Carnevale di Venezia 2011

Carnevale di Venezia 2011

19/20 February │26 February - 8 March

I am paying more attention to the Carnavale of Venice this year as we have a beautiful wedding planned in Venice during carnevale! With additional events including masked balls and treasure hunts, this is one wedding that guests are not likely to forget in a hurry! Let me share with you the Carnevale di Venezia 2011!

Wedding trends in 2011

 



As January closes the start of the trends for couples getting married in Italy in 2011 are becoming apparent. With couples slowly recovering from a negative economic situation, strategic spending is the new frugal and over-the-top extravagance will be toned down to a new era of "casual" traditional. Wedding dress designs will focus on texture rather than colour, and cakes will become more subtle and less of a production. Grooms will assist in more of the wedding planning duties to ensure the big day is a reflection of both people involved and wedding videography will make a comeback...

• It will be a defining year for wedding photography in 2011. Quality, professional wedding photographers will keep their current rates while amateur photographers will budget discount themselves out of competition. Brides are beginning to understand that the cheapest photography doesn’t necessarily mean the best photography.

• The Groupon trend will embrace the bridal market and begin offering deep discounts for group buying opportunities.

• Intimate weddings were hugely popular in 2010 and it will remain strong in 2011. Smaller guest lists allow a cosy, more personal celebration.

•  Eco-friendly weddings will begin to take on a vintage flair with used organic and natural fibres wedding dresses paving the way.

• Bridal hairpieces will be huge in 2011. Handmade tiaras and heirloom veils will become a very important wedding accessory.

• Expect to see more professional wedding videography at formal wedding events. It’s best to let the pros capture the entire production instead of relying on uncle Bob.

• Couples are going to go back to the more traditional Italian wedding cake where taste trumps design.

• New 2011 Wedding dresses will begin replacing bold ruffle designs with softer tulle accents.

• The champagne toast will make a comeback. The first thing most couples removed from their wedding reception budgets in 2010 was the luxury expense of champagne. A trend in smaller weddings now keeps this cost reasonable.

• Grooms will begin choosing wedding suits from Italian designers over traditional wedding tuxedos. 

•  More couples will turn away from traditional wedding invitations for DIY invitations and making their own web pages as a way to cut costs.

• More long tables will be seen in 2011 with beautiful table runners pulling it together.

 

• Although ipods can be a financial-friendly alternative to hiring a professional wedding DJ or band, the word is getting out that one thing you don’t want to have to stress about on your wedding day is the music.

• Wedding brunches will gain popularity in 2011. This is a fresh alternative to the traditional rehearsal dinner.

• Additional events over the wedding weekend or wedding week will still be popular.

• Top Italian wedding destinations in 2011 are Venice and the Veneto, Siena and the Tuscan countryside, the Amalfi coast and the ever popular Italian lakes.

Getting a tan for your wedding day

Living in Italy with my perfect white Irish skin, I have become a bit of an expert on applying my fake tan in the summer. Even with all my practice I do occasionally have a fake tan disaster. I have learnt that you can not swim in a swimming pool as the chemicals will strip your fake tan off you faster than bleach, which reminds me, fake tan does not mix with jolen!

2011 Organic bridal wear

With the growing concerns for the environment and the increasing demand for fair traded products it is a pleasure to find a designer who not only creates beautiful wedding dresses but is also conscientious of the environment. Tammam White is a unique bridal collection of eco-luxe designer wedding gowns created and hand crafted in House of Tammam's fair trade atelier in India. The wedding dresses are made with

Veil or no veil

 

Should you wear a veil or not? There is no answer other than it is  completely up to you! The wearing of a veil is a long-standing Italian tradition, it dates back to ancient Romans. The veil is supposed to protect the bride from evil spirits, but you don’t have to follow this tradition if you don’t want to. Some brides just go with a really cool headpiece-check out our latest post for some inspiration on headpieces here:

Adorable outfits for little people

What a fabulous photo, well done Manuel Meszarovits for capturing this moment so beautifully!

The simplicity and elegance of these gorgeous flower girls and page boy’s outfits are perfect for the hot summer weather in Italy! I love the organic colours and beautiful cool linen fabrics... I personally would invite lots of little girls and boys just to be able to recreate this photo!! How adorable are these children! Everything from the simple rustic and matching shoes to the crowns of olive branches make them just...perfect!

