A Vintage Wedding in Venice

A Vintage Wedding in Venice

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A L E S S A N D R A + A L E S S A N D R O

{ Elisabetta Bilei Wedding Planner}

As if by fate, two people met and fell in love. They married in one of the most charming cities in the world: Venice, Italy. Then as newlyweds, Alessandra and Alessandro set sail to the island of San Servolo for a vintage-styled wedding reception overlooking the exquisite Venice skyline.

F R O M T H E B R I D E

We first met...

As fate would have it, we met when I was working in a coffee shop while studying. His parents owned a gourmet deli right next to my place of work... I say fate because I later discovered that Alessandro was the cousin of one of my close friends... Everything was already written.

We knew it was love...

My heart would explode and I became lightheaded whenever I saw him arrive while looking through the mirror of the coffee shop. It was a joy to see him enter the shop and I understood from the very beginning that I wanted him and only him.

The proposal...

He proposed on the eve of San Lorenzo (dreams do come true) in a Luna Park in the south of France. He tried to win me a stuffed animal by playing hoop games all evening, and finally he won one. At one point he turned around and said "now that I have a best man I can ask you ... will you be my wife?"

Our wedding photographer...

We chose Francesco Bognin for his ability to capture "the moment". Our wish was to collect a series of natural photographs depicting all expressions, every tear, laughter, the true emotions that one feels on one's wedding day, something indescribable. What we feel when we look at the wedding photographs are the scents and emotions we felt which, thanks to Francesco, shall remain unforgettable.

T H E W E D D I N G

Our dream wedding...

I always dreamed of a simple wedding, and honestly, I had never thought of having a theme oriented day.

While speaking to our wedding planner, Elisabetta Bilei, we realised that "the theme" was something which could appeal to us. After thinking it over for a while and looking for something which spoke about us, we settled on the travel theme. Travelling is what we love to do most and how we treat ourselves as soon as work commitments allow us.

Even though we chose travel as the theme, we tried to use neutral and natural colours like white and light grey, for the beautiful roses used to decorate the Church, for example, or the centrepieces which created an atmosphere of unique elegance.

Ceremony location...

We were married in Venice, the most romantic city in the world.

Reception venue...

Our reception was held on the island of San Servolo and I would do it 1000 times over again. It was the most beautiful gift we could offer our guests: a jaw dropping view of Venice. I am certain that everyone will carry those images in their hearts.

The bridal party...

We had three bridesmaids and three groomsmen. I had my three best friends and Alessandro had two friends and his irreplaceable maternal Uncle. My bridesmaids played an important role for me. They stood by me during the year of preparation. They were with me on the night before the wedding day and it was such a moving moment which I will never forget.

The bridesmaids wore...

What best represented them... I accompanied them to choose a dress to share the experience with them, but they chose their own dresses.

The groomsmen wore...

Elegant clothes, which each of them chose for themselves.

The groom wore...

A blue custom made Armani suit with a blue tie which matched the colour of his eyes.

The dress...

I bought my marvellous wedding dress in an atelier near Milan. The choice was actually completely the opposite of what I thought I would have chosen. When I first saw the dress I later bought, it took my breath away. When I tried it on and a tear rolled down my face, I understood that it was the one. When my mother, bridesmaids and grandmother cried too, I had the confirmation that it was the one. I truly looked like a princess.

Wedding flowers...

I wanted a simple bouquet and chose white roses and stephanotis, very pretty small flowers. The bouquet had a touch of green and was wrapped by a white and light grey ribbon.

Reception décor...

The decoration of the venue was left to the catering company and our flower arranger. The tables placed on the terrace were covered in white table cloth. White Tiffany chairs added an air of elegance.

The centrepieces were assembled with white roses and candles to create a unique romantic atmosphere. The lights above us were twisted filaments of small light bulbs which gave an air of magic.

And the beautiful cloister was decorated and lit in a way that only Marco from Tecnolampo could manage. Its façade was lit in a warm colour, small lights were set up along the cloister's perimeter and tables and cube shaped stools were lit in a touch of glamour. Everything was fantastic.

The flowers were supplied by Munaretto, the historic florist of Venice Lido, and the cake was from Happy Cookies of Marcon in Mestre.

On the menu...

We had a buffet style cocktail with many scrumptious dishes which the guests really enjoyed and then we served a three course meal at the table.

Bombonniere...

We contacted a friend in Verona who has an olive oil mill and we asked him to bottle some oil he produced.

We thought it was original and mostly useful. In fact, all the guests appreciated it. Each bottle was equipped with a personal tag, made by the Alambicco Association which works with young people with disabilities.

Memorable moments...

Every single minute of the day and evening was memorable. The moment in which we became husband and wife was certainly incredible, but even in the evening, there were two moments which were very moving.

The first of these was the first dance, when we found out that both of us had asked our super wedding planner to play the same song. She had a surprise in store for us. She created an atmosphere by handing out sparklers to all the guests.

The second moment was when my friends and I performed a surprise dance for Alessandro. I shall always remember the look on his face!

Wedding soundtrack...

John Legend with "All of Me" and Bruno Mars with "Marry You".

M A R R I E D L I F E

The honeymoon...

A beautiful trip to Thailand and Cambodia.

In 40 years we hope to...

Keep the same vitality and the same desire to be together which sets us apart, and to think of our wedding day with true feeling. And surely, to start a family which is our great desire.

W E D D I N G W I S D O M

Your engagement...

What I can say is that marriage is a serious thing, not a fashion statement. It is a commitment to another person. One marries for love, true love.

The planning process...

Have an expert help you. They can give you great advice, but beware of crooks!

On the day...

Enjoy every single moment of the day, from waking to preparation to the moment you say I do and all the celebrations. Time flies and it's good to remember each single instant well... it is the most beautiful day. A custom made day... also thanks to my fantastic Wedding Planner, Elisabetta Bilei, who is now a friend.

Wedding Planner: Elisabetta Bilei / Photographer: Francesco Bognin / Florist: Munaretto / Catering: Peccati di Gola / Lighting: Lampo Service, Tosato Marco

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