online “wedding carbon footprint” calculator to determine the amount of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions that will be generated by guests flying and driving into town. Then, the couple can purchase “carbon credits” – which puts money toward U.S. carbon-reducing energy projects ­– to help offset the environmental damage of the wedding. One site designed specifically for wedding planning is www.terrapass.com. You might also ask your guests to contribute to carbon credits, instead of buying a wedding gift.

By Alex A. Lluch

www.weddingsolutions.com

www.wspublishing.com