Timeless and Romantic...Wedding in Tuscany

When you look at the photographs of Lia and Rob’s elegant Tuscany affair it is not difficult to see why couples decide to host a destination wedding in Italia!  Their timeless wedding, photographed by the amazingly talented Vania and Christine of Simply Bloom Photography, is elegant, understated, and full of love and beauty. And now, I’m going to let the gorgeous images speak for themselves!

What to wear to a destination wedding in Italy

Men have it easy when it comes to what to wear to a wedding!

Hair pieces for a stylish bride!




Wedding ideas and vintage hair pieces

                                                                Photo courtesy of weddingmoo.com

My wonderful friend Amber is going to be a July bride in the romantic city of Treviso and as I sit here looking for beautiful hair pieces to give her ideas to enhance her wedding dress, which I can say no more about other than being perfect for her petite 5ft 1 frame! I have found myself web dreaming in the wonderful world of stunning bridal hair accessories... 

Bridesmaids with individual style!

We all know all eyes are on the bride, but we still would like to make sure that our best friends who have been given the honour of being a bridesmaid look fantastic!

How to keep your guests in line during formal group photographs...

Reportage photography is a style most photographers now practice; it is a style I favour over the posed formal shots. Although I do still like formal group photos and when one of my couples request a formal photograph we work hard with the photographers to ensure that it captures everyone in the best light! Which trust me is not very easy when you have 100's of guests!

When I read India Hicks recent interview in Tatler regarding her day as a bridesmaid for Princess Diana’s Royal wedding, she said ‘’ Patrick Lichfield took the wedding photographs. A cousin-once-removed to the Queen, he was well practiced at being around the royals and came armed with a whistle so he could keep the wedding party in line.’’ Personally I am not sure how wedding guests would react to a whistle during the formal photographs,  but I like the idea of it!


The full version appears in the February issue of Tatler, out now.

Wedding Day Checklist

Happy New Year!

For many of my brides the start of the Year in which they are to be married suddenly marks  the reality of only weeks or months till their wedding day!

Having a check list is imperative to ensure you don't miss out any of the essential elements for your wedding day, but as your day approaches the check lists continue ten folds to make sure nothing is missed or over looked.

Top 5 things to have on your wedding day in Italy check list:

1. Wedding documents! Double check you have all your original documents ready to be presented and that you have obtained all the correct permits for the wedding in Italy to be legally binding. Which also brings me to permits Have all the additional permits required by the town where you are to be married ready and on hand.  This includes parking and access permits for the bridal car, music in a public area permit, fireworks in the summer season and you should also check with your venue if you need to apply for additional electricity for the band and marquee. Do not forget to apply for the music tax forms!
2. Schedule. Write a time line and make sure everyone in the main wedding party receive a copy so they know where they are supposed to be and when.  A schedule is also really helpful for family members so they know what is going on and don't keep asking what happens next! I always make sure that all of the suppliers get a copy and that it has contact numbers for all of the suppliers listed. Make sure the schedule is as detailed as possible!
3.  Attire. Prepare all of your attire. This means: the dress, the undergarments, the makeup, the jewelry, the wedding shoes, the hair pieces. Start from top to bottom and make sure you have a full inventory of everything you will be wearing on that day. Don't forget the little details like undergarments. Also, don't forget anything else like stickies or that lipstick you want to use to reapply throughout the night. Put it all in one place, assign one of your bridesmaids or family members to make sure it is all there and to help you bring it over for the big day.
4. Photography list. Spend sometime writing out a list of all the photos you would like of your day and the people you would like to ensure are included in a photo with you. Send this to your photographer in advance AND make sure someone gives it to your photographer on the day. It is a good idea to have someone like the best man or one of your family members help identify the family members when the photos are being taken. It is a good time after the ceremony to have all of the group photos so people can let their hair down and kick off their shoes afterwards.  
5. Music. Preparing your music list in advance allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy your day and night! From what is to be played while you walk down the aisle to any songs you love to dance to! Also make a list of songs you do not want to hear! Make sure your musicians or DJ have this list in advance!